What is IVF?

IVF is the fertilization of an egg by a sperm outside the body. It’s also known as in vitro fertilization. IVF is a treatment for infertility when other treatments have failed.

IVF is usually used when one or more of the fallopian tubes are blocked or damaged or when there’s a problem with ovulation (the release of an egg).

In IVF, eggs are removed from your ovaries and mixed with sperm in a laboratory dish. The resulting embryo(s) are then transferred to your uterus through the cervix using a thin catheter (tube).

In vitro fertilization, or IVF, is a procedure in which eggs are removed from a woman’s ovaries and mixed with sperm in a lab. The resulting embryo is then implanted in the uterus.

IVF is used to treat many fertility issues, including:

• Premature ovarian failure (POF)
• Ovarian reserve issues
• Unexplained infertility
• Male factor infertility

How common is IVF today?

There are about 1.5 million IVF cycles performed each year in the U.S., according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That’s about 3% of all pregnancies, which means that about one in every 30 babies born in the U.S. is conceived using IVF.

The CDC’s numbers are based on voluntary reporting from fertility clinics, so they may not be entirely accurate. But some experts think they’re close enough to give us a sense of how common IVF is today — especially compared to other forms of assisted reproductive technology (ART), such as intrauterine insemination (IUI) and gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT).

IVF accounts for nearly all ART pregnancies in the U.S., according to Dr. Jennifer Lahl, founder and president of the Center for Bioethics and Culture Network.”It’s become kind of a standard thing,” she says.”It’s like, ‘Can we get pregnant?’ And if not, ‘Do you want to go through IVF?'”

Why is IVF performed?

Women who need to use donor eggs because they have a medical condition that makes it impossible for them to produce healthy eggs on their own. They may be unable to produce any viable eggs or their eggs may be genetically abnormal.

Women who want to become pregnant but have infertility problems caused by ovulation disorders and/or problems with the fallopian tubes or uterus.

Women who want to become pregnant but have a male partner who has infertility problems (such as low sperm count, poor sperm quality or reduced sperm mobility).

How long is the IVF process from beginning to end?

The IVF process from beginning to end takes about six weeks. However, it’s important to remember that this is a general timeline and that each couple’s journey through infertility treatment will be different.

The first step in the IVF process is a consultation with your doctor or nurse. During this appointment, you’ll discuss your medical history, medications and lifestyle choices, as well as your expectations for treatment success. This initial meeting can help your doctor determine which treatment options are best suited for you.

Next comes egg retrieval, which is done under sedation or general anesthesia. It usually lasts between five and 10 minutes and involves placing an ultrasound-guided needle inside the vagina and into one of the ovaries to remove eggs. The other ovary will be left untouched so it can continue producing hormones throughout the remainder of the cycle.

After egg retrieval, the eggs are fertilized by sperm in a lab dish in about 36 hours’ time. If more than one egg is retrieved during egg retrieval — which happens about 30% of the time — some of these eggs can also be fertilized at this point in order to increase your chances of having multiple embryos available for freezing or transfer at a later date (if needed).

What is the difference between IVF and IUI (intrauterine insemination)?

IUI (intrauterine insemination) is a procedure that involves placing sperm directly into the uterus. It is usually performed after ovulation, to increase the odds of fertilization.

IVF (in vitro fertilization) is a process where eggs are removed from the woman’s ovaries, fertilized in a laboratory and then placed back into the womb.

IVF has been around for decades now, and it has been proven to be very effective. However, IUI is not a widely-used treatment method due to its cost and time constraints.

In IUI, the sperm is placed inside the woman’s vagina or cervix before being deposited into her uterus with a needle or catheter. The process takes between 30 minutes and an hour, while IVF can take several weeks from start to finish.

In IVF treatment, doctors retrieve eggs from your ovaries, fertilize them with sperm in a lab setting and return them to you so that they can implant themselves in your uterus.

What are the steps of IVF treatment?

Ovarian stimulation. This is the first step during which the ovaries are stimulated with fertility drugs so that they produce multiple eggs. This can take several days, but it is often done as an outpatient procedure.

Insemination. The sperm is washed and prepared in our lab, then placed into your uterus through a thin tube inserted through the vagina and cervix (speculum). The sperm then swim up into your fallopian tubes and fertilize the eggs in your ovary.

