IVF – In Vitro Fertilization
This is a process whereby eggs are fertilized by sperm outside the body and then implanted back into the woman's uterus. This process was first successful in 1978, and usually is a last resort option.
Egg Donation
A process where fertile eggs are received from a known and tested fertile female for use by infertile females through IVF. If a birth does occur the recipient will not be biologically related to the baby, but will be the birth mother on record.
Natural Treatments
These treatments consist of a number of homeopathic or natural remedies that have been linked to aiding conception, although not always successful they are attempted first.
- At-Home Artificial insemination – can be used for infertility but is increasingly used by woman with out a male partner. This conducts sperm into the uterus without intercourse.
- Diet and Exercise – various factors can effect conception success including living a healthy lifestyle with proper diet and exercise.
- Acupuncture – has been proven in a recent study to increase pregnancy rates after assisted reproductive therapy.
- Pelvic Physical Therapy – has aided in successful conception for women in both natural and post IVF treatments.
- Alternative Medicine – although unproven some homeopathic or alternative medicine procedures could help couples with atmosphere or psychological issues.
Not all natural treatments have proven success rates but attempting them does not hurt the process. Consult with your physician or infertility clinic to make sure.
Surrogacy
There are two types of surrogacy that can enable an infertile couple to have children. Traditional surrogacy where a host mother is inseminated with the intended father's sperm, yet the surrogate mother is the biological and birth mother.
Gestational surrogacy implants another fertile woman's egg in the carrier mother's uterus, where the carrier or gestational mother is the birth mother but not the biological mother.
Embryo Donation
After IVF has been successful the parents of the unused extra embryo's can donate those embryos for other infertile couples. These embryos are then used in place of adoption or by couples wanting a balance connection to their child, where neither is biologically connected as in egg donation. It is generally less expensive than egg donation as well.
Tubal Reversal
For those women that want to have more children after a tubal ligation, this procedure reverses it and restores fertility.
There are surgical procedures such as hysteroscopy, vasectomy, hysterectomy and myomectomy that deal with the reproductive organs that can prevent or affect a person's ability to conceive. Before having any of these procedures talk with a doctor about the long term effects on child bearing and ensure it is a course you want to take. Otherwise the procedures above are the known procedures for assisted reproductive therapy, some with more scientific proof of success than others.