What Can I Expect Before, During, and After the Egg Harvesting Procedure?

Whether you want to wait a while to have a baby, have a condition requiring treatment that could harm your eggs, or are ready to try IVF for infertility, egg harvesting is often the first step. The process has been around for a long time. In fact, the first human birth from a harvested and frozen egg was all the way back in 1986!  

At University Reproductive Associates, with locations in New Jersey and New York, our team of reproductive specialists helps people with existing or potential infertility retain their chance of becoming parents through the fertility preservation process, including egg harvesting. 

Before egg harvesting

Before we make a plan to harvest your eggs, we’ll perform a full medical workup to ensure you’re not at any risk from potential complications that could arise from ovarian stimulation and egg harvesting. 

Then, we create a schedule of self-administered hormone shots. These shots stimulate your ovaries to release more eggs and your follicles to help them mature. 

Some women have strong emotional, physical, or psychological reactions to the hormone shots. We will monitor you closely and recommend additional care if needed to protect your mental health during fertility treatments. 

During egg harvesting

We retrieve your mature eggs using a transvaginal procedure while you’re under anesthesia. 

A fine needle will go through your vaginal wall to your follicles to remove  the eggs. This process doesn’t take long, and you’ll soon be awake and learn how many viable eggs were successfully retrieved.

You might have some abdominal or pelvic cramping and light vaginal bleeding (spotting) when you come out from under anesthesia. That is normal, and it shouldn’t be worse than ovulation pains or a light period.

After egg harvesting

Once your eggs are harvested, we proceed with the plan already laid out. That might mean freezing your eggs, inseminating your eggs and freezing the embryos, or inseminating your eggs and implanting the embryos into your uterus or a surrogate’s uterus in the hopes of a successful conception. 

If you have an opposite-sex partner with motile sperm, we typically use their sperm unless there is a genetic reason not to. If you have a partner with fertility challenges or a same-sex partner, you’ll need a sperm donor. You can decide whether you want your eggs to be fertilized then frozen or frozen for later thawing, fertilizing, and implantation. 

Do you think egg harvesting could be the right next step to preserve your fertility and chances for a future child or children? Contact us by calling your nearest University Reproductive Associates location or make an appointment online today.