I’m trying to understand how people actually get through trigger shot and egg retrieval days because the physical side feels more intense than I expected, like bloating, heaviness, and just feeling off in the body. Would really help to know what you personally do on those days to make it physically easier, like anything with food, rest, timing, or what to expect right before and after.
For me the bloating, pelvic heaviness and that stretched feeling honestly sounded like one of the hardest physical parts of IVF 😕. I kept imagining I’d just “push through normally” but from everything I read and heard, most ppl slow down a LOT around trigger and retrieval days. Loose clothes, hydration, lighter food, resting more and not forcing urself to be productive seemed to make the biggest difference physically because the body can genuinely feel sooo uncomfortable and swollen during that phase.
Tbh retrieval days for me became all abt minimizing movement and making life stupidly easy 😭 loose clothes, electrolyte drinks, heating pad, salty snacks, stool softeners ready beforehand and absolutely no plans after. And on trigger night I was honestly so paranoid abt timing that I kept checking the clock every 5 mins 😕
Yes and honestly that was one of the most confusing parts for me 😞 I kept thinking if I was on hormonal treatment then things should automatically stay “controlled” but symptoms and inflammation can still progress for some people despite suppression. That disconnect between being “treated” and still feeling worse mentally and physically can be really frustrating honestly.
For me the biggest thing was honestly just slowing EVERYTHING down 😭 By trigger/retrieval time my ovaries felt so heavy and swollen that even walking fast or bending suddenly felt uncomfortable. Loose clothes, electrolytes, heating pad, salty/protein snacks and basically treating myself like a fragile little potato for a few days genuinely helped 😔