In Vitro fertilization is the proper medical name for what the press dubbed ‘test tube babies’ many years ago. 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.

Whilst every clinic works slightly differently, the main procedure is a fairly routine one. Your doctor will give some drugs to block the hormones normally released during the menstrual cycle. The reason for this is so the physician has improved control over when your eggs are produced. Further drugs are given to ensure your ovaries create more than a single egg.

IVF Pregnancy Symptoms...

Vaginal ultrasound scans are carried out to monitor your developing eggs along with blood tests to chart the rising levels of estrogen produced by the eggs. Once the time is right, another hormone will be injected to help the eggs mature. The timing for this injection is crucial and must be carried out no earlier that 34 or later than 38 hours before your eggs are collected. 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. 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. If you are using donated sperm, the sample is taken from the freezer and prepared in the same way. 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. Only those embryos that have fertilized successfully are kept and left for a further day to two days before a final inspection.

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.

IVF Pregnancy Symptoms

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