Birth Control Pills

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Stef

Birth Control Pills

Post by Stef »

Hi Dr. Wisot,

How long should a patient be on birth contorl pills before IVF cycle? I read the time frame is usually 1-3 weeks, but how do you make the determination?

Say if a patient that has 28-days natural cycle...wouldn't it make sense to put her on the pill for 3 weeks in stead of 1 week? (so she can have her next menstrual period in sync with her natural cycle). The 1 week birth control pill pre-treatment creates an "artificial" menstrual period before the stimulation does not really make sense to me...

Thanks!
Dr. Wisot
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Re: Birth Control Pills

Post by Dr. Wisot »

One is usually on the birth control pills from 10 days to three weeks. One's own cycle does not matter.

The purposes of the pill are to prevent one from starting their own natural follicle which can turn into a single dominant follicle with stimulation. They also bring the follicles into alignment allowing them to be simulated synchronously.

Before birth control pills were used in the early days up to 30% of cycles were cancelled. Now it's much less.

Arthur L. Wisot, M. D.
Reproductive Partners Medical Group
Redondo Beach, California
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