IVF Medications - An Introduction

Pretty much all I knew before our friends did IVF was that it was a lot of injections... that you did yourself! Back then before we knew we needed IVF, when our friends started their treatment I got up at 6am to go support the bestie while she did her first one - it looked pretty scary and very medical and she had my utmost sympathy. 

Fast forward a couple of years and her twins are our gorgeously yummy Godsons and it's our turn! 

Now let me tell you, watching a friend, supporting others and being there for them is great but it doesn't really prep you for your turn! The appointment with the nurse where you go through it pickled our brains! Lots of medical jargon, lots of potential side effects, mixed in with lots of specific instructions! 

This is by no means a criticism of our nurse, she was lovely and endlessly patient with us but her dialogue went in to my head a bit like this -

"On this date you'll put this wonderfully expensive potion in a syringe and inject it there or there AT THE EXACT SAME TIME EVERY DAY, then after X amount of appointments with Wanda you'll start this even more expensive gadgety injection, MAKE SURE THEY ARE KEPT IN THE FRIDGE AND THE DOSAGE IS EXACTLY RIGHT, then after X, Y and Z you'll start taking these, they have to go ALL THE WAY UP THERE!"

To be fair to her she did say that at each stage they would explain it fully, which they did, and gave me some great instructions and links to videos (comment below if you want them) then let me try it out on a little fake skin pad thing but it's fair to say we left the clinic a little rattled! 

If you're not successful in the NHS postcode lottery, which we weren't, you are paying for these bad boys yourself, ours were £1800, that's a lot of medication to give to a non medical professional that is a little unhinged by the journey ahead but there you go, that's IVF for you.

The purpose of this post you may be wondering? It is to tell you that it is not that bad I promise! If I can do it then you, lovely reader, can absolutely do it too and I will provide a follow up post in more detail of both our down regulation drugs and our stimulation drugs. Unfortunately I can't tell you about the ones that have to go ALL THE WAY UP THERE because we didn't make it that far, they are hidden away waiting for our next round. 

Yes it is scary but you have absolutely got this!