Hi all,
I am about to undergo my first IVF cycle and wonder what folks have done with work? My job can be stressful and I want to be fully focused on this cycle but I also don't want to overthink and take too much time off. I was thinking 2-3 weeks off work, but I would really appreciate any guidance,
thanks 🍍 🫶
I took two weeks off for my first cycle, it really helped to take work stress out of the equation. That being said this cycle I'm not taking any time off as I need the routine and distraction. (Plus egg retrieval falls when I'm on leave).
Thank you this is so helpful, I may stick with the two weeks! At what point in the cycle did you take the time off? I completely understand the distraction will most likely help this time around, best of luck lovely!
From day 8 scan, just the way the dates fell. Thank you xx
I did state gynae issues xx
Thanks lovely 
x
Hi. I asked to work from home for two weeks during stims (I just told them that I was having a ‘medical procedure’) and then took annual leave for a week after embryo transfer. Good luck!
Hi, thank you that's really helpful, I may think creatively about WFH. Did you feel ok with the meds? That's what's causing me the most worry is about feeling unwell and having to manage work. Thanks for coming back to me I it's been so helpful,
I was really worried about the impact of the meds before I started my first cycle, but it was absolutely fine in the end. But it definitely eased my anxiety to be WFH, because it meant that I could take my time in the mornings when I was doing my injections, etc. I was also worried about getting squished on the Tube after I’d just taken my injections or if I was feeling queasy from the meds. Personally, if I was going to take annual leave, I would do it after embryo transfer…
Thank you this has really helped!
get signed off by the doc for gyno issues. Wish I’d have done that for my first transfer.
I got signed off for tww and had medical procedure as reason. As you said you want to focus on the cycle and taking away the job stress allows you to do that… good luck! X
Thanks lovely I think I will absolutely take some time off!!
I have done a mixture of working, working part time, signed off (after transfer - covered under ACAS as pregnancy) and WFH.
I’m lucky that my bosses at work know and now I WFH for the 2ww and do around 5hrs till I feel I need to rest and then take the rest of the day as leave. I am also lucky my leave is in hours not days.
Since I WFH, i only took 2 days after retrieval off and the day of transfer. I like having the distraction of work. Otherwise i was overthinking everything. The stims weren't as bad as expected. I wasn't responding so i was on pretty high dosages too.
Thanks for your reply! I totally understand it can be overwhelming too so work may act as a distraction, thanks also for the info re the stims I think I am just overthinking them! All the best lovely
For our first cycle I took two days off around egg collection, but then it was weekend I think, so I got longer. It was still pandemic, so we were told to isolate from day 9 - after scan, we had to go home and not go anywhere, so my work had to support me working from home. I am also very lucky to have very supportive bosses and my work actually has a special leave policy for IVF (so I used these days). I had a week off after transfer the first time (normal annual leave).
For our FET in Sept last year, I did not take time off. I needed the distraction too I felt. But in hindsight, I felt unwell after transfer on this occasion, not sure if it was transfer or just random illness. So I wished I had organised a couple of days before I went back.
This time, I am again not taking time off really. I had annual leave already planned on the day after egg collection, so I kept that. Then we have the long Easter weekend now - so my real life Easter egg hunt was pretty well timed! Been nice to have this weekend! I don’t know if we make it to transfer yet, but I have two days off after our hopefully transfer day!
I know others seems to prefer having time off after transfer, personally I prefer having the days in between collection and transfer off. Then also some time off after transfer, but I would not want the full two weeks off after transfer as it is pretty mentally challenging I find waiting to find out if it has worked! So managing your time as you please initially is fab, but then after a week or so I like getting back to my every day life! 🥰
I felt absolutely fine on the stimulation injections the first time. Just bloated later on, like a pressure in the pelvis. This time I was on max dose stimulation (due to my age) - and I had the worst headache the first 4ish days, but that since settled and I had some nausea on and off. Just felt off. Then I felt ok and just a little bloated again towards the end. But I always felt able to work during the two rounds of stimulation I have had 😇
Wishing you all the best with your upcoming ivf!! Hope all goes well and you feel ok! Hoping for success for you 💫🧡
Thank you for sharing your story. I imagine ivf during covid was even more stressful / isolating. I wish you the best for this cycle!!
This is really helpful, also to know about the meds as this is also causing me some worry. I think I am going to take some time off but also keep myself busy with other stuff to help with the anxiety!
