Working full time and ivf

[MrsDarcy4092]

Hi all
We're hoping to start ivf next year. I just have no idea how it's possible to fit it in around ful time work. In my job I need cover if I'm not in 9-5 even if it's out for half an hour I need cover and it's a new job so I don't really want to tell anyone.
Would taking 2 weeks holiday or 2 weeks sick leave be easiest?

Hi MrsDarcy, I found this very difficult too. I didn't tell work why but I did say I had some medical appointments and would need time off for them and that I'd try to make them at convenient times and I would make up the time. I also took some annual leave for the most important bits (EC to ET) - but beware that this is hard because the timetables can easily change, so taking leave a few days either side of when you think you will need it is probably best. Do you live close to your clinic and your work? A commute did make my life more difficult. You may want to ask your clinic if they do early/late appts out of office hours for scans on the run up to the two weeks when you might take time off (e.g. just before EC til just after proposed ET dates). My clinic was really good and booked me in quite a way ahead to make sure I had the earliest slots because of my job so it is worth asking. Good luck xx

I live a 2 hour drive away from the clinic we used, so took A/L either for the full day or a half a day for appointments in the lead up to treatment.

I took the week before EC off as A/L as I had scans every other day, the following week too- as wasn't sure if we would have 3 day or 5 day transfer. Took 2 weeks 3 days in total I think. Then took another for viability scan.

I did this - took a day off for EC but then developed OHSS so had the rest of the week off. Told all the man bosses at work I had some ovary reaction to my "cyst operation" and they didn't ask further.

My clinic was 25 min drive away in Woking, but I got 7am appts and I could drive there first before dumping car in Woking station and getting into work that way. More travel cost and parking etc but fuck it, better than telling work the truth and I could be in for normal time.

Did you go to the Victoria wing by any chance? That's one we're considering.

I was very open my my work but I have worked there going on 10 years and it's a big company so they have policy's in place.

I choose to do this because I had done the opposite on my 1st cycle and I personally found it incredibly stressful.

I commute to London so choose a clinic/consultant near my work and as we were private could arrange early appointments i.e. 8am for the scans etc. Leading up to egg collection I had to have bloods taken daily as during my previous cycle I developed OHS.

As took annual leave from the day of EC to 2 days after ET so just over a week in total again because work knew about my treatment this was flexible, and the dates did move.

Good luck OP x

Goodness! My treatment was at the Victoria wing too! We drove from Sussex to go there. Small world.

Thanks all! How did you find the Victoria wing? Was it good?
We're planning to start in may so I've already booked 2 weeks annual leave for around the time I know ec/et will be (my dates are very regular and all clinics I've spoken to use your own cycle) so I will just neeed to fit the scan and blood appointments in before work but I now know Victoria wing and also Boston place do 7am appointments and I can get to work on public transport within an hour from either clinic so that should work out well.

Clinics may /can use your own cycle but if the lining isn't quite right can set you back 2/3days as did with my in second cycle

It's very tricky doing ivf without telling work if work days - im lucky and work nights so all appointments slotted in ok for me , tho for df (and he came to every single app /scan etc) we tried to get all early scans /app then he went to work

Chose what will stress you less

'Waves to milk and freckles'

I have recently started a new job so don't really want to be honest with them and tell them but if I have to then I will. It's so hard as obviously ivf is my priority but at same time if it doesn't work I can't give up job and everything.

IF YOU can find a clinic that does 7am scans then easier tho obv all went early

Scans take about 30m then off you trot to work

Think I was scanned day

1 6 8 12 13 and ec 15 on cycle one
1 3 4 8 11 12 14 and ec 16 on cycle two

And then et 3 days later as wouldn't cope to 5

Where as 3rd cycle abroad but got scanned locally

1 7 10 12 and then flew over 2 days after for ec and back again 5 days later

Ask clinic how often they scan (tho depends on how your body reacts to drugs and if you need extra days worth it not and how thick lining is to then start injecting daily)

As I said I work night so was easier but even if you got early scans it's only a few days here and there and if late for work could blame
Traffic trains etc

I told them I was having polyps removed and needed a few medical appointments for it. Docs gave me a sick note for a week but offered me 2 weeks.

I'm at Boston Place too though I preferred 8.00/8.15 appointments to get to work for 9.30. As Blondes said, EC dates can move if the lining isn't ready or if follicles need extra stims etc. In my most recent cycle, it shifted by 5 days because my lining wasn't ready. I was taking 2 weeks annual leave for treatment and then a weeks holiday, and I had to shift everything back by a week. Explaining it as a medical thing is helpful as dates are not confirmed until the last minute. In my first cycle I had 2 weeks of sick leave. In my second cycle 1 week of annual leave.

If we decide to try for a second then our first choice will be the Victoria wing again (have a frozen embryo there). I found the staff all to be friendly and professional, and they didn't mind me calling up with any worries I had. Meds are eye-wateringly expensive, but I think they are at all clinics. Some people ask for prescriptions and have them filled elsewhere. I had all my initial tests done via NHS. Our fresh round cost circa 8k. Including Meds. I only say as I didn't think the pricing was terribly clear. We didn't have any 'extras' except embryo glue- which I think they use as standard there. I found them very accommodating with regards to appointment times. We did find that they ran behind quite frequently - but I don't suppose this would be an issue first thing.

I would also warn that you can't really book ahead with A/L. I was given 8 weeks notice of when ec/et would be, but warned that the schedule may change depending on how my body reacted to the drugs.

