What is "we"? is right or wrong about IVF

As a woman who has spent more than two and a half years in fertility clinics, she has undergone three unsuccessful intrauterine inseminations and a successful series of IVF, I am delighted to see the show attacking procreation assisted.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 10% of American women aged 15 to 44 have difficulty getting pregnant or staying pregnant.

The course of IVF is physically painful, exhausting and, if it works, quite miraculous.

That's probably why it's so good for a show like "This Is Us", which is one of my favorites for recording. That's also why I wanted to share what worked well, what went wrong and what escaped the IVF process.

MORE: Summary 'This Is Us': Love, War and IVF

What were they right:

1. The look on Kate's face before the recovery of her egg.

As she is chased away, leaving Toby behind to do his part, the uncertainty on his face is so real, so palpable. To arrive at this moment, you work so hard physically, mentally and emotionally. Every morning for about two weeks, includes ultrasound, blood tests and injections. It all boils down to this day of egg recovery. There is no turning back.

2. The inner voice of self-doubt.

Infertility raises a lot of self-doubt. You wonder if you are even "good enough" to be a parent or if you can raise a child.

3. The game of atrocious numbers.

The part where Kate wakes up from the recovery to be told how many eggs have been recovered. "How many?" This is the first question I asked when I woke up.

IVF is a numbers game and you strive to get a number that will allow you to move. The eggs must be fertilized to become embryos, which are allowed to grow for five or six days. But not all embryos reach the fifth or sixth day. Some stop developing and others develop with visible abnormalities that prevent them from being transferred. So, you want a good number.

Identical twins, Evan and Ethan Schneider, were designed by IVF. Their parents, Brittney and Trevor, have spent more than 2 ½ years in fertility clinics. Brittney shares her opinion on how "This is Us" describes the IVF process in a recent episode. (Photo: Courtesy of Brittney Schneider)

What were they wrong:

1. The setting

All egg surgeries do not occur in a hospital setting unless the fertility clinic is located in a hospital. Most extractions take place in the fertility clinic. The clinics have a laboratory where your partner can provide their sample, which is brought to the laboratory to create embryos. It is also an embryologist who will monitor their progress.

2. The level of anesthesia

Most eggs are not recovered under general anesthesia, but rather as conscious sedation administered by an anesthesiologist. No intubation required, you breathe on your own.

What they did not show you:

Maybe these scenes will come in the next episode, but post-egg recovery is also nerve-wracking.

1. Post-recovery recovery is approximate.

Your body undergoes a huge amount of fluid changes. You need to take your time, drink plenty of electrolytes and eat lots of protein to prevent fluid overload and ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS).

2. If you thought the numbers game was bad before, wait.

First of all, you are told how many eggs have been recovered. Then, usually about a day later, the embryologist calls you to tell you how many people have been fertilized. About six days later, you receive another call informing you of the number of embryos you have achieved. The days of this week are so slow and almost unbearable.

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