Fertility FAQ

The Patient Portal is good for questions/information. The nurses try to answer as quickly as possible. Please note that after 3pm and on weekends, the staff is not there to answer, but will respond within the next work day. If it is in need of attention - please call the office and leave a message. If it is a medical emergency, go to the nearest Emergency Room.

The initial testing is useful in detecting big picture questions like blocked fallopian tubes or low sperm count. This could also be explained by an age-related decline in fertility. The next steps may include medications and continued monitoring.

If you are not going through with an immediate transfer, your period will typically start 2 weeks after your Ovidrel Trigger and 1 week after Lupron.

We ask that you abstain from intercourse or ejaculation 48 hours prior to a semen analysis.

When doing IUI, there are no restrictions on intercourse after your procedure.

On average we are looking for a total motile count of at least 5 million sperm.

Please let YFF know if you are experiencing symptoms or have been in contact with someone with a positive COVID test.

Reschedule your appointment if any of the following are true:

-You or anyone from your household has been in contact with someone with COVID.

-You are experiencing a fever higher than 99.9 or have a sore throat or cough.

-Have traveled outside New York in the last two weeks.

It is recommended to avoid a hot tub and sauna during treatment and once pregnant.

It would be best to let your dentist know that you are pregnant but generally it is ok to recieve Novocaine without epinephrine.

Our reccomendation is that you wait until at least your second trimester, or check with your OBGYN.

Because they are not regulated by the FDA, we cannot recommend them to our patients. Although, if you DO take them, be sure to let your doctor know what you are taking prior to any treatments.

Expect the start of your cycle after 6 to 10 days, if you do not experience a period after 10 days contact our office! (716) 243-8377

Progesterone prepares the endometrium for pregnancy after ovulation. It tells the lining to thicken in order to accept an embryo.

It also stops the muscle contractions in the uterus that would cause the body to reject an embryo.

Typically, they will be available to you three weeks after your egg retrieval date.

Limiting your alcohol intake once treatment begins is highly recommended. Once pregnant, stop intake all together.

If your doctor found signs of an ovarian cyst on your ovaries during an exam, there is nothing to worry about. This is very common and associated with your menstrual cycle.

Usually they will go away on their own. If there are any concerns your doctor will discuss them with you.

We suggest that you abstain from intercourse during IVF treatment, or use a condom. This will prevent the chance of a multiple gestation high risk pregnancy.

For IUI, you can have unprotected intercouse the day of your IUI and after.

If you are experiencing small amounts of brown/pink/red spotting from the egg retrieval/embryo transfer/IUI mixed with vaginal discharge this is typically not conerning. Vaginal/cervical irritation can also cause some normal spotting.

If you experience heavy, bright red bleeding. Contact our office at (716) 243-8377.

The chance of pregnancy after implanting a "normal" embryo is 60-70% (never 100%). Numerous factors can explain this. Dr.DiPaola will set up a consult with you following your transfer to go over your treatment cycle details.

All women's reproductive experience is different. Some women may have chromosomally abnormal eggs; the proportion of abnormal eggs simply increases with age.

It is safe to stick with cooked/pasturized foods and low mercury fish during pregnancy. Also avoid alcohol.

Our office prefers you wait two weeks after the day of your procedure to get bloodwork done in order to ensure accurate results.

If your hCG levels are rising abnormally our office will give you a call and let you know what is going on. There is always a risk of abnormal pregnancy/early pregnancy loss or an ectopic pregnancy. These scenarios can become clear with abnormally rising hCG levels.

There can be multiple reasons for bleeding in early pregnancy and this would be a good time to call our office. Light spotting in early pregnancy however is very common and often not concerning.

After a procedure, we will send you for hCG bloodwork 2 weeks after. If it is positive we will draw once more 48 hours later to make sure the number is still rising. If the numbers are rising at an appropriate rate we will bring you in for an ultrasound at 6-7 weeks.

As of 12/8/2020, we are limiting the amount of patients in the office at one time. We are requiring all patients to text from the parking lot upon arrival and wait for a text back to come in.

At this point, only the PATIENT is allowed to enter the building, partners, family members, and friends are not allowed to come in at this time.

You are more than welcome to drop off a sample for your partner. We just require that you have proof of ID upon arrival and that he has signed the collection form indicating that he produced the sample.

Transfers do not require anesthesia, but you will likely take valium beforehand to relax the cervix. You will need a ride home after your procedure.

Egg Retrievals however do require anesthesia, so you will need a ride home after.

An empty bladder is best for vaginal ultrasounds and a full bladder is best for abdominal ultrasounds which are used during mock transfers and embryo transfers.

We consider day 1 of your period to be the first day of a full flow.

This can be a result of medications, or can be a possible sign of hormonal or structural issue such as a polyp or fibroid.

It is best to limit caffeinated beverages to two 8 oz beverages per day during treatment. During pregnancy we recommend you consume less than 75 mg of caffeine each day.

Yes, it is safe to get a flu shot while pregnant.

We request that you are abstinent for at least 2 but no more than 5 days before your Semen Analysis appointment date.

Yes, there are many services available. Please contact our office if you would like to discuss your options. (716) 243-8377

Contact our team nurse, Anne, for specific instructions, but typically one missed oral medication dose like this will not affect the outcome.

It is important to keep a healthy life style when going through treatments and while pregnant. Continuing exercise that you already routinely do is generally OK after IUI/intercourse/frozen embryo transfer.

The major restrictions are after an IVF stimulation cycle and egg retrieval, as this stimulation causes your ovaries to enlarge. This increases risk of ovarian torsion (when your ovary twists on its own blood supply, causing severe pain and ovarian tissue damage). We advise staying away from high impact exercise such as running, HIIT, aerobics, etc. during treatment.

Taking walks and light workouts are always encouraged.

It is recommended for patients with early pregnancy symptoms of nausea to take 50mg of Vitamin B6, an over the counter medication, every 6 hours or as needed.

Vitamin B6 is a water soluable vitamin in which excess amounts can be excreted.