What meds will you be injecting? Knowing this will help us give you better info, as some of the meds and their needles feel different on injection.

We will be doing Gonal F, progesterone, ganerelix ( not sure if I forked that right) and there's one more I can't remember.

I've done both Gonal F and Ganerelix. Gonal F is a breeze; it's a prefilled "pen" that you dial to the correct dose and inject. Ganerelix was a slightly different story. It's another prefilled syringe that you just inject, but the injection site always stung a bit and turned red for me. I don't know if that was just my experience or if this is standard. I haven't taken progesterone yet, but we've just done retrievals--no transfers. I'll be starting progesterone next month as we prepare for my first transfer.

I found it helpful to set all my shots up about 30-60 minutes ahead of time, let them sit (especially if they had to be mixed), and then inject everything one-by-one at the prescribed time. I also found that applying ice or a cold compress for a few minutes ahead of time numbed the site slightly, made injection less painful, and caused less bruising.

Thank you hineschica for the insight. Baseline ultrasound Tuesday and possibly starting shots Wednesday. I will try your tips! :)

Good luck! And if you have any questions or oh-my-gosh-should-this-be-happening moments (you will, and it's normal ... just take a deep breath), feel free to personally message me. I peruse through here at least once a day :)

Thank you Hineschica! Believe me, i will! First shots was last night, and it went really well. Didn't feel a thing! :)

Awesome! I hope things are continuing to go well with that :) It gets exhausting, but you can make it :)

I've been doing progesterone shots in my butt for about 3 1/2 months now (I did IVF in April and am pregnant with twins). These injections are IM injections. Is that what you'll be taking?

From my experience, it's like throwing a dart in your butt. The quicker your husband goes in and yanks it out, the better. Most of them are just a slight pinch and then an ache as the oil goes in, but every once in a while I have one that really hurts. Don't freak out though! It definitely becomes second nature and when you become pregnant totally worth it! Your doctor can prescribe lidocain (sp?) which is a numbing agent cream, but for me I didn't use it long. It was just easier to do the shot and be done.

Good luck!!

i have a general question as i am at the very early stages of my IVF journey (Having a HSG done in about a week)...about how long did it take for u to start your shots after ur inital meeting w/ ur RE..i mapped out a plan for me and i was semi told what to expect at each faze but i have sooooooooo many questions and how long is my biggest..im wondering if i should take a L.O.A. from my job during the meds period or if its better to keep life as normal as possible...any advice would be helpful and appreciated :)

Hi SoulLFmommy- I started my initial consolation with my RE back in May of 2013 and did a HSG in the summer (July) I think. They found out both of my tubes were blocked and went it to repair and reopen it in November. The could only repair one and took out the other use to fluid leaking from it into the uterus, so we were a strong candidate for moving forward with the IVF. We started injections on December 20th and had my transfer Jan. 4th. During a fresh cycle you go to the RE office sometimes 3x a week to check your ovaries and count your follicles and watch how big they grow. The appts aren't long, but there can be many esp. when you are getting close toward your expected transfer date.

Each person is different and sometimes your body doesn't even stay on track with what the doctors expect. Doing a fresh cycle can be unpredictable up until the retrieval, but I didn't quit my job or take time off. However, my work was very understanding and I basically made my own schedule, so it really depends what kind of work you do and how physical you are in it each day. I definitely needed a few days rest after my retrieval.

Its an incredibly emotional and physical experience and some days can be exhausting, but I know lots of women who work full time and still manage to make both work successfully.

Thanks for the tip about the progesterone shots, Sanderson. My husband and I go in tomorrow for progesterone "training," so I'll definitely be sharing this with him.

SoufFLmommy, whether you want to work during the IVF process is entirely up to you and what you think you can handle. Keep in mind that an IVF cycle may not work, so you may be doing this multiple times. That's a horribly depressing thought, I know, but it is reality. I've done three retrieval cycles since December and have worked full-time the entire time. Some days are MUCH harder than others (especially in the thick of a cycle), but working has given me some sense of normalcy at a time when I feel horribly abnormal and like the rest of my life is at a standstill. Talk to your employer and see what you can work out. Mine has been very supportive, which has helped A TON.