IVF Survival Kit

I recently joined an IVF Sock Buddies group on Facebook. It’s a closed/private group but everyone dealing with infertility is welcome to join. The idea is that you join up, find a buddy (or buddies) to exchange messages and packages with. The idea started from women who would send each other fun socks for all of the appointments we have. For those of you who may not already know, you’ve got to take off everything from the waist down for a transvaginal ultrasound – but you’re allowed to keep your socks on. For the egg retrieval they put little surgical booties over top of my socks, but you know – I wish I’d thought to get some fun socks beforehand.

So a sock buddy is perfect. They’re someone who gets what you are going through. You send each other small presents in the mail, including but not limited to fun socks. I managed to find another Canadian buddy just yesterday and we haven’t exchanged anything yet, but I’ve been really thinking about what I would put in a comprehensive IVF survival kit for someone. This is a bit beyond the scope of small gifts to mail to someone, but it should provide a nice list to prepare for if you’re going to be going through IVF. I could also see preparing it and giving or mailing it to a friend you know who will be going through IVF as a care package, or preparing it for your spouse. V and I made up our own. Here’s what I think an IVF Survival Kit needs. I’m going to divide it into phases.

Pre-Retrieval

When your IVF has started and is only just ramping up! This is when you’ll be going for the bulk of your appointments and giving yourself injections. You may be sore, tired and hormonal. You’ll want things to help take care of yourself at this time.

• Frozen meals or a meal subscription service. Whatever is in your budget, before you even start IVF it’s a good idea to stock some food away. You’re not going to feel like cooking and you want to be nourished during this time. You don’t want to be ordering take out every night, because it gets expensive and isn’t that healthy. For a few weeks beforehand, we’d double a recipe and just freeze the other half so we had chili, a lasagna, etc.
• 1-2 good books, magazines, or gift certificate for your e-reader of choice. This obviously depends on what you like to read, but I personally opted for more uplifting books, things that were funny or cheerful. Nothing with pregnancy or babies.
• Nice smelling hand soap. You’ll be washing your hands a lot, much like a doctor or nurse! You need clean towels too, but there’s no point buying a special one because you’ll need a clean one every day.
• An ice pack. The one I chose didn’t work really well, but one that you actually put ice cubes in should be perfect. This can be very helpful especially if the injections scare you. I found that icing the area for a few minutes beforehand made a huge difference in how painful it was.
• Fun band-aids. Often, the injection sites won’t bleed but sometimes they do. If you have a reaction to band-aid adhesive like I do, you might want (boring) hypoallergenic band-aids on hand.
• Small chocolates or candy. Remember when you were a kid and you got a lollipop after going to the doctor? Some days after your injections you might feel like that. This doesn’t have to be food. It could be any small thing that might cheer you up – temporary tattoos, stickers that you stick on your day planner, etc.
• Patterned socks for wearing to your many ultrasound appointments. These are as personal as the individual wearing them, but they could feature your favourite animal, shamrocks, or a hobby. Anything that will make you smile. If you’re stumped for ideas, I learned the other day that penguins are the unofficial mascot of infertility. Do with this knowledge what you will!
• Bath salts, bubble bath, scented candles. You’ll be spending a lot of time at the clinic during this phase. It’s tiring and stressful. Also, your body is busy growing more follicles than it usually would. Take some time to relax and pamper yourself. You deserve it!

Retrieval Day

Your clinic may have specific requirements for this day, so please take that into consideration. Nothing here is medical advice and you’ll have to adhere to your own clinic’s guidelines.

• Unscented soap and unscented deodorant/antiperspirant. Many clinics have a “no scent” policy especially for retrieval day. It turns out that strongly scented lotions and perfume can be damaging to embryos! I also wasn’t allowed to wear any make-up or nail polish. If you have these things ahead of time you won’t have to be stressed out.
• Ginger ale, Gatorade, tea. Before the surgery I was only allowed to drink clear liquids. My blood sugar wasn’t a fan of this, so I had a bit of ginger ale before we left home.
• Fun socks (again). Especially important to brighten your day when you may be nervous or anxious.
• A small snack for your purse so that you can eat as soon as you’re able. My clinic brought me some digestive biscuits and ginger ale so I didn’t need the snack until later, but it’s still good to have.
• Support person. Not everyone is doing IVF with a partner, but you should still bring a friend or loved one you trust with you. You’ll need to be driven home after the surgery and they can stay with you to keep you calm beforehand.
• Playlist on your phone or MP3 player with soothing music. Clinic policies here may vary, as well. My clinic does conscious sedation and allows patients to listen to music during the retrieval. I put an earbud in one ear playing jazz music. You should play whatever you enjoy. There are studies that show listening to music before, during and after a surgery can help with pain and recovery. Even if a general anaesthetic is used for your retrieval, you can still listen to music to calm down or relax before or afterwards.

