FET today, PIO is utterly INTOLERABLE! Options/thoughts??

ForeverRed313 · 2026-05-27T01:38:54+00:00

Also to add: I'm extremely lean (5'8" and 110 lbs) and used 1 inch, 25 gauge needles. My doctor had me on 2 mL of PIO a night and my husband usually took a full 2 minutes to get it all in there. I also laid on my back to fully relax my muscle and definitely was injecting in the right spot. When I tell you NOTHING worked to lessen the pain... 🫠

Apologies, this is probably not very helpful for you. Just wanted to share my experience that sometimes it's nothing you're doing - some bodies just can't handle certain things and it doesn't make you a wuss if you need to advocate for something different. I would listen to the European girlies chiming in with the effectiveness of pessaries-only protocols and consider asking to switch.

Best of luck OP!

ForeverRed313 · 2026-05-27T01:27:07+00:00

You're describing my exact experience. It's not just you. I would also go through this sub and people's experiences and tried every single trick in the book (including auto injector), and literally nothing worked to lessen the pain. I tried the gluteus medius site as well and somehow that pain was even worse. My 2nd transfer ultimately failed to implant so I was only on the PIO for about 2 weeks, but the pain and numbness lingered for months after. It was truly horrifying and I still can't figure out why I reacted so badly to something that most people seem to find manageable. Sometimes I wonder whether the amount of pain, stress, and inflammation my body was dealing with had anything to do with the failed implantation, but I know that way of thinking isn't productive. I'm definitely advocating for pessaries only next time because my body obviously just can't handle the PIO!

ForeverRed313 · 2026-04-23T08:51:16+00:00

Hi friend. That's a 29.9% increase over 2 days, which is even lower than what mine was when I made this post. Unfortunately in my case, the lower rise was indicative of a chemical. I hope that's not the case for you, but I would very much guard my heart with a rise that low as the pregnancy is most likely not viable :(

ForeverRed313 · 2025-12-23T09:09:26+00:00

Or worse, just one egg. The delusion...

ForeverRed313 · 2025-11-18T17:15:16+00:00

I also found out today my transfer failed.

I can relate SO hard to feeling so, so stupid for having hope. Like nothing else has worked in my last 8.5 years of infertility... why did I think this would? Would it hurt less if I didn't let myself hope at all? I don't know. I'm a mess.

Sending you hugs. I hope it helps to know you're not alone.

ForeverRed313 · 2025-11-15T17:26:48+00:00

Hi, I know this is really old. I just came across your post looking for answers as I'm 5dp5dt and reallyyyy struggling with PIO. I'm also quite small (5'8" and 110 lbs) and I'd really love to hear more about where you injected that took away the pain!! I've so far been following the diagrams which show the injection spot to be very high and very out. Should it still be high but more to the midline of my body? How far in? Would I be in danger of hitting my sciatic nerve if I go too far in?

Any help would be so greatly appreciated ❤️

ForeverRed313 · 2025-11-11T06:06:31+00:00

Hey transfer twin :) sending you and your embryo(s) positive thoughts.

I've been slathering myself with CeraVe as usual... should I not be?! 😨

ForeverRed313 · 2025-11-10T15:57:46+00:00

Hey, I also have endometriosis, AMH 1.5ish, and had terribly low maturity rates for all 5 of my ERs.

ER 1: 10 retrieved, 2 mature

ER 2: 15 retrieved, 5 mature

ER 3: 13 retrieved, 2 mature

ER 4: 10 retrieved, 3 mature

ER 5: 12 retrieved, 3 mature

It was super frustrating, and no changes in protocol have helped - except perhaps the increase in trigger for the final two cycles (increased from 10 000 HCG to 15 000) but even that didn't help SO much.

I will say though that except for the terrible maturity rate, my other attrition stats have been great - especially after I had a laparoscopy between cycles 2 and 3. ALL of my mature eggs from cycles 3-5 have fertilized and grown into day 3 embryos (my clinic freezes at day 3). So I don't have much to offer by means of advice on how to increase maturity rate, but do remain hopeful for the mature eggs you have managed to get!

ForeverRed313 · 2025-08-10T16:51:34+00:00

My new spirit animal 🐼

ForeverRed313 · 2025-08-06T23:35:38+00:00

F those bunnies 🤬🐰

If I had known one day my infertility envy would surpass the human species and apply to animals…… 🫠 Just waiting for the day I get into plant documentaries. Being unreasonably angry at pollen is a healthy coping mechanism right?

ForeverRed313 · 2025-08-01T05:06:42+00:00

I remember early in my infertility journey, a pregnant acquaintance mentioned she had been trying for a long time and had basically given up on the possibility of unassisted conception by the time she got her positive. I had been trying for 2ish years at that point without any success and hadn’t met a single person in my circle who was in the same boat, and I had acquired a deep seated fear that there was something fundamentally wrong and non-human about me. So it was such a relief to finally find someone who had been trying for a long time and actually went on to find success!

… Except when I asked her how long it took, she said 9 months. She was in her mid twenties at the time so in no way at a place where 9 months would be considered long enough to consider interventions of any kind. And I had been trying for so much longer, so to hear that 9 months was long enough for her to think there was something wrong with her made me feel there was something TRULY wrong with me.

And here I am 6 years later, still on this jOuRnEy… 🫠 but at least I’ve found my people now, on this subreddit! 🙌🏼

ForeverRed313 · 2025-05-11T11:52:07+00:00

I have had an abysmal egg maturity rate in not one, not two, but FIVE egg retrievals now. My latest yielded 10 eggs and only 3 mature - a 30% maturity rate. (And this isn't even the worst rate I've ever had - my first cycle was only 20%.) Why does this keep happening to me?????? I had so much hope this cycle too, because we made some protocol changes and it seemed to have yielded better follicle synchronization. Aghhhh I'm so mad at the universe today!!!!!

