Does IVF hurt?

The best way to understand exposure to possible discomfort during IVF is to organize the process into two main areas of the patient experience: the medications and the office visits. IVF requires 2 different kinds of injectable medications. During ovarian stimulation subcutaneous injections are used and during embryo transfer intramuscular progesterone is used. Besides the physical administration of the injectable medications during the ovarian stimulation process, physical sensations can be experienced from the growth of multiple ovarian follicles simultaneously. Monitoring office visits (typically 5-6) consist of only a quick ultrasound and a venipuncture (to check hormone levels). The egg retrieval procedure is performed under intravenous sedation so no discomfort is felt during the procedure. Post procedure experience is highly variable with some patients experiencing minimal discomfort and some requiring a few additional days of rest. The embryo transfer procedure is gentle and no anesthesia is required.