Tatyana K., Natalia A. How I did IVF: personal experience. IVF: what doctors do not warn about. Personal experience A single woman can also go through an IVF program

Thanks to assisted reproductive technologies, which are rapidly developing in modern medicine, many infertile couples have the opportunity to experience the happiness of parenthood. One of the most popular and popular methods is the in vitro fertilization procedure. Expectant mothers often wonder if it hurts to do IVF and how to reduce discomfort during the procedure.

To give the correct answer, it is necessary to understand how exactly the resulting embryos are transferred. Doctors convince patients that the procedure is painless and does not take much time, so anesthesia is not used in most cases. Anesthesia during IVF is necessary in special cases, which we will discuss in detail later.

Not surprisingly, many expectant mothers wonder if IVF hurts. Reviews of those who have undergone this procedure with experienced doctors assure that embryo replanting causes only minor discomfort. To perform the manipulation, the patient is offered to sit comfortably on the gynecological chair, after which the doctor inserts a flexible catheter into the canal.

Actually, along the artificially recreated path, the embryos will move into the uterine cavity of a woman. Standard protocols are used to transfer two or three embryos that have the best viability. The rest of the cells are cryopreserved so that if the first attempt fails, another in vitro fertilization can be performed.

Transfer of embryos into the uterine cavity through a catheter

If it hurts during IVF, this means that the woman has not relaxed well, her muscles are tense and resist. Therefore, doctors do everything necessary to ensure that the expectant mother feels comfortable and at ease during the manipulation. In situations where the muscles of the lower abdomen are overly tense, severe pain will be felt when the catheter is inserted.

Upon completion of the entire procedure, the woman must remain in her original position on the chair for about 30 minutes. Depending on the general condition, the doctor will tell you whether it is possible for the expectant mother to go home after this time, or whether she will have to stay in the hospital for another day.

Feelings after transfer

Answering the question regarding the IVF procedure, whether it hurts or not, doctors assure that in vitro fertilization is painless. It is also worth understanding that if the manipulation was performed by an experienced specialist, then there should not be any discomfort even after the embryo transfer itself, when the catheter was removed from the canal.

If the protocol was successful, and the desired pregnancy nevertheless occurred, which can be confirmed by a blood test for CNP and ultrasound diagnostics, then pain may be felt in the lower abdomen and lower back during the first 12 weeks. The first 7-14 days of discomfort due to the process of implantation of the fetal egg to the uterus and endometrium.

Next, the formation of the chorion or the future placenta occurs. This process takes three to four weeks. During 5-6 weeks of pregnancy, blood flow to the uterus increases, and the vessels of the small pelvis are completely filled with this fluid. Only starting from the seventh week, the body begins to produce the hormone relaxin, which helps to reduce discomfort or pain.

Also, during the first 9-12 weeks, the uterus and its ligamentous apparatus are actively growing, which leads to minor contractions and painful sensations. After the embryo transfer procedure itself, doctors prescribe maintenance therapy, which includes the use of drugs such as Progesterone and Human Chorionic Gonadotropin.

Causes of pain

When women repeatedly perform an in vitro fertilization protocol that does not end in pregnancy and is accompanied by unpleasant sensations, they have thoughts about whether they can do the transfer of embryos under pain medication.

Doctors always make the first attempt without using any kind of anesthesia, because, according to studies, this procedure is not accompanied by pain and lasts a short period of time. Yes, there are cases when expectant mothers complained of severe pain during transfer, but this happens only in those patients who have an anatomically strong uterine bend.

That is why anesthesia during IVF, reviews of women confirm this, are almost never used. If the girl was in pain and bleeding was noted, then most likely the protocol will not be successful. This means that next time the doctor will have to use a different catheter with the ability to adjust.

However, the question of whether IVF is done under anesthesia or not remains open. Recently, doctors have begun to practice pain relief of this type in patients who, due to a psychological factor, cannot relax, which leads to the impossibility of soft insertion of a medical catheter. If the expectant mother is calm and relaxed, and she does not have a strong bend of the uterus, then it is better not to use anesthesia.

Tatyana K.

