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trigger injection ivf

Trigger Injection IVF

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When you are starting your IVF journey, you will be swimming with sorts of many new terms. In vitro fertilization is a crucial and sensitive medical procedure that involves a range of stages. One among them is trigger shots, a significant stage of the process denoting the end of ovarian stimulation medication.

Your fertility specialist will suggest to you when you need this trigger shot and how it is related to other medications and procedures.

In this article, you’ll learn a bit about what a trigger shot is, its importance, and how it positively influences your success rate.

What is a trigger shot and its role in IVF?

A trigger shot or trigger injection, also known as a hormonal injection, is used in fertility therapy. People may call it by different terms—Novarel, Ovidrel, or Pregnyl—but the trigger shot contains the same pregnancy hormone: hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin).

hCG injection works more than LH secretion (luteinizing hormone), which is produced in the pituitary gland. The role of hCG is to trigger an ovary to mature and release a quality egg.

This hormonal injection also initiates meiosis, which helps eggs shed their chromosomes, ranging from 46 to 23. This process is quite essential so that the 23 chromosomes in sperm combine with eggs and make fertilization.

When is the trigger shot given?

Doctors suggest giving a trigger shot before 36 hours of egg retrieval during the IVF cycle. The timing is very crucial; this process will work only when the eggs are at their peak maturity.

As mentioned, this trigger shot is a hormonal injection (hCG) that stimulates the ovaries to mature and release an egg. Some women may experience mild symptoms of egg rupture after receiving the hCG injection.

Before giving injections, doctors ensure that the egg reaches the desired growth and development through blood tests and ultrasounds. Under- or over-developed eggs minimize the chances of successful conception. So, the clinical team will be tracking your follicle development and suggesting an injection if it has grown to its optimal size. Even a few hours of delay can impact the success of treatment. 

How is the trigger shot administered?

A trigger shot is a fertility medication that is usually given once per cycle. It can be administered in two ways, which helps the ovaries release mature eggs during ovulation.

Such two ways include:

Intramuscularly: In this way, the trigger shot is injected into a muscle, which may cause bruising (it will not break your skin but may cause discoloration). It makes you feel like a vaccine shot.

Subcutaneously: This is the most common route to be followed. The shot is injected under the skin, more often in the abdomen.

This trigger shot is not so painful, but you may feel some discomfort. Before undergoing this procedure, the fertility team will provide a complete guide and may offer you a practice session. It is important to follow their instructions to ensure that the medication is administered properly.

What Happens If You Miss the Trigger Shot?

If you are taking the trigger shot late, intimate your fertility clinic or a team to take the essential possible action to retrieve a mature egg. Generally, we can’t collect an egg once it is released from an ovary, but we can give it a try to resolve this situation. In certain circumstances, they may have the luck to adjust your egg collection time. If it’s all out of your control, you should wait till the next cycle.

Is the trigger shot painful?

A trigger shot is not that painful but may cause some discomfort experience, which can vary from person to person. Women often report that the subcutaneous injection (injected under the skin) causes redness and an inflamed and itchy feeling for two to three days. When using either way, intramuscular (given into the muscle) injection causes very minimal effects.

Possible Side Effects of the Trigger Shot

Most women don’t experience any side effects or pain following a trigger shot. They may have some discomfort in the abdomen and mild bloating. However, this is happening due to the combined effect of hormonal medications and increasing the size of ovaries. When giving a trigger shot, these symptoms might be slightly increased.

Beyond this case, if you feel any pain or impact on your health condition, don’t hesitate to seek advice from your fertility team. Ensure you monitor this abdominal discomfort and bloating, as this can also be a symptom of OHSS (Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome). If you are left untreated, the situation may become severe, resulting in reduced urination and breathing difficulty.

Why is the trigger shot important?

A trigger shot during the IVF cycle is essential to make the eggs mature for collection. Once the shot is injected, your ovaries are triggered to achieve the desired egg growth at a specific time. The whole process is crucially outlined by your fertility team to ensure the timing of eggs released from an ovary.

Conclusion

If you want to know more about trigger shots, consult with your fertility specialist. It is the most important phase of the IVF cycle and involves collecting the eggs from the ovaries. Your fertility team will be continuously monitoring your treatment cycle to inject trigger shots at the right time. The process is simple yet crucial; you will be more careful and follow the instructions given by your doctor.

FAQs

Does a trigger shot increase the chance of pregnancy?

Yes, a trigger shot plays a vital role in the IVF cycle. It ensures that the eggs in the ovaries are mature and ready for fertilization. This is the most common phase of fertility treatment to improve the chances of conception.

Is the trigger injection painful in IVF?

Most women don’t experience any pain or side effects due to a trigger shot. It may cause some abdominal discomfort and bloating, redness, or itchy feeling in the area around the shot. However, these symptoms can last for 2 to 3 days, but if they extend, you can consult your fertility team for further guidance.

How quickly does a trigger shot work?

This trigger shot causes ovulation to occur within 36 to 40 hours after injection. During this gap, a fertility team will schedule a plan for egg retrieval. This timing is very crucial in fertility procedures, which directly influences the chances of conception.

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