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How Many Injections for IVF Treatment?

January 11, 2024
How Many Injections for IVF Treatment

IVF, or in-vitro fertilisation, is an assisted reproductive technique that helps those who cannot conceive. How many injections for IVF treatment? is a prevalent question among patients considering in vitro fertilisation (IVF) to help achieve a successful pregnancy. IVF injections play a vital role in controlled ovarian stimulation and support critical stages leading up to the embryo transfer procedure. Before the IVF procedure, doctors perform ultrasonography and blood tests to determine the dose and schedule of the IVF injections. 

This blog explores how many injections IVF treatment needs and why the expectant woman requires these injections. 

Why are IVF Injections Given?

Before we answer the question of how many injections for IVF treatment, let us look into why one receives IVF injections. A few reasons to give injections include:

  • To Stimulate the Ovaries: During the natural menstrual cycle, an ovary releases only one egg per cycle. For higher success rates of IVF, injections stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs. This helps increase the chances of successful fertilisation during the IVF procedure.
  • Controlled Ovary Hyperstimulation: Not all the eggs retrieved from the woman’s body will lead to viable embryos, so injections induce the ovaries to develop multiple mature eggs simultaneously. This induction of ovaries is known as controlled ovary hyperstimulation. 
  • Monitoring And Timing: The injections help experts check when the egg matures. This also ensures that doctors retrieve the eggs on time to fertilize them successfully.
  • Prevention of Premature Ovulation: When a woman has a natural menstrual cycle, there might be a chance that the body releases the eggs before they are in a retrieval state. Injections prevent this and also make sure that eggs are ready for extraction.

 

Read Also: After How Many Weeks IVF Pregnancy Is Safe

How Many Injections Are Required For IVF Treatment?

The IVF specialists determine the number and type of injections a person takes for in vitro fertilisation (IVF). 

  • The number and type of injections vary from person to person and usually consist of 10-12 days of hormonal injections. 
  • The main reason for using injections is to produce multiple eggs for fertilization. However, only a fertility specialist will know how many injections a person will need for their IVF treatment. 
  • Depending on how the person responds, they will determine it based on how many injections for IVF treatment. So, a consultation with an IVF specialist is crucial for personalised guidance.

On average, the amount of necessary injections for IVF falls within this range:

  • Gonadotropins: 9-12 days of 1-2 daily injections
  • GnRH Analogues: 1-2 one-time trigger injections
  • Hormone Support: 14-16 days of 1 daily injection

So, to answer how many injections for IVF treatment, on average, most patients administer 16-40+ injections for IVF treatment per cycle, with gonadotropins making up the majority. Longer stimulation phases mean more total injections, whereas protocols utilizing GnRH antagonists instead of full “down regulation” tend to require fewer shots overall.

Read Also: Test Tube Baby Process, Treatment, and Cost

What Injections Are Given During IVF Treatment?

This is the second most common question couples ask, how many injections for IVF treatment? And the answer lies in the purpose of their administration. The injections are mostly given to stimulate and control the reproductive process, and these include 

  • Follicle-stimulating hormone(FSH), 
  • Luteinizing hormone(LH), 
  • Gonadotropin-releasing hormone(GnRH), 
  • Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), progesterone 
  • Various agonists prevent premature ovulation.

IVF Injections For Ovarian Stimulation

Doctors suggest around 8-12 days of IVF injections. IVF patients usually receive naturally occurring hormones at a slightly greater dose, so by ovulation, the woman has at least 8-12 healthy follicles. The injections that we use to stimulate the ovaries are drugs that mimic gonadotropin and include: 

  • FSH Injections: FSH injections are the most critical IVF injections for pregnancy as they stimulate the growth of multiple follicles and cause the ovaries to produce many mature eggs.
  • LH Injections: These hormonal injections help the ovaries release mature eggs, and the IVF schedule ensures you receive them during this phase.
  • HCG Injections: Using one subcutaneous injection, we administer HCG hormonal injections atleast 32 to 36 hours before the egg retrieval.

After we retrieve the egg, we prepare the uterine lining for pregnancy by administering progesterone and estrogen.

  • Estrogen: IVF professionals suggest estrogen drugs right after embryo transfer. Estrogen helps by thickening the endometrium required to conceive a baby.
  • Progesterone: After the natural ovulation, the ovary’s corpus luteum secrete progesterone. It helps the embryos to implant themselves into the uterine lining.

Read Also: The Importance of Sleeping Position After IVF: A Guide for Patients

What to Expect from IVF Injections?

In vitro fertilisation (IVF) injections play a significant role in the IVF process. To ensure that the ovary produces enough eggs, doctors sometimes prefer more injections. They regulate and monitor the release of eggs and retrieve multiple eggs on time to increase the chances of fertilisation. 

After the injection, the common side effects people observe are mild discomfort, swelling, or bruising. An IVF expert has to closely monitor the patient and adjust the dosage timing of the injection.

The Bottom Line

The question of how many injections for IVF treatment is an important one without a single simple answer. The injection protocol must be personalised and varies from patient to patient based on health factors like ovarian reserve, egg quality, age, and more. The best way to get reliable guidance on what to expect for your specific IVF stimulation phase is to schedule a consultation with a fertility specialist

At Nandi IVF, our experts will compassionately discuss your diagnostic details and treatment options and determine an individualised plan for your IVF cycle. We’ll help determine an appropriate stimulation approach to maximise benefits during minimising discomfort so you can feel empowered. Contact Nandi IVF today to better understand your recommended number of IVF injections. 

FAQS

Q: In what way are the injections given?
Ans: We give the injections under the skin, subcutaneously using a small, thin needle. We can also administer some of them intramuscularly through various body parts like arms, thighs, etc. IVF specialists usually recommend the method and location of injections.

Q: Can I give myself the injections?
Ans: Yes, you can give yourself injections once you have received proper training from health care professionals. Experts give the patients detailed instructions to make sure they are comfortable injecting them on their own.

Q: How soon after the injections is it possible to retrieve the eggs?
Ans: It usually takes 8 to 14 days of gonadotropin injections in an IVF protocol to stimulate optimal follicle and egg development for retrieval. After this ovarian stimulation phase, a final trigger injection cues the eggs to complete maturation and ovulation. So, the egg retrieval procedure typically occurs around two weeks following the start of the injectable IVF medications.

Q: Can fewer eggs be used successfully for IVF?
Ans: More than the quantity of eggs used, the quality of the eggs and embryos decides whether the IVF is successful. While many eggs increase the chances of getting viable embryos, we can achieve the same with fewer eggs in some instances.

Q: What happens after the transfer of embryos?
Ans: After embryo transfer, we place the embryos in the uterus through the cervix. The patient rests for a day or two before resuming normal activities. About two weeks later, the woman can perform a pregnancy test to see if the implantation was successful.

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Sr. IVF Specialist & Medical Director at NANDI IVF
Dr. Payal Bajaj is an experienced Obstetrician & Gynecologist with over 20 years of experience in the discipline. She is a Reproductive Endocrinologist & Infertility Specialist. She has Done MBBS From the Renowned Lady Hardinge Medical College. DGO from the prestigious VMMC & Safdarjang Hospital, DMAS From World Laparoscopy Hospital.

She has Completed Her esteemed ASPIRE -ISAR Fellowship in the field of Reproductive Medicine from AFGC, Delhi And St' Mother's Hospital Japan.She has also been trained from the University of KEIL Germany. She has won various academic awards all through her academic career.
Dr. Payal Bajaj
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