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From what I understand you have a very small window for IUI and IVF during your cycle. So if, for example, she got bloodwork or ultrasound results back saying that she was near ovulation, I would assume it would be a last minute appointment to have the procedure done. A lot of people have irregular cycles and don't have any way of planning ahead for these types of things. I can't imagine there would be too many of those though...

Absolutely only a day or two and occasionally last minute. I've had both. Certain things have to happen on certain days and you can't do them on a different day. And you are so desperate you don't really negotiate or risk it. You so what they say when they say it.

For example we are driving our sick toddler 4 hours to go the day 3 appointment because we can't leave him at home. He isn't going in we are tag teaming in the car. But we can't change the appointment or anything.

I did IUI w/injectables twice. Injectables require very frequent monitoring via bloodwork and ultrasounds, every day or every other day starting day 2 or 3, for about 10 days. At my hospital, ultrasound was blocked off for IF patients from 7:30-8:30, so if you live/work close you could still get to work at a decent time. A nurse would call you bw 1-4 to let you know if you needed to come back the following day. IUIs were all scheduled for 11am, but you don't know until day or two before exactly which day. It is very intense and there is pretty much no flexibility.

@mrsjyw: Obviously I'm just one patient who's been to one clinic, so I don't know the procedures at this employe's clinic, appts w/only 1-2hr notice is odd to me! I always knew by the afternoon before.

My appointments were almost always last minute web it and to monitoring my cycle.

Here's an example of my clomid cycle when I got pregnant with Chloe:

- called clinic on day one of full flow of my period to get script for clomid
- took clomid days 3-10
- called clinic on day I got positive OPK
- went in next morning for blood work to verify O & progesterone levels
- had lots of pain, worried about over stim. Went in same day ultrasound. Had follicle scan.
- got pos home preg test on 12DPO
- called REs office at 6:45am (their protocol)
- went in for beta before 8am
- results returned before 10am
- 2nd beta before 8am 48 hrs later
- scheduled 5 week us
- schedule 8 week us

That's just a clomid cycle. My appointments were even more sporadic and last minute when going through testing.

I remember my friend who had IUI's had to be told with very short notice due to her levels of some sort when she'd go in. Hazy on the details but I think she had an idea it would be say, the next few days, then they said when to come in. Maybe she has more of an idea, but doesn't feel comfortable sharing since it's basically about her cycles, etc? I'm no expert and probably shouldn't even be commenting haha!

Since it's all based off of when you get your period (and you know how unpredictable AF is), that is why appointments kinda just happen.

I didn't have beta tests done, so my Dr visits weren't as frequent as others.

Here was my schedule-
When AF showed up, I would call the doc. They might have me come in on day 3 of my cycle to get a baseline. Then schedule another appt on day 10 of my cycle to check out how big my follicles were. Sometimes they would give me two days or sometimes one day or even that afternoon, tell me that my follicles are large and that they need to give me the trigger shot. After the trigger shot is administered, I have 24 hours to do the IUI. So I have to make sure the DH is ready and available to come in for a deposit. Then I come in after and have the IUI done. Then we wait.

The appointments can be very sudden and very frequent. I try to make sure my schedule is fairly open but I do have a fairly flexible job and boss so as long as my work gets done--- it's fine.

Now the above is all based off a normal cycle. If anything abnormal comes up (medication side effects, enlarged follicles, procedure side affects) they might want to see me that day. If they have a 2pm, you'll take it because it might be the only slot available and you'll want to do anything in order to get pregnant.

Oh, if a particular treatment hasn't been working, they'll want me to come in to discuss other options. So that another meeting that pops up. Usually it's a few days before you ovulate so, there is quite an urgency to do it before you miss your chance.