In Vitro Fertilization or IVF involves around 8-12 days of fertility injections. Typically there is some discomfort from the shots, which usually go in under the skin in your stomach area, similar to diabetics taking insulin shots. During this time your ovaries get bigger and you may feel bloated or uncomfortable – most women don’t feel like jogging or heavy exercise at this time. You should be asleep, or very deeply sedated, during the egg retrieval procedure itself, where eggs are removed from your ovaries under ultrasound guidance by placing a needle through the vaginal wall. After this procedure your ovaries may be sore for a day or two and you may take some pain medicine.
Before embryos are put back into your uterus, usually 3 to 5 days after the egg retrieval, some clinics put you in intramuscular progesterone shots, which are shots that go in your buttocks – most women have their husband or partner give these shots, which can be mildly painful. Other clinics use vaginal progesterone instead which is a more comfortable option. Putting embryos back inside your uterus, or embryo transfer, is painless but you have a medium full bladder, and many clinics give you something to help you relax for this procedure.
So, not very painful but some discomfort and mild pain is possible. Talk to your fertility clinic about your concerns, too.
