It’s not uncommon for couples to experience difficulty conceiving. According to the statistics 1 in 7 couples face the problem after a year of trying. It can be disheartening but luckily thanks to science there are ways forward. IVF is one of the routes that couples often go down. It stands for ‘in-vitro’, which is Latin for ‘in glass’. The egg and sperm are fused outside of the uterus (several in fact for the best chances), before one is transferred into the womb. For many reasons couples struggle to get to this stage. IVF removes all the physical barriers and has helped many couples give birth to healthy children of their own.
If you’re looking into the IVF process, we understand that you will want to make a well-informed decision to make sure that you’re doing what’s right for you and your body. We’ve teamed up with an IVF treatment provider in London to create this post and fill you in on what the entire process entails.
Before you even start the process of IVF, it is important that your health is in good order. Following a healthy diet and exercise regime will ensure the best chances of success. There are a number of things that this involves – cutting out bad eating habits, smoking and drinking and fuelling your body with what it needs. This goes for both you and your partner so that the sperm used is of a good quality. Habits like smoking and drinking are also very harmful to the reproductive system and extremely hazardous to unborn children which is why we recommend making an effort to stop prior. As for the other healthy habits, they will need to be maintained throughout the process.
Hormone Therapy
To begin with, you will be given hormone injections to self-administer. This is to stimulate the ovaries so that they produce more follicles than they normally would. Your doctor will closely monitor this step to ensure that ovulation takes place at the right time.
Egg Collection and Transfer
Ovulation is then triggered, and eggs are collected. This can be done without a general anaesthetic as it’s quick and there isn’t much pain either. Collected eggs are then fused with the sperm that’s either provided by your partner or donated. Several embryos are then grown “in vitro” under an embryologist’s supervision. Of these only the best 1 or 2 will be transferred into the uterus (via the vagina) and should “implant” or adhere to the wall of the uterus and continue to grow. While effective, there’s no guarantee of this working and you may need several cycles before you are able to fall pregnant. For this reason, it’s a good idea to have the remaining embryos frozen. They can be used for future attempts without needing to go through hormone therapy and egg retrieval again.
Counselling
IVF can be an emotionally taxing experience, and throughout your journey you may find that having a councillor for you and your partner is beneficial. The clinic you opt for may be able to offer such support and is worth looking into when deciding on where to have your treatment.
Other Points to Be Made Aware Of
Another thing that you should also be aware of is that there’s a small risk of adverse reaction with the hormones taken. This only affects a very small number of women (between 1 and 2%). However, you will be monitored closely to ensure that any issues are monitored and dealt with.
To learn about whether IVF is right for you, we recommend that you speak to a clinic directly who can assess your situation and look at whether you will be a good candidate.
