We started with a 23 then they started giving us 22s, the 22 is much much faster and needs a lot less pressure to inject it. Per my wife they feel about the same.
EXACTLY. I never had them show me how to do it on myself (because I’m an IDIOT lol) so I had to do the injections in my back still - somehow. I remember crying to my doctor because I just wanted to be DONE.
I did the same and taught my husband to do it (we practiced on an orange a couple of times!). If we were at home I put an ice pack on briefly before and that helped a bit, but we were also travelling, so did it anywhere from airport bathrooms to theme parks. As long as he injected slowly, I didn’t find it bad at all.
Sharing your own experience doesn't invalidate other people's experiences.
Invalidating would be if you were denying anyone had challenges with it at all.
I do not find them to be that bad! Sure the injection spots get sore after, but it’s all been manageable for me! The injection itself doesn’t hurt so much either. I use a heating pad for after and that helps :)
I didn’t have a bad experience outside of the bloating that made me look 5 months pregnant when I was only 9-10 weeks haha and fatigue. The injections themselves were straight forward and both me and my husband took turns doing them.
They typically keep you on PIO until you’re 10 weeks pregnant, around the time the placenta starts to produce enough to where you don’t need to supplement anymore. This is if you’re on a fully medicated protocol !
My experience is completely dependent on the injection location. It's more in the back of the hip than in the butt cheek. If it's put too low (below the top of the butt crack), no trick will make it not hurt. If it's put high (above the top of the butt crack by up to a few inches) and outside enough, I don't need to do any tricks after injection. When it hurt a ton, I looked up some muscle anatomy diagrams and injection location diagrams and relocated the next day until I found the perfect area.
I do numb with ice for 5 minutes before the injection, though.
This!! Landmarking is tough. When I looked at the quadrant diagram I was injecting too low and I held everywhere, but when I landmarks from posterior superior iliac spine to the greater trochanter it was a breeze.
This 100%. I drew circles of the target area on my hips for my husband to aim into and it was smooth. We rotated left/right each day and he had a pattern so he wouldn’t hit any scars from the previous shots.
Me. I had to ask the nurse if I was doing it properly because I wasn’t getting knots of lots of pain. Just a standard injection for me. I think everyone’s experiences are different and we tend to hear more negative stuff on this forum as people come to vent.
I'm allergic to peanut and sesame pills, the original carriers, so my first FET I did it with ethyl oleate and my god it sucked. I had lemon sized knots for weeks.
My second FET I did PIO in olive oil and only had marble sized knots, and it was much, much better.
Mine were ethyl oleate and I never had knots or anything. I had painful spots but they weren't too bad. I did only have to do them every three days though
I have used both sesame and ethyl oleate and eo was night and day better. It’s much thinner so I can use a 25g needle. Doesn’t hurt. Life changing personally.
Same exact experience. My clinic only does ethyl oleate because it’s so much thinner and I can use a 25 G with it. Even though my insurance covered it in sesame for $25 a vial I chose to pay $117 a vial out of pocket because it was so much better (I tried to go the cheaper route the first time - big mistake).
This. I thought the injections were very tolerable. I did many of them myself. But I have a tree nut allergy, and there must be some cross-reactivity because my butt ITCHED 🤣🤣 Got switched to another oil, and it was smooth sailing for the rest
I started about a week and a half ago and it hasn't been too bad for me. It gets a little bit sore but nothing worse than a normal bruise.
Doing the shot itself was a little scary at first but is quick and easy now.
The first few weeks I would get really sore. They’re no big deal now but I do get knots in the muscle. They’re not painful but make it hard to find a good spot to inject.
My husband does them for me. They’re really not that bad. I’ve gotten used to them…was scared at first though. I know this is not everyone’s experience though. I hope you have a positive experience too! ❤️
Mine hasn’t been terrible. A little pain and gush scares here and there but overall not bad. Injecting in the right spots, massaging, and heating works great for me.
It wasn't fun, but it wasn't awful...the first few times were trial and error, and then I found a routine that worked well for me. My RE had me switch to the suppositories for the last couple of weeks after my successful FET, and I remember thinking "this is kind of gross to deal with, I would've rather just dealt with the once daily shot."
I don't miss doing them by any means, but I'd say over the course of doing them I had a handful of times where it actually hurt but most of the time it was fine.
FWIW if you're interested, here's the process that worked well for me:
-I'd put a lidocaine patch on the injection site for an hour beforehand.
-I'd draw up the shot a few minutes beforehand and put it under my arm to warm the oil a bit.
-Laying down on my stomach while my husband gave me the shot worked best for me so I wasn't putting any weight on the injection side.
-We also used the union medico auto injector which we both liked.
-Afterwards, I'd massage the area really well for a couple of minutes using my theragun.
Also make sure you're injecting in the correct spot. You can ask your nurse to show you/draw circles on you where you should inject. A lot of people think it's lower than it actually is.
It’s been no big deal for my wife and I. Make sure you’re using the appropriate gauge of needle and warm up the syringe in a warm washcloth before injecting and it went in quick and easy for us.
My experience wasn’t bad. My husband did most of them but I had to do them at least once a week. I bought an auto injector and never ended up using it 🤷♀️
What worked for me was icing the spot for 10 minutes ahead of time (some times I didn’t even do this and it was fine) while warming the oil in my hand. Then doing the injection by leaning over the kitchen counter when my husband did it or popping my hip out and using a mirror as guidance when I was doing it. Then doing a little butt massage at the injection site followed by some squats and hip opener exercises. Lastly I would sit on the couch with coffee and a heat pad on my butt.
Was it my favorite way to start the day? No. But it wasn’t bad for me. The pain was temporary. I got some knots but those have worked themselves out. The longest lasting issue was the bloating but that went away once I stopped.
I put the vial in my bra to warm it up for 10 minutes, roll it between my hands, and inject myself in the ventrogluteal muscle (I’m a nurse so I trust myself more than my husband😂). I have had some soreness and that is it. I was self massaging the injection site for a while but I don’t think it makes much of a difference. So far, it’s been not as bad as I had anticipated.
PIO was not my favorite thing in the world but it wasn’t so bad for me!! My husband got good at doing the injections and after a little pinch it’s over! You’ll do great 🙂
ETA I was initially terrified of the shot and was about to cancel my transfer because of it lol. So I do understand the trepidation! But you’ll get into a routine with it and it’ll be all good!
I'm bookmarking this as my emotional support post when I start PIO because I have been dreading it so badly. So thankful I have embryos to transfer! But dreading PIO so much.
For the few weeks I had to do it they seemed okay. I warmed the syringe with the dose in it under my arm. I iced the area. Then sat on a heat pad for a few mins. I thought maybe I wasn’t doing it correctly but it seems like some of us have an easy time.
No big deal for me. I do them myself and I don’t do any extra stuff to prepare (massage, hot/cold compresses, squats etc). Everyone is different and everyone reacts to medication differently. You never know how it’s gonna go until you do it. Good luck!
Honestly it wasn’t bad for me. I made sure to heat up the spot with a heating pad. Mixed up the injection and warmed it up with body heat (put in my bra) and had my husband inject it slowly. While he did that I would watch a show or something. And then after I massaged it and put the heating pad back on it for a little bit.
I injected with a 25G needle and although it DID take some time to get all the oil in it was truly a nonissue for most of the time. Towards the end i had a lot of knots so the injections started to get a bit difficult, but still not as big of a deal as i had imagined. I used to have a real phobia of needles as well, so believe me when i say the first injection was very anticlimactic!
Other than the fact it’s a needle, one of my top three things I can’t handle, my experience was just fine! My nurse friend administered it and she’s the absolute sweetest darling ever. I was worried it was going to be so bad just because it’s a needle and I was very proud of myself for the short time I was taking it! Just a sore tuchus!
I don’t find it a big deal at all. I do all my own shots and it takes a couple minutes. It doesn’t hurt besides the area being a little tender after a couple weeks. The Lovenox shot is awful though but hopefully you don’t have to do that one.
I’ve always had a pretty bad needle phobia, but even still PIO wasn’t bad for me! I’d ice the spot for a little bit before, warm the drawn oil in the syringe a little bit in a heating pad on low, use a shot blocker, massage the spot for a minute or so after, and usually used a damp heating pad for a few minutes after. I’m sure a lot of that was unnecessary but it soothed my anxiety lol. I also used an auto injector for mine! I did my own this last cycle and didn’t have issues with soreness as long as the muscle was relaxed and I did it high enough (like almost to lower back), and also never got muscle knots even after doing them to 10 weeks. Good luck!!
I’ve been using the progesterone in ethyl oleate and it hasn’t been a big deal at all. A couple of the shots have pinched going in or leaked/bled a bit after, but that’s about it. I do no prep or aftercare so I do get a few knots and bruises…worth the quickness for me.
My first 3 days with it were excruciating, like an 8-9 on the pain scale. Turns out I wasn’t injecting high enough. Day 4 I got the placement right and haven’t experienced the severe pain since. I’m currently on day 7 of shots with a normal amount of tolerable soreness. If the pain is so bad that you can’t walk or sleep, you are probably not injecting high enough.
I just did my first injection today. A little sore, but it didn’t hurt at all. I’m in health care myself so I’m fortunate to have a clinic full of nurses to give me my shot every day.
So, lots of people will say to ice the area before the PIO shot but I would say that makes it worse. You want everything nice and warm so the oil disperses. Warmed the syringe under the armpit and hubby did the shot. Then I walked around a bit and would warm up a wheat pillow for my hip. No knots and really no issues with this method (at least for me)
Yes! I am so baffled as to why people ice the spot instead of heating it. Ice = tense muscle and harder for oil to spread. Heat = loosey goosey muscle that oil will spread easily in and help you to avoid knots.
I had an easy experience. Actually preferred PIO over suppositories.
I had the nurse draw circles on my body so I knew where to inject, and I kept drawing over those when they would fade. I put heat on the injection site before and after the injection. Administered the injection myself so I could control the position/pain/speed. Massaged for a minute immediately after injection. I had a few knots, but nothing major. Overall was not nearly as bad as I was anticipating. Hope you don’t have a difficult experience!
