To request conscious sedation for egg retrieval (IVF)

I was definitely unconscious. I remember the anaesthetist joking about me being hardcore as I didn’t flinch when he put the IV in my hand, then I had to count backwards, fell asleep and woke up in recovery.

I had two, both on fentanyl. The first one I completely blacked out and I was out of it for a while. The second one I remember coming round and screaming because it hurt, and that one they didn't finish getting all the eggs, which was annoying. I don't think I would have fancied gas and air if that's less effective, because it was painful enough when I woke up in the middle of the second one.

I would say, make sure whoever comes with you is there to listen to whatever you're told - both times with me they told me stuff immediately afterwards and I had no proper memory of it because I was still out of it.

Good luck!

Mine were all private too but still only gas & air!

all my ivf were private so don’t know if makes any diff in how they do it as im paying for it

It's all to do with ease and cost for the NHS . I would ask for sedation , I've had sedation for many procedures and have never had ill effects from it .

More I think about this and was 10yrs ago - I think I blanked it out

had to look at ivf notes

first one was painful and dh said he heard me next door in pain

I kinda rem this now he’s said it - so I did mind blank it

and they did give me something to make me dopey for the second and third

so apologies

but wasn’t iv drugs so maybe was a diazepam

but didn’t have anything for the 5 transplants . That bit was fine and like a smear

so yes request sedation

Want to add to this that I was given diazepam an hour before my embryo implantation and it was lovely! I was aware of what was happening, felt very relaxed and pain free and was able to enjoy the process. Truly an amazing experience to see your little embryo and watch it be implanted.

They also told me to take diazepam that evening and I had a really wonderful rest!

Had this a couple months ago (currently pregnant with my IVF baby and wishing you all the luck). You need to be sedated. I had twlight sedation and it was lovely and I felt totally fine as soon as I came out.

I’ve had multiple procedures without twilight sleep (D&C, scar tissue removal twice from my uterus) and I now refuse to do any gyno procedures like that again without being put under. It’s horrible and painful and I am so sick of women having to put up with painful procedures to save money.

I strongly disagree. I have no problems with a smear, but egg retrieval was the most painful thing I’ve ever experienced.

A friend went for this procedure and had sedation. It didn’t work (as it doesn’t always) and she said it was excruciating. I’d be saying no to gas and air and pushing for sedation. It’s your body

Same. It was horrendous and I am not a pappy woman.

I have had 6 egg collections privately. All with gas and air.

I would advise you, with absolute certainty, that if you can get it, have the sedation. The gas and air may as well have been a fart in a breeze it was so ineffectual.

I wouldn’t entertain gas and air at all for that procedure. Why are they being so lazy and cheap?! I thought heavy sedation was standard

Retired egg donor here……… sedation !

Sedation 💯.. had ivf and egg retrieval and all the stages several times. Sedation is essential

I went private but gas and air was not suggested at all. I was just told it would be conscious sedation and that was that . It was bliss .do not remember a thing from the procedure itself but had a warm fuzzy feeling after from the drugs. I would totally demand it if I were you .

Tho thinking about it - I wasn’t sucking on gas and air like I did for giving birth as obv need you to keep still as possible

maybe they gave me a tablet to relax me

I don’t rem having an iv in my hand tbh

another anaesthetist pov... suspect that most of these done with anaesthetist delivered 'sedation' are probably a GA without airway control. With sedation the aim is for people to be aware of what's going on, but not really care about it... as threads on here always show, there's some variation in how well achieved that is (don't think any of my colleagues promise absolute oblivion from sedation when going through the anaesthetic consent process). There's also quite a bit of variation in how people look/respond to us vs what they're experiencing on the inside. I don't do any IVF lists, but am very, very wary of sedating for gynae procedures, particularly when there's a history of sexual abuse as it can get quite tricky around consent to proceed/not knowing what the patient's actually experiencing.

It sounds like a procedure that needs more analgesia than sedation - gas and air has both properties. Most of the proper sedatives don't get rid of the pain but might mean you don't remember it/care so much. IV analgesics are great for the pain but variable for the consciousness. As pp suggested - you really need to find out what options are available before proceeding and use that to help you decide whether to proceed or not (also bearing in mind that based on medical history there may be reasons that one option vs another is safer too).

I also only had this and it was the most painful experience of my life. I would absolutely insist on sedation.

I don't think anyone's talking about being out of it, it's the various types of IV drugs that mean you are aware of what's happening but you don't much care about it or remember the pain. Did you have some kind of IV drug?

What is also annoying is that I bet the clinic is able to work like this because there’s not much choice of clinics in the local area for women to pick from. As if this was in a major city, I think most women would go elsewhere.

I’ve had 3 fresh cycles of egg collection and never been out of the count for ec

You honestly don’t feel anything - it’s just like a smear

There is a great (and frightening podcast) called The Retrievals (Season 1) about a fertility clinic in the US - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-retrievals/id1691599042

Lots of topics covered but a main one being that women’s pain is systematically ignored - being labelled as over reacting or hysterical.

I'm really surprised there are clinics doing egg collections without any kind of sedation. I absolutely couldn't have coped with that. I was in a lot of pain afterwards.
Wishing you all the best with your treatment.