Thank you for your well wishes lovely this is really kind, I too wish you the best 🫶✨
I didn't take any time off other than the day of egg collection and day of transfer for any of my cycles. I told my work I was doing IVF though, so they let me go to all of the appointments. If youre not off, they can be awkward because they change last minute. Ie you have an appointment monday and think egg collection might be Saturday. But when youre acanned on the monday though could say, no I need you back tomorrow. Then you go again on the Tue and they ask you to come back again on the wed. So I can see how being off would be mucb less stressful, and it depends how flexible your work can be!! (Some of my cycle were when I was in holidays, so that probably helped!) I managed injections fine around work (I did have to do a couple there on one of the rounds but I was OK with that).
I was similar to LSandJ. I didnt take any time off at all. I worked from home, and worked time up in lunch breaks etc for appointments. But the egg collection was a ‘sick day’ as it was deemed a medical procedure.
I didn’t react at all to stims, so no side effects what so ever, so personally id have kicked myself if I’d have taken that time off and then been at home over thinking everything and not had work to keep my mind occupied throughout the madness. I did also work from between collection and transfer x
Thanks lovely! It is so nice your work have been supportive, I recently told my manager which is great! I am having to work my time back/lunch times for appointments so I'm also finding that a bit of a challenge! Thank you for letting me know about how you managed the injections!
Sorry to hijack, I have been reading the comments and I'm currently on my 1st cycle, but I've not arranged any time off. I work in a small team and we are at our busiest time of year, and there's no way of doing the job from home. I know I will have to take the retrieval day off and that should be fine, although not knowing when that will be does make me a little anxious. I had hoped to do this when work was quieter but doing this on the nhs meant a long wait and I didn't have much say in the matter.
Is this manageable with no time off to rest and recover, doing a somewhat physical job?
I done the procedure abroad and I took 2 weeks anual leave(I kept it very private and I ‘ve planned it ahead) I guess it all depends on you and how your body reacts, after egg retrieval I rested all afternoon but felt the need for a short walk in the evening((about5000steps and I am not the most sportiest person) following day I was fine but again we’re all different. I would recommend for the actual transfer take more than1 day off , I had my transfer on a Thurs and flew back to UK on Sat.On one hand work can help you take your mind from the procedure but you don’t want to be to stressed either.I don’t know how it works through NHS or what type of protocol you’re on ( if is antagonist and more or less goes by your cycle you can predict egg retrieval day with2-3 days margin and they wil confirm shot/egg retrieval date when you go for 2nd scan day 9)but would say always trust your guts, worse case if you’re unwell just ring in sick, your health should be top priority x
Hi,
It’s tricky to say definitively as it’s a really personal decision. I told my work I was doing IVF and got scans etc as appointment time. As your under sedation on egg collection you will definitely need that day off.
Not sure what your clinic does (i.e do they do day 2,3 and 5 day transfers) as that’s the tricky bit as your waiting for a call and then may have to go in quickly and it can change quickly depending on how your embryos are developing. For me that was when I couldn’t focus on work and took leave. Also for me I’ve always taken official test day off as I know I wouldn’t be able to concentrate, (especially if the result was negative which has been my experience so far). I also took some sick days to process my 2nd BFN.
Best of luck on your journey. X
Thanks lovely, sorry to hear you had to process two BFNs- I am glad you had taken some time to process this for yourself!
Thank you!
I took time off, if your job is stressful then i recommend taking it off. At least you know that way you've given it your all. I took 5 weeks off, starting the stims all the way to to the end of the 2ww x
I think I definitely will take time off, particularly as I'm working the time back for appointments etc it's adding a lot more stress onto my day! How did you find filling your time during your weeks off?
I guess it depends how stressful your job is. Technically you can go to work the next day but I waited a week. However my manager knew what I was doing which made it easier. Does your workplace know x
Yes my work are aware so that's helpful too, but I still think the easiest option is to take time off as there is a lot to organise etc! Thank you so much for your reply
I hadn’t considered taking time off except for appointments, but reading this it makes complete sense to me to take a bit more if you can and I think I’ll see if I can too. I don’t have the option of working from home and have a very busy stressful job where I don’t have much time during the day, even to drink or go to the ladies, so although it would be very distracting I think it would improve my chances if I were less busy…
I've taken a lot of time this week to digest everyone's replies (I would read through them they are all helpful) and think it feels the best option to take some time off. Work will always be there, but your emotional and physical well-being needs to take priority particularly with a stressfull job
I echo that it’s completely job dependent. Also I think dependent on how your cycle goes eg usual egg numbers and progression of embryos.
