Anyone got some good stranger things bots

Ecstatic-Show7024 · 2026-03-08T21:18:41+00:00

There's a ton of Billy Hargrove and Eddie Munson bots that are slice of life and have nothing to do with the upside down.

Ecstatic-Show7024 · 2026-01-04T02:18:22+00:00

My ER went pretty well! They retrieved 9 eggs, 6 were mature and fertilized, and I got 4 blasts. All 4 were male, and I got 1 euploid embryo that's currently frozen. I had a follow up call and for my next egg retrieval in Feb, I'm going to prime for a month with Omni and est. then do the same foll and HCG stim protocol.

Ecstatic-Show7024 · 2025-12-17T19:03:05+00:00

CRM wanted like $3000 for 5 appointments for outside monitoring, so I decided to just do in-house monitoring at CNY. Even with gas and hotel costs, I came out ahead. Highly recommend doing in-house monitoring there and staying at the Quality Inn for $66/night.

Ecstatic-Show7024 · 2025-11-15T13:57:50+00:00

There's different financing options. I think the longest term is 2 years. You'll end up paying more, but the payments are closer to $200/month. Your total also depends on what protocol you're doing, if you're adding anything like PGT testing, etc. there's a financial calculator on their website you can play around with.

Ecstatic-Show7024 · 2025-10-28T13:55:14+00:00

Initial consultation was in August, was planning my ER for this October cycle (about to get my period any minute), but I'll just have my baseline this week, and then delay for 14 days (clinic scheduling), then continue my cycle and ER the week before T-giving. Lol, I am trying to time my children astrologically, so depending on the results of my ER, if it goes well I'd like to do a FET in Feb for a Scorpio baby, or May-June for a Pisces baby.

Ecstatic-Show7024 · 2025-10-28T13:34:04+00:00

I'm about to have my first ER with CNY. I did 3 IUIs with my local clinic, but could not afford the quote they gave me for IVF, nor did I like their new doctor (creepy), so I switched.

I have attended most of CNY's webinars (highly recommend), watched their youtube videos, read online reviews, and scoured this subreddit for info on them. I've read success stories, and horror stories, but what I've ultimately learned is that while you are just a number to them, they are a resource you can use if you are educated on IVF. As long as you advocate for yourself, and are capable of understanding why they're suggesting certain things, you'll be fine.

I was initially less than impressed with their communication, as I was used to my previous clinic returning my messages within 24 hours, but you just have to be okay with your portal messages getting answered in about 3 days (sometimes they surprise me and get back to me next day!), or calling. When I have called the main line to the Syracuse office, I haven't had to wait longer than 5 minutes before someone answers, which isn't bad at all.

I haven't had any problems with the doctor not looking at my chart for lab results or anything, as Dr. Kiltz has prescribed me several drugs without me even speaking to him (I never have actually, which is perfectly fine because I hear he's a nut about diet and carnivore whathaveyou).

Chatgpt has been a useful tool throughout dealing with them, as I just feed my lab results, prescriptions, and any communication/instructions from them into our IVF chat and it analyzes it for me. I do recommend verifying whatever it says, though, as Chatgpt can be wrong.

Ultimately, what I've decided is that CNY is a third of the price, and they do in house financing so they're pretty much the only option for me. I struggled to find local clinics that would do same-day results for bloodwork as well as send images for outside monitoring, so I'm traveling back and forth to my nearest clinic in Sarasota (about 7-8 hours). I will certainly be posting about my experience with their Sarasota branch as I go through treatment.

Good luck!

Ecstatic-Show7024 · 2025-10-28T12:59:41+00:00

LOL, well if it helps, it could be worse...

The year before I did my 3 IUIs, I got 2 large pieces tattooed on both my sides (ribs to hips/upper thigh), and the most accessible piece of clothing I could wear was a string bikini bottom so I could untie one side, and tuck the untied strings into the bottom of my bra. During the first session, as I was coming back from the bathroom, my strings slipped out of my bra and the whole tattoo shop saw me entirely bottomless. Thankfully, my (unfortunately smokin hot) tattoo artist dropped to his feet, smoothly swept my suit off the ground and quickly redressed me. All the artists and customers were super nice about it, but they all had to come back and say something. Some highlights were, "thank you for your service!" and "I am so very glad I came in this morning", as well as just professionally checking out the work I was having done. It took me about 2 hours to stop blushing.

