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During the retrieval process the eggs are suctioned from the follicles using an aspiration needle.

What will the retrieval process be like?
The retrieval process varies slightly from clinic to clinic. Retrieval of the eggs from the follicles is usually done using a vaginal ultrasound probe, which guides the aspiration needle to each follicle. Most clinics use a light sedative and a local anesthetic during the ultrasound retrieval process, while others may opt to put you under a general anesthetic. Less frequently, laparoscopy, which requires a general anesthetic, is used to retrieve eggs from ovaries that are hard to reach.

"I was asked to come to the clinic about 3 hours before the retrieval. A nurse brought me into a hospital room, where I changed into a hospital gown and got into bed. One of the nurses started an IV on me. Initially the IVF only contained glucose. The nurse put in the IV smoothly, but it felt funny having a tube in the back of my hand. I was scared to move my hand at first, but I eventually got used to it. The next 2 hours I spent time reading in bed. Half an hour before the actual retrieval the nurse added antibiotics to my IV. The antibiotics were used to prevent infection that may occur during the retrieval. Just before retrieval time, a nurse asked me to go to the washroom. It was weird towing my IV on coasters behind me. I was brought to the retrieval room in a wheelchair. Once there I was asked to lie on the retrieval table and my legs were put up in stirrups (the kind that support your knee). There was a lot of activity going on around me. One nurse was helping me get comfortable. Another nurse was putting out all the supplies used for the retrieval. The lab technician was getting set up to receive my eggs. The doctor added 2 drugs to my IV. The first drug was Atropine (to steady my heart rate) to the second was Sublimaze (a narcotic for pain). The sublimaze made me feel warm and slightly dizzy. The doctor then inserted a speculum and gave me a local anaesthetic injected near the cervix, so that I couldn't feel the retrieval needle as it went through my vaginal wall. The vaginal ultrasound probe guided the doctor to where each follicle was and then he used the retrieval needle to pop the follicle and suction out the fluid and the egg. I was watching on the ultrasound monitor as the doctor popped each follicle to remove the eggs. My husband was there too, holding my hand the entire time. Only one follicle really hurt as it was being popped. I was in pain for a couple minutes, but it soon subsided. The actual retrieval process was over in about 10-15 minutes (for 17 follicles). I remained on the table while the nurses cleaned up around me. Then I was taken back in the wheel chair to my hospital room. When I was back in the hospital bed, I was given juice and a bagel to eat, the first food I had since midnight the night before. The nurses would not let me leave until I had gone to the washroom at least once. I stayed at the hospital for about 2 hours after the retrieval, but I still felt slightly dizzy as we left the hospital." -- Brenda

Is spotting after the retrieval normal?
Spotting after retrieval is usually caused by the puncture wounds in the vagina that were created when the needle was inserted to drain your follicles. Red vaginal spotting may last for 24-48 hours after the retrieval. If the spotting is more like bleeding (soaking a pad), call your clinic immediately.

Will my eggs fertilize and divide?
Under normal circumstances, not all of your eggs will go on to fertilize and divide. "I had 17 eggs retrieved and only 12 went on to become viable embryos" -- Brenda. Some eggs may be too immature or too ripe to fertilize, some may be fertilized by defective sperm, and some may fertilize and not divide. In some cases eggs won't fertilize altogether. Techniques such as ICSI can help to improve fertilization rates when the sperm can't penetrate the eggs on their own. Ask your clinic what they will do if none of your eggs fertilize. Some dedicated clinics will do emergency ICSI in this case.

What is ICSI?
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is when a single sperm is injected into an egg. ICSI is used when the sperm can not penetrate the egg on its own. It is commonly used when the diagnosis for infertility is male factor.

What is assisted hatching?
Assisted hatching (AH) is a technique used where the outer shell of the egg is weakened or breached to help free the embryo for implantation. This technique is commonly used with the eggs of older woman, whose shells may have a hardened outer surface.