IVF Survival Guide

I've been wanting to write this post for awhile now. When I was going through IVF, I felt a little clueless and helpless about the process. I had the best nurses + doctors but felt that they kept me in the dark a little bit about what to expect with all their technical talk ... which may have been good for my sanity at the time. But, then I would find myself searching the internet to find mostly out-dated and dramatic descriptions that only made my worry worse. If you are here from an internet search, hopefully I can provide some accurate information about what to expect that won't leave you paranoid.  Also, as a reminder to myself when the time comes for round two.

If you are going through IVF or it is in your future at some point, the best thing I can tell you is this:
1. You can do it.
2. You are stronger than you think.
3. It will be over before you know it.

Now that we've covered the most important info...let's get started on the process.  I inserted a "read more" so those who aren't interested in the nitty gritty don't need to see the essay that follows...



* I can only share my experience.  I am sure the process varies from hospital to hospital with different medications etc. Hopefully my unique experience is helpful to some.

Pre-testing

Before you can begin IVF you need to have some pre-tests done.

1. Pap
2.    Blood work on you and your man
3. Your man will need to give a sperm sample (or more than one)
4.  Practice transfer / saline sonogram 

This is where they inject saline solution into your uterus through a catheter and then blow up a little balloon in there so they can see details of your lady parts on a ultrasound monitor.  My doctor did the practice transfer at the same time – it is basically the same thing. They do this so that they know where your uterus sits and how best to get the catheter in.  My uterus sits to one side so getting the catheter in was especially tricky. I did have some short intense cramping while he tried to insert the tube because, for me, it wasn’t a smooth entry. I have heard from other people that they didn’t have any cramping.

      5.  If you are doing genetics testing (PGD) and your clinic is out of state, you will need to have an over the phone interview with the genetics lab, fill out paper work, and possibly send a cotton cheek swab test through the mail. This process may take up to 10 weeks!  If your genetics lab is in house, the process will be different.

IVF

MEDICATION
I picked up my medication and was overwhelmed by the amount (it filled a standard paper grocery bag). Don’t worry about it all at once. Just take it a day at a time and before you know it, those needles will disappear.

               LUPRON

I began 10 units of lupron shots in my belly once a day on the 21^st day of my cycle. This shot was tiny and very do-able.  The nurses taught me to inject the needle in quickly, but I personally found that doing it slow was much easier / less painful for me.  Emotionally, I didn’t feel much different on the Lupron shots. No hot flashes as promised.

PERIOD STARTS

I called them when my period started. I scheduled my first appointment the following day.

FIRST APPOINTMENT (Baseline)

They take your blood and do an ultrasound (vaginally).  Yes, you are still on your period, you are supposed to be. They check the lining of your uterus which should be very thin after being on the Lupron.  I was told how many eggs I had also (18). Then they have you meet with a nurse and (hopefully) start the next phase.

STIMULATION SHOTS (egg-makers)

My clinic would call me every day to let me know what dosage of each shot I should be taking. For the first 3 days, I was on 187.5 units of Gonal F and 5 units of Lupron.  After my 2^nd Ultrasound and bloodwork appointment, they realized my follicles weren’t growing, so they added a 3^rd shot of Menapur 75 units daily.  I had an ultrasound and bloodwork appointment about every 3 days until day 10 when I was getting close, they had me go in 2 days in a row.  The doctors would meet and then a nurse would call me every day to schedule my next blood/ultrasound appointment.

Emotionally: the hormones in the shots did mess with me emotionally. I didn’t turn into a crazy person or anything, I was just a lot more anxious and would have some sleepless nights. I think for me, this was the hardest part of all. I just didn’t feel like my happy self.

Physically: The Menapur shot stung from day one. The other shots became more difficult by the end mostly because it was almost impossible to find a spot on my stomach that hadn’t been injected yet.  My belly looked full but nothing too noticeable from the outside. My belly became sensitive and I had a hard time moving around a lot. I spent most of those days in bed. 

Trigger Shot – induces ovulation

I did the trigger shot in my belly on day 12 of my cycle so my retrieval would take place on day 14. I had to do it at an exact time down to the minute that evening.  Depending on the time of your retrieval appointment determines the time of your trigger shot.  The trigger shot did sting but it was a watery liquid and was over quick.

Retrieval  - taking eggs from the uterus

I was nervous because I was going to be put out but honestly, this was one of the easier days of the process. Everyone was so nice and accommodating and before I knew it, it was over.  I filled out a bunch of paperwork right when I got there. They gave me an IV, I changed into a gown and they wheeled me into the operating room. They had me lay down a certain way on the table with my legs up and my arms out to my sides. I was sleeping soundly and then awoke to find out how many they got (12). I was told everything went well and I had no pain. (if you do have pain, they will give you meds!) They wheeled me to the car and I was good to go. I even felt good enough to grab lunch right after.

