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IVF Injections Explained:
How Fertility Shots Work and What to Expect

Reviewed by the Hopeful Beginnings Medical Team
(Educational information only; not a substitute for personalized medical advice.)

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Starting Your IVF Journey

Starting IVF is a big step — exciting, hopeful, and sometimes nerve-wracking. One of the first things most patients ask about is the injections. How exactly do they work? Will it hurt? What’s it really like to do them every day?

The truth is, these injections are the heartbeat of the IVF process. They encourage your ovaries to grow more than one mature egg in a single cycle, giving your care team the best possible chance of finding healthy eggs for fertilization.

At Hopeful Beginnings, we design and implement a personalized injection schedule based on the treatment protocol established by your fertility specialist. Our clinical team administers each injection with precision and care, ensuring accurate timing, proper technique, and strict adherence to your individualized plan to optimize treatment outcomes. Your individualized treatment plan is carefully determined by your fertility endocrinologist based on your hormone levels, medical history, and your body’s unique response to therapy. Prior to the initial injection, we provide a comprehensive explanation of each step in the process—including medication preparation, proper injection-site cleansing, and what to expect during administration—to ensure that you feel informed, confident, and fully prepared rather than pressured.

Why IVF Injections Matter

Think of IVF injections as a way of fine-tuning your natural hormonal rhythm. They don’t replace what your body does; they just help it along.

  • Stimulation : These medications tell the ovaries to grow several eggs instead of just one.
  • Suppression : Other injections keep those eggs from being released too early.

As one reproductive endocrinologist likes to explain:

“IVF injections aren’t forcing your body into something it can’t do — they’re simply giving it the right conditions to do what it does best.”

The Injection Phase: What Actually Happens

Once your baseline bloodwork and ultrasound are complete, you’ll get a clear schedule outlining when each medication starts. During the stimulation phase, injections are subcutaneous — just under the skin with a small, fine needle similar to those used for insulin.

  • Preparation phase : A quick check to make sure your ovaries are quiet before starting.
  • Daily injections : Can range from 2-4 two shots per day depending which phase of the injection cycle you are in, can range from 9–21 days, depending on your response.
  • Monitoring : Regular ultrasounds and blood tests so your doctor can fine-tune the dosage.
  • The trigger shot : When follicles are mature, a final injection prepares the eggs for retrieval.

While our team can fully manage your injection administration, individuals who wish to learn self-administration may participate in our educational program, which provides structured guidance and hands-on training from a qualified nurse.

The Different Types of IVF Fertility Shots

Every medication protocol is slightly different, but here’s what most patients encounter:

The Lupron Protocol (Luteal Phase Start)

Starting around three weeks after ovulation, Lupron (leuprolide acetate) prevents eggs from being released too soon. The small daily injections - usually in the abdomen or thigh - help your care team control the timing of egg maturation.

One fertility endocrinologist explains that “Lupron lets us synchronize your cycle perfectly, that precision is what gives us such consistent outcomes.”

The Antagonist Protocol

For patients who need fewer injections or have a higher risk of overstimulation, medications like Ganirelix or Cetrotide can block the body’s natural LH surge mid-cycle. This option starts later - around day six of stimulation - and offers a shorter, more flexible approach.

FSH Medications (Follicle-Stimulating Hormones)

These are the engine of the IVF cycle. Medications like Follistim®, Gonal-F®, Menopur®, and Bravelle® contain hormones that directly stimulate follicle growth. As your nurse prepares and administers your medications, they’ll guide you through each step — from careful mixing and precise measuring to gentle injection — ensuring you feel informed, confident, and completely supported throughout the process.

For a complete breakdown of medication schedules, visit our Injection Plans page.

Administering IVF Injections: A Practical Guide

Self-administering an injection can understandably be an intimidating prospect. To alleviate this concern, our qualified medical professionals perform the injections on your behalf, utilizing evidence-based techniques to ensure accuracy, comfort, and safety while removing the stress associated with medication preparation and self-injection. The techniques utilized in this process include the following:

  • Select an appropriate injection site—such as the abdomen, upper thigh, or posterior aspect of the upper arm—based on your treatment protocol and comfort level.
  • Clean the area with an alcohol wipe and let it dry completely.
  • Hold the syringe in a controlled manner, similar to holding a pencil. Remove the protective cap carefully, maintaining a steady hand to ensure precision and safety during administration.
  • Gently pinch the skin to stabilize the injection site, insert the needle swiftly at a 90-degree angle, and depress the plunger in a controlled manner to deliver the medication.
  • Remove the needle, apply light pressure, and dispose of it safely.

In most cases, the injection procedure is completed in less than one minute, with only minimal discomfort reported. Our goal is to ensure each administration is performed efficiently and with the utmost attention to patient comfort and safety.