Embryo transfer. You will be given an ultrasound to determine when your embryos have reached sufficient maturity for transfer back into your uterus. Once this occurs, we will schedule you for embryo transfer back into your uterus after about two weeks.

What do you do to prepare for IVF treatment?

Before you start IVF treatment, your doctor will ask you to have some tests and scans.

These can help to find out why your ovaries don’t work as well as they should and whether there are any other issues that may make IVF less likely to succeed.

If you’re considering IVF and have one or more risk factors for having a baby with Down’s syndrome or Edwards’ syndrome, you’ll need to be offered screening tests.

The tests will check for Down’s syndrome (trisomy 21) and Edwards’ syndrome (trisomy 18). If a screening test gives an indication of these conditions, it doesn’t mean that the baby definitely has them. It just means that further testing is needed to be certain.

IVF treatment involves taking medication that stimulates your ovaries to release eggs. The eggs are then collected using an ultrasound-guided needle and fertilised in a laboratory before being transferred back into your womb (uterus).

What can you expect after IVF treatment?

After a successful IVF cycle, you may be feeling excited and relieved that you are pregnant. However, there are still some things to keep in mind.

If the embryo transfer was successful, your doctor will likely recommend that you wait for two weeks before taking a pregnancy test. This is because it can take this long for your body to produce enough HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) hormone to be detected by a home pregnancy test.

In order to increase your chances of having a healthy baby after IVF treatment, it is important to follow your doctor’s recommendations regarding nutrition and activity levels during this time period.

How do IVF injections work?

The first step in IVF is to stimulate the ovaries with fertility drugs. This causes many eggs to develop and ripen in the ovaries. The eggs are then collected through transvaginal ultrasound guided follicular aspiration (FAA), which is a minor surgical procedure performed under sedation or general anesthesia.

After the eggs are collected, they are placed in a culture media overnight to help them mature before being fertilized by sperm. The next day, the eggs are combined with sperm and allowed to grow for five days in an incubator at 37 degrees Celsius. Once they reach the 6-8 cell stage (morula), they will be transferred into your uterus via a catheter inserted through your cervix into your uterine cavity.

How much does IVF cost?

IVF is a complex process and there are many variables to consider when it comes to pricing. The cost of IVF depends on the type of treatment, your health insurance coverage and whether or not you need donor eggs or sperm.

In most cases, the cost of an IVF cycle is between $10,000 and $15,000. This number can vary greatly depending on where you live and what kind of infertility treatment you’re undergoing.

What are the risks of IVF?

In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a technique that enables conception in cases where normal fertilisation has failed. It involves stimulating a woman’s ovaries to produce multiple eggs, which are then removed and fertilised with sperm in a laboratory. The resulting embryos are then replaced in the uterus and hopefully result in pregnancy.

The main risks associated with IVF include:

Multiple pregnancy: when more than one embryo is transferred into the uterus at once, there is an increased risk of having twins or triplets. Multiple pregnancies are associated with high rates of premature birth and low birthweight babies, as well as increased risk of miscarriage, stillbirth and some congenital abnormalities. They can also lead to long-term complications such as learning difficulties and behavioural problems later in life.

Ectopic pregnancy: if an embryo implants itself outside the womb (uterus), for example in one of your fallopian tubes, it may grow into something called an ectopic pregnancy. This is dangerous because it can rupture your tube and cause internal bleeding that can be life-threatening.

How effective is IVF in getting pregnant?

IVF success rates vary depending on a number of factors. These include:

Age of woman – The younger the woman, the better her chances of conceiving through IVF. Women under 35 have about a 50 percent chance of conceiving with IVF and women under 30 have about a 70 percent chance.

Sperm count – Men with low sperm counts have a lower chance of getting their partners pregnant through IVF.

Type of infertility – The type of infertility affects your chances of getting pregnant through IVF. For example, if your ovaries don’t produce eggs well or at all, then your chances are higher than if you have blocked fallopian tubes or endometriosis.

Number of embryos transferred – Your doctor will discuss with you what the best number of embryos to transfer into your uterus is based on your age and other factors above as well as how many eggs were retrieved during the egg retrieval process.