IVF injections - Scared of shots? Tips and alternatives

Struggling with infertility and navigating your treatment plan is tricky enough but when you throw in the expectation of mixing and administering your own injections, it can suddenly feel even more daunting to begin treatment. 

If you’re afraid of needles, your routine blood draws might be tough enough but now you’ve got to stick a needle in yourself too! 

Depending on your personality you might be one to just suck it up and do it but if the task seems too overwhelming, here are some tips and alternatives for the injection process: 

Sometimes you’ve just gotta delegate. If injecting yourself is too daunting, ask your significant other or a friend to do the injections for you.

You can do the mixing of the medications yourself to make sure your dose is accurate but once it’s ready for injecting, hand it off. These things are always easier when you have someone to support you!

If you're nervous about the notorious progesterone in oil injections, check out our tips on how to make progesterone shots less painful. 

If you aren’t sharing with friends or family that you’re undergoing fertility treatment, then you can always call in the professionals.

Depending on where you live, there may be an injection service available.

You would pay one of these services to send a nurse to your home to administer your shots. Make sure to look up online if you have one of these services available near you.

We’ve found fertility injections services in the Bay Area, Orange County, and in the Washington DC Area that focus specifically on fertility patients that you can check out. 

If you don’t have an injection service in your area that can administer your shots for you at home, ask around at your clinic. They may know of a service or your nurse might even be willing to make a house visit. 

A great person to turn to for tips and support are other women who have been through the IVF process!

Natalie Castillo-Rubio, founder of Moonlight Injections, an IVF nurse service in Southern California that will come to your house to do your IVF injections, suggests, "Look for support groups in your area. These are great safe spaces for patients undergoing fertility treatments. Connecting with others who have similar experiences can help to make patients feel a little less isolated."

The best way to find a fertility support group is through the National Infertility Association, Resolve. They have a support group search on their website to help women struggling with infertility connect with others who get what they're going through. You might even find someone local to your area!

If all else fails, don’t doubt yourself. Remember that these injections are a means to a very important end - no pain, no gain. It may help to do a little research ahead of time to mentally prepare.

Ask about any topical numbing agents that might help with the injection site (5% lidocaine topical cream on the injection area beforehand and an ice pack post-injection can help) and make sure you understand exactly how to administer the shot with the least amount of discomfort. 

You can even pull up a video to watch and maybe even use while you are injecting yourself as a guide. These things are easier when someone’s doing them with you!

Make sure to breathe (finally all those yoga breathing exercises will pay off!) and try to relax your muscles; the less tense the area, the easier it will be.

Share with us how your shots went! Was it as bad as you thought?  

We hope these tips are helpful for you to get through those injections as easily and painlessly as possible. 

Please do share in the comments any tips or tricks you’ve picked up along the way as well!