Time off work for IVF?

[SquishyBean]

Hi, We've just got our dates for our first cycle of IVF. We'll be freezing the eggs after collection due to PCOS.

My work are very supportive and flexible, so will accommodate me going to the appointments and working when I can, but my question is would it be better to book the whole couple of weeks or so of injections up to egg collection off? It'll fall mostly just into the new annual leave year, so I'll have plenty to use. Have other people found being off work helpful? Or is it better to keep yourself busy? Are the side effects of the meds likely to necessitate me calling in sick or would that just be in a worst case scenario, e.g. OHSS?

Any insight would be great!

[DianeArnold Partner Nurse Fertility Network UK]

Hi Aquishybean. Have a look at our website wwwertiitynetworkuk

Org we’ve got loads of information about Fertility in the Worlabe. Diane

[Football61]

Hi. I worked from home during the two weeks of my stims. I didn’t tell my work that I was doing IVF - just that I had a ‘medical procedure’ at the end of the two weeks, was on some heavy meds, and couldn’t risk catching Covid, etc. I took a week off after my subsequent FET. Wishing you the best of luck x

[Millbanks]

Hello lovely,

I never took any time off work because I really needed to be busy.

There are so many waiting periods and I find having something else to focus on it really helpful. However when you do need to go to an appointment I might be tempted to take off the afternoon or a bit of time around them so you don't need to rush about.

xx

[Darcy1996]

my work aren’t supportive or flexible so I plan to WFH & in office as normal during stims and take time off for a gynae appt during retrieval & transfers. Like some others I want to stay distracted and “normal” but also save my annual leave as I’m sure I’ll have multiple appts or time I need for me around it all, and maybe, hopefully, to bolster my mat leave 🤞🏻🤞🏻

[Xmishell37]

Hey! If you are able to cope fine with the injections or work from home to do them, I'd suggest waiting to take time off after egg collection. I had OHSS and just happened to be on annual leave which was already pre booked, It was uncomfortable for quite a few days afterwards (but not unmanageable), suppose it depends what job u do aswell and how much u need to be up and moving around! Xx

[happyseal]

I work from home so it made it easier both times...that said I had to have the scans nearly every day to monitor egg growth...so I couldn't do it without speaking with my manager, unless I booked time off. I did feel horrible, specially on my first cycle and had to take sick days because of that.

The second time it was worst after stopping the meds tbh and I had to take sick days. But I do have endometriosis so I am very sensitive to hormonal treatments.

[PicklePar]

good luck for this phase in treatment SquishyBean I hope it goes well for you!

I also had a freeze all cycle due to PCOS and asked the work/not question. I ended up working (my work were really good) but glad I did in the ends:

- I ended up stimming for three weeks due to the PCOS.

- I did take some time off after due to OHSS - mine was very mild but some aren’t so lucky.

- I needed to be busy.

You need to do what is best for you but be prepared for several eventualities that are perhaps different to your plan.

[AshleyJB]

Hi there. I did a freeze all with because of PCOS, I work on my feet and didn't take time off leading up to egg collection whilst on stims. Personally I didn't think I needed to, I found it better to stay busy. Maybe a couple of days before egg collection I should've taken off because my ovaries got quite big, I felt very bloated and a bit sore. The first week being on stims was fine with not much bloating.

I ended up with OHSS but didn't feel unwell until after egg retrieval.

Lots of luck for some fabulous eggs! Xx

[SurvivorPhoenix]

Hi, does your work have any policy around days for fertility treatment? Mine had 5 days paid a year and my manager was really supportive about flex working and just going when and where I needed to.

When I had appointments and scans, I used flex working and put my out of office on and I used the fertility days for egg collection, recovery days and transfer. I also used annual leave and booked off every Friday from when I officially started the process and medication. This just made me feel calmer and less stress of a full working week.

Id defo recommend booking some time off for egg collection and transfer and in between to rest. Even if you feel fine, it might be good to just have a bit of space and time to relax and do nice things for you.