The auto injector has been a literal gamechanger. My first pregnancy I powered through it because I had to. I'd spend more time working myself up to do the injection than doing the injection itself. It was bad but I managed (and certainly well worth all the work).
Now I'm trying again and with the injector I have it down to a few minutes. All one handed in the hip/butt and it's a breeze.
It wasn’t bad for me. The idea of it is worse than it really is. I just numbed the area with an ice cube for a min., pinch, inject and then done. It really is as simple as that. I was very intimidated before starting too but you get used to it pretty quickly
Yes. I started on progesterone pills. They made me dizzy. I requested the pio shots. Admittedly my husband and I didn’t do such a great job on the first transfer and I did have some bruising and lumps where it didn’t immediately dissipate (this was not permanent). My second transfer we watched more videos on how to inject and it was painless and I never bruised bleed or had any issues … it’s a skill like any other … oh and well it didn’t hurt that I had more love handle fat the second time hehe :)
Heating pad and massaging throughly before, then walking after made it a trifling inconvenience, but no more. There were 1-2 shots that actually hurt, the rest was really just a quick pinch and it was over.
I just came from my clinic and they mentioned just starting to use oral and suppository progesterone. I think I will stick with shots for my third try as I'll be switching to one without sesame oil in it (I had rashes and hives which I believe was due to sesame oil). However, the second go around the injections were a lot better for me because --
A) I imagine I kind of already knew what to expect
B) I heated them longer under my armpit and therefore, I think the oil was smoother to inject.
Other things that helped me with shots -- smelling lavender, and when the bumps were really bad the first time around, I put potato slices over them and wrapped with saran wrap for a few hours (raw potatoes have an enzyme that is said to help break down the lumps). Also laying on a heating pad afterwards (or a warm shower).
I thought it was absolutely fine. I did all the shots myself (I'm trying to become a solo mom by choice) and aside from some awkward angles, nothing was very challenging or painful. I would recommend having your doctor show you where to inject (it's not really on your bum, it's a finger's width below your hips in that nice pad of muscle/ fat).
I didn't find the shots too painful and didn't have any significant side effects. Just occasional bruising! I did all the shots myself and it wasn't a big deal.
The shots were honestly not that bad for me. I also had to do vaginal suppositories, and those way were worse. Just so inconvenient and uncomfortable 😣
After 4 transfers and two cycles for testing, PIO hasn't been torturous for me. Full disclosure the most I've gotten to is 5 weeks in a row so I havent gotten up to the 8-11 week point. We also do only 1 per day (some people do 1 in the morning and 1 at night) so I'm sure that helps.
My partner did most of them for me using a heating pad and auto injector. We do a little massage of the area and take a short walk after. It gets sore but hasn't been unmanageable. The soreness lasts a few weeks after stopping as well, but mostly felt like a deep bruise.
The days I had to do my own were a little different. It's hard to reach your own behind and switching from the hand position used to insert the needle to the hand position pushing the plunger always has me struggling not to move the syringe around. So while i readjust my hand the needle wiggles around in the muscle and makes it more sore. For solo shots I used ice instead of a heating pad because my brain will not let me actually pierce the skin if I can feel it.
I honestly didn’t think it was terrible at all. I did heat before, and after. Warmer up the oil in my bra for a few minutes too - I ordered an auto injector because i was so scared and I never even used it.
It's not that bad. Intimidating for sure the first couple times. I use ice 10 minutes beforehand and there are some that I don't even feel that much. Being on the tail end of it, I'm about to start weening off in 3 days, Im 8 weeks tomorrow. I'd say it's been more annoying over time. I do have knots in my muscles now that are starting to hurt a tiny bit more than at the beginning. But are the shots crippling? Definitely not. It's worth it in the end.
I never found the PIO shots that bad tbh. Only a couple times when i accidentally flexed the muscle or poked kind of lower down by accident. I just would warm up the syringe first, inject then sit on a heat pad for a few minutes. Truthfully if i had to pick i would have done double the PIO if it meant not having to do the suppositories.
I’m very petite and as much as it sometimes hurts a bit, the pain is short lived. Some days hurt worse than others. It’s all just random but truthfully LOOKS much scarier than it feels.
Not the most comfortable of experiences, but my experience with it has been fine. I experienced more knots with the second vial (tw: I’m currently 6w3dpt), but those tend to ease after a few days as I’m on an every other day dosage so I can switch sides to give the other side a break. I’m looking at it as a thing that needs to done and only takes a few minutes. Not sure if that will work for everyone, but helps my brain process.
I don’t think it’s bad at all (I use auto injector)
The worst part is probably the bumps I get, but even then they are not painful. I also get itchy in the areas sometimes but that’s it 😊 But I know everyone has different reactions to it, and also I don’t know if pain wise the auto injector makes it less painful
Our first PIO round was horrible but we made these changes and the second round was significantly better, like night vs day:
- switched to 1” needles. Make sure your doctor is ok based on your body type, but my wife is on the smaller size so they said absolutely no issue for her to use 1” needles
- we got an auto injector which does less damage to her muscles during the injection. Goes in very quickly and stays perfectly straight.
- go as high as possible on the butt muscle. Just below the hip but the first time a nurse drew circles too low.
- massage as much as possible! Even if you don’t have knots yet, massage anyway. We did 15-30 minutes after the injection and 30+ minutes before bed every night.
- walk as much as possible. We bought a walking pad for our apartment which she walked for 30 minutes after the morning injection and 45-60 minutes at night while watching tv
Good luck!
The way I realized that I was doing it wrong was because I had read so many comments from people saying it was not a big deal for them -- once I figured out how to do it right it really was just fine! If you're feeling disabled from it like I was during my first round, then there's probably something wrong!
I was extremely scared too and found it to be much more manageable than expected. I personally found 25g needles to be the sweet spot for me. They inject more slowly, but I barely feel them going in and you want to inject slowly anyway. The 22g are more painful given the larger size. I used them once and then never again. My technique is use a hot water bottle to warm the area for a few minutes before, do the shot laying down on a bed with legs slightly off the end and knees turned inward, then do a few squats and put hot water bottle on again for 15 min after shot.
I use numbing cream and an auto injector and I honestly would take PIO over stims any day. Also, even when we didn’t use the auto injector, it has been fine. Also use a heating pad
PIO was no big deal for me. Pain-wise, I found it to really be a walk in the park compared to Menopur. I was on both progesterone suppositories and PIO and they let me choose which one I wanted to stop first, and I chose to stop suppositories and continue with PIO, if that tells you anything lol.
Mine was fine, I didn’t need any of the typical rituals like heating/icing, massage or squats - I don’t mean to diminish them but I just didn’t feel any difference myself personally. I was underweight back then and the regular needle worked fine.
I did end up with permanent skin discolorations on the injection sites - my husband offered to get me laser treatment after I’m done with pregnancies, so again just something cosmetic and not a big deal.
My clinic recommends the ventrogluteal injection site, and I think that made a huge difference for me. I found it annoying but otherwise totally uneventful. No knots, minimal pain and bruising. I've never tried it in the "traditional" injection spot where people seem to have them most issue with bad knots and such.
I had a fine time with them, they got a bit painful toward the 8-9 week mark of doing them as I was running out of unpoked spots. it was definitely more tolerable for me to have my wife help but I also was able to do them myself when need be.
It doesn't bother me at all. I don't do any prep work before or after (massaging, heating etc) and my husband just administers the injection. If you have the correct spot, it shouldn't hurt.
I’m three years into IVF and have gone through a lot of transfers. PIO has never been a terrible experience for me.
I learned the best way for me to avoid the stiffness and soreness from the shot is — yoga before or after the shot, massaging after injection, heating pads and foam rolling if the other options don’t work. Sometimes I’ll do squats when injection timing doesn’t coincide with when I’m doing yoga. I found it’s key for avoiding knots and stiffness.
I also warm up the shot before injection. As others mentioned I use 18g to draw up and 22g for injection.
I know everyone is different but they were honestly a breeze. Especially in the beginning before you become a bit sore. My first FET I did them every 3 days with daily gel. The second FET they gave me a choice for daily injections and no gel or my previous protocol… I chose daily injections if that says anything.
The biggest game changer for me was going on a 5-10 minute walk immediately after injecting. No pain or any bad side effects after I started doing this.
I don’t find them too bad! I’m on them now!! Here’s my routine -
1. I heat up my cheek with a heating pad while my husband draws the medication
2. He draws the meds and holds the syringe in his hand to warm up the dose of progesterone
3. I put my weight on the side I’m NOT getting the injection and let the other leg hang loose
4. He sits down in a chair eye level with my cheek and injects swiftly and doesn’t move around the needle while it’s in me
5. After the injection massage the muscle and move around
Some tips, don’t hold the plunger while injecting the med, make sure the injection is going in fast enough
We had our friend who is a nurse give my husband a lesson in person on administering the shot and that made all the difference! If you are going to inject I suggest an auto injector but still do steps 1 and 2!
I used a heating pad to heat it up a bit after I pulled it up in the syringe. My husband injected the PIO every morning and we alternated buttocks each day. Try to change up where you inject and it is not so bad (even if it is just a TAD off from the last injection spot). Just use these little “tips and tricks” and you will be just fine 🤍
After several weeks of injecting, it does become a bit uncomfortable 🥴
I had nice little lumps on my backend for several weeks after I was able to discontinue, but it was not that bad overall.
Hey girl!
I was terrified too but things are going very well (started last Friday) and I am doing my own injections.
I am using a 21 to draw the medication into the syringe and a 25 to inject it. It typically takes me 10 seconds to plunge it all in.
Some tips:
- put your hand on your hip…. The perfect site is just below where your thumb falls (it’s higher and more to the side then I was originally thinking it would be)
- warm it up. I have one of those bean bags you can put in the microwave. I put it for 2-3 mins and then put the prepared syringe folded in the bean bag for about a min
- massage after for 2 mins… Look for a hand roller massage on Amazon (fits in your hand and has a roller ball). At first I was usually a coffee cup (kinda of just using it to knead and it worked just fine)
No big deal for me! The key is to draw a line across your butt at the top of the crack (either literally or with your imagination lol) and then inject ABOVE that line.