My name is Tatyana, I am 28 years old. In 1998, in St. Petersburg, I underwent an in vitro fertilization procedure, but, alas, the result was deplorable.

Firstly, the whole process - from the moment of collecting the necessary analyzes to the last stage - lasted from October to July. The embryo was transferred into the uterus on May 14. After that, the results of two pregnancy tests turned out to be radically opposite: a blood test showed a positive result, an ultrasound scan said the opposite. In the end, an ectopic pregnancy was determined. As a result - operation and liquidation of one pipe. All this happened only on July 24th. So my memories are not the best.

Even now, when I write these lines, it hurts me terribly - despite the fact that a lot of time has passed, and it would seem that everything should already be left in the past. What I experienced after the operation is very difficult to convey to a person who has not gone through all this, so that he can truly imagine and understand my experiences. God forbid that no one has to experience what I experienced. This trauma - and not so much physical as moral - I think will remain for a long time.

The most difficult thing for me then was that the people involved in this procedure could not give any answer about what was happening to my body, and only two months later the diagnosis was finally made. Don't think I don't want to blame anyone. Of course, it is understandable: everyone does their part of the work, we are all human and no one is immune from mistakes. But what is it like for a person who puts himself at the complete disposal of doctors, entrusts his life, his fate into their hands?! I would like to make a small but very important request to all medical professionals directly involved in the implementation of IVF. Please organize psychological help for women who went through this process and found out about the negative result. Do it for free, because you probably know that we, who came to you, have already spent a lot of effort, health and money. Many of us have been saving for years in the hope that this last chance will bring good luck. Listen to the person who was destined to go through all this.

I apologize if I offended anyone. I just briefly told my IVF story - unfortunately, unlike a fairy tale, it does not have a happy ending. Good luck to everyone and health.

"I did IVF!"

Natalya A.

The feeling of happiness and joy that our son gives us takes away the painful days and years of waiting and failures far into the past. Our son is already 6.5 months old. The first IVF attempt was successful for us.

For 5 years, my husband and I underwent various examinations and courses of treatment. We have consistently tried everything: hormonal therapy, laparoscopy and much more, leaving IVF for ourselves "in the end" - as the very last option. Doctors have long advised us to take this step, but I stubbornly resisted. I thought it was unnatural, that this sacrament should happen as nature predetermined, I was afraid for the health of the child, I was afraid of strong hormone therapy, I just could not imagine how this child would be conceived within the walls of the laboratory, and not in my body . Yes, even with the help of strangers to me people. What effect will this have on the child's attitude towards me and towards his father? Will he be a stressful child?

But we had no other way, we ended up in a dead end - as it turned out, in a happy one.

We were told in detail how the whole procedure will take place and what elements it consists of. It turned out that to increase the likelihood of a positive outcome, a gentle dose of hormonal stimulation is enough for me. I must say that the most unpleasant physiological sensation in the entire IVF procedure is the retrieval of eggs. The procedure is painful, it was carried out without anesthesia, but the pain is short-lived.

I turned out to be a “fruitful” woman - 7 eggs were taken from me at once. Then there was the agonizing wait. I couldn't help but feel like a part of me was left in the hospital. As it turned out, out of 7 eggs, only two were fertilized by my husband's sperm (by the way, I always dreamed of twins), and they were planted in my uterus.

Embryo replanting is completely painless, again, waiting is painful. Both my husband and I were very skeptical. But - a miracle! - delayed menstruation for 2 days, hormonal test confirmed the presence of a singleton pregnancy. I continued to disbelieve, and so did my husband. But the miracle really happened. One embryo survived.

Pregnancy is absolutely no different from normal. I felt great, but due to the low location of the placenta (as doctors say, low placentation) and the risk of miscarriage associated with this, I had to be very careful. I was in the hospital several times, I was very nervous, which resulted in a high tone of the uterus. And now I understand that I had to enjoy every day of this long-awaited pregnancy.

Doctors advised me to give birth by caesarean section in order to reduce the risk to a minimum due to the same low placentation. I really wanted to give birth myself and at least in this to be natural in front of nature and the child. But the situation has developed in favor of a caesarean section. Now I don't even regret it.

