Let’s talk about what really happens to your body during IVF. Not the sanitized version you read about in clinic brochures, but the real-life scenario that no one tells you most people spend years waiting for.
Week 1-2: Suppression Phase
Your doctor begins by pressing pause on your ovaries. It averages out to be a shot in the stomach once a day for 12 days that could make it feel like you’re getting your period when you are most definitely not.
What you’ll notice:
Headaches that come and go
PMS on steroids mood swings
Bloating that won’t let you fit in your jeans
Fatigue that hits around 2 PM
Week 3-4: Stimulation Begins
Here’s where things get intense. You’re doing hormones to get, if you will, only one egg per ovary! Consider it as if you were asking your body to do in two weeks what it usually does over the course of a year.
Your body during stimulation:
Ovaries grow to the size of oranges
A gain of 5-10 pounds in water weight
Boob aching as if you were pregnant
Brain fog impeding focus
To know more Call 9319737070 or email us at info@ekmifertility.com
The Retrieval: Day of Reckoning
You’re going to be sedated, so you won’t have any physical discomfort during the procedure. But afterward? Your body needs recovery time. It’s like a combination of really bad period cramps and bloating for most women.
You’ll want to allow two or three days of very slow moving and then a week of trying not to do anything too rigorous.
The Two Week Wait
After embryo transfer you have something magical happening in your body and it can be hard to believe that you’re still not “feeling pregnant.” Some women fixate on every twinge. Others feel nothing. Both are normal.
The progesterone supplements (by injection or suppository) do produce some early pregnancy-like symptoms: sore breasts, fatigue, mild cramping. That is why the wait feels unbearable. You’re testing symptoms the drug is producing anyway.
What Nobody Mentions
The physical timeline is one thing. And the emotional timeline is parallel and hits differently. You’re juggling injections while you try to keep up with normal life. You’re gassy and uncomfortable during crucial work meetings. Chief among them is that you feel tired but have no way to explain it to most people.
Your body also doesn’t reset as soon as I.V.F. is over, no matter what the outcome. It takes 4-6 weeks for your hormones to level off and your cycles to be back.
To know more Call 9319737070 or email us at info@ekmifertility.com
Managing the Physical Impact
Here’s what actually helps:
Day 1 of stimulation loose clothing
Electrolyte drinks to manage bloating
Light walking, nothing intense
Bedtimes are earlier because you are tired
Heating pads for injection site and cramping
When to Call Your Doctor
Be on the lookout for severe abdominal pain, rapid weight gain (any more than a pound a day), shortness of breath or markedly reduced urination. These may be signs of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), a cause for concern.
FAQs
How long does IVF bloating last?
The majority of bloating will subside 7-10 days after egg retrieval, however it may last longer if pregnancy occurs.
Is IVF weight gain permanent?
No. The 5-10 pounds you gain during the IVF process is mostly water weight, which goes away within a few weeks.
Are you able to work during IVF?
Yes, most women work – but you’ll require flexibility for monitoring appointments and rest after the retrieval.
What does it feel like to be on ovarian stimulation?
Most call it pressure and fullness, a feeling of bloating but more intense.
To know more Call 9319737070 or email us at info@ekmifertility.com