In vitro fertilization, also known as IVF, is a complex series of processes. Your IVF pregnancy can be successful if you follow the right guidelines provided by your healthcare professional. IVF is a treatment for infertility. Doctors recommend it when someone can’t get pregnant even after trying other treatments. IVF can also be used to prevent passing on genetic health issues to a child.
IVF involves many crucial steps. It is a form of assisted reproductive technology (ART). If you’re also going for this infertility treatment, then you might have so many questions regarding IVF. Worry not, in this comprehensive guide, we will answer your every question.
What is IVF Pregnancy?
In vitro fertilization is a type of ART. In this process, fertilization of an egg and sperm takes place outside of a human body. This procedure usually takes place in a lab with high-quality equipment. The process of IVF is generally complex, involving many steps. The process involves retrieving eggs from ovaries and manually combining them with sperm for fertilization. After some days of fertilization process, the fertilized egg (embryo) will be placed inside the uterus. Pregnancy takes place when this embryo implants itself into the uterine wall.
Why is IVF Performed?
People choose IVF for many reasons. These can include infertility issues or when one has a serious health condition. Many people also try IVF after other fertility treatments have failed. Additionally, same-sex couples or people who wish to conceive without a partner can try this method.
You can go for IVF treatment if you or your partner has the following conditions:
- Endometriosis
- Unexplained infertility
- Uterine fibroids
- Damage or blocked fallopian tubes
- PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome)
- Risk of passing on a genetic disorder
- Using a gestational surrogate or an egg (oocyte) donor
What is the IVF Pregnancy Process?
The IVF process comprises many steps. On an average, you can expect the procedure to last 4-6 weeks. This includes the time before egg retrieval, when a person takes fertility medicines until they are tested for pregnancy.
In vitro fertilization comprises the following steps:
1. Birth control pills
Before starting the IVF treatment, your doctor may prescribe you estrogen or birth control pills. This is mainly to control menstrual cycle timing and stop the development of ovarian cysts. It helps your doctor to control your treatment. Additionally, it helps to maximize the number of mature eggs during the procedure of egg retrieval. Sometimes doctors also prescribe a combination of birth control pills to many.
2. Stimulating the Ovaries
During every natural cycle of a healthy person, a group of eggs begins to mature. Typically, only a single egg becomes mature enough to ovulate. The other immature eggs in that group disintegrate.
During your IVF cycle, your doctor can prescribe injectable hormone medications. It will help the entire group of that cycle’s eggs to mature fully and simultaneously. This means, instead of having only a single egg, you will have many eggs. The dosage, type, and frequency of medicines will be given accordingly. The doctor will prescribe these as an individual based on many factors. These include your medical history, AMH level, and age. Additionally, your response to ovarian stimulation during early IVF cycles.
The other steps in the ovarian stimulation procedure include the following:
- Monitoring: Your doctor will monitor the ovarian response to medicines from the blood hormone levels and ultrasounds. Monitoring can occur everyday or every few days over two weeks. When monitoring, your doctor will use an ultrasound machine to look at your ovaries and uterus. However, the size of eggs are too small to be visible with ultrasound. But, your doctor will measure the egg size and number of growing follicles.
- Trigger Shot: A trigger shot is given for final maturation of your eggs. This helps the eggs to be prepared for egg retrieval. Your doctor will instruct you to administer the shot exactly 36 hours before your scheduled time for egg retrieval.
3. Egg Retrieval
Your doctor will use an ultrasound to insert a thin needle into each of your ovaries. Connected to a suction device, the needle will pull your eggs out of every follicle. Further, your doctor will place the eggs in a dish and put them in an incubator.
4. Fertilization
After your egg retrieval process, the doctor will try to fertilize all mature eggs. This process will be done using intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). The doctor will place the immature eggs in a dish with nutrients and sperm. On an average 70% of mature eggs fertilize. The fertilized egg will become an embryo. If there are a large number of eggs then some eggs may be frozen before fertilization for later use.
5. Development of Embryo
For the next 5-6 days, the doctor will monitor the development of your embryos. All embryos that are suitable to transfer will be frozen on day 5 or 6 of fertilization to be used for the future embryo transfers.
6. Transfer of Embryos
There are mainly two kinds of embryo transfer:
- Frozen embryo transfer
- Fresh embryo transfer
The process of embryo transfer is simple and does not require anesthesia. The procedure is very similar to a Pap Smear or a pelvic exam. Your doctor will place a speculum within your vagina. A catheter will be inserted through the cervix into your uterus. A syringe will be attached to the other end of the catheter containing one or more embryos. Your healthcare provider will inject the embryos in the uterus with the help of the catheter. The entire IVF procedure typically takes less than 10 minutes. Both fresh and frozen embryo transfers follow the same procedure.
7. Pregnancy
IVF pregnancy occurs when the embryo implants itself into the uterine lining. Your doctor will use a blood test to examine if you are pregnant. This will be done approximately 9-14 days after embryo transfer. After successful fertilization, the embryo will be transferred to the person who intends to get pregnant.
There are many factors to keep in mind before starting IVF treatment. To get the best understanding of the IVF process, you can consult with our fertility specialist, Dr. Rita Bakshi at Risaa IVF.
What to Expect Before & After IVF Treatment?
Before starting the IVF treatment for pregnancy, you’ll need to do fertility tests and medical exams. Your partner will also go through with a thorough examination. Some of the preparation you will go through include the following:
- Genetic carrier screening.
- A semen analysis.
- Ovarian reserve testing, urine and blood tests.
- If you’re over 40 years, doctors recommend a uterine exam, up-to-date mammogram and Pap test.
- Screening for STIs and other diseases.
- Uterine cavity evaluation
What can you expect after IVF treatment?
There are some symptoms that you can expect after embryo transfer:
- Constipation
- Spotting
- Mild cramping and bloating
- Breast tenderness from high levels of estrogen
There are people who return to their normal activities after their egg retrieval process. However, one shouldn’t drive for 24 hours after having anesthesia. After 9-14 days of embryo transfer you can return to the clinic for a pregnancy test using a blood sample.. You can also use an IVF pregnancy calculator to track your pregnancy progress. It can help you to get prepared for every stage.
How much does IVF Pregnancy Cost?
IVF cost can vary depending on the clinic you are choosing. Providing the exact cost of IVF treatment is not possible. There are many factors that one needs to keep in mind before going for a treatment. It’s best to talk with your doctor and discuss your individual health history and insurance coverage.
Conclusion
IVF or in vitro fertilization is a complex procedure. It helps with fertilization, developing embryos, and implantation to get individuals pregnant. However, it’s important to speak with your doctor without hesitation. It will help you understand every procedure clearly. This will help your IVF pregnancy journey to go much smoother and stress-free.
FAQs
Q 1.Is IVF pregnancy same as normal pregnancy?
For the first ten weeks of pregnancy, there’s almost no difference between natural and pregnancy through IVF.
Q 2.Are IVF babies normal?
IVF babies are just as normal as other babies born naturally.
Q 3.After how many week IVF pregnancy is safe?
Pregnancy through IVF is considered safe after the first trimester (around 12 weeks).
Q 4.Is IVF painful?
IVF is generally not painful. However, some patients may feel minor discomfort during the procedure.