What is IVF Process? - A Step by Step Guide to IVF

IVF is In Virto Fertilization. It is an assisted reproductive technology. It is the process of extracting an egg from the mother, sperm from the father and Artificially fusing them to form an egg. They grown the egg in the laboratory under controlled condition and then Transfer it as an embryo to the mother’s uterus.

IVF treatment is followed only when all the other treatments have failed. However IVF can be the first treatment in the following cases;

• When an egg donor is used
• When a surrogate mother is required
• Male infertility
• When the woman’s fallopian tubes are blocked
• When the preserved eggs are used.

Here is a step by step guide to understand IVF process completely.

Step 1The official beginning of the process begins on day 1 of the period. The day differs from person to person. During this day the blood and tissue lining of the uterus breaks down. It lasts from 4 to 8 days and differs from person to person.

Step 2During this step, the ovaries are stimulated. Normally ovaries produce 1 egg per menstrual cycle. After day 1 of the period, medicines are provided to increase the production of eggs in the ovaries. The medication is normally in the form of injection for 1 – 2 days. Later, the ovaries are tracked through ultra sounds and blood tests.

At the end of stimulation phase, a trigger injection is given. The trigger injection makes the ovaries ready for ovulation (process of releasing the eggs).

Ste p 3It is the egg retrieval phase. The eggs are collected from the ovaries. In order to collect the eggs, an anaesthetist checks and prescribes a general anaesthetic drug. The patient will be asleep for 20 to 30 minutes after taking the drug. The fertility specialist will guide a needle into each ovary with the help of ultra sound screen. The eggs are contained in the fluid and cannot be seen with the naked eye.

After the procedure, the recovery time is around 30 minutes. The patient can walk around without help after the procedure.

Step 4Sperm extraction phase. If a couple is planning to use the procedure, the male will produce a fresh sperm sample as soon as the eggs are extracted from the ovaries. The healthiest sperm, which is not too fat, not too thin, and the tail is not too long, not too short is then separated.

Step 5The next phase is the fertilization of the egg and sperm. The egg and sperm are kept in a dish that has a controlled environment. They would then find each other and fuse as they normally do inside a human body.

Step 6Embryo development. After the fusion of egg and sperm, the egg or the embryo is put in an incubator. It is monitored for 5 – 6 days.

Step 7After confirming that the embryo is healthy and is growing, it is transferred to the mother’s uterus. The process is simple. She is awake throughout the process. No anaesthetics are given. The embryo is injected into the uterus through the cervix.