It is one of the most popular medical procedures that enables the eggs and the sperm to fuse in the laboratory before planting the embryo in the woman’s uterus. IVF is regarded the most effective and successful form of ART (assisted reproductive technology). Before IVF procedure, the doctor explains about the associated risks, how IVF works and the method of treatment.
45-60 Days
When a woman enjoys normal way of becoming pregnant with the fertilization of a sperm and an egg inside the womb, the embryo gets attached to the inner lining of womb and develops into a baby that she delivers after nine months. This is an unassisted and natural process, but when a woman fails to become pregnant in a normal way, she seeks help of IVF.
IVF treatment with the form of assisted reproductive technology, uses a series of fertilization processes that help to treat genetic problems or infertility. The concept involves fusing a sperm and an egg in a laboratory dish before implanting into the uterus of the woman.
During IVF procedure, the doctor monitors and stimulates a woman’s ovulation process and removes ova (eggs) from the ovaries and allows them to fertilize with a sperm in the laboratory. The fertilized egg is cultured for 2-6 days and the embryo is transferred into the woman’s womb.
When all other fertility techniques fail to work, IVF procedure is done. Who are the best candidates for IVF treatment?
IVF procedures involve a series of steps that a couple has to undergo. To ensure successful fertilization, these are few preparations before In Vitro Fertilization.
Before the cycle of IVF begins, you and your partner are likely to undergo various screening tests:
How IVF treatment is performed is explained in the following steps.
Step1: Once your doctor is confident about the IVF procedure, he performs a minor surgery. You are asked to come to the clinic where you lie down. The doctor administers medicines so that you do not feel any pain. He then inserts a needle through the vagina into the sacs and ovary filled with eggs. Guided by ultrasound images, the doctor carries the procedure by pulling the needle which is connected to a suction device that brings out fluid and eggs out of each follicle. A similar procedure is carried for the other ovary as well. In rare cases, the doctor may prefer using a pelvic laparoscopy procedure to remove the eggs. It is normal to feel cramping after the treatment. Remember, this is performed as an outpatient procedure, so the woman is allowed to go home on the same day.
Step 2: This is an important part of the procedure that involves insemination and fertilization. The man’s sperm is mixed with the best quality woman’s eggs through a process called insemination. After fusing them both, it is placed in an environmentally-controlled chamber. Usually, the sperm enters the egg in a few hours after the insemination procedure. Sometimes, doctors administer ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection) to inject the sperm into the egg, when the possibility of fertilization is low.
Step3: When the fertilized eggs turn into an embryo, it is kept under constant observation to check if the cells are dividing properly and the embryo is growing.
Step4: After keeping the embryo under observation for 3-5 days in the laboratory, it is transferred to the woman’s uterus. The procedure is carried out in the doctor’s office, where the woman lies down awake. The doctor uses a catheter (a flexible, long and lighted tube) and inserts it into the vagina, through the cervix into the womb to implant embryo inside. If the embryo attaches to the lining of the womb, it grows and the woman finally becomes pregnant. Multiple embryos can be placed inside the womb, which may result into twins or triplets, etc.
Ar IVF treatmentfte, the woman may feel mild cramping and slight pelvic pain. To ensure quick recovery from IVF treatment, you are suggested to lie down flat in the doctor’s office for several hours. It helps you to relax and stay calm after the process. The recovery time of IVF is quick as you can be back to your feet the next day. However, you are prescribed hormone pills or shots for at least 8-10 weeks after the treatment. There are possible signs of fluid retention, sore breasts, vaginal dryness, depression and mood swings after taking the hormonal pills, but they will help thickening the lining of the womb for the embryo to implant and grow.
After two weeks of the embryo transfer, the doctor performs an ultrasound test to confirm pregnancy. If the IVF treatment is successful, the woman is likely to experience a lot of stress and anxiety. It can, therefore, be said that the recovery of IVF treatment takes only a day, but after you become pregnant, there are certain post-pregnancy symptoms.