In Vitro Fertilization literally means ‘fertilization in glass’, hence the familiar name of ‘test tube baby’. The process involves sperm from a woman’s partner or a donor being placed in a dish with eggs that have been removed from her ovaries and fertilizing them before being placed in her womb. Women who use In Vitro Fertilization are often recommended this method when others have failed or because they are older.

Methods of IVF will invariably differ a little from clinic to clinic but should proceed along these lines. At the start of your treatment your doctor gives you drugs to block the hormones your pituitary gland usually produces during your monthly cycle. Blocking the hormones helps the doctor have greater control over your egg production. To ensure you ovaries produce more than a single egg, further drugs are given.

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Blood Tests and vaginal ultrasound scans are used to monitor the estrogen level produced by the eggs. Once the time is right, another hormone will be injected to help the eggs mature. Timing is crucial, as you must have this injection 34-38 hours before your eggs are collected - this may mean you having it last thing at night. Collecting the eggs takes about 30 minutes and is carried out using ultrasound guidance so often either drugs or a general anesthetic is given to make you feel more relaxed.

It is not until this time that the man gets involved and needs to produce a sample of fresh sperm. The health of the sperm is important so after a short storage period they are spun at high speed after being washed so only the healthiest and most active are used. Donated sperm is kept in the freezer but the same method to prepare it is used. Once that has been completed the sperm is mixed with the eggs in a dish and left for between 16 to 20 hours and then checked to see if they have been fertilized. Any that haven’t, or any that have fertilized abnormally, are discarded and the remaining embryos are then left for another 24-48 hours before being checked again.

Once your eggs have been collected there is a waiting period of two days, then you are given pessaries, an injection or gel to ready the lining of your womb.

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