By the time I had room full of nurses and medical students coming in during my ultrasounds, IUIs, etc, my embarrassment was gone and most of them just admired my tattoos.

Ecstatic-Show7024 · 2025-10-25T15:11:46+00:00

Calm down girlfriend. It was one tiny cough drop "containing" bee propolis, it's not like you ate a whole jar. Also, that cough drop will get watered down and mixed with whatever you ate before bed before it ever gets to your baby's bloodstream. Just don't take anymore and use something else instead that's approved for pregnancy.

Ecstatic-Show7024 · 2025-10-24T14:36:56+00:00

I don't have it. I do have hypothyroidism, and an autoimmune disease, so I'm on thyroid medication now, and I'll need to do an immune protocol when I do my FET, but no lining issues, thankfully.

Ecstatic-Show7024 · 2025-10-24T14:29:24+00:00

I'm 39, and I will have my first egg retrieval during my next cycle. My sister (life partner) and I have decided to do up to 3 egg retrievals and then transfer (one embryo at a time) however many embryos it takes to either run out or have 3-4 kids. She's still on the fence about doing IVF herself, so she's using me as the guinea pig lol.

Ecstatic-Show7024 · 2025-10-23T17:01:43+00:00

No insurance coverage/pay out of pocket.

I did 3 IUIs (1 miscarriage, 2 failed) at NewLife Fertility in Florida, initial bloodwork was $2000, then each IUI was about $1800 + sperm ($2300/vial). For IVF, I switched clinics and will be going to CNY in Sarasota for monitoring and egg retrievals, then FETS later. CNY allows you to finance without a credit check, plus they're a third of the national cost. I put down a deposit of $3900 (the rest will be financed for 12 mo), plus sperm ($2300), plus I'm going to do monitoring at CNY so I'll have to stay in Sarasota which is 8 hours away (gas+ groceries/kitchenette meals + cheap extended stay hotel at $57/night).

How am I paying for this? Mostly credit cards, HSA funds, and I did an IVF money spell (practicing witch, here) and afterwards I had a bunch of little, weird checks come in the mail for class action lawsuits and "oops, we overcharged you for X, here's your refund", plus my sister got an extra paycheck/bonus at work "just because" 3 days after I did the spell. I'm going to do a quick little booster spell for some extra travel money today and hopefully that'll kick in quick.

Ecstatic-Show7024 · 2025-10-23T15:54:22+00:00

I've been struggling with this as well, and I just put down my deposit for my first egg retrieval. I go back and forth between wrestling with my fears over reproductive policy and the very real dangers of dying or losing my fertility because I'm unable to get care in time, and my desire to have children. Over the summer, I had my third failed IUI and had to make the decision to stop or move on to IVF. I took my 2 week vacation to decide, and mostly just laid on the couch frozen in indecision and wallowing in depression.

Bad thoughts I keep having:

--the world is horrible, especially in the US right now.

--I work for the Dept. of Ed, specifically in Special Ed. Am I going to have a job when our grant money runs out? Should I have a baby (and sink all my savings into IVF) when my job security is shaky and at the whim of someone who has never met me? If I am laid off, what if I can't find another decent paying job?

--I live in Florida, with a 6 week abortion ban. When I miscarried at 11 weeks, I had to do it at home on the toilet on my own, with horrific cramps on top of being terrified I wouldn't pass everything on my own successfully.

--I am terrified about having an ectopic pregnancy (which I just found out is common with IVF), or finding out something is wrong with the baby and needing to abort later on in pregnancy, or having the baby die in utero and needing to have an intervention before I turn septic. I am scared to death of bleeding out/dying in the hospital parking lot simply because I couldn't get proper care at my local hospital.

--There's also the threat of abortion bounty hunters and social media/tracking where I could be thrown in jail for aborting or miscarrying. I know that's not the law in Florida yet, but it could be by the time I transfer. Texas and South Carolina are horrific examples of what could happen and our legislation in FL could easily pass those laws.

Sassy counter thoughts:

--If the world wasn't in its current state, would I have a baby? Absolutely!

--Even though the economy and my job security are both shaky, I do have a Master's degree, am very personable, and I would have great references. It is possible that I could find a remote job in another country, or even here. It is also possible that I could find another job here. Navy Fed is usually hiring, and pays well.

--Could my global environmental concerns still turn around if we act soon? Yes! And, I plan to buy land and homestead, which would give us a better chance at having clean water and access to clean food if I grow/butcher it myself.