A wonderful boy was born, weighing 3,950 kg and very similar to his father. The thought that when the child is born, I will be under anesthesia, I will not see him, I will not be able to attach him to my chest and they will take him away from me and leave him alone, oppressed me. But I tried to quickly get on my feet and take the baby to my room. And the milk came quickly, although they say that after a caesarean section, it appears later. Now, when I look into my son's eyes and see with what love he looks at me and his father, all my worries that I wrote about at the beginning seem stupid, I am happy that I decided on IVF. We have a healthy baby, and thank God that my husband and I had the patience, understanding and health to reach the end, that highly professional doctors helped and guided us on this path, thanks to the great desire and efforts of which our dream became a reality.

Today, the IVF method has ceased to be something fantastic and has gone beyond the walls of scientific laboratories into everyday life. In vitro fertilization fulfills the dream of many couples who were doomed to a fruitless marriage a couple of decades ago.

The IVF method, if we consider it without details, includes only 4 stages:

1. Stimulation of multiovulation (for the maturation of several follicles in the current cycle).

2. Puncture of follicles.

3. Fertilization of eggs and cultivation of embryos.

4. Embryo transfer.

14 days after the embryo transfer, an hCG test is performed to understand if pregnancy has occurred.

After the embryo transfer, the doctor issues recommendations - both on drug support, and on lifestyle and behavior. The recommendations are very general, for example: "limit sex life, physical activity, but do something that will distract you from waiting for the result of a pregnancy test."

Of course, when preparing for the IVF protocol, doctors focus directly on the procedures up to point 4 inclusive. When preparing for IVF, women most often worry about hormonal therapy (“what if I get fat?”), For physical pain and, in fact, for the result - whether it will work or not.

I will tell you about my experience, it is possible that my story will change someone's view of the procedure and help them prepare better.

My experience is 4 IVF attempts (one of them is cryotransfer, that is, the transfer of previously frozen embryos) within one year.

Until a certain moment, I thought that IVF would never touch me - it is something from another reality, like flying into space. Circumstances turned out differently and in vitro fertilization became my only way to become the mother of my own child. The option of having a foster child always exists, but I was not ready for it then, nor now.

Stimulation of multiovulation is a very simple step. Just give injections every day at a certain time and periodically go for monitoring. This hormonal stimulation did not affect the weight in any way. The follicle puncture scared me only the first time, but this is also a fairly simple procedure from the patient's point of view. Follow all the recommendations of the doctors and everything will go smoothly. It is carried out under general anesthesia, I personally recovered quickly, no consequences, no pain - I slept under anesthesia, lay down, got up and went about my business.

Stage 3 - fertilization and cultivation - occurs without the participation of the patient, the doctor with some periodicity simply notifies about the progress of this stage by phone - how many eggs have been fertilized, how many and what quality the embryos have turned out.

Embryo transfer takes only a few minutes and is no more unpleasant than a routine gynecological examination. After the transfer, it is recommended to lie down for about half an hour and then you can go home, do your usual things, following the recommendations.

In my opinion, the most difficult stage is not voiced by doctors, the fifth is the expectation of the result. What to do 14 days before pregnancy test? Those women who are forced to resort to the IVF method, as a rule, have already gone through all 7 circles of hell on the way to motherhood and are counting on a positive result. However, no one can guarantee the result here! The success of the procedure depends on too many factors, neither doctors nor patients can foresee and know everything! And in the absence of pregnancy after IVF, doctors can only assume what exactly went wrong, but not know for sure.

I recommend preparing psychologically for the 14 days between embryo transfer and hCG test to be your personal hell. It is impossible to be 100% distracted from thinking about what is happening inside you. Even the most microscopic thought about it grows to catastrophic proportions. I am not a suspicious person at all, I stand firmly on the ground, a realist, I know how to manage emotions due to professional deformation, my strength is logic and composure.

However, in the first protocol, waiting for the results knocked me down, I just went crazy! I was worried every second - what if I got up too abruptly? What if I ate something wrong? Suddenly my negative thoughts will affect? I had a bad dream, what if it doesn't work out because of this? God, I sneezed, what should I do, they could fly out of me! Plus, the protocol was unsuccessful, that is, pregnancy did not occur. Despite my motto: “Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst,” I was not ready for such a trip. Physically, I didn’t suffer at all, but mentally ... I was ready to go out the window ...