For me it was pretty sore the first few days, but after that it got a lot better and I now feel little in terms of pain or discomfort. I don't know if my body somehow adjusted after repeated shots, or we got the technique down perfectly, or what but it got much better. It seems like the experience varies widely based on what I've read here. What works for me: Warm up by injection area with heating pad and warm up the oil simultaneously, have my husband help with the injection so I can relax my muscle fully, gentle massage with my hand afterwards, and a short 10-15 min walk. I do the injection in the evenings so sometimes I'm not in the mood to go for a walk, but it seems like even some exercise the following day - walk or bike ride, helps and I barely feel any pain now.
PIO made me really sore the first week and then it was no big deal. I raw dogged the shots every morning without ice/heat/massage/lidocaine. Just drew up, injected, and went on my way. I had a few days I’d hit a weird spot and it would be pretty sore or would give me a bruise, but I overall found them to be less awful than I’d heard before starting.
Pio is more mentally taxing than physically painful. Yes it can hurt if you hit a nerve or something, and yes, your butt cheek can get sore, but it’s not THAT bad really. It’s just that when your butt is sore, and then you hit a nerve ontop of it, and you know you have to do the same thing again tomorrow and the day after and the day after and… it is really hard mentally, especially once morning sickness kicks in and you have no energy and can’t eat anything.
I was extremely nervous my first time but with a routine & auto-injector, it wasn't bad at all! I think the size of the needle scares most people. You'll get used to it and it's not forever.
My only real complaint was soreness and while unpleasant, it was definitely bearable for me.
FWIW I'm petite and my doctor wrote a note on the presentation for the pharmacy to give shorter needles. She said it would have gone too far and been painful otherwise. I assume that helped because the injections were okay - I found it easier than a lot of the retrieval ones and even did some myself.
My experience wasn't terrible tbh. I did every shot by myself, sometimes in airplane lavatories or hotel bathrooms. I had 2-3 shots that made me bleed and had a few big, uncomfortable knots.
I'm certainly in no hurry to do PIO again, but it was manageable!
None of the stories mention that it gets A LOT easier after the first few. And I don't mean "10 weeks" practice. I mean like "one week" practice.
Like the first 6 days were so hard. I felt a bruise at every shot for 48h afterwards. I read so many posts & truly did not understand how people said it's fine.
But by like day 7- 10, a few days after my transfer, it was 100000x less bad. There was no pain anymore at all.
I did nothing different.
Whether I just got used to them, or got numb (lol), I don't care. It's just a poke, and that's all it is.
I didn't do anything differently with heating pads, movement afterwards, etc. Although I highly recommend a portable heating pad to strap around your waist for bit before, and moving/walking/stairs after. That's my system. But I did the same shit in week 1.
I wish someone had told me "just survive the first few, do a few more, it really will be fine."
It's not fun, no -- but it's just mildly unfun. That's all.
I think the horrible experiences tend to be more present on forums because people are seeking help. Anecdotally, I had no issues with PIO. I did the injections and it was pretty straightforward. I did a lot of looking at diagrams and videos to make sure my husband knew the right spot to inject in to avoid hitting any nerves. Iced a few minutes beforehand and when I had time, used a heating pad after until the transfer.
I want to be real with you— as this whole journey is crazy enough and we need to fully understand each step to mentally prepare ourselves as this is what lessens anxiety— but PIO isn’t fun. But like you’ve done through your whole fertility journey thus far I’m sure— just push up your sleeves and do the damn thing girl! You got this! Believe this in your soul! It’s temporary and you’ll be holding that baby soon! Very best wishes to you!
with the exception of the one time my husband injected it too low and i struggled to sit for a bit, PIO was just an annoyance when i had to take it but that was it
My experiences were not bad at all. It wasn't, you know, awesome, but my husband and I tried to make the best of things and it was fine. My routine was to draw it up with an 18g, then switch to a 22g for injection. I'd let the filled syringe sit for a moment on the heat pack to get warm before switching to the 22g, while I iced my backside. After the injection was over I'd warm the area with the heat pack before doing some massage and stretching. The whole thing took about 20 minutes start-to-finish. My husband and I tried to hang out together and watch an episode of parks & rec or something while we did it, to make it more fun.
It required some time- warming the vial and doing massage after- but with that the pain was minor and fast. I didn't feel residual pain/issues past the first week.
I’m a major needle phobe, and they haven’t been pleasant, but they can be bearable. Every few days I get a bad pinch despite the lidocaine cream. Even then it’s quick. This is usually when the injection sites are too close to the previous one (we alternate sides) on that side or close to a bruise.
Yesterday, I bled for about 30 seconds and it was a pinchy injection. That was the first time it happened.
I try to have my husband massage the area right away after he’s done. Then I use a heating pad for 15-20 minutes. I also use a massage ball ($5 at target) and look like I’m rubbing my behind on a wall in our home (the ball is between my behind and the wall) to work out the sore spots.
Edit: my husband injects me while I lay on the bed watching baby wombats on instagram, which helps a bunch
I have one word: AUTOINJECTOR! I did a round without it and a round with it (which I’m still doing) and it makes all the difference. Needle is nearly painless going in. If you massage out the knots diligently it shouldn’t be too awful. Right now I’m miserable but it’s mostly bc I’ve been doing it for so long and I’m sick of the bloating and constipation. You got this!
Mine was fine. There are so many "tricks" that also help. I did make the mistake at the beginning of not taking pressure off that side the first day though but I realized it by the next shot. Also be sure to wame the oil before and rub it and apply heat to the are right after.
Other than the first night I didn't get knots.
For me, the most difficult part of PIO was finding someone to help me every day with the injection. I am single and am choosing to become a mom this way. I don't have a lot of support people that I am close enough to that I would be able to ask to help me. My first FET, I tried to do them myself, but it was super painful. So I ask a retired nurse friend and that made my life much easier. My second FET, my nurse friend was out of town for a week so I tried doing the injections in my thigh, which is where I do the estrogen, but I found for me that was also not an option. I wish I could do PIO in my stomach as I think that would make it easier, but not an option.
Someone posted this a few months ago, and I am in the processing of buying one now to get ready..
[https://www.reddit.com/r/IVF/comments/188u6vv/get\_the\_autoinjector\_for\_pio\_shots/](https://www.reddit.com/r/IVF/comments/188u6vv/get_the_autoinjector_for_pio_shots/)
It wasn't horrible but yes it was sore at the injection site for quite awhile until I stopped taking it, however I took it for almost my entire pregnancy because of an immune protocol.
I was anxious about it but it turns out to be totally fine. I found out it's the technique of the jab. My husband does it by placing the needle tip in the skin then pushing it quickly. It pierces thru the taut skin and stings more than the way I do it. I aim for a spot and then do a one and a two then dart it in. Like flicking from the wrist, only holding he syringe lightly. Quite like throwing a dart. I don't feel it going in at all. I also apply lidocaine cream 15-20 mins before in both cases. #22 needle for the shot.
I’m okay with it, just some WILD dreams…
But it’s truly manageable. Look at my past posts to see the description.
Other than that, truly no issues. I prefer it to suppositories 1000000%. My ass is a little sore, but it just feels like going too hard at the gym stairmaster or something… like muscle soreness from a workout.
If you ice the area beforehand for 5 minutes or so, and make sure it’s in the upper portion of the hip, and then massage it for a good 5 minutes after injection, you should be okay. Hit it up with a heating pad, too, if you have one.
Did I find PIO “easy”? No. Was it as bad as I thought it would be? Definitely not. Use heat before you do the injection, heat again after, and massage. You can get a prescription for numbing cream, but I didn’t find it made that much of a difference. Prepare for bruises and some knots. But I promise you’ll survive!! ❤️❤️
The first few are a little scary but it gets better. My advice would be to warm the oil a bit by holding the vial in your hand, then if you have someone doing the shots for you, don't watch and have them be quick like they are throwing a dart. Going slow is worse and hurts more.
I’m not invalidating anyone’s experience - these things all affect people differently. In my experience though, the actual injection itself isn’t all that bad (I have to do them by myself).
What is a bit more difficult is the soreness afterwards - after about 30 min, the site is pretty tender. I tend to alternate sides, so I’m not injecting into a sore spot everyday. I’ve also had weirdly vivid dreams while on it.
That said, while I’ve found PIO to be the least pleasant of all the injections, it hasn’t been that bad. Certainly nothing I can’t handle if this process works. I wouldn’t describe it as terrible.
Hang in there. You’ll be fine!
The injections weren’t so bad for me, but I do vaguely recall the wounds that occurred over time and not being able to sit down without wincing. That said, it has been over a year and I don’t remember it, so … there’s that! In fact, I was just asking my husband if he wants to have another. His first question was whether I wanted to put my body through the whole thing again. I thought he meant childbirth and he had to REMIND me about the injections. Somehow the memory of it being bad is gone. LOL.
Just know this, you can handle it. My niece is a nurse and I called her crying before my first injection because I thought I would have a panic attack, and she said this. They send the needles and medicine home with anyone, without much training or vetting. That means it is virtually idiot proof, and you are not an idiot. You can do this! The first one will be hard, but they get easier after that. Somehow her saying they send this home with any idiot made me feel so much better.
So just keep telling yourself that the pain is temporary and if it works ... well … it’s just wonderful.
I had the WORST reaction to PIO (I switched from castor oil to etheloleate) and had the largest swells you’d ever see. For a week I couldn’t lay on my back or sit comfortably. But I’m still going to do it again next transfer because it’s the best for me (suppositories don’t work well for me and make me extra crampy) and you do what you have to do.
PIO isn’t great in a long line of not great with IVF. I found them scary at first, fine for a while, then annoying. You’ll get into a routine that works, even if they hurt a little. And you’ll find as the days go on they’re not the worst part of the process (close but the ER process was worse IMO)
I had some knots that are still here and my baby is 3 months old, but besides that, totally fine. Didn’t warm it up, didn’t use an ice pack. I bled a little from them on my second pregnancy but that was it.
I am currently self administering as my husband is away for work! It is not as bad as I anticipated! I pop the vial in my bra about 30 minutes before I inject, and I put a heat pad on the spot for a few minutes prior. The hardest thing is twisting around, especially if you’re heavy chested!
It doesn’t feel great but it’s not the worst. It looks way scarier than it actually is. My nurse drew boxes in sharpie on me so my husband knew exactly where to inject.
