In Vitro fertilization is the proper medical name for what the press dubbed ‘test tube babies’ many years ago. Eggs are fertilized in a laboratory dish with sperm and then place inside the woman’s 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. Initially your physician will give you hormone blocking drugs normally produced during your menstrual period. 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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To monitor your developing eggs, vaginal ultrasound scans are taken as well as blood tests to ensure that the eggs are increasing the estrogen level. To help the eggs mature a different hormone will be injected once all the tests say the time is right. This injection is given 34 to 38 hours before the eggs will be collected to the timing of this is very important. 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’s about this time that the man must produce some fresh sperm. Once this has been done the sperm are stored for a short period before they are washed and then spun at high speed to ensure only the healthiest ad most active sperm are used. Sperm which has been donated is kept in a freezer but the same method for preparation is used. After the eggs and sperm have been collected they are left to mix in a laboratory dish for between 16 and 20 hours and then inspected to see whether fertilization has taken place. 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.

In order to help prepare your womb, pessaries, gel or an injection are given two days after your eggs have been collected.

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