Over the next 3 days, which I spent in tears, cigarettes (and I have not smoked for over 10 years!) And coffee, I lost 10 kilograms. Fortunately, my loved ones and my husband have provided strong support. My husband and I made a long-term plan for further treatment. Drawing up a plan, step-by-step actions and indispensable discussion of them with your spouse helps a lot. Thus, you say out loud that life did not stop there and the future is in your hands! After the protocol, the body needs rest to recover.

I went on vacation, new impressions and a change of scenery helped me a lot to recover mentally. Your IVF budget should include a recovery item, such as through a vacation. The main thing is to switch your head!

I approached the next protocol with a more sober head and was not particularly tuned in to a positive result. Of course, it was impossible not to think at all about the outcome of the protocol during the fifth stage, but, thanks to the fact that my husband completely devoted these crazy 14 days to organizing our leisure time, everything went much calmer.

In the third protocol, I finally understood the reason for our failures. Before that, I thought a lot, because there are a lot of factors, and both the quality of the embryos and the ability of the female body to accept a “foreign element” affect success. The third, cryoprotocol, also did not bring us the long-awaited news of pregnancy. Logically, in the standard protocols, the woman's body is subjected to very severe tests beforehand, and one can consider the option that for some reason it rejects embryos. In the cryoprotocol, embryos are implanted into my completely healthy and rested body.

But they simply do not survive and my body has absolutely nothing to do with it. Exceptional embryo quality. Logical thinking helped me turn off my emotions this time and prepare for the next protocol. Logically, we “driven” into the fourth protocol with preliminary preparation and elaboration of my theory. Since, after all, my worldview is based on logic, I was afraid of only one thing - that my conclusions would turn out to be erroneous. In that case, I just didn't know what to do next.

After all, I could spend my whole life on futile attempts! Is this life? I gave myself the installation - in case of failure, try a couple more times in order to make sure of the futility, and then leave all attempts and learn to live without thoughts of procreation. With one eye I even read some articles and interviews on the subject of a forced barren life. Physiologically speaking, our fourth protocol should have been a failure. Just before the transfer, something went wrong with the previous patient in the operating room, I saw the condition of my doctor. Although she tried her best to hold on, it was clear that the situation they had was far from standard and the doctor was nervous.

After the transfer, I was driving home and almost got into an accident, the fright was strong. Then 14 days of waiting, I worked like a damn, not thinking about the result at all. But it turned out that logic won and we saw the coveted two stripes. By the way, I was completely unprepared for two strips, as I was too carried away by “running in a circle”, trying to get pregnant. Previously, I only knew about pregnancy that it lasts 9 months. I learned all the stages and subtleties already in the process.

To summarize briefly:

1) get ready for the strongest psychological attack of negative thoughts, while your own consciousness will go on the attack, and it is the most difficult to fight against it!
2) budget funds for IVF to restore the body in case of failure, for example, for a vacation (preferably if it is some kind of non-standard vacation, that is, if you usually prefer a beach vacation, take a sightseeing tour).
3) it will be difficult without the support of a spouse, make sure in advance that he is your rock, fortress, downy feather bed, warm waves and gentle sun.
4) think in advance that you are facing the worst 14 days of your life and work out a plan - what to do with your thoughts during this difficult time of waiting.
5) make plans for the future, carefully think over and calculate what and how you will do to achieve the goal (several IVF attempts, use of donor material, adopted child), be sure to discuss these plans with your spouse. Why is it important to discuss every nuance with your spouse? For example, you may be ready for a foster child, but he is not. This is not his fault, it is difficult to make such a decision in 1 minute. Discuss everything.

IVF is the same natural disaster for a family as the first joint renovation, vacation, buying an apartment, organizing a wedding. But, if you are a support for each other and go towards the same goal, then this will only strengthen your relationship, regardless of the result. And in the ideal case, it will also increase your family.

Today I look at my child, which I got a long and difficult way, and cry with happiness, no matter how trite it may sound. This lovely little man is definitely worth all the nightmares I had to go through to meet him. I have already begun to forget how for more than 10 years I sobbed every month when critical days came. Sooner or later, everything bad will be forgotten, and this happiness will remain in our family forever.