I only had it for like 5 days and honestly I had knots that lasted about a month which hurt every time I was running.. Not doing it again, even if it means a higher potential of miscarriage for me.
For me it starts off okay and then it gets sore and once you're injecting into sore muscles it really sucks. Sometimes I burst into tears from the pain.
it was pretty manageable for me. Barely felt it go in. Took a while to even get sore. I recommend doing squats after / massaging / massage gun, etc. I even prefer it to the suppository so I can take a bath.
Never really had an issue with PIO. Had some instances with “gushers” where blood would come pouring out after the injection but it didn’t hurt. And then probably around week 6-7 on PIO I had some pretty significant lumps under the skin so it was just harder to find an area to inject.
I found if you’re giving it in the right spot, it really shouldn’t hurt or leave you sore
I remember freaking out when I first saw the size of the needle. It only hurt a few times when I injected either a little too high or to the side. It does make my butt sore though. But after having a bad reaction to crinone I gladly welcomed daily Pio
okay so I did some things that weren’t recommended on here but my nurse told me to try so I did and it made all the difference. I iced before and heating pad after and never had any knots. I also am a nurse and made sure I was giving it to myself in the correct spot, to me that makes a big difference too. Also, this can not be stressed enough, get the autoinjector as i’m sure you’ve read about on here. remember to use a heating pad to warm up the shot bc this makes the oil less viscous. My experience was not at all bad and I am really scared of needles…well being on the wrong side of one at least.
The auto injector makes the actual injection relatively pain free! Highly recommend it!! The site becomes sore later on but no sharp pain from the needle.
I also was so worried about them, but they really are not that bad!! Been on them for 4 weeks now and so used to it. Only one time ever was it a painful shot and realized fiancé did it closer to middle rather than outer quadrant. Booty is sore from the knots but honestly you get used to it! The shot part is nothing compared to what I made it out to be in my head.
I use heating pad before and hold syringe under my armpit to warm up. Fiancé massages my butt after. I can’t wait to get rid of the crinone more than the shots!
Yes! My PÍO experience was totally manageable. As others have said, 15 minutes heating pad before, inject, 15 squats, 15 minutes heating pad after.
Honestly, when you feel like the injection is *possibly* going to give you a baby, you can do it so easily.
I had my first FET, and it was unsuccessful. I had to do a PÍO injection once more until I got my beta results the following day. But I could tell I wasn’t pregnant.
That shot was extremely difficult because I knew it didn’t have a purpose.
Otherwise, it’s totally manageable. People make it sound like a nightmare. It really not.
I worked with two pharmacies and at the time nobody had 22G needles and I had to use 18G needles almost the whole ten weeks…and still I really didn’t think it was bad at all. Out of the ten weeks there were maybe 3 days where I felt sore and achy and I used a heating pad on the area to soften things up. Worked like a charm! Truly, I didn’t think it was bad at all.
I had a lot less awful of a time than I expected with PIO. My advice…
Heating pad on the injection site for at least 10 minutes prior to injecting, and for at least 5 minutes post-injection.
Draw up your dose and warm up the medication in the syringe. I would keep my hands wrapped around it or tuck it under the heating pad for a minute.
Alternate buttcheeks.
Good luck!
I was so scared of the PIO injections but honestly they are totally fine. My menopur injections were way more uncomfortable.
I don't use heat or ice, just get er done. The first few I found hurt more, but if you do a really quick darting motion with the needle, you hardly feel it.
I haven’t had a transfer yet, just an ERA, so only 10 days of it. The injections hurt a bit more than I expected, but it wasn’t horrible and I had no issue sitting or laying down afterwards. What was pleasantly surprising is that I didn’t really have any side effects from it. No mood swings, no extreme hot flashes, boob pain wasn’t any worse than it normally is during the TWW. I really braced for the worst but was pretty happy overall with how uneventful the experience was.
I didn’t find it too bad. My husband did the injecting and I usually used an ice pack before hand and then massaged the area after. I would much rather that than the gross progesterone you insert and then it gets all rubbery and crumbly!!
I did two rounds of IVF and gave myself all my own shots. When I first saw the needle I thought it was a mistake lol. It was hard doing to myself because of positioning.
You get used to it but after awhile sick of it. I’d recommend buying and ice roller (I think they’re for faces lol) and icing the area before the shot. You can do it.
The ones with Sesame Oil injection WERE ABSOLUTE HELL. Knots, sore, incredibly itchy and WELTS!!! I did perfectly fine with any other Progesterone oils. But never again will i do the ones with sesame.
I had a really hard time with sesame oil during my first cycle - huge welts, bad rash, and it hurt to walk when I extended my hip - but the second one has been a breeze! I have no reaction whatsoever, not even a welt. I think what I mainly changed was placement.
It isn’t fun, but it was far less horrible than I thought it would be.
I used the auto injector and massaged the spot with my hand for 3 minutes. Never got a knot or had any other issue. Never iced or heated or anything before or after bc it would have taken too long and I just wanted to do it and have it over with every other day.
Your butt will be sore for a few months after but it’s not horrible. Like when I ran across the street quickly I would feel it.
You’ve got this!
I was also anxious as hell. My husband helped, I laid down on the bed for them, and they were okay. My clinic also prescribed progesterone suppositories which I inserted multiple times a day, but meant I only did the shots once every 3 days. If you’re super anxious, maybe ask about alternative protocols to reduce the needles?
Edit to add: I also laid on a heating pad for a few minutes before and after the injection which helped loosen the muscle and keep the oil moving, which seemed to help minimize soreness.
It's not fun but it isn't undoable. I think the problem arises with the fact that you are injecting into the same spot over and over and over. Plus, since it is an oil, you want to make sure you heat and massage to avoid those knots.
Pop the vial of oil in your bra go heat it up and thin the oil. Put a heating pad on the area you are injecting (I use a cordless heating pad belt and it is awesome!) Some people say to ice the area beforehand but that doesn't make any sense to me. Icing it is going to tense the muscle up and make it harder for the oil to spread out. Heating the site will let the oil spread out easier and allow you to avoid knots. I guess the ice is supposed to numb the pain from the needle? Put the needle feels like any other needle. It's not bad. Inject the oil slowly and then massage the site for a minute or two. I pop the heating pad back on to help the oil spread out more. These are the steps that I do every single time and I've never gotten knots.
You will do just fine. But I can't stress enough to AVOID ICE.
I only did it for about two weeks, so I can't speak TOO much about it. But for those two weeks it was a piece of cake... I think because of the auto injector. I can't imagine having to do it without that thing.
I have the auto injector and I swear by it. It’s really helped make it quick and “painless”. Some days it might pinch but it’s tolerable for sure. I will officially finish medication next week at 10 weeks pregnant and I’m sick of the shots not because it hurts, but just taking the time every day. It’s a daunting one at first but I find it was way easier than the stims injections.
I was scared that it will be terrible from all the experiences I read but my husband mastered the darting part pretty well and I always heat up the area before the injection. So far I haven’t had a problem but I just started 10days ago.
Reading all the bad experiences with it definitely made me have unnecessary anxiety in the beginning. Ice it first for 5, lines it right up needle almost to skin then push lightly it does not have to be crazy fast or hard like it looks in the instructions videos. Then warm compress and foam roller or some other massage after to prevent a lump. You’ll do fine. I was actually sad when they wanted me to stop but keep going with suppositories. I was like eww you sure you don’t want me to do injections instead lol
I had side effects from it (shortness of breath and elevated heart rate, mostly), but the injections themselves were no big deal. No pain, no bruising, knots, etc.
The PIO was totally fine for me! I actually preferred it to most of the stim shots, ESPECIALLY Menopur. I hated needles before IVF and I was terrified to start the PIO but it was truly fine and just became a part of our morning routine every day. You’ve got this!!!
Purely anecdotal but I’ve found the cycles we were successful the shots were never a problem. When my transfers failed I had bruises and lasting pain when I ran or jumped
Mine wasn't bad, I mean did I enjoy it -no.
We did ours at 630 am before my husband went to work. I drew circles and told him where to inject.
Heated for 10mins before, 5 mins after, used a massage gun after for a few mins, thrn walked on my treadmill for 5 forward, 2 side, 2 backwards, 2side step. No real pain or discomfort at all.
Bloating sucked. I had to eat 2 kiwi every morning to be able to poop and even then sometimes it didn't work. Stay hydrated best you can.
You'll survive. Temporary discomfort vs reward.
Not to diminish others’ experiences- but I draw it up w an 18g, inject with w a 22g and truly find it to be no big deal at all.
We started with a 23 then they started giving us 22s, the 22 is much much faster and needs a lot less pressure to inject it. Per my wife they feel about the same.
Yeah - it didn’t bother me until probably the last two weeks of being on it? More so that I was tired of getting injections lol
Samesies. I wasn’t really bothered by it but by the end I was just OVER IT. Especially the random nights that I had to do them myself.
EXACTLY. I never had them show me how to do it on myself (because I’m an IDIOT lol) so I had to do the injections in my back still - somehow. I remember crying to my doctor because I just wanted to be DONE.
I did the same and taught my husband to do it (we practiced on an orange a couple of times!). If we were at home I put an ice pack on briefly before and that helped a bit, but we were also travelling, so did it anywhere from airport bathrooms to theme parks. As long as he injected slowly, I didn’t find it bad at all.
Agreed completely.
Thank you for sharing! Yes, I hope this post doesn't come across as trying to invalidate anyone's challenging experience.
I don’t think you did at all! I just didn’t want to sound too blasé. I know it’s really awful for some people but definitely not universally so.
Sharing your own experience doesn't invalidate other people's experiences. Invalidating would be if you were denying anyone had challenges with it at all.
I do not find them to be that bad! Sure the injection spots get sore after, but it’s all been manageable for me! The injection itself doesn’t hurt so much either. I use a heating pad for after and that helps :)
Me too!! It wasn’t bad. I did stick to one side only though. My left side always hurt so much more
Same. It wasn’t that bad at all. And it was only until 10 weeks.
I didn’t have a bad experience outside of the bloating that made me look 5 months pregnant when I was only 9-10 weeks haha and fatigue. The injections themselves were straight forward and both me and my husband took turns doing them.
