In Vitro Fertilization is a non-surgical and complex series of fertility treatments to lead women to a pregnancy who face difficulty conceiving a child.

What is In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)?

In Vitro Fertilization is a non-surgical and complex series of fertility treatments to lead women to a pregnancy who face difficulty conceiving a child. To start fertility treatment, you should have tried to get pregnant for at least six months.

IVF is one of the most effective types of fertility treatment involving group treatments. These treatments involve using your or your donor’s eggs or sperm. IVF success rate depends on various factors, like age or the reason for infertility.

Why is In Vitro Fertilization Done?

In Vitro Fertilization provides solutions for various fertility challenges. Your doctor or IVF fertility clinics will create a custom plan according to your special situation. IVF can be performed if the reasons shared below are observed:

• If you have fallopian tube damage or blockage,
• If your irregular or infrequent ovulation causes a decreased number of eggs,
• If you have endometriosis, a disease in which uterine lining-like tissue grows out of the uterus,
• If you have non-cancerous uterine tumors called fibroids,
• If you had surgery before in order not to get pregnant,
• If you have an abnormality in your sperm count,
• If you have genetic disorders,
• If you do not have a functional uterus or face with severe health conditions, you may choose IVF with a gestational carrier.
• If you are a same-sex couple that needs Reciprocal In Vitro Fertilization,

Preparing for IVF

In Vitro Fertilization is a long process. It requires patience as well as commitment. Before the procedure starts, your doctor will perform several fertility testing types listed below:

Ovarian Reserve Testing

Your doctor will conduct blood tests to determine your ovarian reserve and an ultrasound to predict the response of the ovaries.

Semen Analysis

Your doctor will analyze the semen quantity, quality, shape, and motility of the semen.

Infection Disease Screening

Both you and your partner will undergo screening for infectious diseases like HIV to ensure a safe IVF process.

Practice Embryo Transfer

This process involves practicing the transfer procedure to determine the depth of your uterus. The practice procedure does not consist of the implantation of an embryo.

Uterine Examination

To evaluate the uterine lining, your doctors will perform examinations such as sonohysterography, hysteroscopy, etc.

What is the Process of In Vitro Fertilization?

In Vitro Fertilization process requires a long journey, which may take about 8 weeks. This long journey may seem complicated for you; however, if it is summarized, it is easy to understand.

Stimulation

Normally, a woman's body can produce one egg per month. But with fertility drugs, the ovaries can be stimulated. Therefore, your doctor will prescribe you fertility medicines. During this period, your doctor will follow your body reactions with ultrasound and blood tests.

Egg retrieval

This procedure is often done in the doctor's office at the fertility centre with pain-relief medications. It gently collects eggs from the ovaries using a thin needle guided by ultrasound. While some cramping may occur, it usually subsides within a day. In rare cases, an alternative method or egg donor may be considered.

Insemination and fertilization

After IVF egg retrieval, your partner’s sperm is carefully combined with the highest-quality eggs in a controlled environment. This step is known as insemination. The fertilization of eggs typically occurs within a few hours after insemination.

In cases where the chances of fertilization are uncertain, a specialized technique called intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) may be employed, where a single sperm is directly injected into an egg.

Embryo culture

After fertilization, the fertilized egg transforms into an embryo. The laboratory staff at the IVF clinic carefully monitor the embryo's growth and ensure it divides and develops correctly.

In some cases, couples with a high risk of passing on genetic disorders may opt for pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), a procedure conducted 3 to 5 days after fertilization. PGD involves analyzing a single cell or cells from each embryo for specific genetic conditions.

Embryo transfer

This relatively simple and minimally invasive procedure is performed in the doctor's office while you are awake. In this step, your doctor and the staff at the clinic carefully implant embryo or embryos by using a thin tube called a catheter through the cervix and into the womb’s lining. If one or more embryos successfully implant in the uterine lining and begin to grow, pregnancy can result.

The number of embryos transferred is determined based on various factors, such as your age and health. Any viable extra embryos may be frozen for future use or donated. Preserving eggs with egg freezing techniques can be a hope for you or other individuals (if you wish to donate your egg).

After the In Vitro Fertilization Procedure

In Vitro Fertilization procedure requires observation. Even though you do not need to stay at the hospital, you should be your own healthcare provider at home.

• It is recommended to take it easy for the rest of the day. While complete bed rest is usually unnecessary, you may consider resting if there's an increased risk of Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS).
• IVF patients typically need daily shots or pills of progesterone for 8 to 10 weeks post-embryo transfer. According to your doctor’s instructions, you can take supplements even after the pregnancy confirmation.
• If you experience a fever over 100.5°F (38°C), pelvic pain, heavy vaginal bleeding, or blood in the urine following IVF, you should contact your doctor promptly for evaluation and guidance.

Risks and Benefits of IVF Egg Transfer

In Vitro Fertilization is one of the most preferred treatment options for those who face difficulty conceiving a baby. The treatment offers many pros in addition to cons, which are listed below:

Benefits:

• IVF embryo transfer offers hope to couples struggling with infertility by increasing the chances of conception.
• It allows for planned pregnancies and gives individuals greater control over when to start a family.
• IVF embryo implanting enables pre-implantation genetic testing, which reduces the risk of passing on hereditary disorders to offspring.
• It allows individuals facing medical treatments that may harm fertility, like cancer therapies, to freeze eggs or embryos for future use.

Risks:

• IVF increases the likelihood of multiple pregnancies, which may pose health risks to both mothers and babies.
• Fertility medications used in IVF can occasionally lead to OHSS.
• There is a slightly elevated risk of ectopic pregnancies, where the embryo implants outside the uterus.
• IVF can be emotionally and financially taxing, which requires perseverance and resources.
• Success is not guaranteed, and multiple IVF cycles may be needed, which can be emotionally challenging.