Here, I found information a long time ago on how to increase the chances of eco.
how to increase the chances of successful embryo implantation??? The first stage is replanting. 1. It is believed that on the day of replanting (a few hours in advance) it is necessary to have good sex with your husband (preferably with an orgasm). Why? Because this will in the best way increase blood circulation in the uterus, which means that it will be easier for the embryos to implant. But after replanting, up to the analysis of hCG (or until the first ultrasound - then consult a doctor) - you should not have sex, you must observe complete sexual rest. 2. Eat pineapples and protein foods, drink plenty of fluids. 3. 2 hours prior to embryo transfer, one tablet of PIROXICAM-Piroxicam should be taken, which increases the likelihood of successful implantation. The second stage - after replanting
1. The replanting was successful and you are already at home. The first three days you need to lie down, you can say “a corpse”, getting up only to the toilet and the kitchen for reinforcements. These first days are very important as the implantation of the embryos will take place. It is known that blastocysts are implanted on the first day (the day of transfer is not considered), and blastomeres in the first 2-4 days. I do not agree with this. IF I HAVE PROBLEMS WITH HEMOSTASIS AND, CONSEQUENTLY, WITH CIRCULATION IN THE UTERUS, THEN I SHOULD NOT BE A CORSE.
In the following days, it is advisable to start moving: do not strain, do not run, but just walk, walk, and it is better in the fresh air. An hour or two of walking per day is enough. 2. It is very important to insert Utrozhestan correctly, because many IVF pregnancies in the early stages are lost due to its improper use. Our body needs appropriate progesterone support, so it is important to follow the doctor's prescriptions for taking the necessary drugs on time and correctly. As for the introduction of Utrozhestan (many doctors do not focus on this - and this is important!) - for this we lie down on the bed, put a pillow under the ass, spread our legs wide and shove it far, far away (preferably right to the cervix or to the very ears)) into the vagina. It is advisable to lie down after this for about an hour and not get out of bed and from the pillow. Thus, Utrozhestan will not spill onto the pad and its maximum absorption into the body will occur. I don't quite agree with this either. Of course, it needs to be inserted correctly, but it dissolves in about an hour. It is enough to lie down for an hour, if then a part falls out, the body will take for itself what is needed for that time. You really need to push it in as deep as you can.
3. Aim for success and stay calm.
4. Discuss the situation with the doctor in advance, if you start to have pain, then how to eliminate them (you cannot tolerate it). The pain is the same as during menstruation, but can be worse. And they cannot be tolerated. The most harmless remedy is no-shpa. But, unfortunately, it does not help everyone. Everything else is more harmful. But in the period of 3-7 days (the first day - the day of the puncture), you can take almost everything (even analgin and other GINS). But you need to discuss this with your doctor. Candles with papaverine help well (absolutely harmless), but, again, not for everyone
5. Further, in the period of 3-7 days, maintain a semi-bed rest. No stress, no housework. Walk in the yard on a bench (I quietly went out into the yard with a book, sat on the bench for a couple of hours - and back to bed). There are no dog walks, shops, etc. Forget about all this
After the 7th day, you can already begin to move slowly. But everything is very, very moderate. I do not agree. It's better to take a little walk. Especially in summer. Nothing good comes from lying.
6. From the 4th day, you can lead a normal life, with the exception of the following:
- lift weights over 2 kg, jump, run;
- live sexually until the next menstruation;
- take hot baths and wash in the bath (you can take a shower);
- it is desirable to avoid hypothermia and overheating, to beware of colds;
- without special instructions (which can only be given by a doctor) to take medications;
- avoid all sorts of conflicts as much as possible;
- desirable to avoid

Reproductive medicine technologies are advancing by leaps and bounds. Thanks to progress in this area, the diagnosis of infertility is no longer so terrible. For example, in vitro fertilization can bring happiness to people who are unable to conceive a child on their own. Women are very interested in the question, does it hurt to do IVF? Their excitement is understandable, not every day you do such procedures.