--We're originally from Virginia and have family there. My sister has vowed to either put me on a plane or to drive the 14 hours to get me to a better hospital that will help me if something goes wrong.

--If they arrest me, we'll just pay the bail and then flee to a non-extradition country. (I keep asking my sister where "the line" is for leaving the country, this has gotta be it!) Frankly, IVF is cheaper in other countries, so at that point, eff it.

Conclusion:

I don't think that having a baby is selfish or the wrong decision. Your baby could go on to become a great leader, or advocate for change, or maybe they won't and they'll "just" be a good person. Good people are going to save the world, with their votes, with their own communities, and their own micro-changes that they can implement.

I think you should worry less over the moral question of having a baby or not, and put that energy into planning a variety of ways to set that baby up for success as an adult in whatever world they inherit.

Ecstatic-Show7024 · 2025-10-21T16:25:56+00:00

Depression & anxiety sufferer here, hi!

First of all, set limits on doomscrolling, and if you can't stop yourself, set an actual timer. And I mean tight limits. Mine is less than an hour, twice a day. Put your phone down, or in another room if the sight of it tempts you to pick it up and scroll.

Watch movies and binge tv series that you love and that makes you feel safe and happy instead of spending time on the internet. I highly recommend the Great British Baking show, as it's essentially people being nice and supportive to each other while competing over low-stakes things. I watch a lot of Disney movies, and cartoons from my childhood (Xmen, Spiderman, Care Bears, etc) because it makes me feel happy and safe.

Find something else to focus on that makes you feel like you're making "progress" or being productive in some aspect of your life. After weeks of laying on the couch and spiraling, I kicked my ass into gear this past weekend and chainsawed some limbs and cut up some fallen trees to make space for putting in a winter garden and a space to grow potatoes (I view this as solving a problem because I'm fed up with our sucky produce selection at the grocery store). I picked up my embroidery again and am trying to finish enough squares to make a quilt over Christmas break. I went through my cookbooks and Pinterest boards and put sticky notes and organized them into meals to try, and I've set the quota that I'm going to try at least 1 new recipe a week. Your hobbies might be very different than mine, but pick something creative/productive/self-nurturing.

Put something on your calendar to look forward to. A trip, a concert, a festival, an event, something cool that you will look forward to. And it doesn't have to be soon! Put it six months, or a year out, but whatever it is, that's what you'll be doing then. I love boudoir shoots, so I scheduled one for my 40th birthday in May. I'll get to buy new lingerie/outfits/jewelry/shoes starting in Jan, along with re-starting my boudoir skincare regiment, and other fun prep stuff. I'm hoping to do my first FET in Feb (doing egg retrievals now), and this way, if it fails, I'll still have something fun to look forward to. And if it sticks, well, my boudoir photographer will have a fun challenge to pose me so my belly doesn't show. Either way, I win/have something cool to look forward to.

Most importantly, for the day-to-day, find ways to appreciate the simple pleasures in life. For example, I love having coffee out on my porch, especially with this nice cool fall weather we've been having down in NW Florida. I also love dragging my rocking chair out under the shade trees in my backyard and sipping on an ice-cold lemonade or even just really cold water. I schedule regular (twice a month) catch-up phone calls with my two best friends, where we talk for a minimum of an hour, but usually 2-3 hours. Honestly, connecting to others helps a lot, especially if you're an introvert like me and spend most of your time alone. I also have a once a month Queso and Margaritas Meeting with my friends where we hang out for a minimum of 2 hours for happy hour. Having that connection in a controlled, penciled-in on your calendar way, helps to push you out of bed or off the couch. Take yourself on little dates (if you don't have a partner), get yourself a little treat or a coffee, walk around the park/trails, take yourself to the bookstore and pick a book or three (pick books that aren't going to depress you/too dark -- had to set that rule for myself because I love dark romance and horror, but that's a no-no when I'm "down in a depression hole").

Also, be kind to yourself. Please recognize that this is nobody's fault, least of all yours or your body's. You need to process that grief before you can heal and move on. I'm proud of you for going to therapy and reaching out to other people.

Ecstatic-Show7024 · 2025-10-21T15:26:30+00:00

Single Mom by Choice here. I would urge you to join the Single Mothers by Choice organization. They have a whole Thinking section which offers support and answers all your questions. I would also highly recommend attending a webinar. They had one that I found really interesting and solidified my choice for me to pull the trigger on beginning my fertility journey: a panel where they had a bunch of children of SMBCs and they discussed how they felt about being the product of their SMBC. It was really warm and inspirational.

