3 things I wish I knew before starting IVF... 1. I didn’t even think about the lab when selecting our doctor for IVF. I REALLY wish I had though. What I learned the hard way is that the skill and knowledge of the lab is paramount. We started our IVF journey at Cornell and unfortunately learned the lab...left a lot to be desired. They thawed the wrong embryo for one of our transfers, but even worse, were taking genetic material away from our embryos too early for genetic testing. We were left with reduced embryo quality due to this and ended up doing an additional egg retrieval once we left Cornell. So my suggestion, understand the quality of the lab before starting at any IVF institution. 2. No single point of failure in communication. Meaning, you want all communication between you and your care team to be sent through more than one mode. We learned this critical detail when a medication was missed over the phone by a nurse at Cornell. We ended up having to cancel an embryo transfer the night before because of it. Make sure to choose a practice that communicates medication details via phone AND patient portal. 3. I personally found that I felt like just a number at a larger institution. They are dealing with so many patients that you feel a bit like cattle just being herded through. At a smaller practice the care was much more personal (which I preferred). The team knew your name and felt much more invested in your success. These are of course my opinions and everyone’s IVF experiences are their own. I’m here to answer any questions you might have about how we found success with IVF. #ivfjourney #ivfsuccess #ivfsuccessstory #ivfwarrior #infertility #rainbowbaby #ivftiktok #ivftips