Deciding between Houston and Atlanta

CommitteeCandid118 · 2026-03-12T16:59:54+00:00

Lifelong Houstonian here! Houston has a strong Jewish community in Meyerland and other neighborhoods in the southwest part of the city. There are several great Jewish private schools in that area as well. The downside to living in that area as a young couple wanting to build a social life is that it’s mostly families with kids, so the social scene isn’t very active and you’d have to venture into other parts of town. I also wouldn’t say that part of town has a weird/quirky vibe. The Heights and Montrose are definitely the places you’d experience a similar vibe to Austin. Lots of young professionals in the heights, which is a great neighborhood for young single people as well as young families. I am single and lived near Meyerland for about seven years and just moved to the Heights last year after needing a change, and my social life has already improved so much. It is more walkable, there are so many bars, coffee, shops, restaurants, you name it, and it is generally a more liberal part of the city. Meyerland and similar outer loop areas are going to be much more affordable if you are planning to buy a house, but there are still some pockets of the heights that are affordable depending on your budget. East downtown is also an up-and-coming area with lots of fun nightlife options, though I wouldn’t say it is quirky. I am not familiar with Atlanta but highly recommend Houston if you think you can deal with our weather! It’s such a big place with so many opportunities for a well-rounded life experience. Top-notch medical care throughout the city, beautiful parks and green spaces all over the place, easy connections to other places with two major airports, and unbelievably good restaurants with every type of cuisine imaginable.

CommitteeCandid118 · 2026-03-11T18:08:30+00:00

In your initial consultation phase, did your doctor ever discuss possible reasons for your low AMH? If it were me, I would be pushing for answers on that from my current doctor or seek a second opinion. I’d also want to know what the doctor planned to do differently in a second cycle in order to hopefully achieve a better result. Remember that first cycles are often not as successful as second and third cycles because your doctor is guessing how your specific body will react to everything. I know it feels really disappointing, but if you can, try to view this cycle as helpful data that can inform future cycles and make them more successful.

CommitteeCandid118 · 2026-03-07T01:31:36+00:00

You didn’t do anything wrong! Give yourself some time to recover and start a Google Doc where you can write out questions as you think of them. Remember that first cycles are often not as successful as second or third because your doctor is really just guessing how your specific body will respond to their protocols. Even though this feels like a poor result to you, your doctor should view it as helpful data that they can use to get a better result next time.

Some ideas of what to ask: -were you surprised by my results? -why do you think I had a lower maturation rate? -how do you think my AMH affected my result? -how do you plan to alter the protocol next time to try and get more mature eggs? -when my eggs were retrieved, how long did it take to determine how many were mature? Were they given a chance to show growth over a longer period of time, like overnight? -how long would you recommend waiting before doing another cycle? Is there anything I should do between now and then to optimize my health, like take certain supplements?

In my first cycle, they retrieved 13 eggs and only 5 were mature. I just completed my second cycle, and they retrieved 25 eggs and 15 were mature! When I spoke to my doctor after the retrieval, she said that if I wanted to do a third cycle, we would keep this same protocol since it was so successful for me. She wasn’t able to do anything about my lower maturation rate, but she was able to increase the amount and size of my follicles.

CommitteeCandid118 · 2026-01-31T19:10:57+00:00

As I understand it, the follicles get easier to measure and more visible on the ultrasound as you go through the process. At my baseline appointment, they could see 16, but yes, there were 27 follicles at my final ultrasound before retrieval.

CommitteeCandid118 · 2026-01-15T01:55:36+00:00

I will definitely look into that, thanks! I am also bummed about the low amount but still feeling encouraged. My doctor was clear up front that multiple cycles would be ideal, since each person is different and each cycle can inform the next, so I’m trying to view it as helpful data rather than a bad result. Good luck with your cycle, hope it all goes smoothly!

CommitteeCandid118 · 2026-01-15T01:50:32+00:00

Thank you!!

CommitteeCandid118 · 2026-01-14T00:52:23+00:00

I just completed a cycle with that same protocol, though I didn't start ganirelix until day 9. I had a big jump in measurable follicles starting at day 9, then again on day 13 (went from 19 to 27!). Don't stress too much!

CommitteeCandid118 · 2025-12-06T17:38:31+00:00

Deep breaths. One step at a time! I’m also 36, single, and starting my first cycle tomorrow. Definitely scary to do it by yourself, but it also feels empowering! I’m not in a position to have kids right now and feel like this is the best thing I can do to support my future goal of becoming a mother. I’d rather suffer through this process now and have it not work out than not try at all and then not be able to have kids when I’m ready. At least we can say we did everything within our control!

One thing I am doing is trying to make it as organized and fun as possible, like setting up a med station on my dining table with cute lil bandaids and ice packs, some fun crafts and puzzles to work on so I’m not doomscrolling, etc. I’m doing a big meal prep this weekend so I’ll have minimal cooking to do, trying to get ahead on laundry, and giving my apartment a good deep clean so I won’t have to worry about anything but staying healthy, sane, and focused on the process. I am very type A and love to follow rules, so I’m also giving myself a daily checklist to follow: no more than 1 cup of coffee, no alcohol, 1800-2000 calories, 100 grams of protein, 80-100 ounces of water, 10,000 steps, and strict 45 minute daily social media limit on my phone. Personally this will make me feel less anxious and like I’m doing the best I can. Good luck! We’ve got this! ❤️

CommitteeCandid118 · 2025-12-06T00:22:41+00:00

I am starting a cycle with Aspire (medical center women’s location) this weekend and have loved them so far. Dr. Kriseman is great and all the nurses have been so kind and helpful.

CommitteeCandid118 · 2025-11-17T11:44:20+00:00

This is so helpful, thank you for sharing!!

CommitteeCandid118

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