How has IVF impacted your work and social life?

My boss is one of the few people I’ve told we are doing IVF and he’s been great. I’ve not struggled too much with juggling my appts around work because they are mostly early in the morning and I WFH most days anyway.

Side effects from the meds have mostly been bloating. This time round I’m on a slightly different protocol which has made me more tired and given me some insomnia. That’s definitely made work a lot harder.

In terms of social life, I’ve quit drinking, so that’s made me a bit less sociable. Plus I’ve not told many people about the IVF and that’s maybe caused me to isolate myself a little. Tiredness is also a factor.

Last cycle, I managed to get pregnant, but had a MMC. The morning sickness was definitely way worse than anything IVF-related. Plus I had to take a week off to recover from surgery and get my head straight.

I guess the only advice I have is to roll with the punches; you don’t really know how it’s going to affect you.

You just kinda learn to deal with each obstacle as it comes. Make “We’ll burn that bridge when we come to it” your motto.

The one area of my life that has been affected the most is my sex life. It’s really hard to feel sexy when your lady bits are being rammed with greasy pessaries three times a day and you feel like a bloated river corpse.

Apart from that, I will leave you with my three-point formula for surviving IVF: hydrate, meditate, go easy on yourself.

Didn't impact mine at all my work and friends have been sooooooo supportive

thank you so much for sharing your experiences with me ♥️

I’m very sorry for your loss 🤍

Of course we're all here for support xx

I’m sorry for yours too. If you ever have any questions, just hmu. X

Thank so much you 🤍🐱

My manager was one of the few people I told and it really did help me when it came to last minute appointments. I took a week off for egg collection, which a lot of people don’t but I was glad I did as I took me a while to feel comfortable afterwards. I am also glad because I went in for a fresh transfer just 5 days after and it gave me time to recover.

I did end up getting OHSS, triggered by a positive pregnancy. I did have a day off for this and had to work from home for a week and a half as that was the worst part of the whole process. Lots of pain from extreme bloat.

Socially it didn’t effect me too much, except for feeling a little more tired than usual. But that’s 100% worse now I’m pregnant 🫣

Hope that helps a bit x