Question about being out and about when stimming

jencity9

The booklet I was given about IVF by my RE says that while stimming to avoid walking around too much like at theme parks or malls. My sister and mom want to go shopping Sunday at the outlets which will be my 8th day (well the 8th injection is that night) and I'm wondering if this will be an issue? I feel like I'm paranoid and will be fine but thought I'd see what other experiences were. Also, if I were overworking myself, I would feel it right? Like I'm not going to hurt my ovaries without realizing it? Thanks!!

airidh80

Personally I feel like there's a big difference between mall walking and theme park walking; but either way, I'd say follow your body's cues on this one. You might be feeling great, or you might be wishing man had never learned how to walk in the first place. I was having a lot of pain while walking, both times, after about 5 days of stim.

GL!

emmuffy

Hm, I had heard about avoiding running but not about avoiding long walks. Is this a standard requirement for everyone or does it depend how you feel? I like going for long walks (sometimes really long like several hours). Should this be avoided?

StacyLH24

On my 8th day of stims I was walking around NYC for about 10 hours. I don't think it negatively impacted anything.

ronniesgirl1981

I was also told no running, but walking was fine. But I agree with others to listen to your body.

Aimothy

I definitely would have needed lots of walking breaks on day 8 of stims. I think as long as your mom and sister are okay with a more low-key shopping trip, you'll be just fine. 

CMH25

I like the idea of having your own car so you can leave if you want. Def listen to your body.

Sha259

On Days 8,9, and 10 of Stims I was Hardware store hopping (all day on Sat),building railings with DH, and packing. I just made sure to tell DH to walk at my pace, which was a bit slower than normal. But the walking actually felt good (since I wasn't allowed in the gym anymore).

Just be sure to go at your own pace, and I agree with driving yourself, so that if you need to you can leave early.

jbasore1123

I agree with listening to your body. Every woman is different.

jszy10

I would say that if it's light, casual walking, and you feel good, go for it!  I felt pretty good throughout my stimming, so I would have done it.  The idea of driving yourself might be nice if you've been feeling some discomfort and are worried about overdoing it.  If they know what you are going through right now, I'm sure they'd be more than happy to slow down and sit to let you relax a little!

Once you get close to ER, you just want to be careful with sudden/swift movements because your ovaries are enlarged and it could lead to a twisted ovary.  I don't think walking would hurt!

AMShark

Yes, what everyone said!  Listen to your body.  I stimmed for 12 days on my first cycle, and I don't remember feeling particularly uncomfortable during any of it (just *really* tired of sticking myself with needles).  And I was walking on a treadmill, just to feel normal.

It might depend on how active you were before you started stimming.  If you are the kind of person who is always up & about, or you're a runner, or you exercise a lot, I think you're less likely to feel strain from outlet walking.  

You might also ask you RE at your next scan.  I was considering running a race after a failed cycle, and my RE said she'd check the size of my ovaries during my scan, and advise whether or not she thought it was a good idea.  After all, I believe the main danger during stims is OHSS (ovarian hyper stimulation syndrome).

If your mom & sister don't know - I'm not sure if the situation of taking it slow, but not explaining why might make the trip stressful and less enjoyable.  But if they do know, you can probably even get them to carry your bags! 

jencity9

Thanks everyone! I will definitely see how I am feeling this weekend and go from there.

My mom and sister know everything so they would be very understanding. Haha yes, I could get them to carry my bags and pamper me a little.

@StacyLH24‌ NYC is my favorite place ever, but I always feel like I need to get back in shape to walk around there, LOL. Especially going up those subway steps with how fast everyone is going!

gnl42

When I was stimming and feeling bloated, it actually made me feel better to get out and go on a long walk. I'm sure not everyone feels this way. Do what works for you!

Since you are going to be with family who are aware of your situation, you can always tell them if something doesn't feel right or if you need to rest. We sacrifice so much for all of these treatments. I know it is helpful for my sanity to try to do as much as I can to try to feel normal! But it really comes down to what you are comfortable with.

jencity9

gnl42 said:

When I was stimming and feeling bloated, it actually made me feel better to get out and go on a long walk. I'm sure not everyone feels this way. Do what works for you!

Since you are going to be with family who are aware of your situation, you can always tell them if something doesn't feel right or if you need to rest. We sacrifice so much for all of these treatments. I know it is helpful for my sanity to try to do as much as I can to try to feel normal! But it really comes down to what you are comfortable with.

Thank you, that is a good point! Hopefully I will feel fine to shop but my mom and sis would both be fine and understanding if I needed breaks!

heathereb23

So based on the comments here, I guess it would not be advisable to play softball while stimming? We have a couple of weeks left in the season but I'm starting meds next Wednesday. Looks like I'll have to sit out during playoffs. Sad, but hopefully worth it in the end :-)

Sunny B

heathereb23 said:

So based on the comments here, I guess it would not be advisable to play softball while stimming? We have a couple of weeks left in the season but I'm starting meds next Wednesday. Looks like I'll have to sit out during playoffs. Sad, but hopefully worth it in the end :-)

I would DEFINITELY sit out. I'd be really nervous if a ball hit me when I was stimming. I was on recess duty and was terrified a kid would kick a ball at me by accident. 

Sunny B

Walking was ok for me during stimming. It was during OHSS that it was really difficult. I got winded really easily. 

starlightgator

I played softball during stims but stopped after ET.

heathereb23

Yeah, I definitely wouldn't after ET. I have another ultrasound and bloodwork check with my RE before I start shooting up, so I'll ask for his clinical recommendation. Supposed to start stims on Wednesday and have a game Thursday night, so I figure that may have to be my last game. Figures that playoffs start the following week.