Please tell me about IVF egg collection

[Earplugs]

Hi,
Despite thinking it would never come to it, DH and I have come to an agreement and are just starting our IVF journey with the hope of having a second DC.

Problem is, whilst I've come to terms with needing IVF and not being bothered too much about the thought of injections etc for some reason the whole idea of the egg collection is really frightening me!

Can anyone put my mind at ease and give me some idea what to expect? I can't understand why its carried out under sedation only because it sounds like a painful process! I've never been sedated so can't imagine what level of pain you'd feel if you were. Does the process hurt, how long does it take and how long does it take to recover from?

I will be fitting this is around work (whom I won't be telling) so I'd like to try to keep it as discreet as possible. Did you need lots of time off of work after ec and post transfer?

Any experiences and advice very welcome!

Hello Earplugs, I had IVF when we wanted to have a second DC. When trying for DC1, I always said that I wouldn't do IVF - but somehow my opinion changed and I suddenly found myself dealing with a situation I had thought was unthinkable. I'm so sorry you are having to go through this, it is a tough decision to make, and I wish you the very best.

My egg collection was done under sedation, but it is a very deep sedation (a bit like the type they use to do colonoscopies and other investigations with cameras up you bum or down your throat). I can't remember anything about the procedure at all, and felt only slightly bruised and uncomfortable immediately afterwards. They put a fine needle through the wall of your vagina into your ovary to collect each egg - so the more eggs you have, the more times this is repeated and the more bruised you will feel.

Before my EC, I had asked my doctor if I needed to plan anytime off work, as I was prepared to book a couple of days holiday (it's always easier to plan holiday in advance). The doctor reassured me that I'd be straight off back to work the day after. However, I just got more and more uncomfortable (couldn't lie down, stand for any length of time, couldn't sleep, couldn't eat etc.) so I ended up taking the rest of the week off sick (had the EC on a Monday). I had a mild form of OHSS, which is basically horrendous bloating due to all the hormones... at it's worst it can kill and is one of the downsides of IVF you should really be aware of so you can watch for symptoms. I didn't really feel OK until the week after we did the pregnancy test and the hormones started to settle a bit.

Then you will need another day off to have the eggs put back, although mine were returned on the Saturday which was handy. But the transfer was much less of a big deal - you are alert and awake throughout and there's no pain afterwards (just a strange urge to keep your legs in the air to stop the egg falling out).

The good thing about OHSS, is that lots of discomfort can be a good sign for being pregnant....and I now have a nearly 2yo DS so it was all worthwhile in the end.

Sorry for the epic post. Hope you got through it OK.

Try not to worry the egg collection process is pretty much like having a scan (but just a little different!!).

To my knowledge most places just use sedation as this is safer and the recovery quicker.

They give you a sedative and a strong pain killer, and some local anaesthetic down below. You can still feel the scan thingy moving but it isnt painful. After is a little sore bit like period pain but overall the egg collection is much less daunting than people think. A day off after the egg collection would be a good idea.

After the transfer you dont need time off work but a lot of people take time off to relax as IVF is a stressful process.

Good luck!

Hi there.

I had egg collection last monday and am currently on the 2WW so can share my very recent experience. It was my first time.

Injections I found ok (I was on a high dose of Menopur) and just kind of went for. In total I injected for 11 days and as time went on I found it easier. I didn't like preparing the injections so got my DH to do them as I found it so fiddly and it really began to stress me out.

Egg Collection wasn't painful for me though I have to say I felt a bit cheated by the sedation as it didn't seem to have any effect on me. They said they would use 2 drugs, something like Vallium and something like morphine and that some people babble a bit while others go quiet. I did neither and felt fully awake all the way through. It took about 20 minutes, though might be longer if you have more follicles, and the only thing I can compare it to is a small shooting period pain. You don't have to have a full bladder and that's a lot more comfortable than when you have the transfer.

I had to wait about 30 - 40 minutes before they would let me go afterwards. They told me how many eggs they got immediately.

I took time off work but my boss doesn't know why. I got in touch with my HR dept and asked what time I could have off for 2 hospital procedures and recovery, they gave me a whole week and didn't ask what it was for. I also booked all this week off (As holiday) just so I can relax a bit.

I would say definitely have the day after collection and after transfer off, though to be honest I could have easily have gone back to work the day after the collection as I felt fine. This might not be true for everyone though. I was told that I had to have someone to take me home from both collection and transfer.

All the way through I have made sure that I have had lots and lots of water to drink (sometimes 3 litres of water a day) and lots of Milk and protein.

Good luck with your IVF. I've found the whole process really easy but could just be lucky.

I had ivf with DD1 (now 11 weeks old) and the clinic I was at (the Lister) do the egg collection under total anaesthetic (sp?). I had no discomfort and was at work the day after. They insisted someone collect you after the egg collection because you had been under the anaesthetic but I went home a few hours after the collection, as soon as I stopped feeling woozy from the anaesthetic.

Also went to work the day after embryo transfer. Didn't need anyone to collect me after that which was lucky as DH had to look after DS1 and DS2 so had to go it alone.

On the subject of injections I did Gonal F and when that wasn't working got switched to high dosage Menopur. The injections themselves were no problem (other than the psychological barrier of the first one) but I did find mixing the Menopur powder quite stressful as I had to do quite a few vials of the stuff and my hands used to shake with the stress of it all! Got DH to prepare the injection and then I actually did the injecting. No mixing was required with the Gonal F so that wasn't an issue.

I found the ivf very up and down emotionally but the physical aspects of it (injections, egg collection etc) weren't any problem.

Thanks ladies, that is really helpful. Must admit I thought it was carried out through the cervix and hadn't realised it was through the vaginal wall itself . Mind you, I've got what the nurses describe as a 'hidden cervix' and they curse me when it comes to smears as its a bugger to get to so not having it done through the cervix might not be such a bad thing!

Think I'll def plan on taking a day off afterwards then extend if necessary. I've only a desk job so nothing physically demanding but better to be safe than sorry. So there isn't any bleeding to worry about afterwards?

The OHSS doesn't sound like fun pip but I guess its worth the suffering in the end! Is that where the ovary gets overstimulated? Thanks for your wishes, I still can't quite believe we have arrived at this point after easily conceiving our first, it just goes to show you never can tell what's around the next corner. I'm just trying to focus on how fortunate we are to have the opportunity to try IVF.

Wishing you all the best Duelling, I recognise you from the Assisted thread, as soon as I get this cycle underway I shall pluck up the courage to come and join you, although hopefully by then you'll have graduated!

Earplugs, I had a slight smear of blood after egg collection but no flow of blood at all.

Hope to see you on the assisted thread soon everyone there has been really helpful with all my questions.

FWIW I always said I would never do IVF too.

Hi Mine was done under local anasthetic and gas and air. The procedure was very quick. I found gas and air really helpful as you are more focused on breathing and it does relax you. At first it feels like an internal scan until a needle goes into your ovary. You can feel it and it is not pleasant but it does not last long and you are rewarded by the number of your eggs.

I had deep sedation for my egg collection so wasn’t aware of anything. I was achy afterwards for a few days (I found buscopan really helpful as was quite crappy). Had it on Friday and was back in work on Monday but definitely needed those 2 days off. Good luck!!