Egg donor blog

I am in my first cycle right now and I was wondering how long the recovery was after the retrieval? Will I need to be bed ridden for the first couple of days, and do you get a period or bleeding right after the retrieval? How far after the retrieval are you able to be sexually active without a great chance of becoming pregnant and or being in discomfort?

After your retrieval, you won’t feel like doing much.  There are no hard and fast rules, but it wouldn’t matter if there were, because your body will pick your pace for you.  I would count on being out of the game for about 4 days.  And of you feel better on Day 3, great, but continue to take it easy because just like anything else, not allowing yourself adequate time to heal will just prolong the healing process in general.  This is not a return-to-life-the-next-day kind of a procedure.  You may have some bleeding, but probably not.  I never did, but I was told it’s a possibility.  Your period will show back up about 3 -4 weeks after retrieval.  And I will be very honest–and this is gonna sound weird and probably gross–you’ll have some discomfort when you have to go #2.  I dunno what it is about the way things move all up in and around your intestines, but it doesn’t feel good.  You’re not dying, nothing is wrong, but until you actually poop, you’ll be in pain while you try–by Day 2, that should pass.  It’s a part of the fact that you just had a needle stick your insides about 20 times.  That takes it toll.  And don’t be even thinking about sex for at least 10 days.  If you really don’t want kids, then hold off for 2 weeks.  There is no telling how easily you could get pregnant.  Better safe than sorry!  You should be back to normal–including losing the “baby weight”–in about 10 days.  I would start taking a slow-paced walk on the 3rd day of recovery if for no other reason than to get out and get your blood flowing, and gradually increase your physical activity so that you’re back to real-life by the second week after retrieval.  Your attention to your recovery could make or break how you view the donor process.  I’d take as much care of it as you did your injections and appointments.  Good luck!