IVF and work - how disruptive? What days off did you take? Need your stories and advice please!

[LemonSqueezy0]

We are due to start IVF In a few months, and I'm trying to get organised. Work are being supportive and I get protected time off - I'm just wondering how to structure this?

Amy advice on what needs a full day, what needs a part day and what can be done and I go back to work.. I appreciate everyone is different, but think it would be useful to know roughly what to expect.

We are going private, and my job isn't manual. I normally have a high pain threshold..

Thank you in advance!

Sorry you’re going through this.

My 2 cents worth are: you need a day off for egg collection or possibly 2 days off if it’s done under general anaesthetic and you need to drive to work. For scans, you can work around them so only need time off work to actually have the scan. For embryo transfer you can also go back to work after it, although you may not feel emotionally able to do this and you might want to take a part day off.

The hardest thing from a practical point of view is that you are told about your appointments for scans and your date for egg collection at short notice, so it’s impossible to plan much in advance the specifics of when you’ll actually need the time off to go to the various appointments.

Good luck with it.

Good luck!

Honestly, it's quite hard to organise yourself, mainly as you can be given a brief timeframe but our body reacts differently, so may impact when we need to see the doctor.

In total, I've take minimal time off. My clinic is near my office, so I've been able to arrange early morning/late afternoon appointments, which meant I got into the office a little later or left early.
I took 1 day off for my egg collection, which I feel you need, and I'm taking half day leave for my egg transfer next week.

I agree with echo what EarlGrey says, appointments are short notice and they can change. As an example my doctor advised me of my egg collection date and it ended up being 2 days earlier than expected, with 2 days notice, the time frame needed for the trigger shot.

Oh, if it helps, the time from start to egg collection which was 12 days, I had to go in on 5 separate occasions, 2 were on the same day

Note I think TickTock's timeframe must be for short protocol. Long protocol will have probably 2-3 weeks of down regulation injections before the 12+ days. This won't require days off or clinic visits except a drug teach and to pick up drugs. (But if you're unlucky the side effects might affect you at work.)

I agree with the advice above :) embryo transfer date can also vary depending on how embryos progress and whether they are taking them to blastocyst (5 days old).

It's good work are being supportive. Good luck!

Good luck! I had one day off for egg collection but luckily had transfer on a Saturday. I managed to get all my scabs first thing in the morning so I just went straight to work afterwards.

I took the day of egg collection off and did my transfers in a (long) lunch break.

Thank you so much everyone

Work have confirmed I can take my time off on half day increments, if needed, and can undertake other duties if I'm not feeling 100% - they were really clear (in writing) that it'd be treated sensitively and generously.

I know I won't be able to plan it to the Nth degree, but it's good to know I won't be stressing about it as I know that's not conducive to having successful treatment. Unfortunately the closest clinic, which is within walking distance of work, doesn't have the best results and we didn't like the atmosphere there, so will take a bit of planning.

I've been ill today, not long had an ovary and tube removed, so when I feel better ill get on to the clinic and start making arrangements.

Thanks again

Hello thought I would add a little, I agree you need the egg collection day off, our clinic insisted I didn’t drive home so husband needed day off his very busy job too, was glad of that. After egg replacement I rested a bit as that was Saturday. I work three days in a flexible but demanding job, was able to work it so no real time off up until now. Without being too much of a downer I am getting to the end of the two week wait after transfer and have had bleeding, it has probably failed, can’t confirm until clinic test on Friday and need to keep taking pessarys. Feeling sore and sad and have finally thrown in the towel and called in today to say won’t be in tomorrow or for rest of week for first time in years, have had enough and am not up for being superwoman taking hormones and carrying on as normal. In the first week of the wait was thinking might drive across to see family! So don’t mean to be negative but am glad it didn’t disturb work too much up to now and am also glad to throw in the towel for a bit. Also find a pregancy type/ floaty outfit or 2 for work as the hormones close to egg collection made me look about 5 months pregnant which I didn’t want at work, so princess line type dresses or very high waist skirts something like that, good luck xxx