My very first cycle I took annual leave for egg collection and embryo transfer and had no other time off as people seemed to say that’d be ok. But it was awful.
I can’t WFH and have busy job dealing with people in healthcare where it is crucial I focus on them and concentrate to be safe. There’s not a moment to myself. I wouldn’t be able to take those update calls from the embryologist between egg collection and the transfer in work - I’ve only had 1-3 eggs collected each time so when we get those day 1, 3 and 5 calls it’s absolutely horrendous thing for me and I couldn’t do it now without my husband holding my hand. When it’s been bad news there’s no way I could be safe to continue and put on brave face in work. I now take the day of day 9-10 scan before collection off at least as half day (as I know now it’s going to be stressful and anxiety provoking and potentially upsetting), the period between egg collection to embryo transfer day as annual leave, and then 2WW as sick leave as this is covered by pregnancy rules. My bosses aren’t great but it’s sort of worked so far.
I felt okay during stims generally but last time it really worsened my migraines and endo symptoms so could have done with WFH.
I think prepare for the worst and take any time you can to reduce stress if possible. I know many can’t take much time though.
I am sorry you have had to work through that, I imagine it was not easy for you! Thank you so much for your reply it has really helped me, I am absolutely going to take time off with the view of reducing if needed thank you!
Hiya. Everyone's different and you have to do what feels best for you. My Dr signed me off for 5 weeks (as per my request). My job is super stressful and I didn't know which days I'd be called in for scans etc. I just wanted zero stress. 2 weeks for stims and EC, then I wanted to be off for the TWW and then an extra week just to soak in the results. I ended up going back early as i developed OHSS so couldn't so the transfer, but I'm really glad i had the time off. When i do have my transfer, I think I'll take 2 weeks off.
Thank you for your reply lovely. I am really sorry your transfer hasn't happened yet, best of luck when transfer day does come! I am going to request 2-3 weeks from my doctor. Did you find they were ok signing you off? Thanks again
Sorry for the delay. I have a great relationship with my Dr. He's known me for years and wants this for me too. When i asked him to sign me off, he agreed it was for the best. I gave myself 5 weeks signed off. 10 days before EC during stims, then up to a week after what would have been the TWW, cos I didn't know how it would go or how I'd feel. Reading everyone else's story, I think I was signed off the longest, but for me, it was really important to protect my mental health and wellbeing. My manager kinda had to deal with it, but he also seemed okay...I hope you figure out what's best for you and you actually go with it. No regrets x
Hey, how exciting!!!! I’m just in my TWW, I took time off from egg collection day (22nd March) and I return 7 days after transfer date (2nd April) I’ve found this time off just about right and want to get back to work now to be pre occupied… xx
Hi lovely, ohh I imagine work is good at preoccupying you during this time- best of luck!!! That looks like a good amount of time I am going to do similar- thank you
hello, I wrote a similar post asking a similar question and it seems really varied. I have a desk job in a stressful industry and I can wfh one day a week. I’m starting first cycle and stims this week. I’m going to play be ear and I’ve asked clinic for first scan of day so can be slightly late in for the 5/8/10 day scans.
I’ll take the day of egg collection as AL and then we are doing PGT-A so it’ll be awhile before transfer.
I have a unsupportive female boss who believes women have to cope if they’ve chosen to be mothers. I’m not going to be telling her I’m just going to find my way…and when we get there, I’ll work the TWW…I hope 🤞🏻
Best of luck
Sorry to hear your manager is not very progressive or supportive!! I wish you the best of luck with your first cycle
Thank you that’s really kind. Worried about going into this week and the flex needed for EC but I’ve got to put our cycle first.
How are you?
I hope everything is going well with your stims? I imagine it's a very emotional time! I'm ok we're taking each week at a time which is helping our next thing is the day 21 injection before starting the stims x
Thank you for asking. It’s all been pretty good on the stims front…but worried about numbers looking low. Third stims scan tomorrow 😬
So far I’ve managed through WFH and sneaking out, blaming a train strike, and tomorrow a sprint there at lunchtime whilst my boss has an extra long lunch 🤞🏻I’m bloated and tired but apart from crying to my partner that he hadn’t lit the special candle before we injected last night (🙈), I don’t think I’m toooo hormonal. 🤣
How are you feeling?
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