Ovarian Stimulation:
What You’ll Feel and See

The stimulation phase lasts roughly two weeks. Many women feel a mix of physical and emotional changes - slight bloating, mood shifts, and a bit of fatigue. Those are normal hormonal responses.

Your care team will monitor you closely during this period. If your estrogen levels rise too fast, your physician will adjust the medication to prevent ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) - a rare but treatable condition.

Contact your clinic immediately if you experience:

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Sharp abdominal pain or swelling
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Rapid weight gain
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Shortness of breath
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Dizziness or fainting

Hopeful Beginnings provides 24-hour provider access to answer urgent questions. To explore our services in more detail, visit the Services page.

The Hopeful Beginnings Approach

At Hopeful Beginnings, care is deeply personal. We collaborate with your fertility team and every protocol is designed around the patient - not the other way around.

  • Medication regimens are individualized by the prescribing physician to correspond with each patient’s specific hormonal profile and therapeutic response.
  • Your fertility team provides continuous monitoring through lab work and ultrasound to carefully track your progress and support the best possible results.
  • Extended hours for working patients
  • Secure telehealth visits for flexibility.
  • Genuine emotional support at every appointment.

“Science gives us the tools, Compassion gives us the outcomes.” You can contact our clinic anytime to discuss options.

Credentials, Standards, and Quality Control

  • Licensed Oversight: All treatment plans designed by board-certified reproductive endocrinologists.
  • Injection Services: Administered by registered nurses with specialized expertise in injection techniques and medication administration

Clinic Details and Local Coverage

Hopeful Beginnings serves patients throughout Raleigh, Cary, Durham, Chapel Hill of North Carolina

Service Information:

  • We come directly to you, administering your injections in the comfort and privacy of your home for maximum convenience and peace of mind
  • Open Monday–Sunday, 24 hours per day
  • Telehealth available for education and supervised injections
  • Transparent pricing discussed during consultation

Visit the Contact Page for scheduling or insurance details.

Why Patients Choose Hopeful Beginnings IVF

What distinguishes our services is not only the quality of the injections we provide, but also the compassion with which we deliver care and the individualized guidance we offer throughout each step of the process.

  • Private in-home care for convenience
  • Consistent scheduling from start to finish
  • Counseling and wellness resources for emotional balance

Patients often tell us that what began as an intimidating process became one of self-assurance and empowerment.

Conclusion

Trusting a medical professional to take over your injections is a meaningful step that requires confidence and care. With the right guidance, most patients find that the process soon feels natural—often within only a few days. Each injection brings you closer to realizing your dream of building the family you’ve always hoped for.

At Hopeful Beginnings, we combine expertise with empathy so that no one ever feels like they’re navigating this process alone. Schedule a consultation or learn more through our Expert Guidance Programs to begin your personalized IVF journey today.

Frequently Asked Questions
Why are injections part of IVF?

They’re the engine of the cycle. The medications ask your ovaries to mature several eggs at once and keep ovulation from happening too early so retrieval can be timed precisely.

Will the shots hurt?

Briefly, a little. The needles are tiny and go just under the skin; most people describe a quick pinch and it’s over. The first couple of nights feel strange—by mid-week it’s routine.

Which areas of the body are typically used for these injections??

Lower abdomen or upper thigh works well. Rotate spots (left to right, up to down) to avoid tenderness. Your nurse will mark a few “safe zones” before you start

Which medications might I use?

Plans are individualized, but common names you’ll hear are Lupron, Gonal-F, Follistim, Menopur, and Bravelle. Your physician picks the mix based on labs, ultrasound findings, and prior response.

How long will the injections go for?

Subcuatnaeous injections are typically 9–21 days. Intramuscular injections can run as long as 10-12 weeks. Some cycles finish sooner, some stretch a bit—your monitoring visits guide the timing.

Any tricks to make injections easier?

Yes

  • Letting the alcohol dry fully (less sting).
  • Room-temp meds inject more comfortably.
  • Pinch, insert quickly, push slowly.
  • Gentle pressure after; no rubbing. Cold pack for 3–5 minutes if you bruise easily.
What side effects are common—and what’s not?

Common: mild bloating, breast tenderness, tiny bruise at the site, mood shifts. Call the clinic urgently for severe abdominal pain, rapid weight gain, trouble breathing, or dizziness.

I missed (or delayed) a dose. Now what?

Our service ensures that this doesn't happen. If you are self administering your injections, don’t guess. Contact your fertility clinic immediately. With stimulation meds, hours can matter; they will tell you exactly what the next steps should be.

Will insurance cover the medication?

It depends on your plan. This should be discussed with your fertility clinic during your initial consultation.

Is self-injection actually safe?

Yes—once you’re taught the technique. We practice together until you’re comfortable, and we stay available if you want a refresher mid-cycle.

How do I get started at Hopeful Beginnings IVF?

Book online or call 910 200 2337. We’ll review your history and set up a phone visit prior to your first injection.