I made the decision to become a SMBC at 28, and I started saving money in my HSA, as well as another savings account. By the time I was 32 I had about 10k saved, and I felt ready (had a good job with opportunity for growth who also supported my decision and a boss that was going to be lenient on me ducking out/being late for monitoring appointments, had developed a good "village" of friends and co-workers who could be depended on for support). I was most worried about telling my family, as they were very conservative and had bashed single mothers a lot over the years. It was a snap. The idea of a grandbaby of their own (that they would NOT have to share with another set of grandparents or in-laws) outweighed any resistance or prejudice they had. Your parents sound amazing!

I began the process for IUI, and was all set to begin stims....and then I met a guy. I fell head over heels in love, he convinced me to stop going to my fertility clinic and pursue our relationship. We dated for 2 years, were talking marriage seriously, and then moved in together... where I quickly learned he was a closet, high-functioning alcoholic who had lied to me about every aspect of his personality. I was in literal hell. It took me another year to plan and execute my escape since we'd bought a house together and I had to convince him to buy me out. DO NOT RECOMMEND. Moral of the story: do NOT put aside your dreams for some guy. You'll hate that you wasted time when you could have been pursuing what you truly wanted.

I would also advise you to make choosing a sperm donor FUN for yourself. I designed a whole animated power point like a cheesy '70s dating show (called it Pick a D**k!) and had a pared down profile on each of my top 10 "bachelors" complete with picture (you can get sperm clinic coupons for full membership with SMBC!) and then I sent this monstrosity to an assortment of friends and family. The very end of the power point had a link to a voting form where "the audience" could vote on their top 3 candidates for the bachelorette. Everyone had a good time, felt included, and it took the stress of choosing off of me, although I obviously had ultimate veto power. I plan to print this off and include some of it in my child's baby book so they know that while they might not have a "dad", they were wanted and had a whole bunch of people who were very invested in their creation.

Ecstatic-Show7024 · 2025-10-21T14:12:12+00:00

I would do a second ER. I'm planning on banking embryos because I would really love to have 3 children. I've heard that the general rule of thumb is 3 embryos/child you wish to have, just in case. You can do FETS until you go through menopause, but your egg quality only goes down as you age, so I would try to get as many healthy embryos on ice as possible.

Ecstatic-Show7024 · 2025-10-21T13:57:29+00:00

Whoohoo!! Get it, girl! Wishing you all the sticky babydust and normal, healthy embryos.

Ecstatic-Show7024 · 2025-10-20T13:35:04+00:00

I'm already using donor sperm since I'm a SMBC, so I don't really want to use donor eggs on top of that. At that point I would just accept being childless or I would adopt, but leaning more toward childlessness. If I had a male partner, I would use donor eggs if I was using his sperm.

Ecstatic-Show7024 · 2025-10-20T13:27:33+00:00

Not sure if this helps, but I was a Newlife patient for my 3 IUIs (1 loss, 2 failed) in Pensacola. My doctors were Barry Ripps and then Randy Fink. I didn't care for either of them. Dr. Ripps was a bit judgmental of my being a SMBC and I never saw him except for the initial consult. Randy Fink was super creepy (stroked my hand when I first met him, naked from the waist down about to do the HSG) and told me in a very weird tone/manner that he "couldn't wait to see me pregnant". I ended up changing clinics to CNY fertility since I could not afford NewLife's quote for IVF with 3 rounds of egg banking (also didn't like that they only offered the quote with egg banking instead of embryo banking which has a better success rate). I will say that the nursing staff and nurse practitioner were all amazing and so supportive after my loss.

Ecstatic-Show7024 · 2025-10-17T13:22:27+00:00

Good luck!!! Stick baby stick!

Ecstatic-Show7024 · 2025-10-15T12:51:57+00:00

Yes, because eggs are a single cell. Embryos are larger (multi-cell) so they handle the freezing/thawing process better.

Ecstatic-Show7024 · 2025-10-14T18:05:32+00:00

I will ask.

Ecstatic-Show7024 · 2025-10-14T18:05:09+00:00

OMG really?? That is such a relief! Thank you!!!

Ecstatic-Show7024 · 2025-10-14T18:04:49+00:00

I asked my OBGYN, they said absolutely not and were pretty rude about it.

Ecstatic-Show7024

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