A fet is so much simpler milk. Can be done within your cycle naturally so day 1 contact clinic then tablets daily till day 12/13 and get scanned and if lining ok they give joy a date 6/7days later about day 20

Totally diff ballgame to fresh cycle and less stress let alone cost and injections daily

I managed to fit scans etc in before work and then told work I was having a medical procedure but might not get the date until close to the time but that I wanted to tag some leave onto it. That way I could be flexible with dates but could take annual leave rather than sick leave and not feel guilty about not rushing back

This is all so helpful. If I have short protocol which is what I have been told so far then I know my dates for day one each month and then I've already got leave booked for 2 weeks from day 10 to cover when egg collection may happen- I no it can't be exact but surely egg collection will happen at some point between day 10-24. I no et won't but I've told I don't need time off for et just the appointment to have it done but no sedation so can go straight back to work. Am I wrong? If so then I will cancel my leave and just have to go off sick as I can't book leave short notice

Just thought I'd say hi - we have had / are having our treatment at the Victoria wing too :-)
Our fresh cycle was 3 years ago and was hard with full time work - I decided to tell my manager in the end. I had only been in the job 6 months. He is a grumpy old git so was expecting the worst, but he was so sympathetic and told me he and his wife had gone through two unsuccessful IVFs in the late 90s. He was really understanding and when I needed sick leave due to a lot of eggs being collected and minor OHSS (yay, but ouch afterwards) he was genuinely worried about me and very helpful with it all. He then didn't mention it again and when I told him at 12 weeks it had worked he nearly hugged me! I work for the civil service though who are very on the ball and scared of discrimination and have an IVF policy so this stuff is a bit easier than some places.

We lived in Walton and i work in Byfleet so it was a longish drive over to the clinic for early morning scans and then back to the office, but then I was in work by 9 or 9:30 most of the time, They were very helpful in doing times to suit you.

Now we're about to embark on our third frozen cycle and it is much more straightforward as Blondes say. We've had long protocol FET so far, so it takes about 6 weeks from downreg to testing day, but only two scans and everything tends to go much more to the original schedule because there isn't the uncertainty of how you're going to react to stimulation. Plus it's way cheaper of course :-) Really hoping it's third time lucky for us FET-wise.

MrsDarcy for ET I would see if you can take the whole day off. It is correct that there's no sedation - it's just like a smear test - but at the Victoria wing they tell you to take it easy on transfer day, spend the day on the sofa, and then get back to normal life the next day.
However you won't know when transfer is going to be until a couple of days after egg transfer, as they need to see how the embryos grow - it could be a 3 day transfer, but hopefully a 5 day one. The way it goes is that they ring you the day before transfer to give you a time slot, - it is late morning or around midday they do the transfers at Woking. Then the morning of the transfer the embryologist calls you to tell you that everything is still looking good (and on our FET cycle we have had them bring the time forward, or tell us they've had to thaw out another embryo so to come in a bit later).
So if you can't take a leave day at short notice, it might be easier to pull a sickie that day... but TBH if you're booking off day 10-24 that should cover your transfer fine. Things would have to be going really slowly for you to need longer. Our fresh cycle went exactly as the treatment plan scheduled (we had long protocol though).

Also remember that just because they have 7am appointments doesn't mean you will always get one -other people will want them too for the same reasons.

I would take whole day off for et. No you don't need bedrest but I also wouldn't rush back to work

Uk clinic did et and df and I walked to next room sat in chair for ten mins and was told to go

Abroad df and I walked to theatre both suited and booted in blues including hat and feet for df. Had et and was pushed back on trolley , slid over to bed. Told to keep knees up for think 15mins then rest in bed for another 30/60m till I had had a wee then could go

Amzing how diff clinics are .....

Mrs Darcy If you're confident that you can calculate your cycle dates now for May, then yes booking day 10-24 sounds like you'll manage ok to cover both EC and ET. Particularly with a short protocol, I imagine that there is less scope for huge changes in dates. Prepare for the unexpected however - of 4 cycles that I started, only 1 followed the date plan that was set out at the beginning of treatment. All of mine were long protocol:
Cycle 0 - started drugs but abandoned due to developing a polyp which needed to be removed. Restarted 2 months later.
Cycle 1 - everything according to plan.
Cycle 2 - availability for booking in suppression scan meant it was 4 days later than originally indicated and then I had to wait 2 more days before I could start stims, so EC shifted 6 days from plan.
Cycle 3 - lining not thin enough on suppression scan so had to wait another 5 days before rescan and starting stims.

Agree that you should take it easy after ET if you can. That might not be one that they can do at 7am like a routine scan because they need a full team available- my ETs have been between 10-12. So day off/sick today is better than planning to work afterwards.

I would take days off after ET. My acupuncturist said the 48 hours after a 5-day transfer are when implantation occurs and my nurse told me not to lift anything heavy for the next 48 hours so I would take a couple of days to rest.

Yes I would take a few days off after embryo transfer. You really won't want to go back to work straight afterwards. Take a sick day if you have to, but don't put yourself under pressure

Just wanted to say hi as I'm also starting with the Victoria wing (NHS) with our first appointment in February and would appreciate any advice/tips from any of you ladies who have been there or would be good to know if anyone might be cycling at the same time (guessing march).
I'm Geeup, 34, male factor, cycle 21, 4th on clomid.
Happy to start a new thread if you'd prefer under the clinic name.

Oh and yes working full time in London so juggling scans etc with a 2 hr commute! Will tell work if I have to.