IVF and work

[Tina14]

Hi,
So today I've been told that I am going to be referred for IVF.
I haven't a clue about what this entails, so I've been having a read on the Internet. Now, the main thing I'm picking up on is the amount of check ups/clinics I'll be needing to go to.
how do you stand in terms of work? Do I need to tell my line manager? is it a case of using my annual leave? Do you need to take a lot of time off work?

 

[Donna88]

I could be completely wrong but I don't think you have to use annual leave, it should be seen as any other medical/consultant appointment. You may have to tell your line manager though so they're not wondering why you suddenly have lots of appointments, but again I don't think you HAVE to tell them it's down to you really.

Hopefully someone else with more experience will come to advise you soon though.

Good luck with your IVF

 

[Tina14]

Ah ok, thank you!
I may have a look and see if there are any policies that covers this

 

[Alexis2017]

You will be entitled to go to all your appts. I will be having ivf end of this year and havent yet told my manager. I am waiting to nearer the time incase a miricale happens. Yeah so you don't have to tell them what its for but it's easier and more likely to understand the situation if you let them know what its for. I have been worried to tell my manager as the unit is so short staffed due to mat leave and sickness that I know it will be seen as a negative thing but everyone is entitled to have a family and treatment if required.

 

[Nikkibiscuit]

You will be entitled to time off for your appointments. Most likely unpaid or will need to work time in lieu. That was the case for one of my management team when she went through IVF. You would then get the normal entitlement to antenatal appointments if was successful. I think it's 3 as paid leave but it is expected that you organise them around work whenever possible. I think that's a standard right from all employers.

On top of that you are allowed to be signed off sick for a period of time after implantation. From memory I think it's somewhere between 2 and 4 weeks. To allow you to rest and give embryo best chance.

You don't have to take that time obviously. For most would depend on whether you are entitled to paid sick leave not. As SSP is only £92 per week.

Hope that's helps. You don't have to tell line manager but believe me from the manager end of things it's much easier if you know! My employee had serious mood swings when having hormone treatment.....she would have been on performance management if I hadn't known!

Good luck! Xx

 

[tigerpaws]

I took two weeks off, after the first control on stim day 9, it was a Friday, where I had a check up and then stayed at home. Retrieval at cd12 and transfer at cd14. I was in a really bad shape after retrieval since the painkillers didn't work and I'd had a lot of tensions because of the pain.. next time I'm only taking the days I have to(4?) because I'll be on night shifts and will be able to go back to work an relax most of the time. Lucky for me we have easy night shifts.

 

[LyndseyB]

Hi Tina.
I ended up not telling my work at all that I was doing IVF (we did it without anyone knowing, by choice) and I just told my boss that I have some unpredictable hospital appointments coming up that I wont know about until last minute and might change (she may have known exactly what I was up to but I felt better that she might not and got the fact that I didn't want her to ask), I'm lucky that I work close to the hospital and that most scans were at an 'open clinic' from 8.30-9.30am and so I wouldn't turn up all that late. I know that when it comes to hospital appointments I am entitled to a decent amount of time off but I said to my boss if they end up taking quite a lot of time I am happy to make some of that up. If she recommended I spoke to HR regarding the time off, I'd have more than happily explained it to them since I do not work with them on a daily basis and they would not be allowed to disclose the info to my boss but that ended up not being the case. I think some employers would possibly do this, though.

For the day of my op I just took that as annual leave and then another 3 days of annual leave for and after transfer so I could relax as much as I wanted to.

I know I would have been entitled to the time off without using leave but in case you are not wanting anyone to know, I thought I'd let you know how I handled it. I hope you are feeling OK about having to go through this, it is different for everyone but there are plenty of ladies on here who can answer your queries and alleviate your worries if and when you have them xx

 

[phonixgirl]

My company had no policy on IVF and they didn't really know what to do when I told them. My managers referred to HR who said to take all the time off I need without using it as sickness, holiday etc or making the time up. Everything has been done like now. They've now got a 'family policy' and a very vague paragraph about IVF... I think I started that! Please don't take it as holiday etc - I ended up going off with depression because of it. xxx

 

[Tina14]

Thank you all so much for replying....I really do appreciate it.
I guess in terms of my workplace, I work shifts, so I guess for most I could maybe change shifts/make specific request etc. So that would help.
I didn't think about the actual procedure and needing time off after it....I guess I just need to do more research and ask more questions on here!

Honestly, I'm not sure how I'm feeling. I mean, it's great I'm being referred, but it's something I guess you never feel you would need? I only have one tube functioning and I'm 39....I think I'm just a little overwhelmed at the moment. It's a lot to take in isn't it?

From the point of being referred, how long is the waiting list on average? Or is that too big a question?
xx

 

[LyndseyB]

Honestly, I'm not sure how I'm feeling. I mean, it's great I'm being referred, but it's something I guess you never feel you would need? I only have one tube functioning and I'm 39....I think I'm just a little overwhelmed at the moment. It's a lot to take in isn't it?

From the point of being referred, how long is the waiting list on average? Or is that too big a question?
xx

It is so hard to know how to feel. I thought I'd be excited once we had all tests and were officially on the list but instead I felt petrified. And don't let the one tube put you off. My left never seemed up to much at all and only a little more happening in the right as I have low AMH, and of course my right ovary liked to produce follicular cysts too. It only takes one Tina, and I guarantee they will get more eggs than one! Think positive sweetie.

