The Ultimate Guide to In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

1. The Ultimate Guide to In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

2. What is IVF? • IVF, which stands for In Vitro Fertilization, is an advanced reproductive technique. • IVF is a blessing that allows infertile couples to realize their dream of having a child. • It is an infertility treatment that enables a woman to conceive and become a mother. • Fertilization occurs in a woman's body during the normal reproductive process. • Both men and women are unable to conceive naturally due to infertility. • Here IVF procedure is required. • During the IVF process, a mixture of eggs and sperm are placed in a petri dish to allow fertilization to occur. • Once created, the embryo is transferred.

3. The IVF Procedure • IVF is not a one-step treatment or procedure. • It consists of several steps and stages that lead to the result. • An IVF procedure consists of five major steps:

4. 1. Ovulation Induction: • This is the first step in an IVF procedure in which your doctor will administer medications to stimulate egg production in your body. • Ovaries produce only one or two eggs during a normal menstrual cycle. • However, to increase your chances of getting pregnant through IVF, you will need a large number of eggs. • During this time, the doctor will perform regular ultrasounds and blood tests to monitor your hormone levels as well as the ovaries' egg production.

5. 2. Egg retrieval: • Once enough eggs have been produced, the next step is to retrieve those eggs after they have matured. • This egg retrieval during IVF is accomplished through a minor surgery performed by your doctor at the clinic. • Multiple eggs can be removed in 25 minutes using a suction tube. • This procedure may cause minor cramping, which is normal. • If you are experiencing severe pain, consult your doctor as soon as possible.

6. 3. Sperm retrieval: • The next step in an IVF procedure is sperm retrieval, which requires the male partner to collect his sperm sample through masturbation. • If the collected sample does not contain enough sperms, another method of sperm retrieval, such as testicular aspiration, is used. • Sperms are extracted directly from the testicle using a surgical needle in this method.

7. 4. Fertilization in the lab: • After retrieving the eggs and sperms, the next critical step in an IVF procedure is fertilization. • If the sperms are healthy, Conventional fertilization is performed. • When sperms are not motile, ICSI, or intracytoplasmic sperm injection, is used as part of IVF. • In ICSI, one of the best sperms is chosen and directly injected into a mature egg.

8. 5. Embryo Transfer: • The transfer of the embryo is the final step in the IVF procedure. • After fertilization, the fertilized egg is referred to as an embryo. • This embryo's growth is monitored for at least 2-3 days, and when it grows properly, it is transferred into the lady's uterus. • If the implantation is done correctly, it will result in a pregnancy.

9. IVF vs ICSI vs IUI • As previously stated, IVF is an advanced fertilization procedure performed manually in a lab by doctors. • In this procedure, eggs and sperms are collected and then fused in a laboratory to form an embryo. • The embryo is transferred into the uterus after it has grown for 2-3 days and has been monitored for growth. • If the sperms are healthy during IVF, they will naturally fuse the egg. • However, perform ICSI IVF in cases where the sperms are not sufficiently motile. • Healthy sperm is chosen from the semen sample and is directly injected into the mature eggs in ICSI. • In cases of male infertility, ICSI-IVF is used.

10. Cost of IVF • IVF is a cutting-edge method of treating infertility, and it involves one cycle per treatment. In India, the price of one IVF cycle can range from 80,000 to 3.50000. • IVF also includes several additional tests, medications, and procedures that are chargeable separately. • The cost of IVF also depends on the fertility clinic you select, the doctors' experience, how the procedure, and the technologies and techniques used.