What is in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and how does it work?
What is IVF?
In vitro fertilisation (IVF) literally means ‘fertilisation in glass’ giving us the familiar term ‘test tube baby’.
During the IVF process, eggs are removed from the ovaries and fertilised with sperm in the laboratory. The fertilised egg (embryo) is later placed in the woman’s womb.
Is IVF for me?
A clinic may recommend IVF as your best treatment option if:
- you have been diagnosed with unexplained infertility.
- your fallopian tubes are blocked.
- you have been unsuccessful with other techniques like using fertility drugs or intrauterine insemination (IUI).
- there is a minor degree of male subfertility – more severe problems are treated with intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).
How does IVF work?
IVF techniques can differ from clinic to clinic, often depending on your individual circumstances.
A typical IVF treatment may involve:
For women:
Step 1. Suppressing the natural monthly hormone cycle
As a first step of the IVF process you may be given a drug to suppress your natural cycle.
Treatment is given either as a daily injection (which is normally self-administered unless you are not able to do this yourself) or a nasal spray. This continues for about two weeks.
Step 2. Boosting the egg supply
After the natural cycle is suppressed you are given a fertility hormone called FSH (or Follicle Stimulating Hormone). This is usually taken as a daily injection for around 12 days.
This hormone will increase the number of eggs you produce – meaning that more eggs can be fertilised. With more fertilised eggs, the clinic has a greater choice of embryos to use in your treatment.
Step 3. Checking on progress
Throughout the drug treatment, the clinic will monitor your progress. This is done by vaginal ultrasound scans and, possibly, blood tests.
34–38 hours before your eggs are due to be collected you have a hormone injection to help your eggs mature.
Step 4. Collecting the eggs
In the IVF process eggs are usually collected by ultrasound guidance under sedation. This involves a needle being inserted into the scanning probe and into each ovary.
The eggs are, in turn, collected through the needle.
Cramping and a small amount of vaginal bleeding can occur after the procedure.
Step 5. Fertilising the eggs
Your eggs are mixed with your partner’s or the donor’s sperm and cultured in the laboratory for 16–20 hours. They are then checked to see if any have fertilised.
Those that have been fertilised (now called embryos) are grown in the laboratory incubator for another one – two days before being checked again. The best one or two embryos will then be chosen for transfer.
After egg collection, you are given medication to help prepare the lining of the womb for embryo transfer. This is given as pessaries, injection or gel.
Step 6. Embryo transfer
For women under the age of 40, one or two embryos can be transferred. If you are 40, or over, a maximum of three can be used.
The number of embryos is restricted because of the risks associated with multiple births. Remaining embryos may be frozen for future IVF attempts, if they are suitable.
Some clinics may also offer blastocyst transfer, where the fertilised eggs are left to mature for five to six days and then transferred.
Not only Dr Sarita is a proficient ivf doctor but she is warm, inviting and encouraging too. This is the factor that motivates patients to achieve their child dream despite different odds.
Being an infertility patient I believe result matter the most for any doctor and this is what Dr Sarita has done consistently.
The ivf doctor like Dr Sarita could only perform and extract miraculous result. While other infertility doctor gave me thumbs down, Dr Sarita treated us until I get pregnant.
If I am not treated by Dr Sarita, I could hardly think of becoming pregnant. It was her extraordinary effort that provide baby in my lap.
I am truly blessed that my infertility problem is satisfyingly treated by Dr Sarita. I am a blessed mother of a baby now which is only possible with her effort now.
As a patient, mostly we worried about the outcome of the treatment done by doctor. In this regard Dr Sarita is highly admirable as she truly works to get positive result and fulfils our baby dream.
Success or failure is of the treatment is largely depend on the quality of doctor. With sheer incense Dr Sarita turns things in patient’s favour.
Providing appropriate treatment is the primary objectives of Dr Sarita’s clinic. She is an expert infertility doctor who has an ability to explain our options as well as the statistical likelihood of success with various options.
Finding the right infertility doctor is a tough job. However Dr Sarita is the end-search of ivf doctor that provides miraculous result and take extreme care of patients.
I would like to “thank you” Dr. Sarita from the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for all your care & concerns before and during the infertility treatment process & for the fantastic delivery of my healthy baby boy.