Boston: The Start To Finish Process of IVF

Boston,

In vitro fertilization is how many infertile couples have a child, and this process leads to the common term of “test tube babies”. These babies are created outside of the woman’s body, and involve basically taking an egg and sperm and fertilizing the egg in a lab dish. Once the egg is fertilized it is taken and implanted back into the woman’s womb.

This method is used in couples that have infertility issues either on one partner or both partners. The rates of success with this procedure are still lower than some would hope, but over the years this procedure has given thousands of couples a child of their own. There are some cases where the fertilized embryo isn’t going to stick to the woman’s womb.

The process of IV takes place within a single menstrual cycle. A woman’s cycle can vary, but on average, it can last 28 days. However, there are some women who have a longer cycle. Some women also have irregular periods and this can make the IVF process a little tricky. You should monitor your cycle for a few months before opting to begin this procedure because this needs to be timed right.

Before anything, you need a fertility consultation which will include getting an assessment to try and determine the cause o infertility. This will be done on both partners to determine where the problem is coming from. This entails checking and examining a woman’s fallopian tubes as well as the man’s testes and sperm health. If the cause is something simple your doctor will tell you what steps to take. However, if it is something more serious, you will talk to your doctor about possible options. There will be laparoscopy as well as X-ray or even ultrasound techniques done.

After all if this is done, you and your partner will then set up a time with a nurse who will prescribe drugs called follicle stimulation hormones. These are what a woman will give herself on a daily basis in the form of a pill or injections. These are to be taken for 2 weeks. This will happen at the beginning of your menstrual cycle and after your period has ended. These hormone drugs are what stimulate the body to produce more eggs. There will be scheduled visits to help monitor the health of these eggs as well as the production.

The next step is to have the eggs retrieved through the process of laparoscopy which involves inserting a small catheter that has some suction to it and removing the eggs. The partner will then donate some of his sperm and the egg and the sperm are placed together in a lab dish for about 72 hours.

Once the eggs are fertilized, they are transferred back into the woman’s uterus through the same procedure. A few weeks later you will visit the clinic for a pregnancy test. There will be visits scheduled to see if the eggs are attaching or not.

Source by Elijah James

The Start To Finish Process of IVF