Most people know the term ‘test tube baby’ but the correct name for this process is ‘In Vitro fertilization’. Eggs are removed from the ovaries and fertilized with sperm in a laboratory dish before being placed in 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.

Whilst every clinic works slightly differently, the main procedure is a fairly routine one. 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. To ensure you ovaries produce more than a single egg, further drugs are given.

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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. All these tests are designed to show when the time is right for an injection of another hormone to help the eggs mature. This injection is given 34 to 38 hours before the eggs will be collected to the timing of this is very important. 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.

It is now the male’s job to ensure that a fresh sperm sample is ready. 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. Donated sperm is kept in the freezer but the same method to prepare it is used. 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 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.

IVF Retrieval

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