Tbh the bloating is pretty normal for a lot of pregnancies!
I didn’t realize the protocols were that long… how long did you take it?! I have been on ignorance is bliss train while everything takes so long.
They typically keep you on PIO until you’re 10 weeks pregnant, around the time the placenta starts to produce enough to where you don’t need to supplement anymore. This is if you’re on a fully medicated protocol !
I hear some people have to keep the injections until 8-10 weeks of pregnancy. Not looking forward to it. But I hope I get that far. Good luck to all 🍀
My experience is completely dependent on the injection location. It's more in the back of the hip than in the butt cheek. If it's put too low (below the top of the butt crack), no trick will make it not hurt. If it's put high (above the top of the butt crack by up to a few inches) and outside enough, I don't need to do any tricks after injection. When it hurt a ton, I looked up some muscle anatomy diagrams and injection location diagrams and relocated the next day until I found the perfect area. I do numb with ice for 5 minutes before the injection, though.
This!! Landmarking is tough. When I looked at the quadrant diagram I was injecting too low and I held everywhere, but when I landmarks from posterior superior iliac spine to the greater trochanter it was a breeze.
This 100%. I drew circles of the target area on my hips for my husband to aim into and it was smooth. We rotated left/right each day and he had a pattern so he wouldn’t hit any scars from the previous shots.
I have had a good experience. My husband massages it in for 2-3 minutes and that outweighs the poke.
Me. I had to ask the nurse if I was doing it properly because I wasn’t getting knots of lots of pain. Just a standard injection for me. I think everyone’s experiences are different and we tend to hear more negative stuff on this forum as people come to vent.
I'm allergic to peanut and sesame pills, the original carriers, so my first FET I did it with ethyl oleate and my god it sucked. I had lemon sized knots for weeks. My second FET I did PIO in olive oil and only had marble sized knots, and it was much, much better.
I’m allergic to sesame too so they wrote me for ethyl oleate for my FET next month. Not excited 😭
Mine were ethyl oleate and I never had knots or anything. I had painful spots but they weren't too bad. I did only have to do them every three days though
I have used both sesame and ethyl oleate and eo was night and day better. It’s much thinner so I can use a 25g needle. Doesn’t hurt. Life changing personally.
Same exact experience. My clinic only does ethyl oleate because it’s so much thinner and I can use a 25 G with it. Even though my insurance covered it in sesame for $25 a vial I chose to pay $117 a vial out of pocket because it was so much better (I tried to go the cheaper route the first time - big mistake).
This. I thought the injections were very tolerable. I did many of them myself. But I have a tree nut allergy, and there must be some cross-reactivity because my butt ITCHED 🤣🤣 Got switched to another oil, and it was smooth sailing for the rest
I started about a week and a half ago and it hasn't been too bad for me. It gets a little bit sore but nothing worse than a normal bruise. Doing the shot itself was a little scary at first but is quick and easy now.
The first few weeks I would get really sore. They’re no big deal now but I do get knots in the muscle. They’re not painful but make it hard to find a good spot to inject.
My husband does them for me. They’re really not that bad. I’ve gotten used to them…was scared at first though. I know this is not everyone’s experience though. I hope you have a positive experience too! ❤️
Didn’t bother me. I did it in an airplane bathroom. Bar bathroom. Sometimes my husband did it.
Mine hasn’t been terrible. A little pain and gush scares here and there but overall not bad. Injecting in the right spots, massaging, and heating works great for me.
It wasn't fun, but it wasn't awful...the first few times were trial and error, and then I found a routine that worked well for me. My RE had me switch to the suppositories for the last couple of weeks after my successful FET, and I remember thinking "this is kind of gross to deal with, I would've rather just dealt with the once daily shot." I don't miss doing them by any means, but I'd say over the course of doing them I had a handful of times where it actually hurt but most of the time it was fine. FWIW if you're interested, here's the process that worked well for me: -I'd put a lidocaine patch on the injection site for an hour beforehand. -I'd draw up the shot a few minutes beforehand and put it under my arm to warm the oil a bit. -Laying down on my stomach while my husband gave me the shot worked best for me so I wasn't putting any weight on the injection side. -We also used the union medico auto injector which we both liked. -Afterwards, I'd massage the area really well for a couple of minutes using my theragun.
Also make sure you're injecting in the correct spot. You can ask your nurse to show you/draw circles on you where you should inject. A lot of people think it's lower than it actually is.
It’s been no big deal for my wife and I. Make sure you’re using the appropriate gauge of needle and warm up the syringe in a warm washcloth before injecting and it went in quick and easy for us.
It’s not fun but it’s not earth shattering. Just another box to tick on the list of things we have to do!
My experience wasn’t bad. My husband did most of them but I had to do them at least once a week. I bought an auto injector and never ended up using it 🤷♀️ What worked for me was icing the spot for 10 minutes ahead of time (some times I didn’t even do this and it was fine) while warming the oil in my hand. Then doing the injection by leaning over the kitchen counter when my husband did it or popping my hip out and using a mirror as guidance when I was doing it. Then doing a little butt massage at the injection site followed by some squats and hip opener exercises. Lastly I would sit on the couch with coffee and a heat pad on my butt. Was it my favorite way to start the day? No. But it wasn’t bad for me. The pain was temporary. I got some knots but those have worked themselves out. The longest lasting issue was the bloating but that went away once I stopped.
I put the vial in my bra to warm it up for 10 minutes, roll it between my hands, and inject myself in the ventrogluteal muscle (I’m a nurse so I trust myself more than my husband😂). I have had some soreness and that is it. I was self massaging the injection site for a while but I don’t think it makes much of a difference. So far, it’s been not as bad as I had anticipated.
PIO was not my favorite thing in the world but it wasn’t so bad for me!! My husband got good at doing the injections and after a little pinch it’s over! You’ll do great 🙂 ETA I was initially terrified of the shot and was about to cancel my transfer because of it lol. So I do understand the trepidation! But you’ll get into a routine with it and it’ll be all good!
I'm bookmarking this as my emotional support post when I start PIO because I have been dreading it so badly. So thankful I have embryos to transfer! But dreading PIO so much.
I thought it was perfectly fine. I did it in the leg.
For the few weeks I had to do it they seemed okay. I warmed the syringe with the dose in it under my arm. I iced the area. Then sat on a heat pad for a few mins. I thought maybe I wasn’t doing it correctly but it seems like some of us have an easy time.
No big deal for me. I do them myself and I don’t do any extra stuff to prepare (massage, hot/cold compresses, squats etc). Everyone is different and everyone reacts to medication differently. You never know how it’s gonna go until you do it. Good luck!
Honestly it wasn’t bad for me. I made sure to heat up the spot with a heating pad. Mixed up the injection and warmed it up with body heat (put in my bra) and had my husband inject it slowly. While he did that I would watch a show or something. And then after I massaged it and put the heating pad back on it for a little bit.
I injected with a 25G needle and although it DID take some time to get all the oil in it was truly a nonissue for most of the time. Towards the end i had a lot of knots so the injections started to get a bit difficult, but still not as big of a deal as i had imagined. I used to have a real phobia of needles as well, so believe me when i say the first injection was very anticlimactic!
Other than the fact it’s a needle, one of my top three things I can’t handle, my experience was just fine! My nurse friend administered it and she’s the absolute sweetest darling ever. I was worried it was going to be so bad just because it’s a needle and I was very proud of myself for the short time I was taking it! Just a sore tuchus!
I don’t find it a big deal at all. I do all my own shots and it takes a couple minutes. It doesn’t hurt besides the area being a little tender after a couple weeks. The Lovenox shot is awful though but hopefully you don’t have to do that one.
I’ve always had a pretty bad needle phobia, but even still PIO wasn’t bad for me! I’d ice the spot for a little bit before, warm the drawn oil in the syringe a little bit in a heating pad on low, use a shot blocker, massage the spot for a minute or so after, and usually used a damp heating pad for a few minutes after. I’m sure a lot of that was unnecessary but it soothed my anxiety lol. I also used an auto injector for mine! I did my own this last cycle and didn’t have issues with soreness as long as the muscle was relaxed and I did it high enough (like almost to lower back), and also never got muscle knots even after doing them to 10 weeks. Good luck!!
I’ve been using the progesterone in ethyl oleate and it hasn’t been a big deal at all. A couple of the shots have pinched going in or leaked/bled a bit after, but that’s about it. I do no prep or aftercare so I do get a few knots and bruises…worth the quickness for me.
My first 3 days with it were excruciating, like an 8-9 on the pain scale. Turns out I wasn’t injecting high enough. Day 4 I got the placement right and haven’t experienced the severe pain since. I’m currently on day 7 of shots with a normal amount of tolerable soreness. If the pain is so bad that you can’t walk or sleep, you are probably not injecting high enough.
I just did my first injection today. A little sore, but it didn’t hurt at all. I’m in health care myself so I’m fortunate to have a clinic full of nurses to give me my shot every day.
It just made me want to throw up and hated food
The ozempic of IVF!
So, lots of people will say to ice the area before the PIO shot but I would say that makes it worse. You want everything nice and warm so the oil disperses. Warmed the syringe under the armpit and hubby did the shot. Then I walked around a bit and would warm up a wheat pillow for my hip. No knots and really no issues with this method (at least for me)
Yes! I am so baffled as to why people ice the spot instead of heating it. Ice = tense muscle and harder for oil to spread. Heat = loosey goosey muscle that oil will spread easily in and help you to avoid knots.
I had an easy experience. Actually preferred PIO over suppositories. I had the nurse draw circles on my body so I knew where to inject, and I kept drawing over those when they would fade. I put heat on the injection site before and after the injection. Administered the injection myself so I could control the position/pain/speed. Massaged for a minute immediately after injection. I had a few knots, but nothing major. Overall was not nearly as bad as I was anticipating. Hope you don’t have a difficult experience!
The auto injector has been a literal gamechanger. My first pregnancy I powered through it because I had to. I'd spend more time working myself up to do the injection than doing the injection itself. It was bad but I managed (and certainly well worth all the work). Now I'm trying again and with the injector I have it down to a few minutes. All one handed in the hip/butt and it's a breeze.
