In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a multi-step fertility treatment that helps with conception by fertilizing eggs with sperm outside the body and then implanting the resulting embryo into the uterus. Here's how IVF works:
- Ovarian Stimulation: The woman takes fertility hormone medications to stimulate her ovaries to produce multiple mature eggs in one cycle, instead of the single egg normally released. This increases the chances of successful fertilization and pregnancy
- Egg Retrieval: Once the eggs are mature, a doctor collects them using a needle inserted through the vagina into the ovaries, usually under sedation. This procedure takes about 20 minutes
- Sperm Collection: A sperm sample is obtained from the partner or a donor at the clinic around the time of egg retrieval
- Fertilization: The eggs and sperm are combined in a laboratory dish. Fertilization can occur naturally by mixing them together or by injecting a single sperm directly into each egg, a process called intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)
- Embryo Culture: Fertilized eggs develop into embryos over several days in a controlled lab environment. The embryologists monitor embryo growth and select the best-quality embryos for transfer
- Embryo Transfer: One or more embryos are transferred into the woman's uterus via a thin tube inserted through the vagina. This is done a few days after fertilization
- Pregnancy Test and Follow-up: About two weeks after embryo transfer, a pregnancy test is done to check if implantation was successful. If positive, an ultrasound is scheduled around 7 weeks to confirm pregnancy
Additional embryos of good quality may be frozen for future use if the first transfer does not result in pregnancy or if the couple wants more children later
. Overall, IVF takes about 3 to 6 weeks per cycle and involves careful hormonal stimulation, egg retrieval, fertilization in the lab, and embryo transfer to maximize the chances of pregnancy
. This process significantly increases the likelihood of conception for couples facing fertility challenges compared to natural conception
