What To Do the Night Before Your Egg Retrieval

For an Egg Donor, your retrieval day – also known as the day your doctor performs the procedure to harvest the follicles you have been developing for the Intended Parents in your life – is the finish line. But if you are a first time Egg Donor, it can be a little daunting not knowing what to expect. We’ve put together a brief guide of tips to make the process seem a little more familiar.

• Watch what you eat. During IVF, it’s crucial to design your diet with intention, avoiding foods that are more likely to cause hyperstimulation before or after your retrieval. On the day before your retrieval, avoiding sugary foods, red meat, caffeine, sodium-heavy foods and the like can greatly increase your odds of having a successful retrieval without complications. Also important to note: since retrievals include general anesthesia, your doctor will give you explicit instructions about when to stop eating (AND drinking, even water) the night before your procedure. It is crucial for your safety that you follow these instructions.

(Read more: https://simplesurrogacy.com/surrogacy/what-to-eat-more-of-and-eat-less-of-during-your-ivf-cycle/)

• Take it easy. Your body has been through a lot up until this point, and the best thing you can do for yourself is to spend the day before your retrieval resting as much as humanly possible. In general, it is best to avoid too much strenuous activity at this point in your IVF journey anyway because of the heightened chances of ovarian torsion (in other words, the quite painful twisting of an ovary which can cause loss of the ovary itself). That said, the reasons for resting are psychological too – give yourself a break! You have a big day tomorrow.
• Make sure you have a companion who knows what to do. Check in with the person you have arranged to take you to and from the retrieval, and make sure they understand their responsibility and are prepared to get you where you need to be, and on time. Timing is critical with fertility procedures and being late can be catastrophic to the outcome of your retrieval. Advise your companion to bring a book or something to do, since the retrieval can take several hours and most clinics do not permit drivers to leave (lest they never come back) once the procedure has started.
• Get to bed early. Medical procedures tend to be pretty early in the day. Set yourself up for success by getting to bed as early as possible so you have a good night’s rest under your belt before going under anesthesia.

Being an Egg Donor is not easy, but it can be incredibly rewarding. If you follow these steps and the instructions from your doctor and team, you will be giving yourself the best possible chance at having a positive experience that you will never forget. If you are interested in learning more about surrogacy or egg donation, please contact the team at Simple Surrogacy today.