IVF Procedure: What to Expect

IVF is the most efficient method of assisted reproductive procedure. The treatment may be performed with the couple’s own sperm and eggs. Alternatively, IVF may use eggs, sperm, or embryos from an anonymous or known donor. A gestational carrier, or an individual who has an embryo placed in their uterus, may be used in certain instances.

Many variables influence your chances of producing a healthy baby with IVF, including your age and the reason for infertility. IVF may lead to a pregnancy with more than a single baby if two or more embryos are implanted in the uterus (multiple pregnancies).

What Is The Procedure For IVF?

In vitro fertilization is abbreviated as IVF. It is among the most well-known types of reproductive technology (ART). IVF uses a combination of drugs and invasive methods to assist in sperm fertilizing an egg and the fertilized egg implant in the uterus.

First, you take medicine to prepare some of your eggs for fertilization. The eggs are then removed from your body and mixed with sperm in the lab to assist the sperm in fertilizing your eggs. Then doctors implant one or more embryos or fertilized eggs into the uterus. Pregnancy will take place if any of the fertilized eggs implant in the endometrial lining.

IVF is a lengthy procedure that takes many months to be done. It may succeed on the initial attempt, but many people need more than one session of IVF to conceive. If you are experiencing fertility issues, IVF will surely enhance your chances of becoming pregnant, but there is zero assurance – everyone’s body is different, and IVF might not be effective for everyone.

What to Expect During IVF

The initial stage of IVF is to take IVF fertility drugs for months to assist your ovaries in generating numerous mature, ready-to-fertilize eggs. This is known as ovulation induction. Periodic blood tests or ultrasounds may be performed to monitor your egg production and hormone levels.

The doctor will take the eggs from you after your ovaries have generated adequate mature eggs (known as egg retrieval). Egg retrieval is a simple procedure performed in the office of the doctor or at a fertility facility.

You’ll need to take medication to help you relax and feel comfortable throughout the treatment. The doctor uses an ultrasound to view your body and puts a hollow and thin tube through your vagina into your follicles and ovary that contain your eggs. The needle is connected to a suction device, which gently extracts your eggs from every follicle.

Insemination occurs when the eggs are combined with sperm cells from your spouse or a donor in a laboratory. Fertilization occurs when the sperm and eggs are placed together in a specific container. To enhance fertilization, sperm with decreased motility (that do not swim as well) might be directly injected into the eggs. People working in the lab keep track of how the cells in the fertilized eggs split and develop into embryos.

Your uterus is implanted with one or more embryos around 3-5 days following the egg retrieval (known as embryo transfer). The doctor inserts a small tube through the cervix into the uterus and puts the embryo straight into the tube.

Pregnancy happens when the embryos adhere to your endometrial lining. Embryo transfer is often painless and conducted in an IVF fertility facility.

Plan on relaxing for the remainder of the day after the embryo transfer. The following day, you may resume your routine activities. For the first eight to ten weeks following the transfer, you might be offered progesterone tablets or injections on a regular basis. The hormones will help the embryos to easily survive in your uterus.