IVF has come up as a ground breaking fertility technique, which traces its roots back to 1978 when the first test tube baby was conceived in the lab rather than her mother’s womb. IVF involves combining of the egg and the sperm outside the body of the woman in a lab dish and resulting in the formation of embryo (s), which is then placed in the uterus of the woman for the pregnancy to continue there. This is an expensive and complicated procedure, which is the reason why it is beyond the reach of many childless couples. However, there are a number of conditions related to infertility which can be treated with only and only IVF.
When is IVF to be used as an infertility treatment?
There are some conditions encountered by infertile couples, where IVF comes up as the only feasible fertility treatment option. These include
• The woman suffers from disease related to fallopian tubes or uterus
• There are some ovulation problems
• Endometriosis
• The male sperm count or motility is low
• Genetic problems with the eggs or sperms
• Unexplained infertility
When other fertility treatments have failed to yield results, the couple can try out IVF to maximize their chances of conceiving a baby.
Steps related to IVF
IVF is a complicated medical procedure which is to be handled by experts who run a fertility clinic. It involves a series of steps to be performed in the right order and manner to ensure a high success rate.
• The procedure starts with the acceleration of egg production in the woman so that these eggs can later be retrieved for their fertilization. The step involves giving her hormonal injections so that she produces multiple eggs.
• Some other medications or injections are administered for ripening the eggs before they are to be retrieved. Here, timing plays a key role, with the eggs to be retrieved just before they come out from the follicles so that they can develop properly. A blood test or ultrasound scan will help the doctor to retrieve the eggs at the right moment.
• The egg retrieval can be painful and may be done under anesthesia. This half an hour long procedure involves retrieval of eggs from the ovary of the woman with the help of a hollow needle.
• Immediately after their retrieval, the eggs are combined with the male sperm which have been collected on the same day. The fertilized eggs are kept in the lab, with complete observation ensuring that their growth is taking place in an optimal manner. Usually, there is a waiting period of five days until the embryo becomes viable enough to be transplanted in the uterus.
• Once the embryos are ripe, one or more of them are placed in the uterus of the woman, a process less complicated than egg retrieval. It is done with the help of a catheter or a hollow tube used to transmit the embryos in the uterus. While multiple embryos are deposited to increase the chances of a successful pregnancy, it also elevates the risk of multiple pregnancies.
The woman is recommended a rest of a few hours after the procedure after which she is discharged. A pregnancy test can be done around two weeks after the procedure to confirm the result. In case the procedure turns out to be a successful one, it can be a great boon for the couple looking for the joy of progeny.
When is IVF to be used as an infertility treatment?
There are some conditions encountered by infertile couples, where IVF comes up as the only feasible fertility treatment option. These include
• The woman suffers from disease related to fallopian tubes or uterus
• There are some ovulation problems
• Endometriosis
• The male sperm count or motility is low
• Genetic problems with the eggs or sperms
• Unexplained infertility
When other fertility treatments have failed to yield results, the couple can try out IVF to maximize their chances of conceiving a baby.
Steps related to IVF
IVF is a complicated medical procedure which is to be handled by experts who run a fertility clinic. It involves a series of steps to be performed in the right order and manner to ensure a high success rate.
• The procedure starts with the acceleration of egg production in the woman so that these eggs can later be retrieved for their fertilization. The step involves giving her hormonal injections so that she produces multiple eggs.
• Some other medications or injections are administered for ripening the eggs before they are to be retrieved. Here, timing plays a key role, with the eggs to be retrieved just before they come out from the follicles so that they can develop properly. A blood test or ultrasound scan will help the doctor to retrieve the eggs at the right moment.
• The egg retrieval can be painful and may be done under anesthesia. This half an hour long procedure involves retrieval of eggs from the ovary of the woman with the help of a hollow needle.
• Immediately after their retrieval, the eggs are combined with the male sperm which have been collected on the same day. The fertilized eggs are kept in the lab, with complete observation ensuring that their growth is taking place in an optimal manner. Usually, there is a waiting period of five days until the embryo becomes viable enough to be transplanted in the uterus.
• Once the embryos are ripe, one or more of them are placed in the uterus of the woman, a process less complicated than egg retrieval. It is done with the help of a catheter or a hollow tube used to transmit the embryos in the uterus. While multiple embryos are deposited to increase the chances of a successful pregnancy, it also elevates the risk of multiple pregnancies.
The woman is recommended a rest of a few hours after the procedure after which she is discharged. A pregnancy test can be done around two weeks after the procedure to confirm the result. In case the procedure turns out to be a successful one, it can be a great boon for the couple looking for the joy of progeny.
