Egg collection tips

[Doodle_123]

Hello! I'm new here and my husband and I are currently on our first IVF cycle after TTC for 2.5 years. I'm responding well to the stim injections and have my egg collection provisionally booked in for this Friday. I'm so nervous! I've done a lot of googling and searching on forums and finding it quite overwhelming, I'm not really sure what to expect! Does anyone have any tips? Will I need any time off work or do people usually feel well enough to go back? Thanks in advance

[Thom86]

hi I was exactly the same .

But honestly I was worrying for nothing . I remember the doctor speaking to me and then wakening up feeling slightly cramp like but really nothing else . I was back at work the next day

Good luck with everything xx

[Doodle_123 in reply to Thom86]

Thanks so much, this is reassuring to hear and not something you can get from Google. Hope all is going well for you too 🙏 xx

[JA-fnuk Partner Nurse Fertility Network UK]

Best not to Google too much- the clinic should explain step by step what is going to happen They will sedate you then collect the eggs using a needle from each ovary This is carried out under ultrasound guidance & takes between 15- 25 minutes After it you may have some cramps and small amount vaginal bleeding Depending on what your work involves you should be back the next or the next again day

Good luck for Friday

Janet-Partner

[Doodle_123 in reply to JA-fnuk]

Thank you this is helpful to hear and doesnt sound so bad. Final scan tomorrow so hopefully I should know more by then! 😊

[BlueEyedTabby]

Hi there! If the clinic has any concerns about you being overstimulated/having lots of big follicles and lots of eggs to collect, you may feel like you want some time off work after the collection. This happened to me and I ended up being overstimulated and really struggling for a few days afterwards. Hopefully this doesn't happen and similarly to the other responses, I understand most ladies feel absolutely fine afterwards, but thought I'd reply in case it's helpful. Best of luck! Xxx

[Doodle_123 in reply to BlueEyedTabby]

Thanks so much.I have been warned about OHSS and have read a bit about this. (Interestingly my clinic said if it was going to happen it it would be happen after egg collection). Sorry that this happened to you but thank you for sharing . Thanks for the well wishes! Xxx

[Samuk14]

Helloo,

I was very worried with it being my first time and never being sedated before. All was really fine - I had nothing to worry about!

4 staff were in the room, sedation was also fine. I had to wait for about an hour afterwards to eat and drink something and go to the toilet.

I found the first day being the worst (but not unbearable), just sore and crampy - treat yourself to a day in bed… binge watch something or find a good book! Second day I still felt tender but much better. I could have gone back to work the Friday but they told me to take it off and return on the Monday. x

[Doodle_123 in reply to Samuk14]

Ah thank you so much for this! This is so useful to hear. I'm feeling much more reassured, I think I've been over-thinking it 😊 a day to myself sounds like a nice treat! Good to hear you didn't feel too bad for long afterwards, thank you for the tips x

[Marms81]

Hey, firstly, I want to wish you well with this journey and welcome you to this lovely community! With egg collection all is usually straight forward and depends on the sedation really as everyone can react differently and as I found out it can depend on the anesthetist and the drug concoction they use to sedate on how muzzy you may feel after, but with some rest the same day it passes and you feel back to normal and can go back to work the following day. I had one of the times where I felt a but sicky and had a bad tummy that carried on to the following day and that's when I got told that the anesthetist may have used slightly different quantity for sedation but tbh it still wasn't bad just wouldn't have worked feeling off like that but lucky for me It wasn't a work day anyway. Egg collection is quite a nice time to have a forced sleep....enjoy it!

Good luck and be easy on yourself , you have got this!! ⭐️

[Doodle_123 in reply to Marms81]

Thanks so much, everyone here is so friendly and helpful! How you feel physically can be outside or your control from the sounds of it. Absolutely, trying to be kind to myself during this time we are putting our bodies through so much! Thanks so much for sharing and for the positivity 💪 wishing you the best on your journey too x

[Marms81 in reply to Doodle_123]

I wasn't outside of my own control but a bit tired after when home but thats it. During the collection I only remember the first part then waking up all done., then having a brew and bikkies. Honestly, the first time I ever had it I was so worried, but didn't need to be as was in and out in no time lol 😅

You will be fine and well looked after I am certain of that! Good luck 👍

[Kerry1487]

I was nervous for my collection, especially having a cannula inserted but there was really nothing to worry about. You will have a very good sleep and wake up back in the recovery room and someone will come around to tell you the number of eggs collected. My clinic also brought me a tea and biscuits and I had my partner get me an electrolyte drink to get my fluids back up.

I took the day off after as I wasn’t sure what pain I would be in. I’m glad I did because we got the fertilisation results which shocked me and I was pretty upset so I ended up taking the rest of the week.

I was in pain until transfer day but the nurse explained that my ovaries are the size of oranges and pushing against my other organs and this is normal. I would recommend having some lactulose in the house because the constipation is no joke.

Good luck for Friday.

[Doodle_123 in reply to Kerry1487]

Thank-you! Really hoping I have a similar experience to this, a good sleep and waking up afterwards sound good to me. Thanks for the tips (I have my electrolyte drink packed along with snacks and fibre supplements! ).

Thanks for your honesty about how you felt after receiving your results I don't think I've really prepared myself for this yet. Hope that all goes well for you 🙏

[Kerry1487 in reply to Doodle_123]

I only read stories of people bouncing back after egg collection so when I was in pain it scared me but not everyone will react the same way. If you think you have any signs of OHSS be sure to call your clinic x

[DancingQu33n]

I’ve had two, first one was so tired and slept for a few hours afterwards, probably a mix of meds and being anxious in the lead up to it all. Second one felt more normal but still put my feet up and had a duvet day. I think they were both Thursdays - I took the next day off and then had the weekend. Feel like I could’ve gone into work physically but had no idea how I’d feel and was anxious about the fertilisation call I just wanted to rest and have space to feel however I felt.

[Doodle_123 in reply to DancingQu33n]

Thank-you for sharing! This is reassuring to hear, I'm actually so glad that it is scheduled for a Friday, it couldn't have worked out better, I have all weekend to relax 🙌