Understanding IVF Treatment PART 1

Have you been reading about IVF treatment and you can't really figure out what it entails or are you considering having treatment but you seem not to understand the procedure. Here are some useful tips.

Pre Treatment Screening

Before treatment is initiated you and your partner will have series of test like blood test for hepatitis B and C, HIV, and immunity to rubella. Investigations are done to check the amount of eggs in your ovaries and their quality also called ovarian reserve to give an estimate of how your ovaries will respond to IVF treatment.

Stage one: Menstrual cycle will be suppressed

 Your natural menstrual cycle will be suppressed using a medication. It helps the medicines used in stage two of the treatment more effective.

Medication is given either as a daily injection or as a nasal spray. Usually the medication is taken for two weeks.

Stage two: Egg supply will be boosted

As soon as your menstrual cycle is suppressed, you will be given a fertility hormone also called FSH. It is taken in form of daily injection usually for about 10 days but not exceeding 12 days.

What FSH does is to increase the number of egg production in the ovaries. Increase in egg production means more eggs can be collected and fertilized.

Stage three: Monitoring The Progress Of Treatment

Regular and close monitoring throughout the treatment. Blood test and vaginal ultrasound scans are done to monitor your ovaries.  You'll have the last hormone injection that helps your eggs to mature about 3 days before the eggs are to be collected.

Stage four: Egg Collection

You'll be put to sleep and your eggs will be collected under ultrasound guidance a needle will be passed through the vagina and into each ovary. A minor procedure that last about 15 to 20 minutes. You will be given hormone in form of medication   as injection, pessary or gel to prepare the lining of the womb to receive the fertilized egg (Embryo)

You may experience cramps or a small amount of bleeding after this procedure.

Stage Five: Sperm Collection

About the time your eggs are collected, you partner will be asked to produce a fresh sample of sperm. The sperm are washed and spun at a high speed, most active and healthiest sperm are then selected.

A donor’s sperm is also prepared the same way as above.

Stage Six: Egg Fertilization

Your partner’s sperm or the donor's sperm are mixed with the collected eggs in the laboratory. They are checked after 16-20 hours, to see if fertilization has occurred. Sometimes a single sperm may be injected with each egg.

Once fertilization has taken place, until after six days as they grow in the laboratory the best one or two fertilized eggs are selected and transferred into the womb.

•