Introduction to IVF
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is the process of fertilizing an egg outside the body. IVF is a major treatment for infertility when other treatments have failed.
An in vitro fertilization cycle usually involves hormone medications and procedures that can take place over several weeks. The first step is to stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs, which are retrieved from the ovaries during a procedure called egg retrieval. Next, one or more of these eggs are placed in a dish with sperm and incubated for fertilization. The resulting embryos are then transferred into the uterus of the mother via a catheter through her cervix.
The main goal of IVF is to help couples become parents when they otherwise might not be able to conceive or carry a child due to advanced maternal age, blocked fallopian tubes, male factor infertility or other reasons.
The IVF Process in Five Steps
Boost your egg production through superovulation
Superovulation is the process of stimulating the ovaries to produce multiple eggs during one cycle. This procedure is done to boost egg production in women who have been diagnosed with low ovarian reserve or poor response to ovarian stimulation.
Superovulation can be performed in women of all ages, but it’s most commonly used in women 35 years old or older. Women who wish to get pregnant should consider superovulation before age 35 if they have a history of infertility or miscarriages.
In order for superovulation to be successful, you’ll need an understanding of how your body works, as well as an understanding of the risks involved with this procedure.
How does superovulation work?
Superovulation involves stimulating your ovaries so that multiple eggs develop instead of just one. This is done by administering hormonal medications that trigger ovulation and help mature multiple eggs at once instead of just one egg at a time as is typical during natural cycles.
The goal is to create more viable embryos from which you can choose the best ones for fertilization through IUI or IVF treatment.
Remove the eggs
Removal of the eggs in IVF is usually done by laparoscopy or keyhole surgery. You will be given a general anaesthetic, which means you will be asleep during the operation.
The operation takes about 20-30 minutes and is performed under local anaesthetic with sedation (you are awake but relaxed). The surgeon will use a needle to remove one or more eggs from your ovaries through small incisions in your stomach. This may cause some discomfort for a few days afterwards, but it is not painful at all.
Once all the eggs have been collected, they are fertilised with sperm outside of the body and the embryos are then transferred into your womb about three days later.
Collect sperm from your partner or a donor
Sperm can be collected from your partner, or you may choose to use donor sperm. The type of sperm collected will depend on your fertility treatment plan.
Collecting sperm from your partner
Insemination is the most common way to collect semen for fertility treatment. If you’re having intrauterine insemination (IUI), a small amount of semen is injected into your womb at the time of ovulation. For intracervical insemination (ICI), a small amount of semen is inserted directly into your cervix at the time of ovulation.
Unite sperm and eggs
The egg is retrieved from the ovary under ultrasound guidance. The sperm is obtained by masturbation or by a surgical procedure called a sperm extraction, in which a small amount of testicular tissue is removed with a needle.
The egg and sperm are combined in a dish, where fertilization takes place. The fertilized embryo (now known as a zygote) is then transferred back into the uterus using a flexible tube called a catheter through the cervix.
Transfer the embryo(s) into your uterus
When you’re ready to transfer the embryo(s), we’ll give you a mild sedative to help you relax. Our embryologists will then use the eggs and sperm to create embryos. These embryos will be placed into your uterus with a thin, flexible catheter (which looks like a long, thin tube). You may feel pressure or slight cramping as the embryo is placed into your uterus.
After the transfer, we will monitor your uterine lining and hormone levels over the next few weeks. At this point, you may have some bleeding or spotting because there may be some residual blood left in your uterus after the procedure. This is more common if you had an egg retrieval done earlier in the cycle.