Is it OK for me to join in here?

[OhMeOhMy]

Hello everyone.
I have been thinking about posting here for a while as I am starting an IVF cycle and I have lots of fears and concerns. I have hesitated as I feel kind of unsure if I will be accepted. I know the mamas on here suffer from actual fertility problems and I am undergoing IVF because I had my tubes tied. I was unsure if my self imposed infertility would be insulting to those with actual infertility problems. I hope not as I could really use an ear/advice on all of these drugs.

BB,
OMOM

[AdinaL]

Come on in! IVF is tough no matter what. And there are lots of women here who are doing IVF, or have done IVF, and are a good resource for meds.

What protocol are you gonna be on?

[OhMeOhMy]

Thanks for the welcome!

Right now I am on a 21 day cycle of oral contraceptives (on day 8). On the 23rd I start a round of Lupron. When my cycle starts I am going to be taking Gonal-F 900 as well as an oral pill (I am blanking on the name ATM) for 20/21 days. I just received all of the meds, shots and prep material today and I am overcome with the amount of materials that were in the box. In addition to the above I also have my zithromax (for me and my partner), my HCG vials (to be mixed) and my progesterone supplies. I feel like I am drowning in needles and vials here!

I am super nervous about the injections, especially the IM shots. My best friend just donated eggs to her sister, so she did the subcutaneous shots and all I heard the whole time was how painful it was and all of the bloating she had. Then she informed me her sis still has (at 21 wks) golf ball sized lumps in her rump from the progesterone shots. I am so freaked out!!

Can anyone who has BTDT give me a heads up (without scaring the daylights out of me, lol) of what I should really expect from all of these drugs?

Thanks in advance and best of luck to all of you here!

[AdinaL]

I just did IVF this summer.

Subcu shots aren't that bad at all. Some people bruise -some don't. I didn't ever bruise except for the HCG shot with my subcu shots. They only hurt as far as the actual sticking with the needle.

The IM shots are less fun. Progesterone in oil is tough stuff. My method for those - which works really really well. Ice till the skin is numb, have someone else do the shot!!!, then put a hot (as hot as you can stand it) wet, washcloth on the injection site, let the skin/oil warm up and rub it a bit to disperse the oil. Only get lumps when I don't do the washcloth.

As for the lupron - it is easy - go fast. Put the needle in fast, push the med fast and thd pull it out fast.

Gonal-F, pretty easy - but that one will sting more. Still a fast push, but is usually more med, so it take a little longer.

Are you doing a repronex/menopur med? That one is a slow push, and it will sting.

None of it is scary once you get going. Your ovaries are gonna start to feel large and pressurized, and umcomfortable, but not unbearable.

There will probably be bloating, if you have loose/elastic waisted pants - use those! tight pants are not very comfy during stims.

Stims are short compared to the whole cycle. And the day of retrieval is amazingly relieving. You really feel like your work is done for a few days until transfer.

Good luck!

[OhMeOhMy]

Oy . . . the retrieval

Is this real bad? I am nervous about going under. I had my gallbladder out after baby number three and the drugs killed me. I had a hard time waking up and it scared me to death. I ended up staying in over night when it was supposed to be out patient surgery. Is the general for this that bad (I seem to remember it is supposed to be different somehow??)? Do you feel pain during/after?

[AdinaL]

It isn't really GA. It is IV sedation, with an amnesiac thrown in. I was asleep, but it is much lighter sedation than surgery, each push of meds only lasts like 5-10 minutes. My DH was in the room with me- so he saw how often the anaethesiologist pushed the meds. I was only out for like half an hour, and then it took about 30 minutes to fully wake up. i will say that on the drive home, I felt really really ill. those type of drugs make me queasy anyway, and the car ride didn't help.

You will feel like someone had punched you in the stomach about 12 times when you get done tho, so make sure you can take it easy, cause you won't feel like doing anything - first you will sleep off the drugs, then you will just feel sore and sluggish for a while. But on the whole, it wasn't bad. It was certainly less uncomfortable than my wisdom teeth coming out.

[OhMeOhMy]

Thank you so much for the honest and helpful info Adina! I really appreciate it!