Egg retrieval done! 39F

Egg retrieval done!

Hi everyone, sharing my mini stim and egg retrieval experience since reading posts here really helped me manage my expectations before going in.

I’m 39, doing IVF mainly for male factor. I already knew I might not get a lot of eggs so I tried to be realistic from the start.

My baseline scan showed 7 follicles. I stimmed until CD9 and triggered on CD10 using Menopur, Letrozole and Clomiphene. Scanned showed 3 potential mature eggs with 1 small ones on cd 9.

During stims I honestly didn’t feel much. I just got sleepy around midday but everything else felt normal. No bloating, no mood swings. At one point I was even thinking if the meds were working because nothing felt different. If anything I felt calmer and was sleeping earlier than usual.

I was still moving around normally. I kept going to the gym but lighter, around half my usual weights and I added some IVF yoga and stretching (from youtube) at the end of each workout. CD 8-CD11 I switched to slow walks 2-3km. I just read somewhere that movement promotes good circulation and helps a lot.

(But pls Note that this kind of technique is not for eveyone do not try something new while on stims. This is just something i have been doing and my body is used to movement. )

The day before retrieval was when I finally felt it. My stomach felt tight and heavy so I mostly stayed in bed.

Egg retrieval was what scared me the most especially since I only had local anesthesia.

Pain was around 5 out of 10. The anesthesia injection was the most painful part. The actual procedure just felt like period cramps. It was quick, around 15 minutes. Deep breathing helped a lot.

They retrieved 5 eggs. 4 were mature and 1 was immature.

After the procedure, when I was leaving the ER, I felt chills probably from the adrenaline drop. I’m really glad I brought water, a banana and hot soup (tinola) in a tumbler. That actually helped a lot!

Also not gonna lie, I had ChatGPT with me every step of the way, even for breathing techniques during the procedure, which really helped me stay calm.

Looking back I do think my lifestyle helped.

For the past few years I’ve been consistent with eating in a slight calorie deficit but still trying to meet my protein and nutrients. I stay active daily, do strength training and cardio, and focus on sleep and lowering stress.

Around 6 months before IVF I added prenatal, CoQ10, folate, vitamin D and glutathione.

Nothing extreme, just consistent.

My takeaway is if you don’t get a high egg count it’s easy to fixate on the numbers but maturity and quality matter too.

I only got 5 eggs but 4 were mature and I’m honestly happy with that. It feels like my body made the most out of what it could produce.