Preparation:
To prepare for your egg retrieval, your doctor and nurses will make a plan for you. They’ll tell you how much medication you’ll be taking and how often. They also give a rough estimate for when your retrieval will take place.
My husband and I actually ended up making our own calendar on a spreadsheet to help us track everything! We had each shot and its dosage laid out. We were also keeping track of how many days’ supply we had left. We needed to make sure we knew when to order more medication.
This whole part of it truly felt so overwhelming! They send over a video on how to do the shot and that’s it! Not to mention the fact that they remind you pretty much every appointment that it is fully up to YOU to know when to order more meds. This part of the process truly baffles me, but I guess we made it through.
For me, we started with 2 shots a day, given at night. Every few days I had an ultrasound and bloodwork done to see how my body was responding to the meds. After a couple days of the 2 shots, we introduced another. This one was to be done in the morning, making it 3 shots a day! We continued to do ultrasounds and bloodwork every couple days. In total I ended up doing the shots for 14 days. Then right before my retrieval, we did a trigger shot to ensure my body was ready for the retrieval.
Retrieval Day:
On the day of the retrieval, you’ll want someone to drive you and you’ll want to wear comfy clothes. It is a surgery after all!
On the day of my retrieval we checked in and waited to be called. When it was my turn, a nurse came out to get me and my husband stayed in the waiting room. She took me back and I changed into that super stylish hospital gown! She led me to a bed where I did a lot of waiting! Personally, the waiting was the hardest because my mind started to race and my anxiety took over. After a few check in’s the nurse started my IV and left me to wait some more! At this point I was getting very anxious and basically sat there crying. Finally I met with the anesthesiologist and the doctor. They tried their best to reassure and distract me. When it was time, I walked with the nurse to the operating room where I laid down. We started chatting as they gave me the meds to put me under. I’m pretty sure I fell asleep mid sentence!
After that, I remember waking up to the nurse putting a heating pad on my stomach. She was telling me how many eggs they retrieved. I was crying, balling really. She reassured me that it was totally normal and gave me a box of tissues. We waited until I felt stable. I got up, got dressed, and then the nurse walked me out to my husband. He had already pulled the car up to the front of the building for me! The car ride home was rough, every bump and turn hurt. When we arrived home, I struggled to walk inside. I was feeling really sore and heavy! (Like my ovaries were going to fall out of me.) We ate lunch and I tried to eat and drink as much as I could. I headed upstairs to rest, taking pain meds on and off every few hours.
Recovery:
In total, I spent 2 days in bed resting and then I felt ready to get up and moving again.
Even after feeling better, I still had sooo much bloating. I felt pretty sore so I continued to take it easy until my next period.
About 2 weeks later, I got my period. While it was one of the craziest periods I’ve ever had, after that I felt completely “normal” again! I could pick up my son and move around so much better than before!
Overall Takeaway
The stimulation shots were a lot worse than I originally anticipated. I had done several trigger shots in the past with my IUIs. I knew I could do the shots, but these were so different! One of the 3 shots burned when injected. Not to mention, the sheer amount of shots over the 2 weeks caused a lot of soreness and pain. I had little bruises all over my stomach. Because you aren’t supposed to inject into a bruise, it was hard to find a spot for the next shot. On top of the actual shots themselves, you are tired, bloated, and hormonal. I was so sore and my ovaries felt so heavy. It was difficult to move around and I struggled with my toddler. I could hold him for short periods of time. But where he would sit on me while I held him was right where I felt the most pain. This was really difficult and I had a hard time reminding myself it was only temporary. I knew my son wanted me and it was heartbreaking to have to pass him off to my mom or husband for help.
The actual egg retrieval itself wasn’t as bad as I thought. I had more anxiety around it than anything else. But the nurses and doctors were so kind and patient with me and made me feel comfortable. The recovery pain was a lot, but again, manageable. Now I know this may not be everyone’s experience or take on it. I’m grateful to have had a safe recovery!
Everyone’s experience with IVF is going to be different and that’s totally normal. I am sharing my thoughts, feelings, and symptoms as just that… MINE. As always, I can only speak to my experience and share how my body took everything. I do believe that too often women are told something is going to be mild pain when it’s actually not. For that reason, it’s important to be your own advocate! If you are doing something and feel pain that is beyond what you think is “normal” speak to your nurses and doctors to see what can be done!
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