In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) which means ‘fertilization in a glass’ is often more commonly referred to as a 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. In Vitro Fertilization is recommended if you are an older woman, have been diagnosed with unexplained infertility, those whose tubes are blocked, or if other techniques have been unsuccessful.

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. The reason for this is to assist control over when the eggs are ready. You then take different drugs to make your ovaries produce more than one egg.

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Blood Tests and vaginal ultrasound scans are used to monitor the estrogen level produced by the eggs. Another hormone injection will be given when the tests show the time is right to help the eggs mature. The eggs are collected between 34 and 38 hours after the injection is given so the timing for it is crucial. When it is time to collect the eggs, you may be given a general anesthetic or drugs to make you feel drowsy as they are collected by ultrasound guidance and it takes about 30 minutes.

Next the man must produce some fresh sperm at about the same time as the eggs are collected. To make sure that the best sperm are used for the process, the sample is washed and then spun at high speed, this will give the healthiest and the most active sperm. With donated sperm, the process is the same but the sample is taken from the freezer. The process can take between 16 and 20 hours during which time the sperm and eggs are allowed to mix in a laboratory dish before they are inspected to find out if the fertilization was successful. During the next stage, only successfully fertilized embryos are kept and left for a further 24 to 48 hours before a final check is done.

To ensure the womb is ready for the fertilized egg, two days after they have been collected, the womb lining is prepared by giving you pessaries, gel or an injection.

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