hcg injections

When you started your first intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle, did you understand that you would most likely wind up injecting yourself with hormones several times per day for up to 90 days? I didn't. Possibly whilst to not discourage potential patients, reproductive endocrinologists do not get into detail regarding your medication schedule before you are already emotionally involved and committed to accomplish the treatment.

When I switched to injectable medication (Menopur) for my second IUI, I was quite disconcerted at the thought that I (or my partner) had to inject a thick long needle within my belly for several days in order to stimulate the production of follicles within my ovaries. Each evening, I dreaded the hour we'd appointed for administering the medication, and due to my excessive nervousness, my sensitivity to Menopur was heightened, and I began to experience a series of side effects. hcg injections

In hindsight, my body's response to Menopur was most likely amplified by my emotional unpreparedness for the injections and my fear that I wasn't administering them correctly regardless of the detailed instructions my doctor's office provided. The outcome? I was severely bloated, gained weight, and felt pain and discomfort at your website of injection.

In reality, I've without doubt that my introduction to Menopur injections was tainted to a big degree by my subconscious expectations that the ability is likely to be unpleasant. Why do I do believe so? Because the next time I'd to undergo the same protocol, it felt as easy as one, two, three. So did the next time.

My experience with IVF injectable medications was a completely different matter. To start with, I was amazed to see just how long the prep. phase schedule was. Whereas my IUI stimulations lasted anywhere from 10 to 16 days and involved only injections of Menopur, my IVF ovarian preparation phase lasted about 8 weeks and included 20 days of intramuscular injections of Lupron within my thigh and 10 days of subcutaneous injections of Menopur and Bravelle within my belly at a dosage 3 x higher than that necessary for IUIs. To initiate ovulation, I also needed an intramuscular injection of hCG within my buttock (which I'd to complete for the IUIs as well).

But wait; that's not all. Following the egg retrieval, I was surprised just as before for another long schedule, including more injectable medications. Since we were transferring a frozen embryo post preimplantation genetic screening, we'd to include an additional month of preparation of my uterus. Through that month, I was instructed to inject myself with estradiol valerate every three days (for an overall total of 10 times before my pregnancy test), then start injecting progesterone within my buttock twice per day starting 5 days before the embryo transfer. Adding 4 intramuscular injections of hCG to this already staggering count, I wound up administering an overall total of 80 injections from the beginning of my IVF cycle to my pregnancy test. hcg diet

If you believe that 80 injections in 9 weeks is, allow me to disappoint you further. A couple of days before my embryo transfer, my doctor's assistant said that in case of pregnancy, I will need to continue the estradiol and progesterone injections for another 9 or 10 weeks. That's comparable to 16-17 injections weekly, for a great total of approximately 230 injection from the beginning of the IVF cycle to the conclusion of my first trimester. Lot, isn't it?hcg injections

The idea I'm trying to make is that most of us first-time IVF patients have little idea as to what to anticipate when it comes to fertility medications, and doctors probably do not advertise the entire truth before the treatment whilst to not intimidate their clients-not necessarily because they want to secure their business but primarily whilst to not inflate their stress levels in what is already a tense process. Don't misunderstand me, though. Sticking thick long needles within my body 1 to 4 times per day and taking 10 different pills throughout my IVF cycle is a minor inconvenience for the greatest price: a risk-mitigated pregnancy followed by the birth of a healthier child.