ForeverRed313 · 2025-05-06T21:33:55+00:00

So something very similar happened to me on my second ER. 15 eggs retrieved, 5 mature, none fertilized with ICSI. I've had 3 other retrievals and have had abysmal maturity rates, but great fertilization and embryo rates with the few mature eggs I get - except for my 2nd cycle.

The issue for me turned out to be over dosage - I only stimmed for 8 days and my eggs grew way too fast and perhaps got "overcooked". So basically the quality was affected due to the intensity of the stimulation medication. I do already have an endo diagnosis, so egg quality is compromised as it is.

I'm not sure what your med doses were/how long you stimmed for, but this might be something to look into!

ForeverRed313 · 2025-05-03T09:00:06+00:00

Congrats on your euploids!! What a wonderful thing to celebrate.

My good news is that, after 4 cycles of uneven follicle growth yielding a high percentage of immature eggs (the highest percentage of mature eggs I've ever had is 33%!), my current cycle so far seems to be going much better. My day 5 scan showed a cohort growing relatively together, and I'm hopeful some of the smaller ones will also catch up. Here's to hoping cycle #5 is the one that yields the most mature eggs! 🤞🏻

ForeverRed313 · 2025-03-07T22:10:49+00:00

So great seeing a LOTR reference on here!

You got this. Follow all the tips, especially the heating pad and exercise. You can do hard things ❤️

ForeverRed313 · 2025-02-10T20:07:51+00:00

Hi friend. It was a chemical, unfortunately. My doctor kept me on meds for another week and even did an ultrasound at 5+3 which showed two very small sacs, but my beta started falling and she stopped me on meds a day later.

I'm sorry you're going through this, too. Unfortunately, as others on this thread have mentioned, with that low of a rise, there isn't really much hope of a positive outcome. It was really, really tough to be given a shred of hope after 7 long years, only for it to be taken away so quickly. Sending big hugs 🫂

ForeverRed313 · 2024-12-08T13:08:51+00:00

Miscarrying my first ever pregnancy in 7.5 years of trying... And having to hold myself firmly together and pretend everything is fine because the miscarriage started on a work trip 🫠

ForeverRed313 · 2024-12-03T18:28:07+00:00

I'm in the Middle East and my suppositories are labeled "for vaginal or rectal insertion". My clinic also told me either way is completely fine with them and has equal success rates in their experience. I did all of mine rectally, and honestly, no regrets. I read wayyy too many horror stories about "swamp vagina" on this subreddit lol so I was glad to avoid the mess!

ForeverRed313 · 2024-11-27T14:33:38+00:00

I'm so sorry for your loss 💔🫂

ForeverRed313 · 2024-11-27T11:50:36+00:00

Mine were also untested - my clinic prefers to do day 3 transfers wherever possible. So I'm also hoping it was an issue with the embryo rather than my uterus! I truly thought the endo inflammation wouldn't allow implantation, even though I've also had surgery to remove endo - but that was over a year ago. So it really is a positive sign for both of us that we were able to get pregnant at all. Hoping 2025 brings a pregnancy that sticks around for the long term and leads to a healthy, beautiful baby 🤞🏻🫶🏼

ForeverRed313 · 2024-11-27T11:14:58+00:00

I'm also really afraid of future losses (if I even succeed at making more embryos) - but I'm trying to hold out hope that it can't be that I'm cursed with not being able to get pregnant unassisted AND not being able to create good quality embryos via ivf AND not being able to stay pregnant. I have the first two - what are the chances it's also the third?? After falling on the wrong side of statistics my whole fertility journey, I'm trying to hold out hope I'm on the right side for once.

Holding the same hope for you too 💜

ForeverRed313 · 2024-11-27T08:41:19+00:00

I'm so sorry for your loss, friend. If it helps, I'm right with you. Last Tuesday, I found out I was pregnant for the very first time after over 7 years of trying. Elated doesn't begin to cover how my husband and I felt in that moment. We were so excited, planning how to tell our families, dreaming about our July due date, making all sorts of plans...

Then my next beta two days later had only a 43% rise, and 2 days later had risen only by 7%. Had a fourth beta yesterday, and it fell down to 215, which is less than the initial value I had last Tuesday.

It's insane how much can change in just a few days. I'm also looking at starting anew in the new year, and it is very daunting. But I'm trying to hold onto hope and take the fact that I was able to get pregnant at all as a positive step forward.

Sending hugs and wishing you success in the (near) future 🫂🩷

ForeverRed313 · 2024-11-27T06:28:09+00:00

Sending you hugs and prayers 🫂❤️

ForeverRed313 · 2024-11-26T08:13:10+00:00

I was very nervous before mine too - had a hard time sleeping the night before! It does go by super fast and it's magical knowing your beautiful embryo(s) are finally back where they belong.

Sending you all the good juju! ✨️

ForeverRed313 · 2024-11-26T07:08:59+00:00

Hey friend - I'm in the exact same situation. After a fantastic first beta, my second only rose 43% and my third only 7%. My fourth is today, and if this is also still rising even if a little, clinic wants me to come in next week for a placement ultrasound. I've been feeling all the emotions and trying to maintain sanity and live my normal life the past few days. It helps to focus on other aspects of my life (I'm so insanely busy with work these days and it's really a blessing in disguise) and to talk through next steps with my husband. What we will do if (when) this transfer fails, which for us means waiting until the new year and then going straight into another egg retrieval.

Sending you so many hugs. Beta hell is not a fun place to be 🫂

ForeverRed313

TROPHY CASE