FAQ - Egg Collection IVF

How do you collect eggs for IVF?

During IVF, eggs are collected by performing vaginal scanning and needle aspiration of the eggs. It is an odd phrase that I think means sucking the eggs out through the vaginal wall using a long, thin needle.

How long does egg harvesting take during IVF?

The operation for egg collection takes approximately 30 minutes, according to the literature from my IVF clinic. Half an hour is the actual operation time, but if egg collection were a ticketed event it would be a day long extravaganza. Egg collection ‘the event’ involves arriving early at the clinic (hungry), filling in forms, sperm collection, a pre-meet with the anesthetist, an anesthetic injection, an operation to collect the eggs, recovery with the nurses, lunch courtesy of the clinic (although technically you pay for it through the thousands of pounds spent on IVF), a visit from the embryologist, a compulsory wee, a further meeting with the nurse regarding the next set of drugs, and discharge from the clinic mid afternoon.

How painful is egg collection in IVF?

The operation for egg collection is performed under sedation or general anaesthetic, so the procedure should not be painful. My clinic says that egg collection can cause period like cramping, mild bleeding or spotting and some soreness down under following the operation. Luckily, I felt no pain and the only discomfort was the type expected from any operation - the cannula being inserted in to the back of my hand (medical term for this is ‘being a wuss’), a reaction to the general anaesthetic that brought on crippling stiffness in my muscles (I’m fairly confident that is unique to me); a painfully sore throat post operation from the breathing apparatus which makes sipping water feel like an internal throat massage using coarse sandpaper.

Do you need to shave before egg retrieval?

There is no medical reason to shave your legs before egg collection. They could happily perform the operation on Mr Tumnus, if he had ovaries. I am sure it is true that the medical staff are too preoccupied to notice or care if legs are smooth or hairy. But I cared. My preparation for egg collection was identical to a third date – I shaved my legs and wore my poshest pants.  The latter was pointless, as I was asked to remove my posh pants before having a chance to flash them at the staff and replace them with a delightful pair of paper knickers. 

Can you eat before egg collection?

If your operation is performed under general anaesthetic, there will be restrictions on your eating or drinking before the operation. I was not allowed to eat or drink anything other than water from midnight the night before. 

How many days of abstinence before sperm collection for IVF?

In language more appropriate for an invitation to a Royal Garden Party than deterring a man from masterbation, our clinic formally request that the male partner abstain from ejaculation for 2 to 3 days before the collection of the sample, which is undertaken at the clinic on the morning of egg collection. If any problems are anticipated with this, then a sample can be produced beforehand and frozen, thereby taking some of the pressure off.  If an advanced sample has been produced, the clinic can let the man know the quality of the sperm sample. If it is collected the morning of the egg harvesting, then the quality is anyone's guess.

How many eggs is average for IVF retrieval?

The embryologist at my IVF clinic explained that the clinic aims for retrieval in the 8-12 egg range. How many eggs are collected will depend on the medical reason why you require IVF, the IVF drugs you have been taking and your body’s reaction to them. It can be that women with low ovarian reserve produce fewer than this ideal range of eggs and those with PCOS grow more than the ideal. Every case is different.

The literature from my IVF clinic reassured that although very occasionally no eggs are obtained, usually the clinic is aware that there has been poor ovarian response and has discussed this possibility with the patient prior to the egg collection. Therefore, if this happens spontaneously at the point of retrieval, you have experienced what the medical community would term ‘an absolute shocker’.

How many days does it take to recover from egg collection?

It may take 1-2 days to recover from the general anaesthetic used in the egg collection, although the procedure itself may not cause any discomfort. You will be released into the care of a ‘responsible adult’ to drive you home and to check you are not being odder than normal for 24 hours. For me, egg collection was on a Friday so I had the weekend to recover, but I would have felt sufficiently well to return to work the following day, if that had been necessary.

Is egg retrieval the hardest part of IVF?

Egg retrieval is probably the most physically demanding part of IVF, as it is the only stage that requires an operation - although many would argue that weeks of injections are also physically draining. Egg collection feels harder than embryo transfer, which is a quicker procedure which does not require sedation or anaesthetic and is more akin to a SMEAR test.

For me, egg retrieval was not the hardest part of IVF emotionally either, that was the tortious two week wait to take the pregnancy test.