If you have been trying to get pregnant for a while with no success, you may want to consult a fertility specialist to know the treatment options. When other options, such as IUI, are not feasible, your doctor may recommend “in-vitro fertilization” or IVF. In NYC, there are clinics like the New York Fertility Institute that offer all the support that couples need to deal with infertility and have a child of their own. In this post, we are discussing the basics of In-vitro fertilization (IVF).
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The Basics
In-vitro fertilization (IVF) is a type of assisted reproduction treatment, where the egg and sperm are combined outside the lab to get an embryo. The embryo is then implanted into the uterus for a successful pregnancy. There are different types of IVF that clinics offer. The first is a conventional IVF treatment, where medications are given to stimulate ovulation to retrieve eggs from the ovaries. There is also the choice of Natural IVF, which requires almost no medications, while Needle-free IVF relies on nasal medications to stimulate the production of eggs.
Understanding the Treatment
There are several steps in IVF treatments. The first step is to get the eggs, for which medications will be given to the patient. Eggs are then retrieved through an in-office procedure, which can take an hour. Your doctor may take as many eggs as needed. If you don’t have enough eggs, your doctor may suggest using a donor. It is also possible to use eggs that were previously frozen. The sperm is then taken from your partner (or a spouse). Once the doctor has the sperm and egg, they will initiate the fertilization process to produce an embryo. The embryo is then transferred to the uterus for starting the pregnancy. In some cases, the doctors may consider keeping the embryos under observation before implantation.
Are There Any Risks?
Because doctors don’t want to take chances, more than one embryo could be transferred into the uterus, which may lead to multiple births. Multiple births have a few inherent risks, including premature delivery. Since ovulation is triggered using medications, there could be side effects. Risk factors also include miscarriage and complications during the egg retrieval process.
In-vitro fertilization (IVF) continues to remain one of the most successful infertility treatments used today, not just in the US but across the world. Talk to your doctor about IVF to know more about the benefits and risks that are unique to your case.