I believe 2 things-first that menopur makes my poor brain just ache, and second-there is no injection easier to prep, administer and handle in my body in this whole IVF process than the Gonal-F pen.

In comparison to the mix and then administer Gonal-F :

and any other injections where you have to reconstitute the product then administer it with a 27 or 25 gauge needle.  The gauge of the Gonal-F pen’s, which are 29-and trust me 2 sizes is a world of difference and makes this whole process not nearly as sucky.

I was spoiled.

The very first injection I did was with a Follistim pen, then the Gonal F pens (both 29 gauge needles)-I had no idea why so many women online were complaining about how painful injections were, and showing their stomachs all full of bruises just a few days into the stimming process. 

I truly thought they were just bad at adminstering the shot-I had not a single bruise on me after 12 days of injections on my last IVF cycle (which was only Gonal-F).

Now I get it. 

Some insurance companies must really suck and not give you the choice, or your RE is a loser and has no idea the huge difference between prescribing the same med only one comes with a thicker gauged needle and the other a tiny one-either way you should know if ever you find yourself going through IVF-request the pens.  I suspect if every RE had to physically go through this process themselves, they would never prescribe anything but them!

I inject the menopur with a 27 gauge needle, in comparison to the gonal f pen which is a 29.

The proof is in the pudding (literally my belly is like pudding)-

There are no bruises, or even red dots to point to from the 3 Gonal-F injections I’ve done so far-but three nice sized welts from the menopur. 

Dear Baby Jesus,

Please let me grow chromosomally normal eggs exceedingly quickly so that I can stop with this nonsense and move on to jamming estrogen pills and progesterone into my vjay to make me insanely sick for 2 weeks.

Amen.