In-vitro fertilization (IVF) is a fertility treatment where an IVF specialist combines sperm and an egg outside the body and places the fertilized egg (embryo) inside the womb after a few days. A woman is said to be pregnant if the embryo implants onto the uterine wall. Here is more information about starting the fertility process with your IVF specialist:
Why Get IVF?
IVF is a treatment for couples with infertility issues. Most fertility specialists recommend IVF as a last resort after a couple has tried less invasive treatment procedures like intrauterine insemination. Fertility doctors also offer IVF as the primary treatment for women of advanced maternal age. Other instances where IVF is a viable option is if you or your partner have:
- Damaged or blocked fallopian tubes
- Unexplained infertility
- Ovulation disorders
- Uterine fibroids
- Previous tubal ligation
- Low sperm count
- Low sperm motility
- Fertility preservation due to health conditions such as cancer
- A gestational surrogate or egg donor
What Are the Steps in IVF Treatment?
Initiation of Estrogen or Birth Control Pills
Your IVF specialist may prescribe estrogen or contraceptive pills at the start of your IVF treatment. This can prevent the development of ovarian cysts and help your doctor control the timing of your menstrual cycle. Taking birth control or estrogen before IVF treatment can also improve ovarian response. This can increase the number of viable eggs during egg retrieval.
Ultrasound
Your IVF specialist may do an ultrasound around when you normally get your menstrual period to examine your ovaries. During the ultrasound, your doctor can check if your ovaries are producing eggs. Ultrasounds can also help detect the presence of cysts. If you have cysts, your doctor can postpone treatment until the cysts resolve.
Ovarian Stimulation
A group of eggs matures during a woman’s natural cycle, but only one egg matures enough to ovulate while the rest disintegrate. Ovarian stimulation encourages all the eggs that begin maturation during your cycle to mature fully.
After administering stimulatory medications, your doctor can check your hormone levels and monitors your ovaries via ultrasound to track your eggs’ maturation. The ultrasound does not show your doctor how many mature eggs you have but indicates the size and number of growing ovarian follicles. Each ovarian follicle contains one egg. Your doctor can inject a trigger shot (HCG) during the final maturation stage to mature your eggs fully for retrieval.
Egg Retrieval
Egg retrieval takes place 35 hours after you take your HCG injection. Your doctor may sedate you before beginning the egg retrieval procedure to make you more comfortable. Doctors use an ultrasound guide to insert a thin needle through your vagina and into each of your ovaries. The needle has a suction device that pulls your eggs out of each follicle. Doctors place each egg into a dish containing a special liquid and put the dish in a controlled environment.
The anesthesia administered before egg retrieval may make you feel sleepy. Have someone drive you home after the procedure. Cramps and spotting are normal after retrieval. Your doctor may prescribe pain medication to deal with any discomfort.
Fertilization
During egg retrieval, your doctor can also get a sperm sample from your partner to be used to fertilize healthy mature eggs. The embryologist may try to fertilize your eggs through conventional insemination, where they mix mature eggs with sperm and incubate them overnight. They can also use intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICS).
ICS involves injecting a single sperm into a mature egg. Embryologists mostly use ICS when your male partner has sperm quality issues or if previous fertilization attempts via conventional insemination failed.
Embryo Transfer
If fertilization is successful, the fertilized egg becomes an embryo. Over the next few days after fertilization, your fertility specialist can monitor the development of your embryos. Embryos that reach the blastocyte stage could be viable for transfer into the uterus.
Before performing embryo transfer, your doctor may administer hormones orally, transvaginally, or via injection to prepare your uterus for implantation. The specialist may place a speculum in the vagina to expand it during embryo transfer. They can insert a catheter through the vagina into the cervix to reach the uterus. A syringe at the end of the catheter contains an embryo, which the doctor injects into the uterus. Pregnancy occurs when the embryo implants itself onto the uterine wall.
Visit an IVF Specialist Today
Starting the fertility process with an IVF specialist is a significant first step for couples looking to start or grow their family. With the help of a knowledgeable and experienced specialist, this potentially confusing process can be made much simpler and smoother. Discussing your goals, expectations, and treatment options with a specialist can make your journey toward parenthood as stress-free and successful as possible.