I spent the rest of the next few days in bed really pushing the fluids. Gatorade was my best friend. I was told this would help prevent “hyper-stimulation”. I felt very bloated/distention/sensitive in the abdomen for the first 48 hours. I began to improve pretty quickly and I felt 100% back to normal by my day 5 transfer. I do recommend taking it easy those few days.

Also during this time, I was updated daily with the progress of my embryos. We had 7 survive the five day growth period and were able to send all 7 to the genetics lab.

Progesterone Shots

I started the progesterone the day after the retrieval. Honestly the first one I screamed like a little girl because I was so nervous. These ones go in your upper-buttocks into your muscle. The needle is much bigger than the other shots thus far.  Plus, you are now injecting oil instead of watery solutions.  The shots were do-able though. I recommend not looking at the needle and letting your husband/partner/friend take over.  

Here is how we did it: I would get the shot ready (I had one needle for getting the liquid out and one for injecting. While I was preparing the shot, I would ice the area for around 5 minutes.  Then I would lay on my tummy and close my eyes and breathe. My husband would pinch a section of my back chub that had been iced and inject straight in. Most of the time, it felt like a teeny tiny sting. Afterward, mine would usually bleed so I would apply pressure with a paper towel and massage for a few minutes to let the oil disperse. Sometimes, I would heat it with a heating pad.   The 1^st week or so of being on the shots, my back was so sore like someone had punched me as hard as they could. After that, it got much better.  My back began to adapt and I didn’t really notice it anymore.  I was told I had to be on them until I made it to 10 weeks. I was definitely ready to stop those shots when the time came.

TRANSFER – getting knocked up

This was a hard day for me - even though most people claim it is the easiest/best part of the entire process. They have you come in with a full bladder.  (I had to wait a long time for my turn which was painful).  When it was my turn, they wheeled me into the room and they inserted the speculum like a pap smear. This pressure made my bladder pain even worse. Luckily your husband gets to be in the room with you. You are awake and the procedure takes about 15 minutes. They insert a catheter into your uterus and then after confirming your embryo is yours (they have you read your name/birthdate on the petri dish so there aren't any mix-ups), they insert it through the catheter and you can watch it all happen on the ultrasound. After you are done they have you lay with your legs elevated for about 20 minutes. Then you are free to go.  Some hospitals offer medication for this procedure to help you relax but I was not given any and felt totally normal leaving that day.

TWO WEEK WAIT

During the two week wait I had on and off cramping in my uterus. I also had some symptoms that closely resembled PMS / period. I've heard some people do and some don't.  My body seemed to heal from the egg-making shots pretty quickly. I did have a little pooch in my tummy from all the swelling. 

D-DAY – blood pregnancy test

You go back in and they draw your blood and then call you later in the day to tell you your hormone levels and weather or not you are pregnant. They have you come in and repeat the blood draw again a few days later to make sure the levels increase. 

1^st ULTRASOUND - if blood test results positive

Even though they told me I was pregnant, this appointment solidifies the placement of the embryo and whether it is growing and looks normal. It is pretty nerve-wracking for you and the ultrasound tech who has to break any bad news. It is done vaginally, just like the other ultrasounds you've had to this point. If everything looks good, they have you meet with a nurse and she gives you recommendations for an OB. They "graduate you" by sending you on your way and you are officially done with IVF. 

.....................................................................................................................................................
*update*
OVERALL TIMELINE
// This is exacly how long the process took for me with dates //
- bold lettering indicates actual IVF timeline-

June 22 - Period comes - schedule pre-tests / do semen freeze
July 12 - begin Lupron shots - 21st day of my cycle
July 25 - period begins (your period cycle will likely be longer due to the Meds)
July 27 - Baseline appointment (first REAL IVF appointment - first ultrasound / bloodwork)
July 28 - begin stimulation shots (egg makers)
Aug 1-7 - ultrasound / bloodwork (every 2-3 days)
Aug 7 - trigger shot @ exactly 9:15 PM
Aug  9 - Retrival
Aug 10 - begin Progestrone shots
Aug 14 - transfer
two week wait - no dr. visits
Aug 27 - Blood Pregnancy Test
Sept 4 - 2nd Blood Pregnancy test
Sept 11 - first ultrasound - graduation to regular OB
....................................................................................................................................................

Whether IVF was successful for you or not, I suggest you CELEBRATE - You are a rockstar!

{sacrifice}