Everyone is different so for the rest, id do what feels right for you. Good luck x

[Garden_haven]

Hi Squishy Bean, I did a freeze all on my last round as I had OHSS in a previous round. Like others, for this time I needed to be cautious not to catch COVID or the flu whilst in the cycle as didn't want to risk it needing to be cancelled so I was able to work from home for most of the time I was doing stims. For me, it was good keeping busy and I didn't get any troublesome side effects from the drugs and, if I'm honest, I didn't know if the cycle would work so I wanted to preserve as much annual leave as possible in case required later for further rounds. My work considered the collection as an operation as it involves some sedation and therefore the few days of recovery afterwards was allowed as sick leave. I then went back to work/ usual routine for about 6 weeks (my bleed came quite early and so wasn't time to get the next batch of meds so I waited until the cycle after that for transfer). Then when it came to transfer I started the meds for that (I recall there are different choices of protocol for this), had the transfer and took some annual leave from this point. What was important for me in this period was to do things where my mind was relaxed so I had a few nice things planned. If my job had been stressful I may have also taken a few days before transfer too - my priority was being calm for the transfer day and the 5 days after with the hope the embryo burrowed in and stuck - I didn't want those pesky stress hormones in my system. I also had an acupuncture session planned within those 5 days which I was told would stimulate good blood flow in my uterus. I really hope your cycle goes well and fingers crossed for a blastocyst(s) xxx (p.s. I didn't get OHSS this time, yay!! For context, I am 40 years old with endometriosis and one ovary that is polycystic)

[Sparklylife]

Good morning! I also worked through the stimulation process last time and plan to do it again this time. I had very minimal side effects however, just felt bloated and “full”. Last time it was still pandemic measures however, so we had to isolate from egg collection until after transfer. So I also ended up having to work from home. I took 2 days off from EC, then it was weekend, so had longer. I would recommend a bit off time off perhaps after this, I did not have OHSS, but it was still a bit tender and was grateful to just do what I felt like at my own pace. I happened to already have leave after embryo transfer, so kept that week. But the 2 week wait is hard if you are not kept busy I found. So when we had a transfer end of last year, I was working around embryo transfer, only had transfer day off. And I was ok with that. Ps. Also just wanted to say the wait after egg collection can also be tough, waiting to hear if your eggs fertilised, and then the next 5 days wondering how they are doing and if developing.. so was hard being off, but needed! So just advice maybe having something to keep you busy at home - jigsaws, books, a series ready to binge! 😇😘

We are just getting ready for another stimulation/egg collection round and I am not planning much time off this time at all. I will have EC day off and day after. Again it is looking like it might be weekend for me after that - in fact - I think it will land right before Easter long weekend. Then transfer will be right after. I am planning on working morning of transfer day, then leave for transfer (usually afternoons at my clinic). I got the day off after, but then back to work.

I am very lucky however that my work is very supportive! We even have a special leave policy that covers IVF. So for up to 3 rounds of treatment, I get 5 days of leave I can use each round. I wish all work places were like that.

Lastly - I wish you all the best with your round and stimulations!! Hopefully you will stay well and I really really do hope for the best outcome for you!! Got everything crossed! 🤞🧡🍍 You got this!!

[MarshmellowMountain]

Hello! I ended up taking time off after egg collection in my last cycle as I felt quite rubbish (pain from procedure + constipation from pessaries 😑). This cycle, I’ve booked off the day of EC and the days running up to transfer + plus an extra week after transfer to relax and do what I like 🙂 I feel better knowing I have that all planned and to look forward to, without worrying that I might want to call in sick.

Stimulation period for me isn’t too bad in comparison for what is to come, so I would advise you save it for later 😊

Wishing you lots of luck!

[aso328]

I think it's quite a personal decision, and depends on what type of work you do, how much stress it creates for you etc. I took from stims to after the TWW off because my workplace is high pressured, stressful and has risks for me and a potentially developing foetus. I found the meds made me highly emotional and in an already emotionally charged environment that was not helpful, I worked as far as I could but as stims started I opted out. I was exhausted and in hindsight it was a very wise option for me, I could look after myself and relax far better than if I was at work.

Unfortunately our cycle was not successful but I think that would have happened regardless but I have no guilt about how I handled it and feel I did all that I could. I feel that if I had not been off work I would probably blame that for the lack of success.

do what you feel is right. don't let others opinions sway you. only you know how you feel and what the medications do to your body is different to everyone else. I don't have the option of work from home so it just wasn't feasible for me.

best of luck xxx

[bustedcysts]

Depending on your work, save the leave for the bigger procedures - egg collection and embryo transfer. The daily injections generally are ok, the scans don't take too long (depending on how far away you live from the clinic). You can't time everything exactly, I had to continue with injections for over a week to expected, keep as much flexibility as possible. I had two days off for the egg collection and definitely needed it! Best of luck!