Post-Retrieval

This is still technically on retrieval day, but once you’ve come home from the clinic. Many people sleep the day away. I wasn’t one of them, and I needed many of these things right away. You should stock up your supplies beforehand, of course. The person staying with you that day after surgery may not be able to leave you to go and get anything else. Some of the items here are aimed at preventing OHSS (ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome). Please note that my experience with recovery was not the usual. Because I had so many follicles and my retrieval was very painful, it took me about two weeks to start feeling normal again. Many women I know felt better after just a few days! I hope your retrieval will be that way, but if it isn’t you will be prepared.

• Electrical heating pad. Far superior to the bean bags that you heat up in the microwave, this will really help with cramping and pain as the IV meds you were given start to wear off.
• Cozy blanket. I have a quilt that my Mom made me, but whatever you’re comfortable cuddling up with, really.
• Gatorade/electrolyte drinks. The brand name doesn’t matter, the electrolytes are the key. Don’t ask me why, I’m not a doctor, but IVF friends of mine swore by this and it really helped me. When I was getting severely bloated I actually stopped drinking any water and only drank Gatorade for a day and it helped a lot.
• Salty snacks. Similar principal, the salt helps draw out excess fluid. I chose roasted peanuts because they are my favourite. Also, tiny goldfish crackers, ramen and other salty soups. I know these aren’t exactly health foods and you’re getting a ton of sugar and salt but it’s only for a short time. You won’t be eating like this forever.
• Fibre supplement, fibre bars, prunes. This is an “any of the above” situation. Post-surgery painkillers can cause constipation. You don’t need any additional bloating, and you really don’t want to have to struggle in this area because you’ll already be in pain. Preventative measures are best. Any high fibre food can also help – think fibre cereals, beans in pretty much anything – but don’t start eating a bunch of things you aren’t used to eating because you can get gas and that hurts, too. I like Benefibre, you can mix it into a warm drink and it’s tasteless.
• Suppository or other laxative. Ask at your clinic’s pharmacy about this. It’s cheap and you want it on hand just in case none of the other stuff mentioned above works.
• Tylenol. Use it once you run out of prescription Tylenol. I still had to take a lot of Tylenol on an ongoing basis.
• Entertainment. Pick a series on Netflix you’d like to watch or whatever movie is comforting to you. Read the book you picked out, or its sequel. Play a video game or any game on your phone or tablet. This is actually the hardest part of recovery, at least it was for me. I felt so cooped up and was unable to do much of anything for myself, including getting up/sitting down in chairs. My husband had to help me by having me grab onto his arms.
• Friends. Arrange to have a friend stop by to chat with you and cheer you up. A friend of mine brought me a cupcake and it was really nice just to see another person for a bit when I was feeling bored and lonely. If that’s not possible, call one on the phone! (I know, I don’t usually do this either, but desperate times…)
• Tissues. Hormones are rough, and you just went through an emotional process. Don’t be surprised if you are weepy at unexpected times.
• Change of scenery. Once you’re starting to feel better, try to get out of the house. Don’t overdo it, but going for coffee, or a little bit of shopping (I overdid it) can help a lot.
• Acupuncture. This can help with the bloating and overall sense of well being. My acupuncturist also told me that they can do just one side (instead of making you roll over) so if it’s tough for you, you can just lie on your back.

Transfer Day

I haven’t had a transfer yet, because we had to do a freeze all! All of the same advice and items apply to this procedure as well, though. It’s similar to an IUI except it includes ultrasound and a full bladder. If you’re having a fresh transfer, not much time will have passed since your retrieval. The transfer is much less invasive and time consuming than the retrieval. You’ve already survived that, you’ve got this! Wear another pair of lucky socks and remember to take good care of yourself and rest afterwards. Whatever the outcome might be, be kind and continue taking time to do things that make you happy or relaxed. You are more than your ability to get pregnant and you deserve happiness.