I wanted to take a minute and bring you with me on this EGG RETRIEVAL process. Of course, everyone’s will differ a little depending on protocols and your specific situation – but this is mine. Let’s get into it.
OK! So once my ovaries produces the number of follicles we liked & those follicles reached a certain size – we got everything set up for retrieval day. Many don’t know this, but you actually go under anesthesia for this procedure. It is a very delicate procedure – but it is also very quick for most people.
To start the process – we schedule the trigger shot – TIMING is EVERYTHING at this point because we do not want my body to ovulate on its own.
Trigger shot 2 days before.
This time I did a DUAL trigger – this was new for me. I triggered with both HCG and Lupron. The goal here was to help the eggs finish their final maturation process while still stimulating some of the smaller eggs to a more ideal size.
The morning after trigger shot: I go into the clinic for a blood draw to be sure my body is absorbing the trigger shot.
If all looks good – we then schedule the egg retrieval procedure.
Goals For The Day Before Egg Retrieval
- Hydrate
- Housework [you don’t want to have to fold laundry right after your procedure]
- Work projects [you won’t be doing any work that requires a lot of focus on procedure day – so wrap up or get ahead]
- Plan for childcare if needed [your spouse will be going in with you with his sperm & of course driving you home]
Set up your bed with what you might need:
- Heating pad
- Tylenol
- Big cup to stay hydrated
- Saltines if you get nauseous recovering from anesthesia
- Book
- TV
- iPad
- Pillows
- Blanket
- [you can get extra bougie if you want: essential oils to diffuse, meditation music, fuzzy socks, and a sleep mask!]
Eating Before Egg Retrieval
Be mindful of the foods you eat the day before retrieval. Focus on healthy + whole foods. You want to avoid foods that just make you feel blah or sluggish. I focus on good protein, fruits, and veggies if I can.
Protein is important the day before your retrieval because it will stay with you longer – remember you aren’t eating anything after midnight or the morning of your retrieval because of the anesthesia. Protein is also important because if you’re anything like me, I have very little appetite towards the end of my stimulation. It’s tough to even think about food – but our bodies need it! Simple protein shakes are great here – mine is a superfood blend, and I always eat berries rich in antioxidants. Also, your stomach needs to have something it! Pre-procedure antibiotics and then Tylenol won’t sit well if your stomach is empty.
If all else fails, focus on hydrating, protein & berries. Veggies if you can!
Make sure your partner is prepared for whatever sperm collection plan you have. Sperm needs to be ready the morning of your retrieval.
Pre Retrieval Antibiotics will likely be on your schedule for the night before retrieval.
Let’s Walk Through The Night Before Egg Retrieval
On the night before my retrieval: I’ve eaten good food, I’ve lightened my workload for the next day or two, I’ve set up my recovery spot in bed, I’ve hydrated, antibiotics are taken, there are no urgent household tasks to be done, and I’m ready to pick out my outfit for tomorrow – because my procedure day usually starts really early in the morning.
I focus on extreme comfort, not appearance. For my last few retrievals, I’ve simply shown up in joggers or sweatpants, a loose shirt & a jacket, or a sweater. Many women like to pick out lucky socks for retrieval days and embryo transfer days.
In my three previous retrievals, I’ve never had a lot of pain after the procedure. Some women do. I’ve only ever felt extremely groggy + uncomfortable post-anesthesia and bloat/cramping usually kick in later in the evening after procedure medications wear off.
I bring a pillow and blanket in the car with me for the ride home because I’m usually just very sleepy still from the anesthesia.
After I’ve picked out my outfit I’m ready to relax for the night. For me, this usually means watching a show & sipping on some tea with my husband or crawling in bed with a book. I usually drink fluids up until I’m going to bed because I always wake up feeling like I want to drink water the second I can’t have it. I try to get to bed early.
After midnight: nothing to eat or drink. No supplements.
The Morning Of The Egg Retrieval
Good morning! It’s time to get in your comfies and get out the door. Remember, don’t put on any makeup or anything with a fragrance. Your eggs (and embryos) are extremely sensitive to any odor or synthetic chemicals. It’s literally toxic to your eggs and embryos. So skip it!
Double-check to be sure you have your ID with you before you leave the house, your partner too. You’ll both need to show ID for sperm pass-off and surgery check-in.
I listen to a meditation on the way to the clinic. I’ve really enjoyed the MINDFUL IVF app – because it breaks the meditations down to match with where you’re at in the process. I listen to the EGG COLLECTION DAY meditation & it helps me stay in a great mindset as I head into surgery.
