When discussing fertility treatment options you will naturally have a number of questions to ask. One of the most common questions we hear is how painful is IVF and what actually happens during the procedure? To help answer these questions, we have put together the following information…

IVF treatment encompasses a number of procedures referred to as the ‘treatment cycle’. The truth is that during an IVF cycle, there are many stages where a woman may experience discomfort, but this is different for every individual.

The IVF cycle starts with hormone injections for the development of eggs. These injections are usually painless and can be self-administered, but to those who do not like needles this can be a concern. As these eggs develop some women experience some discomfort, often described as similar to period pains

The next stage of the cycle is egg collection, which is relatively quick and painless; patients are sedated so do not feel any pain during the egg collection procedure. Some women may experience some discomfort afterwards, again described as similar to period pains.

The final step involves the embryo transfer into the uterus through the vagina and cervical canal, using a catheter. Patients may experience discomfort when the speculum is inserted.

It is also important to remember that IVF is an ongoing process for a number of weeks, and can be emotionally and physically demanding. For the best chance of success, it’s important that you are healthy before and during treatment.

We can also arrange counselling for our IVF patients to help you remain calm and understand how your body may react to the hormone treatments.

As you can see there are a number of instances where a patient may experience some discomfort or stress, throughout the IVF procedure. That is why at Tamara Healthcare we have an expert team standing by; to give you all the help and support you need. We strive to do all that we can to ensure that your treatment is as successful and as comfortable as possible.

Written By

Dr. Aishwarya V. Mathikatti

MS (OBG), Diploma in Reproductive Medicine (Germany), Diploma in Ultrasonography, Consultant Obstetrics & Gynecology Infertility

Dr. Aishwarya has an experience of over 7 years. She is very passionate about artificial reproductive techniques and she constantly updates herself with the latest techniques.