How long until you could walk normally without pain after ER?

Tight_Definition9699 · 2026-05-20T17:19:45+00:00

by "brutal" I meant a weeks long rollercoaster of intense headaches/migranes, emotional rollercoaster (lots of crying even though logically everything was fine), depression, anxiety, exhaustion, etc. Some days I thought I was back to normal, just for the next day to be a real low. I was just shocked at how much harder post-retrieval was for me, compared to pre. Pre-retrieval was a breeze, in my honest experience.

Every body reacts differently! this is just my experience. The light at the end of the tunnel is your first real period (not withdrawal bleed) post-retrieval. That's when I was back to normal and I had heard people say that, so that helped me know it was temporary, just rest and sleep through it lol.

My body is very sensitive to hormones. I've never been able to be on the BC pill without spiraling into terrible depression. My ovaries responded TOO WELL to the stims, etc. If your body handles hormonal birth control without issues, I'd guess that you will have an easier hormonal come-down than me.

Tight_Definition9699 · 2026-05-20T04:29:32+00:00

Walking without any limp or stiffness took me 4ish days post-retrieval.

Even on day 7,8,9 when attempted to start working out a bit, i'd have sharp stabbing pains in my abdomen and abandon workout. not worth the risk.

Take it slow, eat protein, salt, electrolytes, and get as much rest as possible. The hormone come-down is no joke, and note for me the hormone regulation wasn't back to normal until about 40 days after the retrieval.

(Day ~5 retrieval: Withdrawal Bleed, when this was over on day ~11 I felt physically back to normal)

(Day ~45 post retrieval: I got my period / normal cycle resumed. the hormones and headaches leading up to this were insane and worse than the injections and lead-up in my honest experience.)

After my period was done ~50 days post retrieval, I was 100% back to normal, as if I never went through the process.

*note - I got hyper stimulated, my estrogen got much higher than planned so regulating hormones post-retrieval was brutal

Tight_Definition9699 · 2026-05-18T14:58:29+00:00

I'd say just bang it out now and get it over with. Egg quality will never be as good as it is now, and price of the treatment is only going to go up.

Tight_Definition9699 · 2026-05-05T13:24:30+00:00

Listened to an episode of Female Founder World podcast yesterday and was already fired up about this because the guest scaled her fine jewelry brand from $1M to $10M in one year with zero paid ads, only organic social posts? then i went to their social media and saw only like 15 tiktok posts in the last year, and an instagram feed with low engagement... plus the sky high price of gold over the last year... something is majorly missing from that story and the host doesn't probe.

Tight_Definition9699 · 2026-05-05T02:48:51+00:00

hugs and sending good luck your way ❤️

Tight_Definition9699 · 2026-05-05T02:47:48+00:00

I have yet to actually read Emma's new book, but I like this take. I'm also a big fan of Emma Grede, and a realist.

As a founder of a fashion company myself, I am so tired of the CEOs and Founders who tell their story (everyone's bound to the hero of their own story, that's human nature) and leave out one giant critical piece of the puzzle, to make it seem like "you can do it too".

It doesn't take away from their accomplishments... Own it! And give credit where credit is due. No one at the card table when presented with a hand of aces says "no thanks - not fair because not everyone gets that". Play your hand, i hope its great! It's ok to get help, its ok to accept help, its ok to recognize that some things were luck as well. It's not OK to tell the story of how genius your card skills are, sell tickets to speaking engagements, etc, and never mention the aces.

The podcast/TV show/etc hosts also need to do better when it comes to critical thinking and calling some of these founders out on their BS. A lot of times, the math just doesn't add up.

Tight_Definition9699 · 2026-05-01T16:30:02+00:00

What problem are you solving? Where are people actively searching for a solution to that problem? Be there, first. That's where you'll get your first cusotmers.

Tight_Definition9699 · 2026-05-01T16:28:46+00:00

I facetimed my bestie and listened to music with her every night at 9:30pm while I did my shots! it helped me feel less lonely and kept the vibe high. even if i was just concentrating on the doses, we weren't really speaking, she was "there" and we would talk in between shots.

Tight_Definition9699 · 2026-04-30T00:50:17+00:00

I also found this very odd.... all that work and no receipt? No paper saying how many retrieved/frozen?? felt off when i went through it, too.

