The 48 hours after egg retrieval, in Medellín
What retrieval day and the two days after are actually like for a patient in Medellín — sedation, the ride home, what to eat, when to call the clinic, and what the city is good for while you rest.
Retrieval is a twenty-minute procedure under sedation. The two days after it are the part nobody describes properly. Here's what they're like when you're doing this in Medellín rather than at home.
Retrieval morning
- Nothing to eat or drink from midnight, as the clinic instructs.
- Take a taxi, not a walk, even if the clinic is close. You'll be sedated and you cannot leave alone; a partner, friend or companion has to collect you.
- Bring your ID and the trigger-shot time written down; they'll ask.
- You're usually at the clinic two to three hours in total.
The ride home
Book the taxi before you go under. Poblado's hills and speed bumps are more noticeable with a sore abdomen; ask the driver to take it slowly (despacio, por favor). If you're in Laureles, the flat roads are a small mercy here.
The rest of the day
Sleep. Drink more than you think you need — electrolyte drinks are sold in every pharmacy and corner shop. Cramping like a strong period is normal; the clinic will have told you which pain relief to take. Light meals, salty is fine. Don't plan anything.
Day two and three
Most people feel noticeably better by the second morning. Short, flat walks help — this is where the neighbourhood you chose pays off. The embryology report typically comes on day one (fertilisation) and day five or six (blastocysts), and the waiting is the hard part. Medellín is good at low-effort distraction: a slow café, the Botanical Garden, the Museo de Antioquia, a taxi up to Parque Arví for cooler air and tree cover.
When to call the clinic — don't wait
Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome is uncommon with modern protocols but the warning signs matter: rapid bloating that worsens rather than eases, difficulty breathing, severe nausea or vomiting, passing very little urine, sudden weight gain. Any of these, day or night, means you call the clinic's emergency number. Keep it saved in your phone under a name you'll find in a hurry. Keep the clinic's address written in Spanish for a taxi driver.
Flying home
Most clinics are happy for you to fly two or three days after retrieval if you're feeling well and have no OHSS signs. Aisle seat, compression socks, walk every hour, and don't lift your own bag into the overhead bin — ask.
If you're travelling alone: tell the clinic in advance. Some will arrange a nurse or a trusted driver for retrieval day. We can also arrange a companion for the morning; ask us.
Travelling alone for retrieval?
Tell us your dates. We can arrange a trusted companion for retrieval morning and check on you the day after.
Keep reading
Information only, not medical advice. Costs are 2026 ranges from clinic quotes and published sources; they change and vary by clinic and protocol. Confirm everything with a written quote and your own physician.
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