https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 06 Apr 2026 01:17:18 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-tips-youve-learned#post-830677 Tue, 04 Jun 2013 15:06:20 +0000 spaniellove 830677@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Polish: That would be great if you wrote a post! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-tips-youve-learned#post-830536 Tue, 04 Jun 2013 14:35:01 +0000 Mrs. Polish 830536@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@spaniellove: I was wondering if you would mind if I wrote a post based on this thread? Or you could always guest post. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-tips-youve-learned#post-827508 Mon, 03 Jun 2013 15:04:16 +0000 dagret 827508@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@spaniellove: aw, you poor thing. It just adds insult to injury doesn't it?!? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-tips-youve-learned#post-826785 Mon, 03 Jun 2013 11:34:31 +0000 spaniellove 826785@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@dagret: I wish I'd seen this before a recent appointment where I wasn't wearing socks because it was hot out, and...my foot touched the vag cam as the tech was putting it away. Ewww. I don't know why it's so much grosser when it's on my foot than in my parts, but the thought of my foot touching a thing that's been inside other people was so nasty for me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-tips-youve-learned#post-826773 Mon, 03 Jun 2013 11:30:36 +0000 just_ju 826773@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@spaniellove: I have the same door positioning problem at my clinic - I always try to sit on the bottom of my shirt so I'm not flashing my crack at the RE when she walks in. I know she's about to check out my business, but I like having a little bit of modesty re: my bum. It's the little things :)</p> <p>I wish I had known to write down questions before the appt. When I first started seeing the RE, I didn't ask any questions at all because I was overwhelmed, and then I remembered a million questions when I got to the car. Having my questions written down for the next appt made me feel more in control, and writing the answers in once I got them helped put me at ease. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-tips-youve-learned#post-814575 Wed, 29 May 2013 06:57:09 +0000 dagret 814575@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Wear socks (or bring socks with you). Nothing worse than being bottomless with your naked feet in stirrups. Well, there's lots worse about IF but socks felt like something I could control and conquer. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-tips-youve-learned#post-814561 Wed, 29 May 2013 06:49:27 +0000 TheReelDeal 814561@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I like the wearing loose pants one! </p> <p>Another thing I learned is you can't go to your appointments "over prepared". I think I always had a least 4 or 5 different things I thought I *could* have before stepping into my RE's office. I think it's important to be invovled with your care and not just on the sidelines. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-tips-youve-learned#post-814371 Tue, 28 May 2013 21:29:17 +0000 twinmama 814371@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Even though we didn't have any infertility coverage, I found out kind of late in the game that our insurance would cover: </p> <p>(1) Fertility meds that are stocked in the health plan's pharmacy/formulary. So I could still get 30 pills of Femara for a $10 copay with my RE's prescription, because it's in the formulary as a breast cancer med. (Femara is REALLY expensive, so before I knew this, I paid like $100 for like 10 pills). Same deal with Lupron for my IVF cycle - because it's in the formulary for endometriosis treatment.</p> <p>(2) Ultrasounds, if I had a diagnosis code. We were shelling out $250 every time I had a monitoring ultrasound, sometimes multiple times in a cycle. Once I was diagnosed with an endometrioma (and a fibroid), a new little box was checked, and suddenly my insurance paid the ultrasounds in full, because it was monitoring of a gyn condition, not just fertility related.</p> <p>And one more thing - always check in with your RE's billing office after an IVF cycle. I don't even remember what it was about, but I was emailing our finance lady a couple of months after our cycle, and she let me know we had a credit on our account - of like $1500! I have no idea what it was from, but I didn't ask, and we cashed that check like lightning. I think it was probably from insurance covering some random things that we didn't expect. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-tips-youve-learned#post-814104 Tue, 28 May 2013 18:57:44 +0000 marionberry 814104@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would say to check with your insurance right away if you start facing an issue getting pregnant. Once we found out that our insurance didn't cover care, we knew there was no need to wait the typical "year" before getting help.</p> <p>I'm sure there is so much more but that's the first thing I can think of. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-tips-youve-learned#post-814092 Tue, 28 May 2013 18:39:56 +0000 tequiero21 814092@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Hmm I'm sure there are many, but can't really think of anything now. But one thing is to write all your questions down because it's easy to forget. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-tips-youve-learned#post-814070 Tue, 28 May 2013 18:23:34 +0000 spaniellove 814070@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Polish: Seriously, I'm still on my first bag of Wondfo HPTs because I realized it was a waste to POAS every cycle. Your comments reminded me that I learned the hard way to wear loose pants to ultrasounds so I can undress at lightning speed. You never know when someone will walk in! And to watch the positioning of the door relative to where you're sitting...today I realized that no matter how much I tried to cover up, the door was placed in a way that every time the door opened everyone in the hallway could see my butt. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-tips-youve-learned#post-813964 Tue, 28 May 2013 17:22:54 +0000 Mrs. Polish 813964@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh heck yes.</p> <p>I wish I had known to be more upfront about my care and less do-everything-they-say. I wish I had known that an ultrasound isn't a nice little rub on the belly (ugh). And I wish I had known in the beginning not to waste my money on digital pregnancy tests. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-tips-youve-learned#post-813497 Tue, 28 May 2013 14:27:07 +0000 spaniellove 813497@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Do you have any tips you've picked up along your IF journey that you wish you'd known as a newbie? Inspiration and encouragement are always welcome but let's face it, sometimes we really need practical advice. </p> <p>I wish I'd known from the beginning to ask whether the hours/dates the clinic gives you for bloodwork in their welcome packet are up to date. Better yet, that I should ask exactly what to do on the first day of AF - should I call and do I need to make any appointments or can I just come in? Some clinics are not great about communicating this. Also, once you have someone on the phone ask anything and everything because you don't know when you'll be able to reach a live person again. </p>