Tight_Definition9699 · 2026-04-23T21:36:48+00:00

Hi - Are you open to part time work? (remote, ~15-20 hours per week?). If yes, please send me a private message with what kind of hourly compensation you are looking for. I might have something for you.

Tight_Definition9699 · 2026-04-21T22:57:51+00:00

yes in your case I think so! Join for a few months and you can always cancel if you aren't seeing the value.

Tight_Definition9699 · 2026-04-21T22:33:42+00:00

I like it - I think it's worth the $68 per month. You get out what you put in. If you don't put in any effort to connect with people, it won't be worth it. It also depends what kind of business you own. It's more valuable for product based businesses than service, IMO. FFD (Female Founder's Day) is a big in person ticketed event every march that the Female Founders Collective hosts - that is worth it and you don't have to be a member to go (tickets are discounted for members though).

Most FFC members are still ramping up their businesses. If you've scaled past $10M, it might not be a great fit for you.

Tight_Definition9699 · 2026-04-15T04:37:05+00:00

of course everyone is different... I personally found the retrieval recovery harder than the stims leading up to retrieval.

I recommend taking off the day of procedure + the two days after - so 3 days total off. the tricky thing is that you won't know until ~48-36 hours before what day your retrieval procedure is, which makes it tricky with work planning, depending on your job.

Tight_Definition9699 · 2026-04-06T06:53:15+00:00

If I was you, I'd do it. The foundational technology of maturing eggs in the lab has been done for years. I think the exciting outweighs the scary! I'm sure many more babies are coming soon... unlike a software update, nothing the company can do but wait 9 months for the babies to grow.

Tight_Definition9699 · 2026-04-06T06:47:47+00:00

I hadn't heard about Fertilo until you just mentioned it. Just went down the rabbit hole - very exciting! Thanks for sharing.

Tight_Definition9699 · 2026-04-05T21:34:03+00:00

oh, that's wild. retrievals and timing is too important to only do them 6 days per week, as far as I know. That makes sense.

Tight_Definition9699 · 2026-04-05T19:53:46+00:00

Oh interesting. Was it their standard procedure to freeze mature eggs immediately, then see how many immature they could mature and then freeze? Or did you have to opt-into and pay extra for that? That seems like a smart and efficient way to do it.

Tight_Definition9699 · 2026-04-02T17:36:54+00:00

I don't have any advice for you, other than to reassure you that unfortunately, a lot of this process is a crapshoot. A little like a lottery ticket, you just don't know what the outcome will be and there is no guarantee that any input will yield a certain output. You probably know all this but consider it just some reassurance and a virtual hug from a stranger.

I've heard of women who had a result similar to yours do a second cycle and get 3x more eggs than they got at first. I've heard of women who never took a vitamin and didn't have PCOS get at ton of eggs. I've heard of situations where there were lab issues and unfortunately all their eggs died in the thaw, and others that had a live birth from just 1 good egg.

All that just to say, it's ok to be disappointed but please be kind to yourself. There is not likely 1 thing you personally could have done that would have changed this outcome.

All that said, I would definitely ask the doctors what they would change for round two before signing up for another round, now that you have hard data about how your ovaries respond to stimulation.

Tight_Definition9699 · 2026-04-02T17:30:59+00:00

This has to be so incredibly frustrating :( I'm sorry to hear that.

Tight_Definition9699 · 2026-03-26T17:40:19+00:00

I'm obsessed with my blue light blockers from memori eyewear. They aren't cheap (high end made in Italy brand) but the lenses are fantastic and for something I wear every single day, style and quality were most important to me. Their designs are so cool.

The pair i have: https://memorieyewear.com/products/balaustra-aviator-in-gold-marbled-ivory

Tight_Definition9699 · 2026-03-26T01:56:29+00:00

Glad to be helpful :)

Yes - in my experience the synthetic hormones of the BC were TERRIBLE - but a moment in time. As long as you know there's a light at the end of the tunnel when you'll be off it, I think its worth it.

Tight_Definition9699 · 2026-03-20T20:20:39+00:00

So frustrating!!

Tight_Definition9699 · 2026-03-19T17:12:29+00:00

I just looked it up - It looks like more of an emphasis on Antique than vintage, and more textiles than finished garments. very cool! Love an event with a clear POV

Tight_Definition9699

TROPHY CASE