Cart 
There are many hurdles when you’re on an IVF journey, but the one some patients don’t see coming is trypanophobia, or the fear of needles. Even without the phobia, some are surprised to hear that, in treatment, you’ll need to give yourself (or your loved one) daily IVF injections. The stress of that alone can be enough, but you add the fear of not mixing, preparing, and administering the injections properly—well, it can get really overwhelming, really quickly.
Unfortunately, there’s no way around IVF injections if you’re hoping to grow your family this way. But, there are ways to make the process a bit easier including arming yourself with information, finding the products that work for you, and reaching out to the pros when you need some guidance. And we can help with all of the above. Here’s everything you need to know about IVF injections.
What Are the Steps of IVF and How Long Does It Take? →
What is an IVF injection?
IVF is a term that encompasses both the egg retrieval and embryo transfer processes, and there are various medications that you’ll need throughout, depending on your personalized protocol and biology. IVF injections often need to be done daily for extended periods and so, instead of heading to the clinic every day, you’re sent home with these medications and administer them yourself (or enlist a loved one to help).
What’s in an IVF injection?
IVF Injections are needed to help prep your body for egg retrieval or embryo transfer depending on where you are in your journey. You’ll likely need different injections and these can be medications or hormones, depending on the type of shot.
Injections for egg retrieval
Gonadotropins (GNDs or stim meds), contain follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), or a combination of the two, and are needed before your egg retrieval. They stimulate the development of follicles in the hopes of collecting multiple eggs in one cycle (instead of the standard one egg that usually accompanies each cycle). These shots are typically given subcutaneously (in the fatty tissue) in the lower abdomen (about one to two inches away from your belly button) or in the upper, outer thigh area.
There is also the trigger shot, which is time sensitive and done at a very specific point in the cycle when your follicles are ready for the egg retrieval. The trigger shot initiates ovulation. Depending on which trigger shots are part of your protocol, they can be administered subcutaneously or intramuscularly.
What Is a Trigger Shot and How Is It Used? →
Injections for embryo transfer
The most common embryo transfer medication is progesterone (PIO) which can be a more painful injection because of the thick, oil formulation and where it’s administered (intramuscularly, in the buttocks). You might also need estrogen injections or blood thinners depending on your protocol.
How do I give myself an IVF injection?
Your clinic will give you specific instructions on how to give yourself an IVF injection (often with videos to help), and on where exactly to inject. But here are some more general guidelines:
-
Before you inject, make sure to clean the area with an alcohol pad.
-
Allow the alcohol to dry before injecting to avoid any burning sensation.
-
Always ensure the needle is fully inserted and flush against the skin, before pushing the medication in—this is true if it’s a pen device (Gonal-F or Follistim) or a syringe with an attached needle (Menopur).
How many injections are there for IVF treatment?
Although the types of medications you take will be similar for most patients, the number and frequency of daily injections depends on your protocol. The typical IVF injection timeline for egg retrieval medications (A.K.A. stim meds) is 8 to 12 days, depending on your body’s response. If you’re doing an embryo transfer, the progesterone (and maybe estrogen or blood thinner injections) can be daily for several weeks.
Do IVF injections hurt?
Everyone’s pain threshold is different, so there are a variety of responses to needles, including physical and emotional pain. Many will find the needles themselves not too painful, but the anticipation of self-administering to be stressful. Others will find their stress about self-administering will make the actual injection more difficult because of tense muscles and sweaty palms. The pain will also depend on both the type of medication (some sting more than others) and the gauge of the needle (how big it is). Overall, most find that the first one is the hardest (both physically and emotionally) and it gets easier after that.
What are IVF injection side effects?
The more the ovaries respond to the stimulation medications and the more the follicles grow, the more inflamed the ovaries become and the more symptomatic you may be. That said, some patients have a high response to the IVF injections without feeling much; there’s a wide spectrum and it’s all very individualized.
Common side effects of IVF injections include:
-
Bloating
-
Cramping
-
Nausea
-
Headache
-
Fatigue
-
Foggy head
-
Some injections can cause a localized skin reaction (NOT an allergic reaction)
Tips for giving yourself IVF injections from a fertility nurse
IVF can be daunting and scary, but with proper support, guidance, and education you can get through it—here are some tips to ensure a seamless IVF injection process, from RN Leyla Bilali:
- Watch any videos your clinical team provides beforehand, not on your first night of injections. This helps make sure that if you have any questions, you can get them answered before you need to inject.
- Once you receive your medications, carefully read the instructions. Some will need to be refrigerated while others can stay at room temperature. Make sure you have all the medications you need (you can compare the injections with the list provided by your clinic), including the supplies for each injection (syringes, needles, alcohol pads, gauze).
- Prepare a support system for yourself (and your partner if applicable). Whether it’s a friend that’s been through it, or a professional like a fertility therapist, knowing what kind of support will be meaningful to you and having it in place can really help along the journey. Not sure who to turn to? Dandi’s virtual care is a great option offering a team of fertility nurses who provide personalized, medically-credible guidance every step of the way. They can help with everything from early-stage consultations to better understand your treatment options, to live injection support to coach you through the most stressful moments of injections (here’s what to expect from a live injection support session with Dandi’s nursing team.)
- Finally—you’ve got this! While IVF injections can be uncomfortable and confusing, there are some great products designed to help make the whole experience a bit easier. The Dandi IVF Care Kit is a great example—a family of products designed by fertility doctors and patients to guide you through every step of the injection process. From numbing the skin to reduce discomfort, to hands-free heat therapy to help with that thick progesterone oil, to guidance on injecting in the proper location, this kit offers patients an empowering self-care ritual that can really shift the way you experience your injections.
