I had my baseline ultrasound today – the ultrasound right before I start stimming (on Friday). There were 8 follicles on one side and 7 on the other. I had anticipated more, as at my last ultrasound, when they were looking for any potential fertility issues (of which there are none, other than age), I had 12 and 11 follicles. The doctor seems to be a bit of a mind reader, or just so practiced at answering particular questions that he volunteers the information, so all I had to do was look at him and he said that birth control can reduce the number of follicles.
I was not happy about taking birth control to begin with, as my cycle is fairly regular, I realize that they’re a company, and in it for the money, so my body has to be on their cycle, and birth control is the way to ensure that. If I do IVF again, which I am not planning to do, even if it fails, I will see if one of the other local centers offers a no birth control option.