I think it is very different everywhere for referral times, ours was 12 months but we were lucky enough to have savings that we could justify using the go private and therefore didn't have to wait. I've seen someone on here get referred by NHS and the clinic had no waiting time so she was in the same position we were, time-wise. It is best asking your clinic what there current waiting time is so you have a good idea.

I feel like one positive of having crap times with fertility is that I can at least try to help other people so I'll be keeping an eye on this thread and offer advise where I can xx

 

[luhappymatters]

I've been blogging about my ivf journey - I find it helps as I don't know anyone going through it. If it helps anyone you can find it here - happymatters.co/category/family/ivfing/

would be great to hear from anyone around the blackheath London area going through the same - or from anyone from anywhere really!

we're about to start round 2

 

[Tina14]

I've been blogging about my ivf journey - I find it helps as I don't know anyone going through it. If it helps anyone you can find it here - happymatters.co/category/family/ivfing/

would be great to hear from anyone around the blackheath London area going through the same - or from anyone from anywhere really!

we're about to start round 2

Hi,

Ah thank you for this post....I will certainly,have a read of your blog. Similar here, I don't know anyone who is going through it, or even ever has. My resources are literally on here at the moment....so grabbing what I can! I'm obviously just making sure that other website I look at are legit.

Good luck with your round 2..... I'll have a peek at your writing this evening xx

 

[Tina14]

Honestly, I'm not sure how I'm feeling. I mean, it's great I'm being referred, but it's something I guess you never feel you would need? I only have one tube functioning and I'm 39....I think I'm just a little overwhelmed at the moment. It's a lot to take in isn't it?

From the point of being referred, how long is the waiting list on average? Or is that too big a question?
xx

It is so hard to know how to feel. I thought I'd be excited once we had all tests and were officially on the list but instead I felt petrified. And don't let the one tube put you off. My left never seemed up to much at all and only a little more happening in the right as I have low AMH, and of course my right ovary liked to produce follicular cysts too. It only takes one Tina, and I guarantee they will get more eggs than one! Think positive sweetie.

I think it is very different everywhere for referral times, ours was 12 months but we were lucky enough to have savings that we could justify using the go private and therefore didn't have to wait. I've seen someone on here get referred by NHS and the clinic had no waiting time so she was in the same position we were, time-wise. It is best asking your clinic what there current waiting time is so you have a good idea.

I feel like one positive of having crap times with fertility is that I can at least try to help other people so I'll be keeping an eye on this thread and offer advise where I can xx

Yes! Totally! I thought I would be excited....but instead I've become really anxious and tearful...and I don't know why? I've not told anyone yet, well apart from a very, very close friend. I've been on annual leave, so maybe I've been left to just ruminate on it. Today has been better as I've actually gone back to work and I'm easily distracted by it.

I was having cysts on my right ovary also, and just had endometriosis removed for the third time. I'm thinking positive though!!

Yeah, I'll ask the clinic about waiting times. The only other spanner is that I've just had my occupational health update in work and had to have some vaccination boosters. So need to wait at least four weeks anyway after them.

Thank you for your kind reply... xxx

 

[LyndseyB]

Yes! Totally! I thought I would be excited....but instead I've become really anxious and tearful...and I don't know why? I've not told anyone yet, well apart from a very, very close friend. I've been on annual leave, so maybe I've been left to just ruminate on it. Today has been better as I've actually gone back to work and I'm easily distracted by it.

I was having cysts on my right ovary also, and just had endometriosis removed for the third time. I'm thinking positive though!!

Yeah, I'll ask the clinic about waiting times. The only other spanner is that I've just had my occupational health update in work and had to have some vaccination boosters. So need to wait at least four weeks anyway after them.

Thank you for your kind reply... xxx

At this stage I don't think the 4 weeks will be an issue. Assuming it was your doctor who referred you to IVF clinic, it may take a few weeks to get an initial appt and then they like to do some tests. HSG (check your tubes) and AMH at least for you depending on what the docs did already plus sperm analysis for your partner.

To give you an indication of times once you actually start treatment (I couldn't find this info anywhere, and of course it might be slightly different other places) - we gave the go ahead for our first cycle on 25th October and my treatment started on my Dec period (9th), 2 weeks on the pill from 12th, 6 days of 1 injection, 14 days of 2 injections (usually around 11 days if you have more eggs), trigger injection late at night on 17th Jan, op to collect eggs 19th. It then depends on a lot of things when they transfer an embryo, either day 2,3 or 5.

I hope this is not too much info, I wanted to know as much as possible right at the beginning and it was so hard to gauge times and work out how long things would take, very frustrating when we have a million things to worry about. xx

 

[phonixgirl]

It felt like there was no wait time for us. I think it was actually something a few weeks but it usually takes about that time to get an appointment anyway. Then we had to do tests etc before starting the actual treatment.

I've found it quite easy to go to scans and stuff (I work really close to the hospital anyway) and most of the time went on my own. They are quick and usually on time. The info sessions and dr appointments are longer and can be running late. I've had the whole day off each time I've had a transfer. I was really ill after my egg collection (bad reaction to anaesthetic) and think I took a week off then. I had the scratch before the transfer too and that can leave you a little crampy so I've not gone back into work after those.