Most people know the term ‘test tube baby’ but the correct name for this process is ‘In Vitro fertilization’. 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 may be recommended for a number of reasons including; age, other techniques have failed, the woman’s tubes are blocked or the infertility cannot be explained.

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 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 With ICSI...

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. As soon as the tests show that the time is right, you will have another injection of a different hormone to help your 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. Collecting the eggs takes about 30 minutes and is carried out using ultrasound guidance so often either drugs or a general anesthetic is given to make you feel more relaxed.

Around the time the woman’s eggs are collected, the male produces a fresh sample of sperm. This will be stored for a short time before the sperm are washed and spun at a high speed, so that the healthiest and most active can be selected. Sperm which has been donated is kept in a freezer but the same method for preparation is used. 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.

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

IVF With ICSI

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