Harvisting eggs- Does it hurt

Not sure if this is the right place to put this question but thought you girls might have the answer.
A friend had ivf done a couple of weeks ago and unfortunately it didn't work this time round. When she had the eggs removed (she went under) she was in alot of pain for the next few days so much she took a couple of days off work. Is this normal? I didn' think she should be in pain. Also her husband is the one with a low sperm count so does the dr still put the female on medication to mature/increase eggs? Twice she couldn't have the procedure done becuase the eggs were too big!
I really appreciate your feedback as she is so upset and unsure if she can go through it all again because of all the physical pain!
Thanks

*hugs* to your friend, sounds like she's having a tough time.

When I had my egg collection I was in quite a bit of pain for a few days. I had it done at 10am Wednesday & spent the afternoon & until Thursday lunch time in bed with a heat pack. After that it was bearable & I went to work on the Friday / Saturday, but that was moreso because my husband went back to work & I though work would be easier than looking after a very active two-year old ;)

As for your second question, my husband has a low sperm count as well & I did the injections to mature eggs etc. The reason why they do it is so that there are several eggs to choose from rather than having only the one which might not be "perfect" so to speak. So they remove x amount of eggs (I had 12 removed) and then do IVF where they put the sperm & eggs together & let them work it out or ICSI where they inject the sperm into the eggs individually. It is much better that way because they can freeze them embryos & next time she won't have to go through all the injections, they just do a few things then put the thawed embryos back in.

Thanks so much for that sarah that makes alot of sense I will be sure to let her know and hopefully she will feel a little better about giving it another go!

hi cherie, sorry your friend had pain after her egg pick up. it really varies among women how they respond and probably how many eggs they had removed and how stimulated their ovaries were. in my case to date i haven't had much discomfort at all, but i know other women on BB have had quite bad pain. it normally clears up within a few days as Sarah was saying, but there is always a risk of over stimulating the ovaries which can be quite painful and sometimes dangerous.

in the end it is each of our personal decision whether we want to continue on IVF and endure the drugs and possible pain, discomfort and risks associated with it. some women will persist longer than others for their own reasons. some find the journey too emotionally taxing and don't continue. unfortunately there is no guarantee of the outcome and the statistics suggest numerous goes are required to get a positive result.

if you are concerned for your friend, i would recommend listening to her and if she is interested she can always join up on BB and ask questions, share her journey as it is much easier doing this with people that understand and support you.

well done you on being such a concerned and caring friend.
xx

Hi Cherie,

My first EPU was awful, I was off work and in considerable pain for almost 2 weeks! The recent one I had was much better, the pain was bad for a bout a day maybe a ittle more, then it eased. I had 4 days off work Tues-Fri) since I had me embryo transfer on the 4th day, then it was the weekend!

I was in alot of pain following my EPU. I had the entire time from my EPU until 2 days after ET off, then i worked 2 days, had 3 RDO, then found out i was UTD and threatening m/c so i never went back to work for 7 weeks. Was great to be able to deal with it al without worrying about the stress of work aswell

Chreie

Yay for you such a caring friend

I am usally sore and tender for a few days afterwards. They have been sucking things away and playing around. :hug: to her and tell her that I do hope she finds the strength again

Hi cherie426

Maybe the thing to remember is why does a woman go through this?

I had my EPU on wednesday - very painful - I had 26 eggs, so far 3 days off work. I will be assessed tomorrow for transfer. DH said I was white and looked like I was in shock afterwards. I could do it again but would need 6 months to get over it but hope never to have to do it again. So far our fertility report has been great.

Having said that the stats at my clinic are 30% of cases require time off after EPU. So I guess it does really depend on who you are.

Good luck to her:)