By Hellynn Jung

I’ve been sharing my IVF journey since last year and oh boy, it’s been a long ride. At 40 with an extremely low AMH, I knew my path to motherhood might be challenging. But on top of that, I found out through fertility tests that I had an extremely low AMH, which meant I had an even lower egg reserve than other 40 year old women. So, I embarked on back-to-back egg retrievals to bank enough embryos for my dream of having two kids. After banking seven embryos last year—four blastocysts and three morulas—I’m back in Korea gearing up for my embryo transfer, and I want to share my prep process with you.

My doctor prescribed estrogen and baby aspirin to prepare my body. Starting on day two of my cycle, I began taking Progynova (estrogen pills) three times daily. With dinner, I’d pop a 100mg baby aspirin too. Two weeks in, I went in for a checkup on day 10. My uterine lining was at 7 millimeters—right on track. To boost it further, I got an estrogen shot on my buttocks, which wasn’t as bad as I feared. But boy, did those hormones make me feel wild.

On day 15, with my lining at 9.4 millimeters, it was time for progesterone. This came in the form of vaginal suppositories (three times daily) and self-administered subcutaneous shots once daily. Let me tell you, suppositories are not my favorite way to take progesterone. They’re incredibly inconvenient as you can’t do it anywhere but outside of your home, because you have to insert and then lie down for 5 to 10 minutes for it to do its magic. And those shots? Well, they don’t come pre-filled, so it’s a bit of a process taking it out of the vile and changing out the needles, but manageable. There are several forms of progesterone in oil (PIO) shots, and I’m glad mine weren’t intramuscular shots because those needles are huge! They were given on my stomach, just like my stimulation shots.

My embryo transfer is scheduled for day 20 of my cycle, which is a bit later than the optimal window for implantation, typically falling on days 18 or 19. Unfortunately, a national holiday in Korea has caused a delay in my schedule. To ensure the best chances of success, I’ve been advised to arrive at the hospital with a full bladder. This helps the doctors obtain a clearer image of my uterus during the sonogram (who knew not peeing would help). Additionally, I’ve been instructed to avoid using products with fragrance, so I’ll be sticking to a water rinse on the morning of the transfer.

Let’s talk hormones—boy, do they mess with you. Mood swings, tears, and yelling—I’ve experienced it all. If you’re experiencing mood swings due to the hormonal fluctuations associated with fertility treatments, know that you are not alone. Many women undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART) encounter mood swings as a common side effect of the medications involved. These hormonal changes can trigger intense emotions ranging from happiness to sadness, frustration to anxiety, and everything in between. It’s essential to remember that these mood swings are a normal part of the process and are not a reflection of your strength or resilience.

It’s definitely a challenge, but amidst the unknowns and fears, I’m trying to focus on gratitude. I vacillate between feeling scared about all the things that could go wrong to feeling thankful that I’ve made it to this point. One thing that I’ve been really thankful for is this incredible community of women, uplifting one another and sharing useful information.

And with that, I leave you with a few of my tips on how to prepare for embryo transfer:

• For medicated FET cycles (like moi), follow your doctor’s medication regimen diligently. Make sure to set your alarm and use a pill box, because it’s a lot and you don’t want to forget.
• Avoid risky behaviors and exposure to harmful substances. I steered clear of chemicals from cleaning products and also used fragrance-free, clean skincare products.
• Maintain a balanced diet rich in nutrients to support overall health and fertility. I continued with my Mediterranean diet that I had started last year to improve my egg quality as I went through egg retrievals.
• Don’t be afraid to communicate openly with your fertility team about any concerns or side effects you experience during the preparation process. It gives you peace of mind to do so.
• Engage in light exercise such as walking or yoga, while avoiding strenuous activities. Heavy exercise can increase cortisol levels and stress, potentially affecting hormone balance and uterine receptivity while light exercise promotes blood flow, reduces stress, and supports overall well-being without compromising fertility treatment outcomes.
• Practice stress-relieving techniques such as mindfulness, meditation, or yoga to manage anxiety during the preparation phase. Journaling and affirmations have helped me a lot.

For more information on getting IVF abroad in Korea, contact us.