Guide to IVF Shots

Natural conception does not always come easily. For many, assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) have presented them with the opportunity to overcome reproductive challenges. Treatments such as IVF have been successful in helping people to build their families with more confidence. One of the key aspects of IVF is that the formation of the embryo happens outside the womb. Eggs are retrieved from a person’s ovaries and fertilized with prepared sperm in a controlled lab environment. In order for the eggs to be retrieved, a person must undergo ovarian stimulation using medications and hormonal injections. So let us discuss how these hormonal injections are administered as they are very vital to the IVF process.  

What Medicines Are Injected in IVF?

During the ovarian stimulation phase of IVF therapy, medications are administered in the form of oral medicine, or vaginal pessaries. The injections administered actually contain hormones that facilitate the ovaries in developing multiple eggs to maturity.  While IVF injections are usually administered at a healthcare facility, there are those who prefer to administer the injections themselves in the privacy of their homes. So let us get into a bit more detail about what happens in the body during ovarian stimulation, in our step-by-step guide below.

IVF Step-by-Step

Ovulation Delay

In order to guide the process with better precision, the first step taken in ovarian stimulation is downregulation, where ovulation is delayed. This is a protocol that has been observed to lower the likelihood of premature ovulation and at the same time, help to syncronize the development of the endometrium with the development of the antral follicles. The expected outcome is that the IVF therapy will likely be successful IVF.

Stimulating the Ovaries

When the endometrium and ovaries are in sync, the actual ovarian stimulation now begins. Injections that contain follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) assist the ovaries to develop a larger number of follicles at the same time. Oral pills, hormonal injections or a combination of the two are used in this process. The decision on which approach would work best is determined on a case by case basis by a professional healthcare provider.

Ovarian stimulation produces multiple mature eggs, in contrast to natural ovulation, which develops only one egg to maturity per cycle. In IVF therapies, retrieving multiple eggs is vital to having reserves for future family building, or having ‘extras’ in the event a round of IVF is not successful. As well, because the process can take anywhere between several weeks to several months, having multiple eggs means that a patient does not have to repeat ovarian stimulation each time they want to become pregnant. Unused eggs are usually frozen until they are required next. 

Developing Eggs

The process of developing eggs in IVF involves injecting synthesized human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) a day or two before retrieval. This ensures that the follicles that as many of the follicles that had been developed during ovarian stimulation, mature completely. HCG speeds up this process and  has been extremely successful in developing multiple eggs for retrieval.  

Fertilization 

As earlier mentioned, fetilization of eggs in IVF therapies is done in a lab setting that is controlled to ensure that the embryos are protected from any contaminant that would jeopardize their development. The sperm used in this process, whether from a known donor or a third party donor is optimized by removing unwanted materials from the semen, as well as the less viable sperm. Once fertilization is complete, the embryos are not implanted into the uterus right away, rather they remain in the lab to develop further for several days. After this period, it is then implanted into the uterus and the pregnancy ideally should continue normally.

Uterus Preparation

We had previously discussed how ovulation delay causes the development of the endometrium to sync with the development of the eggs. The thickenning of the uterine lining is further bolstered by an injection containing granlocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) a day before implantation. This injection is administered as a intrauterine injection or through the skin, and its purpose is to increase the chances of implantation once the embryo is transferred into the uterus, by thickening the uterine lining. 

How to Administer an Injection at Home

While the fear of needles is an actual phobia, as treatment continues, it becomes easier to manage this phobia. So let us get into the actual process of administering these injections. To begin with, whereas one may want to administer their own injections, it may be of value to have a loved one help you administer them or be present when you are administering it. Let us discuss what you can do in order to administer these injections with minimal discomfort. 

1. Hygine is the first step before you begin. So ensures that your hands are thoroughly washed.
2. Using rubbing alcohol and some cotton wool, clean the injection site.
3. To ensure that there are no air bubbles trapped in the syringe, take off the needle cap, point the needle upward and tap the syringe lightly. Depress the syringe plunger enough to release a small amount of liquid out throug the needle.
4. At the injection site, pinch a portion of skin at the injection site and insert the needle into the skin using even and firm pressure. 
5. Once the needle is inside, release the skin and using even pressure, depress the plunger until the syringe is empty.
6. Pull out the needle carefully and use some gauze to apply some pressure on the injection site.

Whereas this step-by-step guide seems simple enough to follow, there are those who are particularly sensitive. What is recommend is to apply an icecube before cleaning the injection site, and right after removing the needle. This could help to reduce the discomfort.

In Conclusion

Since injections are central to IVF therapies, one cannot avoid them. It is advisable to either have a healthcare professional administer them, or have someone present when you are administering them to yourself. Ensure that you observe good hygiene to prevent contamination or infection. If you are interested in learning more about IVF and assisted reproduction, contact  Virginia Fertility & IVF today.