help and support with ICSI

[Marsiscoming6]

hi all

due to start ivf/ICSI meds in the coming week. Been with my partner 8 years and been waiting to start IVF for over two years. I’m looking forward to starting a family hopefully but I am absolutely petrified of medical interventions so I’m looking for answers to

what will the hormone injections and tablets make me feel like

What does it feel like to be put under sleep sedation, will I feel anything pain wise and is there a risk I may stop breathing?

what’s the pain like after egg removal?

when they place the embryo back in via catheter, does this hurt?

Can someone please put my mind at ease I’d love a family but I’m so scared of having this done

thanks

[Marsiscoming6]

*deep sedation

[VeeVee_bb]

hi Marsiscoming - the first time doing anything is always a little daunting, but trust that it will get easier.

The hormone injections made me bloated, and a little emotional at times. I focused on the end result: good quality eggs and a potential baby.

The sedation (in my opinion) is the best bit of the process 😁it is relaxing and nothing to worry about. I always look forward to the macdonalds fries and everything else I want to eat (but avoid during the stims).

The pain after egg retrieval is dependent on how skilled your doctor is. I have had 6 collections; and only had pain after 1 of the collections..

Embryo transfer is less uncomfortable than a smear test 🙂 again, look forward and focus on the potentials.

Hope this helps and good luck!

[CyclingAddict]

Hey! It'll seem overwhelming at first - I burst into tears when I first saw the bag of syringes - but once you get the hang of it, it's OK. I started out with my DH giving me the injections but I later found it easier to do it myself as I knew how much pressure to put on it. The hormones can make you feel tired and bloated. In preparation of egg collection, they will try and get your ovaries to produce as many eggs as possible, which makes your ovaries bigger and can cause some discomfort (particularly if you're on the leaner side). I wouldn't describe it as painful, more just uncomfortable. I was able to work throughout IVF but you may need to be a little bit more careful if you have an active job. So be kind to yourself and take it easy. Everyone has a different reaction. If you have PCOS, for instance, you may feel more discomfort as your ovaries will produce more eggs than average.

If you're being put to sleep for your egg collection you won't feel a thing. I was put to sleep for my second egg collection and I can't remember anything. You may need a couple of days to recover from the egg collection as the sedation can make you nauseous and you may experience some discomfort and bloating afterwards. If you're not going for a fresh transfer, you can lay in bed with a hot water bottle (like I did) and that helped me. During my first egg collection I was only given painkillers and it was pretty painful (not going to lie). It really depends of how many eggs you have and how well you cope with pain. I know some women who have done it without any sedation and been absolutely fine. It's very individual.

The embryo transfer is totally painless. It can feel a bit 'weird' when they clean you with water, but that's the only time you'll really feel anything. You'll be looking at a screen and they will talk you through what they are doing and showing you where they are putting the embryo. In my experience, they try to make the transfer as nice as possible with relaxing music. So look forward to that bit.

Hope this helps X

[Eloquentia]

Hi! It is normal to be anxious at the start of IVF. Like you, I was worried about the drugs, the administration and the medical procedures. In the end, I found they were much easier on the body than I feared. As others have commented, it is all daunting at the beginning but you get used to it all and the injections don't hurt most of the time (unless you are on blood thinning ones too, they are less pleasant). For me, the really taxing part of IVF that I had not anticipated fully was the emotional cost: the feeling that so much of what happens is beyond your control, the roller coaster of hope and despair, the high stakes, the ups and downs exacerbated by the hormones, the high expectations. Best tip: make sure you have support. It could be that your clinic has a support group of others going through IVF, it could be finding friends who have been through it, it could also be this website and all the wonderful strong women who are going through or have been through IVF. Also, try to see it as a journey where every step brings you closer to your dream but without fixed expectations as to when the journey will reach its successful end. I really hoped and thought our first round would work and was crushed when it didn't. Needed a proper break to reset and grieve before continuing. So for me, a BFN was much worse than the drugs, the egg retrieval and the OHSS I developed as a side effect from the stimulations. But it was all worth it when I held my baby daughter and looked into her eyes. Very best of luck! I hope you get your rainbow baby soon

[Twiglet2]

my experience is the medical side of things is perfectly fine, the emotional side of things is a roller coaster.

The injections after the very first one are totally fine, they can make you feel a bit hormonal like the day or so before your period and sometimes a bit tired too. Prepare your partner to have a bit of patience there lol

The sedation is brilliant, I was so nervous the night before my first one (I’ve had 6 now) I didn’t sleep a wink with worry so I felt great after the sleep! Best sleep ever 😆 pain afterwards for me was totally fine too a little bit of cramping but not even as bad as a period and I just slept it off and was fine next day usually.

Transfer is totally painless and over in minutes (I’ve had probably about 15 of these now) and actually a really magical moment ✨

I don’t know if you’ve had any testing prior to starting your cycle but the test that checked your tubes with dye was the worst one for me of the whole entire medical experience so far so if you’ve already had that (or don’t need it) then youve already did the hardest part in My experience.

I found all this also helped me for when I was pregnant and all the medical ‘fun’ that comes with that too, a good preparation so to speak!. I would honestly not think or worry too much on the medical and physical side of things your clinic will guide you through that but focus on getting in a good head space as it can be a tough ride emotionally with high lows and everything in between! Good luck 🤞🏽 💜

[Cridog]

Hi, I'm sure you are pretty excited after waiting for so long, but also quite aprehensive - I was the same.

We went through IVF/ICSI last year (unfortunately the fresh transfer was unsuccessful).

I didn't have any issues with the injections, although my husband helped me do them and I did them all in my thighs (not tummy). Towards the end of the injections period I started to feel very tired, my breasts were very tender and I was a bit bloated, but nothing else - all quite manageable.

The egg retrieval was fine and the sedation was ok. I had some pain after the egg retrieval, but managed with paracetamol.

The embryo transfer was quite painful for me, although I've never heard from anyone else being painful. It was done by a junior doctor under the senior doctor's instructions, and I think she didn't know exactly how to do it and that's why it ended up being so painful (the senior doctor took the lead in the end because the junior one didn't seem to know what she was doing). So I think it depends extremely much on how skilled the doctor is, and from everyone else's stories I think my case was rather an exception than the norm.

Anyway, even if my transfer wasn't the best experience, I'm not afraid so much of the pain, and when I'll be prepared mentally I'll go through it again.

Wish you all the good luck in the world and hope your journey will be successful!!! Big hugs

[Lilly287]

Hi Marsiscoming6,

I had quite similar questions before my first procedure. I'm just preparing for my 5th attempt.

I have had 4 cycles, in one I had eggs collected without sedation - this is possible for various medical reasons, fear is also one of them - at least in my clinic. I received local anesthetic and the procedure in the case of one ovary was almost unnoticeable, while in the case of the other ovary there was pain, but bearable. I felt pain after the first egg collection procedure under full sedation, after the next ones I didn't feel any pain, but I had a lot of rest for 2-3 days after. It is also depended on the doctor's skills.

Embryo placement is completely painless, only the discomfort of a full bladder disturbs the mood of this great moment.

I have mixed feelings about hormonal treatment and injections into the abdomen, sometimes I feel great, full of energy, and sometimes I feel terrible, especially at the end of the stimulation, the last injections in the cycle hurt - probably because my sensitivity to pain changes. I recommend meditation and enjoying small pleasures.

I keep my fingers crossed for you!