When you decide that you’re ready to have a baby, you want to see immediate results. It would be wonderful to see a positive sign on the pregnancy test as soon as you start trying. While trying to conceive is a process that can take weeks or months for some people or couples, others may have to go through an even longer process if they’re dealing with infertility.
The fertility journey can be a long one, but it’s important to stay optimistic and take the steps needed to grow your family. A diagnosis of infertility can open the doors to many treatment options, such as a trigger shot. Nearly every step of this option is time sensitive, so it’s important to know about the time frame of each one. For instance, ovulation will start less than two days after it’s administered. Learn how the shot works and how it coincides with your ovulation cycle.
We’ll talk about what a trigger shot is, how long it takes after the shot to ovulate and how it works alongside other treatment options.
The basics of trigger shots
Let’s start off by discussing what a trigger shot is. A trigger shot refers to an injection of HCG, or human chorionic gonadotropin. This hormone is used as a fertility treatment because it can help the ovaries release mature eggs during ovulation. It’s often referred to by the brand names Ovidrel, Novarel and Pregnyl. Trigger shots are part of gonadotropin therapy, which focuses on stimulating the ovaries.
A trigger shot is usually self-administered into the muscle or under the skin in the abdomen.
It’s always important to be aware of potential side effects so that you can be prepared. Possible side effects of trigger shots include:
- Bloating.
- Stomach or pelvic pain.
- Tenderness around the treatment site.
- Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome.
A trigger shot is often recommended for individuals or couples who have undiagnosed infertility. Females may benefit from a trigger shot if they have:
- Anovulation (the body doesn’t ovulate).
- “Weak” ovulation.
- Had other procedures and want to control their ovulation.
When to expect ovulation after a trigger shot
Timing is everything when it comes to a trigger shot. Your fertility specialist will determine the best time to administer the trigger shot based on the size of your follicles either in the middle of your menstruation cycle or as your ovulation is getting closer.
The specialist will use an ultrasound to look at the size of your follicles and the thickness of your uterine lining. They’ll instruct you to do the trigger shot when the follicles are 15 to 20 millimeters and the lining (endometrium) is 7 to 8 millimeters thick.
Your ovulation will start approximately 36 to 40 hours after the trigger shot is administered. Your specialist will also recommend timed intercourse to correspond with ovulation, approximately 24 to 36 hours after the shot.
It’s important to wait at least two weeks before taking a pregnancy test to reduce the risk of false positive results. It can take up to 14 days for the HCG to leave your system.
Treatments that can be supplemented with a trigger shot
A trigger shot is an effective infertility treatment option, but it’s never used as the one and only course of action. HCG is meant to be supplemented by other options, including ovulation stimulation and intrauterine insemination.
A trigger shot is always coupled with ovulation stimulation, which involves a prescription of clomiphene citrate or letrozole oral tablets to increase the number of ovulated eggs that are released.
Intrauterine insemination, or IUI, is the process of implanting the sperm directly inside the uterus. Research has shown that the efficacy of IUI cycles can be boosted with a trigger shot. A 2017 study resulted in a 18.2% pregnancy rate when IUI cycles were coupled with a trigger shot, which is a notable jump from the 5.8% rate without the shot.
Fertility Cloud can answer your questions about trigger shots
When you start a fertility treatment, you probably keep having new questions popping into your head. That’s OK. At Fertility Cloud, we’re here to make sure that you’re as informed as possible about an option like trigger shots so that you can be confident in your choice. From potential side effects to how quickly you ovulate after a trigger shot, you’ll learn about it all. That way you can focus solely on the excitement of potential conception.
We’re here to answer all your questions about fertility treatment options like trigger shots. Contact our team by phone today for more information or book an initial appointment online with a fertility specialist.