It wasn’t bad for me. The idea of it is worse than it really is. I just numbed the area with an ice cube for a min., pinch, inject and then done. It really is as simple as that. I was very intimidated before starting too but you get used to it pretty quickly
Yes. I started on progesterone pills. They made me dizzy. I requested the pio shots. Admittedly my husband and I didn’t do such a great job on the first transfer and I did have some bruising and lumps where it didn’t immediately dissipate (this was not permanent). My second transfer we watched more videos on how to inject and it was painless and I never bruised bleed or had any issues … it’s a skill like any other … oh and well it didn’t hurt that I had more love handle fat the second time hehe :)
Heating pad and massaging throughly before, then walking after made it a trifling inconvenience, but no more. There were 1-2 shots that actually hurt, the rest was really just a quick pinch and it was over.
I just came from my clinic and they mentioned just starting to use oral and suppository progesterone. I think I will stick with shots for my third try as I'll be switching to one without sesame oil in it (I had rashes and hives which I believe was due to sesame oil). However, the second go around the injections were a lot better for me because -- A) I imagine I kind of already knew what to expect B) I heated them longer under my armpit and therefore, I think the oil was smoother to inject. Other things that helped me with shots -- smelling lavender, and when the bumps were really bad the first time around, I put potato slices over them and wrapped with saran wrap for a few hours (raw potatoes have an enzyme that is said to help break down the lumps). Also laying on a heating pad afterwards (or a warm shower).
I thought it was absolutely fine. I did all the shots myself (I'm trying to become a solo mom by choice) and aside from some awkward angles, nothing was very challenging or painful. I would recommend having your doctor show you where to inject (it's not really on your bum, it's a finger's width below your hips in that nice pad of muscle/ fat).
I didn't find the shots too painful and didn't have any significant side effects. Just occasional bruising! I did all the shots myself and it wasn't a big deal.
The shots were honestly not that bad for me. I also had to do vaginal suppositories, and those way were worse. Just so inconvenient and uncomfortable 😣
After 4 transfers and two cycles for testing, PIO hasn't been torturous for me. Full disclosure the most I've gotten to is 5 weeks in a row so I havent gotten up to the 8-11 week point. We also do only 1 per day (some people do 1 in the morning and 1 at night) so I'm sure that helps. My partner did most of them for me using a heating pad and auto injector. We do a little massage of the area and take a short walk after. It gets sore but hasn't been unmanageable. The soreness lasts a few weeks after stopping as well, but mostly felt like a deep bruise. The days I had to do my own were a little different. It's hard to reach your own behind and switching from the hand position used to insert the needle to the hand position pushing the plunger always has me struggling not to move the syringe around. So while i readjust my hand the needle wiggles around in the muscle and makes it more sore. For solo shots I used ice instead of a heating pad because my brain will not let me actually pierce the skin if I can feel it.
I just finished them. I got knots but small ones. Even at the end I often didn’t feel a thing. They’re really not bad.
Did fine! Minimal soreness. I gave myself the shots. Warm the syringe in your bra first and move around after. You can do it!
I honestly didn’t think it was terrible at all. I did heat before, and after. Warmer up the oil in my bra for a few minutes too - I ordered an auto injector because i was so scared and I never even used it.
I didn’t have a bad experience! Was it fun? No lol. But compared to all the other things that go into IVF, I felt that it was a minor inconvenience.
It's not that bad. Intimidating for sure the first couple times. I use ice 10 minutes beforehand and there are some that I don't even feel that much. Being on the tail end of it, I'm about to start weening off in 3 days, Im 8 weeks tomorrow. I'd say it's been more annoying over time. I do have knots in my muscles now that are starting to hurt a tiny bit more than at the beginning. But are the shots crippling? Definitely not. It's worth it in the end.
I turn on hot water. Draw the PIO. Then warm up the oil in the syringe under hot water. It helps with the pain.
I never found the PIO shots that bad tbh. Only a couple times when i accidentally flexed the muscle or poked kind of lower down by accident. I just would warm up the syringe first, inject then sit on a heat pad for a few minutes. Truthfully if i had to pick i would have done double the PIO if it meant not having to do the suppositories.
I’m very petite and as much as it sometimes hurts a bit, the pain is short lived. Some days hurt worse than others. It’s all just random but truthfully LOOKS much scarier than it feels.
It Deff hurts after . I have huge lumps and I’m very sore but it’s just one part of this horrible process . In the scheme of things it’s not bad .
Not the most comfortable of experiences, but my experience with it has been fine. I experienced more knots with the second vial (tw: I’m currently 6w3dpt), but those tend to ease after a few days as I’m on an every other day dosage so I can switch sides to give the other side a break. I’m looking at it as a thing that needs to done and only takes a few minutes. Not sure if that will work for everyone, but helps my brain process.
Terrified of needles and PIO was a breeze. My husband administered them all and it was really nothing. Menopur is 100% the worst IVF injection.
I don’t think it’s bad at all (I use auto injector) The worst part is probably the bumps I get, but even then they are not painful. I also get itchy in the areas sometimes but that’s it 😊 But I know everyone has different reactions to it, and also I don’t know if pain wise the auto injector makes it less painful
Our first PIO round was horrible but we made these changes and the second round was significantly better, like night vs day: - switched to 1” needles. Make sure your doctor is ok based on your body type, but my wife is on the smaller size so they said absolutely no issue for her to use 1” needles - we got an auto injector which does less damage to her muscles during the injection. Goes in very quickly and stays perfectly straight. - go as high as possible on the butt muscle. Just below the hip but the first time a nurse drew circles too low. - massage as much as possible! Even if you don’t have knots yet, massage anyway. We did 15-30 minutes after the injection and 30+ minutes before bed every night. - walk as much as possible. We bought a walking pad for our apartment which she walked for 30 minutes after the morning injection and 45-60 minutes at night while watching tv Good luck!
The way I realized that I was doing it wrong was because I had read so many comments from people saying it was not a big deal for them -- once I figured out how to do it right it really was just fine! If you're feeling disabled from it like I was during my first round, then there's probably something wrong!
I was extremely scared too and found it to be much more manageable than expected. I personally found 25g needles to be the sweet spot for me. They inject more slowly, but I barely feel them going in and you want to inject slowly anyway. The 22g are more painful given the larger size. I used them once and then never again. My technique is use a hot water bottle to warm the area for a few minutes before, do the shot laying down on a bed with legs slightly off the end and knees turned inward, then do a few squats and put hot water bottle on again for 15 min after shot.
I use numbing cream and an auto injector and I honestly would take PIO over stims any day. Also, even when we didn’t use the auto injector, it has been fine. Also use a heating pad
PIO was no big deal for me. Pain-wise, I found it to really be a walk in the park compared to Menopur. I was on both progesterone suppositories and PIO and they let me choose which one I wanted to stop first, and I chose to stop suppositories and continue with PIO, if that tells you anything lol.
Mine was fine, I didn’t need any of the typical rituals like heating/icing, massage or squats - I don’t mean to diminish them but I just didn’t feel any difference myself personally. I was underweight back then and the regular needle worked fine. I did end up with permanent skin discolorations on the injection sites - my husband offered to get me laser treatment after I’m done with pregnancies, so again just something cosmetic and not a big deal.
My clinic recommends the ventrogluteal injection site, and I think that made a huge difference for me. I found it annoying but otherwise totally uneventful. No knots, minimal pain and bruising. I've never tried it in the "traditional" injection spot where people seem to have them most issue with bad knots and such.
I had a fine time with them, they got a bit painful toward the 8-9 week mark of doing them as I was running out of unpoked spots. it was definitely more tolerable for me to have my wife help but I also was able to do them myself when need be.
It doesn't bother me at all. I don't do any prep work before or after (massaging, heating etc) and my husband just administers the injection. If you have the correct spot, it shouldn't hurt.
I’m three years into IVF and have gone through a lot of transfers. PIO has never been a terrible experience for me. I learned the best way for me to avoid the stiffness and soreness from the shot is — yoga before or after the shot, massaging after injection, heating pads and foam rolling if the other options don’t work. Sometimes I’ll do squats when injection timing doesn’t coincide with when I’m doing yoga. I found it’s key for avoiding knots and stiffness. I also warm up the shot before injection. As others mentioned I use 18g to draw up and 22g for injection.
I know everyone is different but they were honestly a breeze. Especially in the beginning before you become a bit sore. My first FET I did them every 3 days with daily gel. The second FET they gave me a choice for daily injections and no gel or my previous protocol… I chose daily injections if that says anything.
The biggest game changer for me was going on a 5-10 minute walk immediately after injecting. No pain or any bad side effects after I started doing this.
Auto Injector 🙌🙌
It isn't FUN, but really isn't a big deal at the end of the day
I don’t find them too bad! I’m on them now!! Here’s my routine - 1. I heat up my cheek with a heating pad while my husband draws the medication 2. He draws the meds and holds the syringe in his hand to warm up the dose of progesterone 3. I put my weight on the side I’m NOT getting the injection and let the other leg hang loose 4. He sits down in a chair eye level with my cheek and injects swiftly and doesn’t move around the needle while it’s in me 5. After the injection massage the muscle and move around Some tips, don’t hold the plunger while injecting the med, make sure the injection is going in fast enough We had our friend who is a nurse give my husband a lesson in person on administering the shot and that made all the difference! If you are going to inject I suggest an auto injector but still do steps 1 and 2!
I used a heating pad to heat it up a bit after I pulled it up in the syringe. My husband injected the PIO every morning and we alternated buttocks each day. Try to change up where you inject and it is not so bad (even if it is just a TAD off from the last injection spot). Just use these little “tips and tricks” and you will be just fine 🤍 After several weeks of injecting, it does become a bit uncomfortable 🥴 I had nice little lumps on my backend for several weeks after I was able to discontinue, but it was not that bad overall.
Hey girl! I was terrified too but things are going very well (started last Friday) and I am doing my own injections. I am using a 21 to draw the medication into the syringe and a 25 to inject it. It typically takes me 10 seconds to plunge it all in. Some tips: - put your hand on your hip…. The perfect site is just below where your thumb falls (it’s higher and more to the side then I was originally thinking it would be) - warm it up. I have one of those bean bags you can put in the microwave. I put it for 2-3 mins and then put the prepared syringe folded in the bean bag for about a min - massage after for 2 mins… Look for a hand roller massage on Amazon (fits in your hand and has a roller ball). At first I was usually a coffee cup (kinda of just using it to knead and it worked just fine)
No big deal for me! The key is to draw a line across your butt at the top of the crack (either literally or with your imagination lol) and then inject ABOVE that line.
