For those of you who are going through, or have gone through IVF,
you will know what a crazy and full on time it is. 
Doctors, meds, hormones, weird cravings for  
Big Macs at 2 am...just me? Ok moving on.
So, I thought I’d put together a list of things that I didn’t really
expect or think much about before we started our IVF cycle
whilst living in the country and visiting a city clinic.
In no particular order of shitness.

Appointments:

There will be a LOT of these. Back and forth, back and forth and it gets exhausting. Make sure you pick a doctor that you like and trust for this reason.

If you have your first appointment and decide you don’t gel with them, find another, that’s totally ok.

He or she will spend quite a bit of time looking in between your legs at your lady bits so that’s one reason alone.

I’m the sort of person who likes to be told straight and no beating around the bush, but others may like a little more softness around the edges which is totally fine too.

You are paying them a fuck tonne of money so you need to be comfortable and trust that they can help you achieve the ultimate outcome.

Sex:

It may not be this way for some, but for me it has been the absolute the last thing on my mind.

After all the questions, symptom spotting, doubt, emotions, stress and all of the other “fun” stuff that comes along with the ride.

Just take it slow and be gentle with yourself.

Sometimes sex just needs to take a backseat and that’s ok. I mean when it does happen again you might get so lost in the thrill of it and end up barking like a dog mid-way through because you’ve actually forgotten what to do but it’s all in good fun right....right?

If not, it will definitely become a new inside joke!

Car:

This one might seem somewhat insignificant in the scheme of things but make sure you have a reliable and regularly serviced car. With all those kilometres you will most likely be travelling I couldn’t think of anything worse than having to make it to an appointment and my car breaking down, popping a tyre or god knows what other “the universe is out to get me” type shit that could happen when you need it the least.

Playlist:

Adding on to the above in a way, put together a good playlist of your favourite songs so you can belt the tunes out, to and from said appointments.

It’s a great way to make the trip go a bit faster and take your mind off things if needed.

I also enjoy podcasts or audiobooks, all mood dependent of course!

Expenses:

There will be soooooo many unexpected expenses. Don’t get me wrong, when we first started our IVF treatments we were well informed on the cost of a cycle in terms of the up-front fees, however we didn’t really think too much about other things such as fuel, parking, additional medication (this part is a stinger as each round may be different which required different meds...ironically more expensive ones each time for us), as well as lost wages from time off work...one of the many joys of self employment!

I can honestly say the above few things have cost us thousands upon thousands of dollars, so just keep that in mind.

Rebate:

One thing I was unaware of, and super pleased with, Medicare actually rebate a huge chunk of your fees! Finally there’s something to get excited over!!

For example our first stimulation round cost about $11,000 up-front which was paid in the very beginning. *eeekk!*

Once collection was done and our first transfer complete, we received about $5000 back!

That was a good day when it hit our account again and it would be enough to cover a few more transfers.

Transfers cost us a bit over $3000 up front and a $1200 rebate. (These above figures don’t include the expenses mentioned above and will of course differ from person to person and your specific protocol will be tailored to you and your needs.)

Questions:

During the process you’ll more than likely have a bazillion and one questions of which, let’s be honest, even the best of us devour Dr Google for answers.

I would definitely recommend writing them down in a notepad and taking them to your appointments. You are paying top dollar and deserve a bit of time with your doctor so feel free to ask away, or if they are time poor ask for some resource links or somewhere they suggest for you to look for reliable and accurate answers.

A lot of times the pregnancy forums online are filled with all kinds of junk and everybody is different so please take all that with a grain of salt.

Emotions:

Oh boy, where do I start with this one! You will have them all and they will be huge! Laughing one minute, crying the next over the most ridiculous things (I see you, FB video of a father and daughter hilariously dancing to an upbeat pop song, you got me. *cue the waterworks*) I don’t really have much advice here except that I feel you and I understand.

I would often say to the husband that I was feeling grumpy so to just keep the distance which was helpful because I’m kind of a crazy pants.

But be vocal too if you need a hug or a bit of time together, whatever helps you cope is absolutely the right thing!

Needles:

When we first started TTC would you believe I was an absolute needle-phobe? Like it would take me 3 months of shitting my pants and putting off making an appointment to get a needle. So needless to say this part had me a nervous wreck.

But would you believe me if I told you they aren’t so bad at all? I had a few people tell me that in the past and I was like “yeah right Sandra, you’re full of crap” but they are seriously so tiny, the lead up and expectation is actually harder.

I self injected as my husband is a tad clumsy and you do end up working out a good technique and a feel for spots that may sting a little more. By the end of the first week you’ll be a pro and have them done within a few minutes tops! If you don’t think that’s for you then you can absolutely get someone to do them for you, a lot of women say it’s a good way to get your partner a bit more involved in the process too which I can totally understand and agree that would be the case.

If you have to do multiple stim cycles like us (I responded poorly to the first lot so it was cancelled prior to egg collection) you might find your protocol will change too. I got off super easy first round with only 1 a day, second round I was 2 a day for a week then 3 a day for a week and on the last day we chucked another 2 in there like lol fuck it, let’s just go all in huh!

Also depending on how you respond after your embryo transfer you may need a progesterone needle a day to...like me...which if successful will need to be continued for the entire first trimester. So yeah, if you’re sweating that part, I can absolutely hands down say they were only a tiny blip in the process that you won’t bat an eyelid over before long.

Egg collection:

This was quite nervy for me but after all was done it actually was pretty easy too, the worst bit for me was probably the yucky feeling of your ovaries quite literally being the size of oranges so you’ll be waddling around for a few days prior as if you’re 8 months pregs, how ironic huh!

Also take it easy after, OHSS (ovarian hyper stimulation syndrome) is serious and a shit of a thing to deal with from what I’ve heard so don’t push yourself. I don’t think I had it but I did faint on the toilet one morning a few days later, giving the wall a nice dent in the process so who knows.

Just listen to your body, if you’re feeling shit, then rest.

Well, I think that’s the most of it and overall it is a ridiculously crazy ride that is beyond a doubt, unbelievably stressful and hard with sooooo many “why me” moments.

But all we can do is just take it one step at a time and keep all our fingers...and toes crossed that we finally get one that sticks.