What’s a Mock Cycle?

We just finished up a big step in this surrogate journey...the Mock Cycle! Whenever I’ve heard the word “mock” before, it made me think of “mock trials” in high school or “mocktail drinks” before turning 21. So, what exactly is a Mock Cycle? 

This process is done to determine how your body will react to hormone medications and exactly how much is needed for your endometrium to thicken (that’s a fancy word for uterine lining). A thick (ideally >8mm) lining is ideal for the embryo to implant during transfer. Some women swear by drinking pomegranate juice, taking Vitamin E supplements, getting weekly acupuncture, and many other methods to assist the medications in this process. 

After quitting birth control and starting my menstrual cycle, the nurse scheduled me to begin meds on day three. Every other day I would stick on Vivelle patches which are transdermal Estradiol. The number of patches increased over time and Estradiol tablets were taken also. During this specific schedule, I had to go in for monitoring three times to get blood draws testing hormone levels and ultrasounds checking the thickness of my lining. This certain protocol of patches and pills was not working how we wanted for my body, so we will start a second Mock Cycle using different methods. Everything has to be exactly right, it’s a science! 🧬 Do you have any questions related to Mock Cycles or experience from doing one yourself? What combination worked best for you?