What is the IVF process like? Needle pills and all...

Question

Hey ladies, I’m currently on my 3rd IUI Cycle and will be starting IVF next month..... I just wanted to reach out as I’m inexperienced and a bit scared as I heard that IVF is more invasive and intensive. If someone can please give me a heads up on what the IVF process is like? Do you take pills? How many kinds? How long do you take the pills for? When? How many needles do you need? Different ones? How long do you need the needles? How many blood work do you go in to do? How many ultrasounds do you need to do? Did you do any testings for your embryo? Which kinds? thank you. I’ll be a first timer....

Answer

Hiya! I have been through three rounds of ivf so I can tell you how mine worked 😊
I will just explain my first round. They put me on birth control pills (still not really sure why) for three months. Then I started what is called an antagonist cycle. I moved clinics for my other rounds and they didn't put me on birth control. 
I had one injection of gonal f (follicle stimulation) each night for a few days and then I went in for a monitoring scan to see how well they were growing. I went for a scan every other day until they thought the follicles were big enough and then I started the second drug in the mornings. (the antagonist that stops you ovulating). I did this for a week or so with scans every other day (except weekends) until there were enough follicles at 18mm in size. I had to be on a low dose of the gonal f drug because I have amh (and they don't want to overstimulate as it is dangerous). So it took me ages to have enough follicles. (my average is about 16 days of gonal f) 
Then they booked my egg retrieval and they tell you an exact time to take a trigger injection (to mature the eggs ready for collection). Collection is 36 hours after that drug. 
Egg collection was quite easy but I was a bit sore for a couple of days after. You have to take at least that day off and have someone with you. You have anaesthesia of some kind usually. 
Then it's time for the wait! The embryologists call to tell you how your embryos are doing and how many you have. If you have any good enough (they grade them 1-5 and a-e) then they will book your transfer. Most places only let you transfer one embryo.
If you have any good ones left then they can freeze them.
Then you wait again until you can take a test or they test for you. It's a long wait! (at least 9 days or do past transfer usually).
Does that answer everything? 😊

Answer

I found it best to not stress over the plan and just take one day at a time.  Your clinic will likely give you a very detailed schedule.  
No pills for me.    Needles 3-4 a day for a little over 3 weeks.    Ultrasounds every 1-2 days for 2 weeks. Surgery to get eggs.    Break to recover.    Pills for a week.   Needles for a week.   Surgery to implant egg needles for 2 more weeks until pregnancy test.

Answer

Coming from someone who used to still get nervous (almost to the point of tears) when I had to get a shot or blood drawn, it really isnt that bad. It is tine consuming and there is a lot, but honestly it is worth it. We went through 4 iui and 2 IVF retrievals (one we did PGS and one we did not). We had 2 failed transfers and swirched doctors for my 3rd to have success, currently 32 week pregnant with a very healthy baby girl. I will be honest, I think the doctor is key (in my experience). I did have unexplained fertility and my first doctor after doing all that had no answers, my 2nd doctor was committed to find a resolution and found I had a rare blood clotting disorder so I have to take blood thinners (baby asprin and a shot of lovenox). So to answer your question, I have honestly blocked a lot of it out, which i thought I never would aa intense and time consuming as it is, but if I remember correctly, I was on birth control from 2 - 4 weeks depending on thr doctors schedule. Then you start a daily shot (lupron I believe was one) for a few days, maybe 5? Then I started folisism, and that is when i woild go in for bloodwork and ultrasound for them to measure the follicles and count how many. Usually around 5/6 days I woild also start ganerix (sp) to make sure I wouldn't release any eggs, so that would be 2 shots a day. Around 7-9 days of stims is usually around the time they have you do a shot of hcg (big needle in butt, scary, but not bad if you ice before hand) and then you come in 36ish hours later for the retrieval. It is a simple surgery, took 30ish minutes. You will know how many eggs they got and your husband gives his sample. A few days later you know how many made it to day 5 freeze (I always did frozen transfer). The first round I got them tested amd waited 2 weeks for results. Then you wait for period and start bc pills to start frozen transfer. Which consisted of lupron like the retrieval, but instead of stims you start estradiol (by mouth or vaginal) and progestrone the big shot daily until it is transfer time! Then they continue that until they confirm pregnancy! Sorry I know super long, and did it on my phone. Hopefully this was helpful, I wish you the best of luck! Stay positive, try to relax, and keep onto hope! It can be an emotional rollercoaster but it is all worth it in the end!

What is the IVF process like? Needle pills and all...

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