In Vitro fertilization is the proper medical name for what the press dubbed ‘test tube babies’ many years ago. The woman’s eggs are taken from her ovaries and then in a laboratory dish, fertilized with sperm before being inserted into 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. The first thing your doctor will do is to stop the hormones released by the pituitary gland during your period by the use of other drugs. This will help them have improved control as to when your eggs will be produced. You then take different drugs to make your ovaries produce more than one egg.

IVF Cost...

It’s important that levels of estrogen produced by the eggs are monitored so a combination of blood tests and vaginal ultrasound scans are used. 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. Ultrasound guidance is used to help collect the egg but it means you have to be given drugs or a general anesthetic to help you relax because it takes about 30 minutes.

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. With donated sperm, the process is the same but the sample is taken from the freezer. 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 embryo’s that have fertilized abnormally or not at all, are discarded, then those remaining are left for another 24 to 48 hours prior to a final check.

Two days after your eggs have been collected; you are given an injection, gel or pessaries to help prepare the lining of your womb.

IVF Cost

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