# egg collection



## ncbiggs2005 (May 3, 2010)

Hi, this is my first go at ivf and im on day 5 of injections. Please can people be honest and tell me their experience of egg collection. I am so so scared of having this done and just want to no what to expect. I have spoken to 3 other people who have said it was so painful and horrible. please can anyone give advice? thanks


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## bubblicous (Jan 14, 2008)

ncbiggs2005 - hi there im also on day 5 of stimms and am very worried about ec im worried about he pain but im also worried there will be no eggs and im egg sharing so i have someone else counting on me too 
this is my 1st ivf so i have no idea about what it will be like but i just wanted you to know your not alone


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## ncbiggs2005 (May 3, 2010)

Have you spoken to anyone about ec and their experience? how are you getting on with injections, any side effects? where are you having your treatment at?


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## bubblicous (Jan 14, 2008)

im having my treatment at the gcrm in glasgow 
ive not really spoken to anyone about ec except the clinic who told me id be sedated and wouldnt feel a thing i expect to be very sore afterwards though 

as for the injections ive had very bad headaches since i started and im really tired all the time and ive also started to feel heavy around the ovary area especially today i have a scan tomorrow to see how things are going 

what about you how have you been


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## ncbiggs2005 (May 3, 2010)

I did have a slight headache today but not sure if that is because of the the drugs or not. Iv got a scan on Thursday so hopefully everything ok, they said on average you do the injections for 11 days and I think ec is 2 days later. Have they told you similar? Good luck tom


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## BridgetJones (Mar 15, 2010)

Hi Ladies

Just wanted to say that me and my cycle buddy (Minimay) both found EC really easy.  GCRM use a consultant anaesthetist so you are completely out for the count and know and feel nothing.  I wasn't sore afterwards, just a bit of dullness in lower belly.  I did have some slight bleeding for a few days after which is normal.  

Lots and lots of luck - you'll both be fine


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## ncbiggs2005 (May 3, 2010)

Thank you. I'm at Leeds having treatment and I have asked to be put under but they won't do that, they said I would only be sedated! How many days did you do injections for and then how long after was ec? early congrats to you.


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## bubblicous (Jan 14, 2008)

bridget -    hey honey fancy meeting you here   

ncbriggs - they didnt say how long id be injecting for thats horrid they dont knock you out at your clinic goodluck for thu


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## Venetian (Dec 16, 2009)

Hi there

I am on my 1st IVF. I had EC last Thursday (anything to avoid the election)  The worst part for me was having the venflon inserted into the back of my hand. This is the wee tube they use to administer the sedation. My wrist felt slightly crampy as the sedation went in. The next thing I heard was someone saying I had 2 eggs (great for me as I was told last year that a DE was my only hope) I went into theatre at 12 noon and was back in recovery at 1240.

I noted I was on a Diclofenac pain reduction drip on return from Theatre. Clinic told me I could take paracetamol or cocodamol for any pain I experienced post procedure. I never had to take any painkillers, I felt the odd crampy feeling but nil else of note.

The 2nd worst part was me was having to fast for so long!!!

Try not to worry about it, they told me I would only be sedated, but the sedation is good (as good as a General anaesthetic) and you don't remember much about it afterwards.

I couldn't stop grinning  on the news I had 2 eggies. 1 fertilised and was transferred on 8 May, now living the TWW.  

Good luck, it really is not that bad.

Love Vxx


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## ncbiggs2005 (May 3, 2010)

thank you, its made me feel slightly better. I am such a wimp I have to put a numbing cream on first before I do my injections! I will be putting that cream on before I have ec too! Fingers crossed for you, I bet the 2ww is the hardest, bet you are desperate to do a pt yourself at home.


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## Mistletoe (Holly) (Jan 1, 2007)

Hi,
You asked people to be honest, and I am not going to lie. I found it quite painful. I had a nurse managing the sedation and I have a low pain threshold or a high tolerance to sedatives and I woke up a few times.
I have asked if I can have a consultant anaesthetist next time to properly knock me out and they have agreed to book one for me.

I do know some consultants never do egg collection under sedation and some give you a choice of sedation or GA.  Sedation is less risky and works well for most people. Most people are completely unconsious and wake up after it is all over.

Afterwards I was quite sore. I had 22 eggs collected, which I think has a bearing in the pain you get after. I only took paracetamol as I was trying to avoid too many drugs. I am a pharmacist, and in hindsight I should have had co-codamol in the house ready for pain relief post op.

What you have to remember though is that it is all worth it. It is over quickly. It is part of the ultimate goal and it is no where near as painful as child birth!!!


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## vickym1984 (Jan 29, 2009)

I had EC yesterday, through the  sedation was aware of them working "down there" but wasn't bothered by it

When I came out I did have pains like really really bad AF but they let me some some pain killers which eased it, I then took some paracetemol before bed last night and been fine today xx


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## twinkle123 (Mar 1, 2008)

Hi.  I'm doing my 6th IVF just now.  Had my EC yesterday and I can honestly say I didn't feel a thing or remember a thing.  Have felt slightly more during some of my ECs but as soon as you twinge or show any sign of feeling anything, they up your sedation.

The last thing I remember was putting my legs into stirrups and before I knew it I was being offered a cup of tea.  I usually feel slightly crampy afterwards but take paracetemol as soon as I'm offered and then it's gone 15 minutes later.

