In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) which means ‘fertilization in a glass’ is often more commonly referred to as a test tube baby. Eggs are fertilized in a laboratory dish with sperm and then place inside the woman’s womb. When other fertilization techniques have failed, the mother may be older or there is no apparent reason for infertility, then In Vitro Fertilization is frequently recommended.

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. This allows them better control over when your eggs are produced. You then take different drugs to make your ovaries produce more than one egg.

IVF Fertilization...

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. The reason for this is that the eggs will be collected between 34 and 38 hours later, even if it is the middle of the night. Eggs are usually collected by ultrasound guidance which takes around 30 minutes and you are either given a drug to make you drowsy or a general anesthetic.

Next the man must produce some fresh sperm at about the same time as the eggs are collected. 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. With donated sperm, the process is the same but the sample is taken from the freezer. Your eggs are then mixed with your partner’s sperm and left in a laboratory dish for 16-20 hours before they are checked to see if any have 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.

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

IVF Fertilization

Technorati Tags: hcg levels ivf, after ivf transfer, ivf calendar