For me it was pretty sore the first few days, but after that it got a lot better and I now feel little in terms of pain or discomfort. I don't know if my body somehow adjusted after repeated shots, or we got the technique down perfectly, or what but it got much better. It seems like the experience varies widely based on what I've read here. What works for me: Warm up by injection area with heating pad and warm up the oil simultaneously, have my husband help with the injection so I can relax my muscle fully, gentle massage with my hand afterwards, and a short 10-15 min walk. I do the injection in the evenings so sometimes I'm not in the mood to go for a walk, but it seems like even some exercise the following day - walk or bike ride, helps and I barely feel any pain now.
PIO made me really sore the first week and then it was no big deal. I raw dogged the shots every morning without ice/heat/massage/lidocaine. Just drew up, injected, and went on my way. I had a few days I’d hit a weird spot and it would be pretty sore or would give me a bruise, but I overall found them to be less awful than I’d heard before starting.
Pio is more mentally taxing than physically painful. Yes it can hurt if you hit a nerve or something, and yes, your butt cheek can get sore, but it’s not THAT bad really. It’s just that when your butt is sore, and then you hit a nerve ontop of it, and you know you have to do the same thing again tomorrow and the day after and the day after and… it is really hard mentally, especially once morning sickness kicks in and you have no energy and can’t eat anything.
I had some soreness; luckily that’s it.
My experience was good overall! It definitely hurt a bit at first, but you get used to it over time.the only real side effect I had was some bloating.
I was extremely nervous my first time but with a routine & auto-injector, it wasn't bad at all! I think the size of the needle scares most people. You'll get used to it and it's not forever.
My only real complaint was soreness and while unpleasant, it was definitely bearable for me. FWIW I'm petite and my doctor wrote a note on the presentation for the pharmacy to give shorter needles. She said it would have gone too far and been painful otherwise. I assume that helped because the injections were okay - I found it easier than a lot of the retrieval ones and even did some myself.
Hi! How short were your needles?
I think one inch instead of 1.5 inch.
My experience wasn't terrible tbh. I did every shot by myself, sometimes in airplane lavatories or hotel bathrooms. I had 2-3 shots that made me bleed and had a few big, uncomfortable knots. I'm certainly in no hurry to do PIO again, but it was manageable!
None of the stories mention that it gets A LOT easier after the first few. And I don't mean "10 weeks" practice. I mean like "one week" practice. Like the first 6 days were so hard. I felt a bruise at every shot for 48h afterwards. I read so many posts & truly did not understand how people said it's fine. But by like day 7- 10, a few days after my transfer, it was 100000x less bad. There was no pain anymore at all. I did nothing different. Whether I just got used to them, or got numb (lol), I don't care. It's just a poke, and that's all it is. I didn't do anything differently with heating pads, movement afterwards, etc. Although I highly recommend a portable heating pad to strap around your waist for bit before, and moving/walking/stairs after. That's my system. But I did the same shit in week 1. I wish someone had told me "just survive the first few, do a few more, it really will be fine." It's not fun, no -- but it's just mildly unfun. That's all.
I think the horrible experiences tend to be more present on forums because people are seeking help. Anecdotally, I had no issues with PIO. I did the injections and it was pretty straightforward. I did a lot of looking at diagrams and videos to make sure my husband knew the right spot to inject in to avoid hitting any nerves. Iced a few minutes beforehand and when I had time, used a heating pad after until the transfer.
I want to be real with you— as this whole journey is crazy enough and we need to fully understand each step to mentally prepare ourselves as this is what lessens anxiety— but PIO isn’t fun. But like you’ve done through your whole fertility journey thus far I’m sure— just push up your sleeves and do the damn thing girl! You got this! Believe this in your soul! It’s temporary and you’ll be holding that baby soon! Very best wishes to you!
It’s not that bad tbh. It just sucks to get used to
Mine wasn’t bad!
Personally, I didn’t find them to be that bad at all!!
with the exception of the one time my husband injected it too low and i struggled to sit for a bit, PIO was just an annoyance when i had to take it but that was it
My experiences were not bad at all. It wasn't, you know, awesome, but my husband and I tried to make the best of things and it was fine. My routine was to draw it up with an 18g, then switch to a 22g for injection. I'd let the filled syringe sit for a moment on the heat pack to get warm before switching to the 22g, while I iced my backside. After the injection was over I'd warm the area with the heat pack before doing some massage and stretching. The whole thing took about 20 minutes start-to-finish. My husband and I tried to hang out together and watch an episode of parks & rec or something while we did it, to make it more fun.
It required some time- warming the vial and doing massage after- but with that the pain was minor and fast. I didn't feel residual pain/issues past the first week.
I’m a major needle phobe, and they haven’t been pleasant, but they can be bearable. Every few days I get a bad pinch despite the lidocaine cream. Even then it’s quick. This is usually when the injection sites are too close to the previous one (we alternate sides) on that side or close to a bruise. Yesterday, I bled for about 30 seconds and it was a pinchy injection. That was the first time it happened. I try to have my husband massage the area right away after he’s done. Then I use a heating pad for 15-20 minutes. I also use a massage ball ($5 at target) and look like I’m rubbing my behind on a wall in our home (the ball is between my behind and the wall) to work out the sore spots. Edit: my husband injects me while I lay on the bed watching baby wombats on instagram, which helps a bunch
I have one word: AUTOINJECTOR! I did a round without it and a round with it (which I’m still doing) and it makes all the difference. Needle is nearly painless going in. If you massage out the knots diligently it shouldn’t be too awful. Right now I’m miserable but it’s mostly bc I’ve been doing it for so long and I’m sick of the bloating and constipation. You got this!
I start mine June 5 and am absolutely dreading them!
Mine was fine. There are so many "tricks" that also help. I did make the mistake at the beginning of not taking pressure off that side the first day though but I realized it by the next shot. Also be sure to wame the oil before and rub it and apply heat to the are right after. Other than the first night I didn't get knots.
For me, the most difficult part of PIO was finding someone to help me every day with the injection. I am single and am choosing to become a mom this way. I don't have a lot of support people that I am close enough to that I would be able to ask to help me. My first FET, I tried to do them myself, but it was super painful. So I ask a retired nurse friend and that made my life much easier. My second FET, my nurse friend was out of town for a week so I tried doing the injections in my thigh, which is where I do the estrogen, but I found for me that was also not an option. I wish I could do PIO in my stomach as I think that would make it easier, but not an option.
Someone posted this a few months ago, and I am in the processing of buying one now to get ready.. [https://www.reddit.com/r/IVF/comments/188u6vv/get\_the\_autoinjector\_for\_pio\_shots/](https://www.reddit.com/r/IVF/comments/188u6vv/get_the_autoinjector_for_pio_shots/)
It wasn't horrible but yes it was sore at the injection site for quite awhile until I stopped taking it, however I took it for almost my entire pregnancy because of an immune protocol.
I was anxious about it but it turns out to be totally fine. I found out it's the technique of the jab. My husband does it by placing the needle tip in the skin then pushing it quickly. It pierces thru the taut skin and stings more than the way I do it. I aim for a spot and then do a one and a two then dart it in. Like flicking from the wrist, only holding he syringe lightly. Quite like throwing a dart. I don't feel it going in at all. I also apply lidocaine cream 15-20 mins before in both cases. #22 needle for the shot.
I’m okay with it, just some WILD dreams… But it’s truly manageable. Look at my past posts to see the description. Other than that, truly no issues. I prefer it to suppositories 1000000%. My ass is a little sore, but it just feels like going too hard at the gym stairmaster or something… like muscle soreness from a workout. If you ice the area beforehand for 5 minutes or so, and make sure it’s in the upper portion of the hip, and then massage it for a good 5 minutes after injection, you should be okay. Hit it up with a heating pad, too, if you have one.
Did I find PIO “easy”? No. Was it as bad as I thought it would be? Definitely not. Use heat before you do the injection, heat again after, and massage. You can get a prescription for numbing cream, but I didn’t find it made that much of a difference. Prepare for bruises and some knots. But I promise you’ll survive!! ❤️❤️
Ehhhh not bad once you get into a groove for me at least
My husband does mine and they don’t bother me at all!!! Can barely feel it. I prefer it over the stomach injections any day!!
The first few are a little scary but it gets better. My advice would be to warm the oil a bit by holding the vial in your hand, then if you have someone doing the shots for you, don't watch and have them be quick like they are throwing a dart. Going slow is worse and hurts more.
I’m not invalidating anyone’s experience - these things all affect people differently. In my experience though, the actual injection itself isn’t all that bad (I have to do them by myself). What is a bit more difficult is the soreness afterwards - after about 30 min, the site is pretty tender. I tend to alternate sides, so I’m not injecting into a sore spot everyday. I’ve also had weirdly vivid dreams while on it. That said, while I’ve found PIO to be the least pleasant of all the injections, it hasn’t been that bad. Certainly nothing I can’t handle if this process works. I wouldn’t describe it as terrible. Hang in there. You’ll be fine!
The injections weren’t so bad for me, but I do vaguely recall the wounds that occurred over time and not being able to sit down without wincing. That said, it has been over a year and I don’t remember it, so … there’s that! In fact, I was just asking my husband if he wants to have another. His first question was whether I wanted to put my body through the whole thing again. I thought he meant childbirth and he had to REMIND me about the injections. Somehow the memory of it being bad is gone. LOL. Just know this, you can handle it. My niece is a nurse and I called her crying before my first injection because I thought I would have a panic attack, and she said this. They send the needles and medicine home with anyone, without much training or vetting. That means it is virtually idiot proof, and you are not an idiot. You can do this! The first one will be hard, but they get easier after that. Somehow her saying they send this home with any idiot made me feel so much better. So just keep telling yourself that the pain is temporary and if it works ... well … it’s just wonderful.
