What are some excuses you made to miss work for egg collection and transfer?

[anniz91]

Hi

I am currently going through IVF.

I'm getting really anxious and I am running out of excuses for work.

My question is whoever went through this did you miss work on the day of egg collection and transfer? What were some of the excuses you made if you didn't want to disclose it to your employee?

Help me :(

I needed the days off after too- EC I was I'll after and ET I was emotionally exhausted. I said I had a hospital procedure ( just said ladies problems and my clinic gave me generic gynaecology letters.

Honestly though having to go through it again, I think I'll go on sick with stress or anxiety for the entire scan- EC-ET 2ww period as it emotionally drained me trying to remain "normal" whilst going through it all and making sure I was home for meds.

My job is very demanding and a stressful profession and only now after 10 days of being post meds I can see how not with it I was.

Good luck with your cycle 🍍

After EC you can not drive or sign any legal documents after as your sedated. So you wouldn't definitely need two days off there.

Hey

Do you mean you took the whole 2 weeks off for EC and ET?

Has your clinic been giving you a sick note or do you have to go through the GP?

I'm doing my IVF cycle with a private clinic so not sure if they would provide a sick note. I also don't want them to disclose the ivf treatment.

I think what's stressing me out the most is coming up with the excuses of being late to work etc.

No I took 2 days off for EC and 2 days off for ET

The day off and the day after. My clinic gave me a letter explaining I was having 2 small procedures and just said Gynaecology and not IVF for work and needed 2 days each time off.

I am due to do my next cycle in June though and after my experience this time I will be taking the whole time off on sick leave, my jobs too demanding and stressful for me to go through it all again in between work.

I'll go to the GP and go off on anxiety and stress. No one knows we are doing it either x

Gynaecological procedure/s. My line manage knew but my HR people did not, and she was happy for me to report it as that.

OP if you are worried about works's response you could call in sick on the day (and likely the day after). You really won't be able to work after the EC. You'll probably be asleep most of the day.

Most times I booked annual leave but on one occasion when leave wouldn't have been granted (due to work event) I said I had a gynae procedure.
After one EC I joined a zoom meeting a few hours later which wasn't easy but I had rearranged the meeting to that day and then ended up on stims for longer.
Looking back I was quite hard on myself at times but I didn't want work to know and it worked for me.

EC and 1 day after you need rest. You can go to work after ET.

For EC you can call on the day and say random issues: gastro, back pain, migraines, etc. For ET just say that you have specialist appointment and can go to work after.

Clinics usually write the sick note with the hospitals name, not the IVF clinic. If you don't want to tell you wete at the hospitals go to GP and they will give you one.

I guess most employers won't take it well if you tell truth, they will only be thinking of you calling sick and taking maternity leave so don't tell them.

I agree with the others, egg collection I was out of it and slept all afternoon when we got home. Mine was early on a Monday morning so it would've been impossible to call someone as I was under sedation.
The day after I was sore but it's also the day they call to tell you how many have fertilised, which I found very anxiety inducing. Plus my clinic book you for a day 3 transfer, just in case, so it was like I was on standby. But in the end, transfer was the Saturday. I'd booked the week as annual leave and I'd do the same again. I do have a good relationship with my manager and she is understanding and flexible, but I know not everyone has that.

Have you looked at your employer's policy and does it include fertility treatment?

I'm a teacher and when I'm out, my class needs cover. I usually just say that I've got a medical appointment, though. For EC, I told my head that I have to be out for minor surgery and would have let them know had I needed additional time off. They don't need to know any details (although my SLT are aware that we are doing IVF). Luckily, the person arranging cover at my school has also been through the process and knows about the appointments possible complications.

Transfer has always taken about 5 minutes, so I was back at work after the appointment in the morning. My clinic didn't suggest staying home at all and it hasn't been necessary so far.