Making the choice to begin a family through the process of IVF or IUI is not made lightly. As you travel through the process and enter the various stages you may concern yourself that your body is not playing by the rules. So it poses the question what happens if you ovulate before a trigger shot? And is ovulation possible when taking IVF meds?
And What Happens if You Ovulate Before A Trigger Shot?
Can you ovulate before a trigger shot? The drugs that you take when undergoing IVF or IUI treatment are individual to the circumstance of receiving ART. The medication is used to artificially stimulate ovulation therefore it is highly unlikely that you could ovulate before a trigger shot. Your doctor will know your timings and monitor your body very closely to acknowledge mature follicles ready for egg retrieval.
So it’s good to say in case you ovulate before a trigger shot, your RE will adjust protocol for your next cycle.
Assisted Reproductive Technology
When you begin the process of assisted reproductive technology (ART) you are sent into a battlefield full of drugs, timings, and appointments. The making of a baby becomes less fun and more of a schedule however the excitement that you could soon be attending these appointments for ultrasound scans of your baby makes it 100% worth it.
I assume you are in the midst of your journey, and full of questions: can you ovulate before a trigger shot? After all timing with ART is key right?
What Is A Trigger Shot?
The trigger shot has many names, including Pregnyl, Ovidrel, or Novarel. No matter which one you are prescribed they all have one job and that is to convince your body it is pregnant. They all include hCG which is known as the pregnancy hormone.
When taken during ART it reacts to help stimulate your ovaries helping your follicles mature to help ovulation.
Many women fear that they have ovulated before taking their trigger shot but is this possible? What happens if you ovulate before a trigger shot?
Who Is Suitable?
Generally, your doctor will only recommend this drug if:
- Your periods are irregular.
- You don’t ovulate every month.
- You wish to control ovulation.
- You have unexplained infertility.
If you fall into any of the above categories then it is highly unlikely that you would ovulate before your shot.
When my sister was going through her first round of IVF she was convinced that the drugs and pessaries had kicked ovulation in to start before she took her trigger shot. Her symptoms were very suspicious to ovulation pain.
Looking at this more in depth, we know that the meds administered for IVF and IUI are to stimulate your body to be ready to accept a fertilized embryo or to time when it’s best to have sex. With these drugs floating around your ovaries are sending signals. The follicles mature which can give you ovulating-like symptoms.
Timing Has To Be Perfect
You may be concerned about the timing of your trigger shot. Questioning, what happens if you ovulate before trigger shot IVF? As all women are different your doctor will be able to help you understand your unique cycle.
The trigger shot of hCG helps your ovaries to release an egg in readiness for fertilization. The drugs you have taken in the build up to this point are used to suppress your natural cycle and get in the driving seat to prep your uterus and ovaries.
What if I ovulate before trigger shot? This is why it is highly unlikely you would ovulate before this point yet you could experience ovulation symptoms.
After taking the trigger shot you will be directed toward the next step in your journey be it tired intercourse or egg retrieval.
IUI can be continued 24 – 36 hours after your trigger shot. This is when ovulation is thought to happen although you can’t pinpoint the exact moment opening this fertile window can help for insemination/ intercourse.
IVF egg retrieval will be scheduled for 36 hours after your shot, once fertilized a healthy embryo can be planted back into your uterus, for the implantation period.
It is important to recognize as the trigger shot has hCG in it timing your pregnancy testing is key to preventing a false positive. Experts suggest waiting at least two weeks after the procedure to test.
Difference Between IUI and IVF
Looking at ART procedures it is clear women have two options – Intrauterine insemination (IUI) and In vitro fertilization (IVF.)
Regarding your reasons why you are having treatment will depend on which procedure is best recommended for you.
Let’s look at the difference between them both:
| IUI | IVF |
| ‣ Your trigger shot helps you ovulate.
‣ Timed ovulation can give you a better indication of your fertile window. ‣ You can have timed sex, meaning fertilization can be expected but not definite. ‣ Some women will undergo a process where a concentrated selection of sperm is inserted into the vagina. | ‣ The trigger shot is given to stimulate follicles in your ovaries.
‣ You will undergo egg retrieval where the doctor will collect mature eggs. ‣ The eggs and sperm are fertilized outside the womb. ‣ Once fertilized only the best embryo will be placed back into your uterus to begin the implantation process. |
Typically you can see that both procedures are different yet the use of the trigger shot is used in different ways.
With IUI your doctor can closely examine your fertile window usually a couple of hours after your shot. You can time a baby making session or go in for the insemination process. In contrast, having the trigger shot in IVF is used to mature your follicles, you will be called for egg retrieval before your body ovulates. Looking at the process of both IUI and IVF it is clear and highly unlikely your body could ovulate before having your trigger shot. Be it under the watchful eye of your doctor or called in to have your eggs removed, it is important to relax and believe that this could be your time!
Side Effects
So now we have identified why it is unlikely to ovulate before your trigger shot. There has to be a reason why many women are led to believe they have ovulated.
The most common side effects from the trigger shot would be bloating and pain in your pelvis – cue ovulation style symptoms!
Those who take the trigger shot are also at risk of Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). This is when your ovaries are described as hyperactive. I know how unfair this seems! Firstly your ovaries do not do as they should then they do it too much! It’s cruel for those who suffer from OHSS as your ART journey will be paused until your ovaries return to normal. Continuing treatment is unethical and won’t lead to a successful pregnancy.
During her IVF journey, my sister suffered from OHSS. She was in undeniable pain and was extremely swollen. Her case led her to be hospitalized for a short period which meant her embryos were frozen until her body was in prime condition again.
Success Stories
The positive outlook of using the trigger shot is that it helps so many women get to the next step of their journey.
Luckily my sister had a big selection of eggs retrieved meaning that she only needed to do her trigger shot once. Without this shot, her ovaries and follicles wouldn’t have been mature enough for retrieval.
After recovering from OHSS my sister went on to have a healthy baby girl, my niece is now 4 years old and she has been blessed again through IVF expecting her second baby in a few week’s time.
The success rate for every woman is totally individual. This is why it is so hard to determine the overall success rate statistically. The trigger shot alone cannot be isolated in whether ART is successful or not. It is merely one part of the jigsaw in your journey to becoming a mom.
Experts in this field have identified that successful ovulation/ egg collection jumped from 5.8% without the trigger shot to a great 18.2% with the trigger shot. The overall pregnancy rate was reported to be a great 30.8%. Those numbers alone indicate that timing the trigger shot accordingly can be the missing part in your jigsaw to become a family.
Wrapping Up
What happens if you ovulate before your trigger shot, it is highly unlikely this could occur. As you are on your fertility journey your doctor will be monitoring your body with meticulous precision. This helps enable the process of fertilization and implantation.
As you are already aware, your body can become symptomatic with the side effects of the drugs you have been taking. If you suspect that you have ovulated it could just be that your ovaries are ripening to begin the rupture of an egg.
It is important that you continue on the journey and timeline set out by your doctor, delaying your trigger shot can affect your results and make the previous weeks of treatment irrelevant.