In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is a procedure where a woman's eggs and a man's sperm are combined in a glass dish to result in fertilization and the creation of an embryo that is then transferred to a recipient woman to carry to full-term.
The process may be performed with the recipient's eggs or with those of a donor.
The same is true for the sperm.
Usually, by the time the couple seeks the services of an IVF clinic, they have exhausted many of the other fertility methods available to them.
Once you have made an appointment with the IVF clinic and have determined to go forward with the in-vitro process, the first step is to start the ovulation process.
For women using their own eggs, a type of hormone treatment will be used to make ovulation predictable and prevent losing a cycle.
You will also receive hormones that will cause you to produce multiple eggs.
The time that this part of the process takes depends on which one of two methods the physician decides to use.
At the end of the process, usually between 5 days and two weeks, it is time for the eggs to be harvested.
This will be done through a surgical procedure that is performed in the IVF clinic.
The sperm is also collected at this time, either through masturbation or by collecting sperm via a small incision in one of the male's testicles.
If donor sperm is being used, it will have been collected at an earlier time and kept frozen.
After the eggs and sperm are collected, they are placed in a glass dish and put into an incubator at the ideal temperature for a period of 2 to 5 days.
Then, between one and three of the most viable eggs are chosen for use and transferred into the recipient's uterus with the hope of developing into a pregnancy.
The embryo transfer is painless and requires only that the fertilized eggs be inserted through the vagina and into the uterus with a small catheter.
Once the eggs are transplanted, the woman will need to take injections of progesterone daily to help the eggs implant.
Physicians who treat patients with In-Vitro fertilization should council them on the emotional and physically demanding procedure that the female must endure.
There is also a lot of time that must be devoted to having blood tests and injections, along with the frequent monitoring that will be performed at the IVF clinic.
All of the procedures that are performed in the clinic are done so on an out-patient basis but they also require a short recovery period.
The most common symptoms for the woman are In two weeks, you will return to the IVF clinic for a pregnancy test to determine if the procedure was successful or if you will need to start the process over.
It is important for couples to realize that a large portion of pregnancies achieved through in-vitro fertilization result in multiple births due to the number of eggs used in transplant.