first IVF

diego299

I am started all the shots and meds this next week and feeling really overwhelmed. My husband and I have had 3 failed IUI and it's still a shock to me that we are at this point. This is my first time on the sight, I feel that TTC has taken over my life but I don't want it to take over all of my relationships. Can anyone give me an idea of what to expect and how different is IVF from IUI (physically and emotionally). Thanks so much!

CHI-06

I remember feeling that way as well...shocked that we had come that far.  I always thought IVF was so far down the road as an option and then there I was ordering my meds to start IVF... it was very intimidating when all the meds came in.  One of the hard things for me was keeping it all straight..when and how much of what?  A written schedule to check and follow is key!

As far as how it is different...well, they will stimulate you more so as you have more follicles growing it can get a bit uncomfortable...but not painful or anything.  Just by the time of retrieval it can be a little uncomfortable around your ovaries...  the transfer and iui are pretty much the same thing.  The retrieval of course is a big difference.  Emotionally I think it was a harder cycle for me because I put so much hope and expectations into it...more so than I ever did with IUI's.  Really though it wasn't all as bad as I had built it up to be...just take it all a day at a time and ask any questions you have so you also feel comfortable and know what to expect...

Good luck!!!

danielle_0330

I was overwhelmed by the amount of meds that came in the mail.  You just have to take it one day at a time.  I have been doing a lot of praying for guidance through this whole process.  Good luck on your journey!!

diego299

Thanks so much for  the advice and the support. There is so much information on the meds and procedures I feel it consumes my life. All I want to do is talk about it but I dont want to burden or overwhelm my friends and family.

AmandaMacD

Thanks so much for posting the question and everyone posting their responses.  I got my meds for my 1st (and hopefully last) IVF and feel so completely overwhelmed.  I should be starting a few days behind you, so we can support eachother!

Meggie1129

I completely understand, it is so overwhelming! I am in the 2WW right now for my first IVF cycle, and I have to say after the initial shock of ALL the medicine it really wasn't that bad. I ended up stimming for 12 days on the max dose of Follistim and they kept wavering back and forth between cancelling, which was super frustrating, but the side effects from the Follistim were actually so much better than Clomid! Now, I do have bad reactions with the progesterone so I am struggling a bit now, but at least for the stimming process just take it one day at a time until retrieval. Good luck!

kellyloveszach

I hope you don't mind if I chime in.  It is incredibly overwhelming but overall it's not that bad.  I did my first IVF in September, however we went straight to IVF since we had such bad MFI, so I can't help you compare.  

Even though I got tons of meds, I had tons left over too.  I only stimmed for 8 days.  There is some cramping and I had a hard egg retrieval (28 eggs).  However it is was all worth it.  If you have any questions about the process feel free to ask, this is a great board for support.  My IRL friends were so sick of hearing about my cycle, I kind of felt bad, but this board helped me through.  I also did a little acupuncture to help with the cramping and I heard it can also help your body get ready for implantation.  GL 

diego299

I welcome any and all information and support. I feel the same way with talking to my friends and family, I dont think anyone outside of the medical profession should be as familiar with all of this as I now feel I am.

I know I will have some meds left over but I know I will have a ton of needles/syringes left over. What do you do with those?

diego299

I'm all for getting an IVF buddy. Good luck and keep us updated.

lilsweetpea4me

When you first receive your meds, it can be very overwhelming...all those boxes and needles and stuff...ugh...you think...how the hell am i going to be able to do this???  The thing that really helped me was making an appointment with the patient education coordinator at my clinic.  She went over step-by-step exactly how to mix, change needles, injections, etc...it really eased my mind and made the whole process a lot easier.  I highly recommend going to sit with someone not just relying on youtube videos  

I just finished my stims, trigger shot done, retrieval tomorrow...we're all pretty close