Egg pick-up day

This morning we were up bright and early to get to the clinic by 9.15am for our pick-up appointment. I wasn't allowed anything to eat, but I did sneak in a mug of chamomile tea at 6.00am - the closest I could get to coffee! I was feeling very hormonal and grouchy and my breasts were especially sore. I chose a comfortable bra!


First up we met with a nurse who double-checked all my details and gave me a sedative to help calm me before the procedure. I had to undress from the waist down and put on a green gown and D had to wear special protective covers on his shoes. We were taken into the same room as last time which had a big chair with stirrups for me to lie in (in a most undignified position!) and a hole in the wall through to the laboratory. D was able to sit beside me. Dr P was performing the procedure and he explained exactly what he was doing the whole way through. I was given an antibiotic and pain relief throughout. I was feeling slightly drowsy and quite uncomfortable at times, but it wasn't really painful. Dr P took seven eggs from the seven follicles that we had seen on the ultrasound scan, but only two of the three follicles on the right side were big enough to get eggs from, so altogether he picked up nine eggs. They were each passed through to the laboratory where a technician checked them.

After the procedure was finished, I was helped into a recovery room where I lay in a big reclining armchair with a hot water bottle and a duvet. I was fairly comfortable and I fell asleep a few times. D was taken into another room where Dr P extracted some of his sperm using a large needle. Apparently he had to try twice because they couldn't get enough the first time, and D came back to the recovery room feeling quite tender. He will have to take it easy over the next couple of days and wear supportive underwear. We were given coffee and muffins and after I had rested for an hour or two we were able to leave. On the way out we were given some progesterone pessaries. I have to insert two high into my vagina three times a day. It's not much fun inserting them, but they will help my uterus get ready for nourishing an embryo.

I spent the afternoon in bed with paracetamol and a hot water bottle. I am feeling uncomfortable but it is not too bad. It was nice being looked after so well for the day and nine eggs is a great result.

The clinic has recently changed hands and so there are some new protocols in place. I noticed, for example, that the nurses were not in full scrubs during the pick-up procedure and I will not have to wait quite as long for the pregnancy test. The staff also seem to be much better at explaining what is happening and also what will happen next. Of course we have been through this once before but I wonder if they are making more of an effort to keep patients informed.