If it helps any, I travelled straight back from Glasgow to Aberdeen after my EC and was absolutely fine all the way.
x


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## elinor (Jul 4, 2008)

Hi there ncbiggs (and everyone else)

As you can see from my signature, I have had 6 lots of EC (none leading to BFP   ). I have had sedation for them all, but been completely knocked out by it - I thought I'd had general anaesthetic the first time, so told the 2nd clinic that I'd had GA. They said they tried to do sedation, unless there was a reason not to... it was only when I had round 4 (same clinic as round 1) that I found out they don't do GA either, so I'd only ever had sedation!
I had more pain 1st time - when I had most eggs to collect - but none at actual EC, more afterwards, and to be honest it wasn't bad at tht time. Though you should probably discount my first go anyway, as pain was worse in my back and arm (I'd broken my wrist 1 week into stims - not taking anything for it and night after EC was first decent sleep since I fell). Also, because I had a wrist in plaster everything was the wrong side for the monitors etc, and I think I got a stubbed toe at some stage - a random bruise appeared on my toe the same day, I have no memory of doing anything to cause it... I had a couple of days of spotting that time. Other times (fewer eggs, fewer 'punctures') almost no spotting afterwards. GCRM I had sedation and remember nothing till I woke up and they were all lovely - just a shame treatment didn't work (that go). Definitely the best clinic I have attended - and I felt quite a personalised service - they didn't tell me at the start of treatment when I'd have EC, it was a matter of stimming till I was ready (same for IUI - which I've had 4 goes at there). Some clinics have a 'one size fits all' approach and have you down for EC on a set day almost when your cycle starts, without seeing how you individually respond.
Twinkle and Vicky - good luck with ET!     

V - all good wishes for the 2ww    

Bubblicious and NC - hope you don't have too many headaches. I found they do stop pretty quickly once you stop the injections (but I reacted much worse to down reg meds than stimming). Hope it isn't too difficult!   

Hazel, Bridget Jones and anyone I have missed - all good wishes!

hoping you all only have to do it this next time....
Elinor xx


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## ncbiggs2005 (May 3, 2010)

thank you all for the great advice! Good luck to you all for ec,et and 2ww! What a stress for us woman


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## kellyjayne (Jan 27, 2008)

Hi,

IVF #1 had GA
IVF # 2 had nothing, just the numbing of cervix, can honestly say it was fine, was offered gas & air but didnt need it.
IVF # 3 had pethedine injection, numbing of cervix and again was offered gas & air but didnt need it.

Post EC had slight discomfort but no worse than Af pain. I enjoyed watching the monitor on 2nd & 3rd cycles 2 see what they were doing!!!!

Good luck with your EC

Kel xxxxxxx


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## HippyChicky (Aug 3, 2009)

it's the thought of the ec that's scary for me, but it's nice to read all of your experiences, I'll be having sedation so hopefully it will make me so drowsy and unaware that I won't realise what they are doing to me down there


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## bespectacled bear (Feb 3, 2009)

Hi there

I had my EC at St Mary's back in Jan 09.  I found all the nurses and doctors really helpful and caring.  For the EC itself I remember having some gas and air and then an injection in the back of my hand.  I got really giggly and found it all absolutely hilarious to the point where I think I must have fallen asleep.  I then woke up in the recovery room about 20 mins later I think and felt really sick from the anaesthetic but i wasn't.  That lasted about an hour or so but once I'd had some toast back on the ward I felt much better.  That was on the wednesday and I took 2 days off work as the eggs were going back in on the Friday.  When I got home, I just felt like i was having quite a painful nd achey period and went to bed with a hot water bottle and 2 paracetamol.  In my opinion (and I'm quite soft when it comes to pain) it really wasn't that bad.  A bit uncomfortable but I think when you have your hopes in sight, it's definitely bearable.  Hope that helps you and good luck to everyone who's going through it at the moment.

Love bear xx


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## HippyChicky (Aug 3, 2009)

Bear, thank you for telling us your experience of ec, I guess the drs and nurses do their very best to put you at ease, I'll be having 2 nurses talking to me the whole time and to hold my hand


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## chocolatefudge (Mar 22, 2010)

I was glad to see that someone had posted this question as I am beginning to get nervous about EC even though it's still so far off (22nd June). It's really helpful to read other peoples' experiences and to see that generally there doesn't seem to be much pain afterwards.


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## M2M (Sep 16, 2009)

My egg collection is coming up soon, possibly as early as next week, so I'm starting to feel a bit     now. I had sedation for the mock embryo transfer that my clinic does, as I have trouble with pain during smear tests so they thought it best. However I do remember being conscious during it and I'm scared about being conscious during egg collection.   Maybe they'll give me more sedation for that? I don't fancy the idea of a needle going into my ovaries.


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## pem (Jan 10, 2007)

Hey M2M....i had a sedation for my last EC (i think it was pethadine) and i felt nothing..can't really remember anything either....i had the same sedation for my hysteroscopy/polyp removal and the polyp removal brought me out of sedation...it bloomin hurt...but EC was fine. You will be fine, it is nervewracking though isn't it??

lots of


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## twinkle123 (Mar 1, 2008)

Don't worry about anything M2M.  I've had 5 egg collections now and I can honestly say not one of them was sore at all.  You'll get your sedation before anything you might feel starts and won't remember a thing about it.  Apparently I squirmed a little during one of my ECs so my sedation was increased straight away.  Don't remember anything about it.

The bit I find worst is having to fast from midnight before!
x


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## chocolate_teapot (Sep 10, 2008)

I was worried about EC too but really it wasn't bad at all. I took two paracetamol afterwards as I had slight AF type pains and felt fine by the evening. Good luck!


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