In Vitro Fertilization is a ray of hope for the couples who are not able to conceive naturally for despite of best efforts . It has helped millions of people who have battled infertility to become parents. IVF is a multi-step procedure, and we have covered its basics in this blog post. If you’ve read this blog {which would explain all you need to know about IVF & IUI} you must understand that an essential part of the IVF treatment is ovarian stimulation. This procedure allows your ovaries to grow good number of mature eggs that can be extracted for fertilization to increase the success rate of the IVF cycle. This step requires injections, which are injectable drugs that are used to stimulate the ovaries to produce more eggs.
When people get to know that IVF treatment requires injections, they have numerous questions –
- Are IVF injections painful?
- What are IVF injections side effects?
- How many injections for IVF treatment are required?
- What is IVF injections cost?
These questions are extremely valid. We know how stressful infertility can be, and how people who discover IVF often have already tried multiple other treatments. Adequate research about infertility treatment is bound to leave you with many questions, the answers to which would determine how comfortable you are with going ahead with the treatment.
An understanding infertility doctor would know where these questions regarding IVF injections come from and would be happy to help you know the answers so that you feel secure and informed about going ahead with IVF. This post would help you understand the basics of IVF injections so that you are better informed & empowered to begin your IVF journey.
Why are IVF Injections necessary?
Injectable medications are one of the most important requirements for IVF. The ovaries (small almond-shaped organs in the female reproductive tract that make eggs) usually produce one egg per month. Using injectable medications to stimulate ovaries helps improve the success rate of IVF, by making more eggs available for use.
IVF Injections contain medications that would stimulate your ovaries to produce more eggs. This means more good-quality eggs to choose from for extraction so that the embryologist & doctor can choose the best ones for your IVF cycle. These injectable medications allow your infertility doctor to influence ovulation, so they can alter the dosage for desired results.
These injections are administered subcutaneously or intramuscularly, which means either directly into the fat under the skin or into a muscle. These injections include “Gonadotrophins”, hormones acting upon the ovaries. Follicle Stimulating Hormones (FSH) and Luteinizing Hormones (LH) are types of Gonadotrophins that are injected during IVF. A “Trigger Shot” containing Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin Or GnRH analogue is also administered to the patient for final maturation of eggs. Additionally, progesterone may also be given injectable form after embryo transfer as support.
Are Ivf Injections Painful?
IVF injections can be a slight discomfort for some people, and a cause of worry for others. This depends upon numerous factors –
- What kind of route of administration is taken for the IVF injection – subcutaneous or intramuscular
- How comfortable are you with the thought of injection needles
- Psychological factors
- Formulation of the injection
- The technique of injection administration
People who aren’t afraid of injections may not find IVF injections to be daunting or painful. However, if you are someone who has a phobia of needles, you may not feel comfortable initially. Even though modern injections used in IVF have finer needles, people who are afraid of injections might find it hard to self-administer these injections.
However, since IVF injections are a very important part of this treatment, you must discuss your concerns with your infertility doctor. They can help you be more comfortable about taking multiple injections for IVF. Nowadays less-painful shots are available, and alternatives to injectables such as the vaginal route may be suggested to minimise any pain related to IVF injections.
Some tips that can help you be more comfortable with IVF injections –
- Practice deep breathing before the injections to relax your muscles. Tense muscles can make the injection feel painful.
- If you’re afraid of self-administring IVF injections, ask your doctor if a nurse can do it instead.
- Consult a psychologist to help you manage your stress related to needles better. They can suggest therapy and behaviour modifications that would help you be less scared of needles.
- Change the injection site if it becomes sore. Always ask your doctor before you do this, and follow their instructions.
- Ask your doctor if you can use a medication to reduce the pain and soreness of the injection. Never self-medicate and always ask your doctor before you eat any medicine or apply it to the skin.
- Learn tips & tricks from nurses to make injecting IVF medications less painful. Always use the techniques that have been taught to you and avoid experimentation.
- Make positive associations with IVF injections by rewarding yourself with a tasty treat or some hobby time after you get the injection. Doing this would help you think about the positives instead of focusing on the IVF injections.
Taking IVF injections is an essential part of IVF treatment, so making it comfortable for you should be crucial for the infertility specialist. Always discuss your concerns with your doctor, and follow the protocol they have recommended diligently to ensure your fertility treatment success rates can be maximised. Your doctor can address your specific concerns by altering dosages, suggesting modifications, and helping you with knowledge and guidance that’ll make it easier for you to get these IVF injections.
How Many Injections for IVF Treatment are Required?
The IVF injection protocol varies from clinic to clinic and is decided by the expert doctor. This could range from 1 shot to more than 1 shot a day, for a week to 10 days. Which protocol to follow for you is determined by your doctor after customising your IVF treatment. The follicles in the ovaries are monitored by the doctor through ultrasounds and blood tests, to ensure that dosage is adjusted as per your need, and the trigger shot, which is important for ovulation induction, can be given at the time your infertility doctor instructs. It’s very important to adhere to the protocol your doctor has designed to improve IVF success rates.
What are IVF Injections Side Effects?
Some IVF injections can cause the following side effects –
- Headaches
- Irritability
- Breast tenderness
- Bloating
- Hot Flashes
- Nausea
- Blurred vision
- Bruising at the injection site
- Changes in cervical mucus
- IVF treatment-related complications
If you observe any unusual side effects, discuss them with your doctor immediately.
What is IVF Injections Cost?
The cost of IVF injections can range from several thousand to over a lakh. However, it would depend upon several factors such as formulations, route of delivery, number of injections required, and quality.
Your doctor would include the injection protocol in your IVF treatment which would improve the success rate of your IVF cycle. One-size-fits-all isn’t the correct approach in IVF, and customised care is paramount to improving the success rates of IVF treatment.
It is important to discuss IVF Injections cost with your doctors, as these costs can quickly add up and make your IVF treatment more expensive. Clinics that are patient-centric are honest about the costs of IVF injections, as well as making you aware of the multiple options that might be useful for you so that you can make informed decisions and prepare for your IVF treatment financially.
You Shouldn’t Worry About IVF Injections Being Painful – Your Doctor can Ease the Fear
IVF Treatment has helped millions of people start a family. The treatment is highly advanced, and the success rates are higher than earlier. However, despite the role this treatment plays in providing hope to couples suffering from infertility, it can also be slightly intimidating for people who are fearful of needles.
A good fertility doctor would understand your phobia and apprehension towards needles. You deserve compassionate fertility treatment. Ensure that the doctor you choose for your IVF cycle doesn’t just have the expertise, good credentials, and a well-known setup, but they are also known for being kind, compassionate, and patient-centric.
Grace Fertility has compassion & patient-centricity as its core values, which make them deliver the best results while making the patient feel empowered and supported. Dr. Reubina founded Grace Fertility with an aim to make healthcare affordable and accessible and to help thousands of couples start their journey to parenthood. She and her team have been helping thousands of people start their journey to parenthood while upholding high standards of ethicality to ensure every patient is valued and the best results are provided.
Dr. Reubina’s Grace Fertility has a team of experts, state-of-the-art labs, the latest equipment, and specialists having years of experience which has helped her to deliver excellent results while winning the trust of her patients with her kind and patient-oriented approach.
Transparency about the procedure & costs has made this clinic one of the most well-known fertility clinics in Delhi, Gurgaon, and Jammu. Dr. Reubina treats infertility with a customised plan, as a one-size-fits-all approach isn’t preferred for IVF treatment. This ensures that every patient getting infertility treatment at Grace Fertility is treated with high standards of ethics & transparency. To begin your journey to parenthood, start by booking a consultation with our fertility experts.
