Patient Resources & FAQs

Please call (203) 750-7400 to be connected to the on-call nurse, who can help answer any questions you may have about fertility medications.

If you’re experiencing a true medical emergency, please call 9-1-1 for immediate assistance and let your nurse know if you are going to the ER or hospital ASAP so we can help coordinate your care or communicate with the hospital team as needed.

If you’re unsure about what your symptoms might mean, please email or call your nurse or navigator (during office hours) or call our emergency line at (203) 750-7400 to reach a nurse (during non-office hours).

While light cramping, bleeding or other symptoms can be worrisome (especially for fertility patients), you usually don’t need to worry unless you are experiencing heavy bleeding (like a period) or intense cramping. In any case, if you’re anxious about symptoms or want reassurance from a professional, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your Care Team!

Some light spotting or bleeding is common in early pregnancy, and is usually nothing to worry about (we know it can be scary to see, regardless). One common cause for light bleeding or spotting during early pregnancy is referred to as implantation bleeding, which occurs as the embryo nestles in and implants itself in the uterine wall. Some IVF patients also experience subchorionic hematomas, which typically resolve within weeks. However, if you’re experiencing heavy bleeding (like a period), please contact your Care Team or call (203) 750-7400 and let us know. We may ask you to come into the office for an ultrasound to confirm all is well.

If you are on Endometrin suppositories, watery or clumpy discharge is expected and normal - not to worry! Your body will absorb what it needs and expel the rest. You can wear a panty liner to help absorb any excess discharge during this time.

It is normal to feel tired, nauseous, bloated and crampy after an egg retrieval. Patients that have a higher number of eggs retrieved can experience something called ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), which is caused by an exaggerated response to fertility medication and elevated estrogen levels. There can be mild, moderate or severe symptoms, though severe cases are rare. We can easily treat OHSS if it does occur.

Please contact us if you are starting to feel a swollen abdomen with weight gain of 5 lbs or more, pain, vomiting and decreased urination. During your discharge post-egg retrieval, the nurse will review this with you.

Learn more about the side effects of IVF egg retrieval here.

“Day 1” is what we call the first “full flow” day of your period (note: brown or pink spotting does not count as Day 1). This is the first official day of your menstrual cycle.

If your period begins over the weekend, please call our main line (203) 750-7400 first thing Monday morning for next steps.

You will receive a link from your nurse or patient navigator to a platform called EngagedMD, where you will be able to complete all of your IVF education modules before your first treatment cycle.

This depends on your insurance plan and what they require. However, most patients do need prior authorizations before being cleared to begin fertility treatment.