These days, there are several pathways to parenthood. If you and your fertility doctor determine that in vitro fertilisation (IVF) is the best approach for you to conceive, your IVF treatment plan will be designed to suit your individual needs. However, it is normal to have questions while you navigate this new journey.
In this article:
What is IVF?
IVF, which stands for "in vitro fertilisation," is a set of methods that help people get pregnant. An egg is fertilised by sperm outside the body and then transferred to the uterus to establish a pregnancy.How does IVF work?
Women’s ovaries usually release one egg, also called an oocyte during every menstrual cycle. According to reports, 30% of human eggs are unusable. The IVF procedure, which was initially developed for women suffering from tubal factor infertility, involves the use of injectable drugs to enhance the number of eggs produced by a woman's body during one cycle. Individuals who choose IVF utilise the same hormones that the brain produces, but in higher doses, to stimulate their ovaries to generate multiple eggs.After being collected and fertilised in a lab, the eggs are transferred to a woman's uterus. A single IVF cycle, which may be performed using your eggs and your partner's sperm or donor sperm and/or donor eggs, can last anywhere from three weeks to a month or two.
Why is IVF performed?
If you're under 35 years old and have been trying to get pregnant for 12 months, or if you're over 35 and have been attempting to conceive for six months, your OB may suggest that you consult a fertility specialist. They will arrange a fertility workup, which includes blood tests and ultrasounds to assess your ovarian reserve, uterine shape, tubal shapes, hormone levels, and your partner's sperm.What occurs next is determined by the findings of these tests as well as your pregnancy history. You're considered an indicated IVF patient if:
- You have unexplained infertility
- Your fallopian tubes are obstructed or damaged
- You are over 40 years old, and your fertility expert cannot discover anything concerning to address in your tests
- Your male partner has reproductive concerns, such as a low sperm count or very few normally formed sperm
- You want to use reciprocal IVF to have a child with your partner
- You've had IUIs, and they weren't successful
What to Consider Before Pursuing IVF?
Pursuing in vitro fertilisation is not a simple choice. Before you begin the IVF procedure, you should discuss the cost, the number of embryos to transfer, and your views about possibly becoming pregnant with more than one child.Here are some factors to consider:
- How many IVF rounds can I or we afford?
- Can we manage twins and multiple births?
- What will I/we do with the additional embryos that are not transferred?
Furthermore, you should ask your doctor a few key questions before deciding on an IVF treatment plan.
Here are some considerations to address beforehand:
- What is the IVF success rate for people my age at this fertility centre/clinic?
- Does my insurance cover any of the costs associated with IVF treatment? Contact your doctor and ask specific questions to receive a more detailed breakdown of costs and coverage.
- How many embryos should be transferred?
A glimpse inside the IVF process:
Your IVF treatment plan is determined by your health and pregnancy history, your financial situation, and the number of IVF cycles you choose to attempt. A typical IVF journey often begins with a few weeks of taking the birth control pill to make scheduling simpler. Then you'll begin fertility medication, most likely gonadotropins (hormones that encourage your ovaries to make eggs), which you'll inject yourself with once or twice daily. You will also take another injection to avoid early ovulation. During the 10 to 12 days while you are on these IVF drugs, you will have ultrasounds and bloodwork done to assess hormone levels, measure the thickness of your uterine lining, and count the number of follicles forming within you.When your eggs are ready, you'll administer one more injection, the trigger shot, or hCG to stimulate you to ovulate. Your fertility team will retrieve your eggs approximately 34 to 36 hours later, before you ovulate, and combine them with sperm in a lab before implanting them back into your uterus.
The Five IVF Steps:
While each IVF treatment occurs differently, the IVF procedure consists of five main steps:- Ovarian stimulation
- Egg retrieval
- Sperm collection
- Fertilisation
- Embryo transfer
IVF timeline: How long does it take?
Your IVF timetable might vary from weeks to years, depending on your treatment plan. It might involve a variety of treatment choices or processes, such as beginning with a few rounds of IUI before moving on to IVF or taking the birth control pill for a while to make scheduling easier. A normal IVF cycle lasts three to four weeks, beginning with the injection of ovarian stimulation medicines and ending with the transfer of an embryo to the uterus.FAQs on IVF: What to Know About In Vitro Fertilisation?
- What happens during the IVF procedure?
Patients usually get IV anaesthesia for IVF egg retrieval. This is a 20-minute outpatient treatment. Fertility experts will use a transvaginal ultrasound with tiny needles to retrieve eggs from the ovaries. If your IVF plan includes genetic testing, the eggs are biopsied and sent out after fertilisation. - What is the biggest issue with in vitro fertilisation?
One possible outcome is failure, even after investing heavily emotionally, financially, and physically.
