Stimulation & Monitoring

Controlled Ovarian Stimulation (COS) — The goal of COS is to stimulate a woman's ovaries to mature many follicles at once so we can retrieve many good quality eggs. We initially control the ovarian cycle with hormones such as oral contraceptive pills and gonadotropin releasing hormone agonists. After this we use ovarian stimulating medications such as gonadotropins to stimulate follicle growth. We carefully monitor your response to COS during our Clinic.


Clinic monitoring may occur seven days a week for IVF patients. Sunday appointments are individualized.


Once the follicles are felt to be mature, instructions to take an injection of human chorionic gonadotropin to cause final maturational changes in the egg will be given. If this injection is not administered correctly, mature eggs may not be retrieved. This injection is also critically timed to 36 hours before egg retrieval. The timing of this medication is critical.


General Instructions for IVF Patients