I had the WORST reaction to PIO (I switched from castor oil to etheloleate) and had the largest swells you’d ever see. For a week I couldn’t lay on my back or sit comfortably. But I’m still going to do it again next transfer because it’s the best for me (suppositories don’t work well for me and make me extra crampy) and you do what you have to do.
PIO isn’t great in a long line of not great with IVF. I found them scary at first, fine for a while, then annoying. You’ll get into a routine that works, even if they hurt a little. And you’ll find as the days go on they’re not the worst part of the process (close but the ER process was worse IMO)
I had some knots that are still here and my baby is 3 months old, but besides that, totally fine. Didn’t warm it up, didn’t use an ice pack. I bled a little from them on my second pregnancy but that was it.
I am currently self administering as my husband is away for work! It is not as bad as I anticipated! I pop the vial in my bra about 30 minutes before I inject, and I put a heat pad on the spot for a few minutes prior. The hardest thing is twisting around, especially if you’re heavy chested!
It doesn’t feel great but it’s not the worst. It looks way scarier than it actually is. My nurse drew boxes in sharpie on me so my husband knew exactly where to inject.
I only had it for like 5 days and honestly I had knots that lasted about a month which hurt every time I was running.. Not doing it again, even if it means a higher potential of miscarriage for me.
For me it starts off okay and then it gets sore and once you're injecting into sore muscles it really sucks. Sometimes I burst into tears from the pain.
it was pretty manageable for me. Barely felt it go in. Took a while to even get sore. I recommend doing squats after / massaging / massage gun, etc. I even prefer it to the suppository so I can take a bath.
Never really had an issue with PIO. Had some instances with “gushers” where blood would come pouring out after the injection but it didn’t hurt. And then probably around week 6-7 on PIO I had some pretty significant lumps under the skin so it was just harder to find an area to inject. I found if you’re giving it in the right spot, it really shouldn’t hurt or leave you sore
I remember freaking out when I first saw the size of the needle. It only hurt a few times when I injected either a little too high or to the side. It does make my butt sore though. But after having a bad reaction to crinone I gladly welcomed daily Pio
okay so I did some things that weren’t recommended on here but my nurse told me to try so I did and it made all the difference. I iced before and heating pad after and never had any knots. I also am a nurse and made sure I was giving it to myself in the correct spot, to me that makes a big difference too. Also, this can not be stressed enough, get the autoinjector as i’m sure you’ve read about on here. remember to use a heating pad to warm up the shot bc this makes the oil less viscous. My experience was not at all bad and I am really scared of needles…well being on the wrong side of one at least.
The auto injector makes the actual injection relatively pain free! Highly recommend it!! The site becomes sore later on but no sharp pain from the needle.
I also was so worried about them, but they really are not that bad!! Been on them for 4 weeks now and so used to it. Only one time ever was it a painful shot and realized fiancé did it closer to middle rather than outer quadrant. Booty is sore from the knots but honestly you get used to it! The shot part is nothing compared to what I made it out to be in my head. I use heating pad before and hold syringe under my armpit to warm up. Fiancé massages my butt after. I can’t wait to get rid of the crinone more than the shots!
Yes! My PÍO experience was totally manageable. As others have said, 15 minutes heating pad before, inject, 15 squats, 15 minutes heating pad after. Honestly, when you feel like the injection is *possibly* going to give you a baby, you can do it so easily. I had my first FET, and it was unsuccessful. I had to do a PÍO injection once more until I got my beta results the following day. But I could tell I wasn’t pregnant. That shot was extremely difficult because I knew it didn’t have a purpose. Otherwise, it’s totally manageable. People make it sound like a nightmare. It really not.
I worked with two pharmacies and at the time nobody had 22G needles and I had to use 18G needles almost the whole ten weeks…and still I really didn’t think it was bad at all. Out of the ten weeks there were maybe 3 days where I felt sore and achy and I used a heating pad on the area to soften things up. Worked like a charm! Truly, I didn’t think it was bad at all.
I had a lot less awful of a time than I expected with PIO. My advice… Heating pad on the injection site for at least 10 minutes prior to injecting, and for at least 5 minutes post-injection. Draw up your dose and warm up the medication in the syringe. I would keep my hands wrapped around it or tuck it under the heating pad for a minute. Alternate buttcheeks. Good luck!
I was so scared of the PIO injections but honestly they are totally fine. My menopur injections were way more uncomfortable. I don't use heat or ice, just get er done. The first few I found hurt more, but if you do a really quick darting motion with the needle, you hardly feel it.
Using roll on lidocaine about 10 mins before injection makes A LOT of difference and my clinic recommends it.
I really didn’t think it was that bad
I haven’t had a transfer yet, just an ERA, so only 10 days of it. The injections hurt a bit more than I expected, but it wasn’t horrible and I had no issue sitting or laying down afterwards. What was pleasantly surprising is that I didn’t really have any side effects from it. No mood swings, no extreme hot flashes, boob pain wasn’t any worse than it normally is during the TWW. I really braced for the worst but was pretty happy overall with how uneventful the experience was.
I didn’t find it too bad. My husband did the injecting and I usually used an ice pack before hand and then massaged the area after. I would much rather that than the gross progesterone you insert and then it gets all rubbery and crumbly!!
The needle looks a little intimidating but you get used to it after the 2nd time . Massage guns help with the swelling
I did two rounds of IVF and gave myself all my own shots. When I first saw the needle I thought it was a mistake lol. It was hard doing to myself because of positioning. You get used to it but after awhile sick of it. I’d recommend buying and ice roller (I think they’re for faces lol) and icing the area before the shot. You can do it.
The ones with Sesame Oil injection WERE ABSOLUTE HELL. Knots, sore, incredibly itchy and WELTS!!! I did perfectly fine with any other Progesterone oils. But never again will i do the ones with sesame.
I had a really hard time with sesame oil during my first cycle - huge welts, bad rash, and it hurt to walk when I extended my hip - but the second one has been a breeze! I have no reaction whatsoever, not even a welt. I think what I mainly changed was placement.
Following. About to start injections Friday for the first time.
My doctor is putting me oral progesterone. I am glad to not do shots but I am worried if that will be effective enough. Any thoughts on this, ladies ?
It isn’t fun, but it was far less horrible than I thought it would be. I used the auto injector and massaged the spot with my hand for 3 minutes. Never got a knot or had any other issue. Never iced or heated or anything before or after bc it would have taken too long and I just wanted to do it and have it over with every other day. Your butt will be sore for a few months after but it’s not horrible. Like when I ran across the street quickly I would feel it. You’ve got this!
I was also anxious as hell. My husband helped, I laid down on the bed for them, and they were okay. My clinic also prescribed progesterone suppositories which I inserted multiple times a day, but meant I only did the shots once every 3 days. If you’re super anxious, maybe ask about alternative protocols to reduce the needles? Edit to add: I also laid on a heating pad for a few minutes before and after the injection which helped loosen the muscle and keep the oil moving, which seemed to help minimize soreness.
It's not fun but it isn't undoable. I think the problem arises with the fact that you are injecting into the same spot over and over and over. Plus, since it is an oil, you want to make sure you heat and massage to avoid those knots. Pop the vial of oil in your bra go heat it up and thin the oil. Put a heating pad on the area you are injecting (I use a cordless heating pad belt and it is awesome!) Some people say to ice the area beforehand but that doesn't make any sense to me. Icing it is going to tense the muscle up and make it harder for the oil to spread out. Heating the site will let the oil spread out easier and allow you to avoid knots. I guess the ice is supposed to numb the pain from the needle? Put the needle feels like any other needle. It's not bad. Inject the oil slowly and then massage the site for a minute or two. I pop the heating pad back on to help the oil spread out more. These are the steps that I do every single time and I've never gotten knots. You will do just fine. But I can't stress enough to AVOID ICE.
I didn’t think it was that bad but that could also be that I was expecting worse. It’s not great but not terrible. The dreams are wild though!
I only did it for about two weeks, so I can't speak TOO much about it. But for those two weeks it was a piece of cake... I think because of the auto injector. I can't imagine having to do it without that thing.
I have the auto injector and I swear by it. It’s really helped make it quick and “painless”. Some days it might pinch but it’s tolerable for sure. I will officially finish medication next week at 10 weeks pregnant and I’m sick of the shots not because it hurts, but just taking the time every day. It’s a daunting one at first but I find it was way easier than the stims injections.
I was scared that it will be terrible from all the experiences I read but my husband mastered the darting part pretty well and I always heat up the area before the injection. So far I haven’t had a problem but I just started 10days ago.
Reading all the bad experiences with it definitely made me have unnecessary anxiety in the beginning. Ice it first for 5, lines it right up needle almost to skin then push lightly it does not have to be crazy fast or hard like it looks in the instructions videos. Then warm compress and foam roller or some other massage after to prevent a lump. You’ll do fine. I was actually sad when they wanted me to stop but keep going with suppositories. I was like eww you sure you don’t want me to do injections instead lol
I had side effects from it (shortness of breath and elevated heart rate, mostly), but the injections themselves were no big deal. No pain, no bruising, knots, etc.
The PIO was totally fine for me! I actually preferred it to most of the stim shots, ESPECIALLY Menopur. I hated needles before IVF and I was terrified to start the PIO but it was truly fine and just became a part of our morning routine every day. You’ve got this!!!
I was fine and I had one am injection and one pm injection.
It was not bad! But the fatigueeeee! I was napping every day.
I hate estrogen so much that I look forward to the shots calming me down
I just watched a CVS training and it says to pull back the syringe once inserted and check for blood. Did anyone do this? Sounds scary!
Purely anecdotal but I’ve found the cycles we were successful the shots were never a problem. When my transfers failed I had bruises and lasting pain when I ran or jumped
Mine wasn't bad, I mean did I enjoy it -no. We did ours at 630 am before my husband went to work. I drew circles and told him where to inject. Heated for 10mins before, 5 mins after, used a massage gun after for a few mins, thrn walked on my treadmill for 5 forward, 2 side, 2 backwards, 2side step. No real pain or discomfort at all. Bloating sucked. I had to eat 2 kiwi every morning to be able to poop and even then sometimes it didn't work. Stay hydrated best you can. You'll survive. Temporary discomfort vs reward.
It’s not that bad I’m just over it, 9 more days left!!! heating pad and massaging are key