Once you get to the clinic, you’ll take care of any admin check-in requirements.
For my first egg retrieval, my husband was able to be with me as I was prepped. But my last two and this fourth retrieval are solo ventures. COVID protocols prevent spouses from being there. He literally has to wait in the parking lot.
After the admin check-in, they bring me back and show me to my little pre-op room. I change into my gown, put the blue booties on over my feet, and put the hair net on. Next, I’m signing consents for the procedure and chatting with the triage nurse.
This time my clinic gave me a little card with my info & my husband’s info on it. My job is to hand it to the embryologist in the procedure room as they use this for proper patient identification and proper labeling of eggs and sperm collected.
Someone will come in to do vital signs and put an IV in & run some fluids. The nurse usually gives me a Tylenol and a sip of water before the procedure.
I don’t usually have a lot of alone time or waiting time once I’m checked in. My clinic runs a tight ship and is ready to get me into procedure pretty quickly. I keep my phone with me and read PSALMS on my Bible app if I’m ever sitting in the room waiting for the next provider to pop in.
Next, I meet with the anesthesiologist and they review my medical history and talk about any concerns. They will talk about any anti-nausea medication they will give & might even put it in your IV right then ahead of the anesthesia.
Finally, I meet the doctor performing the procedure and have a chance to ask questions again.
When everyone is ready, the nurse helps me walk over to the bathroom, empty my bladder, and then we all walk into the procedure room.
The Procedure
There is a whole team in the procedure room ready and waiting for me. The whole process is pretty quick I sit on the table, they hook me up to a cardiac monitor, pulse ox, and blood pressure cuff. I hand my ID card to the embryologist to confirm my identity. I scoot my booty down and put my legs in the stirrups. They cover me with super warm blankets and tell me when they are about to start.
The anesthesiologist puts an oxygen mask on my face, starts injecting IV anesthesia & reminds me to take deep breaths.
I always look at the ceiling and try to capture something to look at so I can try to remember my last memory LOL. It’s amazing how quickly I go from looking at the ceiling to then waking up in recovery. Such a bizarre feeling.
Recovery and Post-Op
In recovery, I’m always extremely groggy. My brain feels foggy and I just want to sleep. It feels like I can barely function for a while there. Everyone wakes up from anesthesia differently. Some are emotional, some are just out of it, etc. I’m just incredibly groggy.
In post-op, they are taking my vital signs and talking to me to get me to recover & wake up a little more. Eventually, they hand me a cup of water and some saltines. The saltines were sent straight from heaven. They have a little heat pack on my pelvis and hand me a bag with an extra heat pack and a panty liner for home.
As soon as I’m able to stand and my vitals are stable – they have me get dressed, text my husband to pull the car to the front, and they walk me down to the elevator and into the car.
That’s it!
I usually try to grab something small/light to eat on the way home. This time, my mouth was incredibly dry from one of the medications they gave me. The anesthesiologist warned me about this – so I opted for a cold smoothie, it was perfect. I even tried to swallow a simple muffin – and it wasn’t happening. I wasn’t hungry, wanted something cold and simple, and on the healthy side before my nap/rest day started. After other procedures, I grabbed a bagel + egg sandwich. Just go with what your body feels like.
The rest of my recovery is done at home.
Again, I’ve never had extreme pain after my retrievals – but everybody is different. I always need to recover from anesthesia for a few hours & start taking Tylenol at home in the afternoon to get ahead of the cramping I usually feel. I tend to feel really uncomfortable for 1-2 days. In the past, I’ve felt pretty uncomfortable by about 8:00 – 9:00 p.m., so I try to take Tylenol before that happens.
We drive straight home & I crawl in bed for whatever amount of time I feel I need. The goal for the day is to just take it easy and listen to my body. I sip on electrolytes all day long. I’m not a fan of Gatorade but love the clean hydrator that I use with my workouts, and it tastes way better – so that’s my drink of choice. I did cook dinner on procedure day – but that was only because I had a simple Home Chef meal ready to cook. I wasn’t hungry at all – but needed to eat something healthy before more Tylenol went into my stomach.
The next day, I feel pretty uncomfortable still, and then by day two, I’m pretty much back to normal!
EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT!! I cannot stress this enough. I’ve heard from countless women that they experience a lot of pain post-procedure. Just be aware & prepared for whatever may come for you.
