Traveling with Fertility Medication: 4 Tips for the Holidays
The holidays can be stressful for anyone, but the stress and anxiety associated with the holidays can ramp up to almost unbearable levels for those who are undergoing fertility treatment. Add in the stress of traveling to see family during the holidays (especially mid-cycle), and many couples undergoing treatment may just want to throw in the towel. To help relieve just a little bit of the stress associated with traveling during a fertility treatment cycle, the fertility experts of IVF FLORIDA’s South Florida fertility centers are here to provide some key tips on how to travel with fertility medication during the holidays to make your trip as stress-free as possible.
- Plan Ahead
If you’re in the midst of an IVF cycle, you know the importance of planning and timing. Traveling during an IVF cycle is no different – having a plan of action is key! The first step is to speak with your care team to get anything you’ll need (from monitoring to additional meds) ready to go before you leave town. Some key things to speak with them about include:
- Monitoring: If you’re in the middle of your cycle, it’s important to schedule monitoring appointments a fertility clinic located in your destination. Practices that are part of a large network, like IVF FLORIDA, have partner practices all over the country with qualified fertility teams that can monitor you while you’re out of town.
- Medication: You may need to obtain prior authorization from your insurance company for things like blood draws and medication if necessary, including lining up extra medication for your trip if needed.
- Speak With Your Airline
If you’re flying to visit family or friends, make sure to call your airline before you go. Your airline can let you know about specific protocols surrounding syringes, needles, and medication that needs to be refrigerated. Remember that every airline is different, so some airlines may only allow certain packing materials to keep meds cold and may have specific rules for traveling with liquid medications. Reach out to them ahead of time so that you can make sure you’ll have all of the information you’ll need well ahead of your trip.
- Know How To Pack
Whatever you do, don’t put your fertility medications or anything you’d need to administer them in your checked baggage. Airlines regularly lose checked bags, sometimes taking weeks to get them back to you (if they are able to find them at all). This would leave you without your fertility meds for days, completely throwing off your cycle. Make sure to keep your fertility medications (and any other materials you may need, like gauze or alcohol wipes) in your carry-on bag so that they are always with you during your trip. Finally, make sure to carry the emergency contact information for your clinic and pharmacy on you – just in case.
- Keep In Contact With Your Clinical Team
Remember, your care team at IVF FLORIDA is here for you every step of the way! If there are any changes during your trip, contact us at 954-267-6200 to get connected to your team of fertility experts.
Traveling can be stressful, but with some careful planning and help from your team of fertility experts, it doesn’t have to be more stressful during an IVF cycle. If you have any questions regarding traveling with fertility medications or would like to schedule a consultation, don’t hesitate to contact us today.