In order to answer this question, some clarity is needed. After all, IVF is just a general name for artificial insemination technology. The name means that fertilization will take place outside the mother's body.

Puncture

IVF includes several stages, one of them is quite scary, but painless. We are talking about the puncture of the follicles. Using a special needle, oocytes are removed from the ovaries. Sounds scary, but don't worry. This procedure is performed under anesthesia, so only unpleasant sensations after are possible.

replanting

The next stage does not require anesthesia at all, but still local anesthesia is sometimes used here. This stage is called replanting, another name is transfer. Very rarely, when transferring fertilized eggs into the uterine cavity, minor complications occur. If the experience of a specialist is not high, he can slightly damage the cervical canal. This will be known only after the transfer, as due to damage, slight discharge with blood is possible. The blood goes no longer than 1-2 days.

How is planting done?

Let's consider this stage in more detail. The doctor will confirm the date of replanting. Usually this is the second or fifth day after the puncture. If the transfer is scheduled for day 2, then embryos that have reached the blastomere stage in their development will be implanted. On the fifth day, the embryos will already be blastocysts.

In this video, the embryologist explains why it is better to transfer the blastocyst:

Important advice! In no case should you worry about the transfer. Naturally, a woman is afraid that there will be blood and it will hurt. Believe me, it's not. The maximum that the patient can feel is a slight discomfort. If a woman is nervous, then stress will provoke the production of cortisol, which can cause a hormonal disorder and the embryo may not take root.

A woman sits in a gynecological chair. The doctor inserts a special flexible catheter into the cervical canal of the cervix. Embryos at this point are in a nutrient solution. They are allowed into the uterus when the catheter passes through the cervical canal.

Currently, they are trying to transfer one embryo, but in order to increase the chances, it happens that two embryos are transferred. In some cases, a woman herself wants to give birth to twins with the help of IVF, you will agree that it is convenient, there were no children and there are two at once.

It is dangerous to plant more than 3 embryos, the risk of multiple pregnancy is high. This type of pregnancy is dangerous for the mother. Usually, reproductologists recommend freezing the remaining embryos. If the first replanting is unsuccessful, they may be needed. In addition, in cryopreserved form, they can be stored for an arbitrarily long time.

The actions of a woman during replanting

The woman should not interfere with the procedure. You need to relax the lower abdomen as much as possible. So the introduction of the catheter will be as safe as possible and will not cause discomfort. If the patient is in pain, she will be given time to get used to it, perhaps they will do local anesthesia. After the catheter is inserted, the doctor will press the plunger of the syringe with the embryos and replanting will take place.

When the embryos are transferred, the patient should lie down on the gynecological chair in a relaxed state for at least 30 minutes. After that, the woman goes home. Now she must rest, lie down, relax. Never do housework. Even minor physical stress or nervousness can prevent embryos from implanting. Do you need it? Relax.

What to do after planting?

Sometimes women who find it difficult to be calm at home stay at the day hospital for a couple of days. Under the supervision of doctors, some feel calmer and more reliable. There is no exact prescription here, it all depends on each patient individually, whether to stay in the hospital or go home.

After the transfer, the woman should not feel pain in the lower abdomen. At this point, it is very important to follow a course of hormonal stimulation to support implantation. Compliance with the schedule must be perfect. Usually, the hormones progesterone and human chorionic gonadotropin are used for support.

In this short video, the reproductive specialist will tell you what to do after the transfer:

In addition to abstaining from stress and physical exertion, you need to measure your weight on a scale every day, monitor urination (frequency and volume). Also monitor the size of the abdomen and pulse. If you find bleeding disorders or pain, immediately report it to your IVF clinic.

Don't go to work, let her wait! For this, you will be given sick leave for 12 days. All this time you need to stay in a good mood and calmness. If your doctor deems it necessary to take extra rest, he will extend the sick leave.

Pain during transfer

Statistics indicate that post-transfer pain is very rare. If there is pain, the woman may have a large bend of the uterus. The absence of pain after the procedure and good health are signs of a successful transfer.

Cases of damage to the cervical canal, subsequent pain and discomfort are very rare. If the transfer fails, the next procedure should be well thought out. You may need a different shaped catheter or an expansion of the uterus.