In Vitro Fertilization or IVF as it is commonly known has helped countless couples who struggle with fertility issues. Though the statistics of IVF-assisted births are quite impressive, that doesn’t imply that it is an easy process which promises quick results. You will have to be patient and committed since the journey could be a long one.
Here are a few things you should know if you are considering IVF as an option to conceive a child:
How does IVF work?
The procedure starts by taking a woman’s eggs from the ovaries and fertilising them in an external environment. Your eggs are fertilised by injecting one sperm into each egg or by placing the sperm on the eggs. ICSI-Intracytoplasmic sperm injection is used to inject the sperm into the egg. If the IVF is a success, the embryos are kept under observation and grown in a laboratory. Here they are rated for quality and then put back into the uterus.
Who should opt for IVF?
It is important to know if IVF is the right treatment for you as there could be many reasons why a couple would need this kind of assistance. Couples may have many kinds of reproductive issues while may lead to difficulty in conceiving. This may include male infertility, low sperm count, blocked fallopian tubes, hormonal imbalance or low egg count. Cancer survivors who have frozen their eggs before treatment could benefit from IVF too.
What are the steps involved in IVF?
Depending on how well or how quickly your body responds to the medications, the entire process of IVF process can take about two months to complete. This can be done at a modern fertility clinic in Gurgaon or a similar facility in your city. In the first step, the natural menstrual cycle has to be stopped temporarily using daily hormone injections for a few weeks. Next comes ovarian stimulation when you will need to inject yourself with shots a couple of times during the day.
After the eggs have matured completely, an HCG injection will be administered to you, and the eggs will be retrieved. The eggs are then fertilised, and their quality is monitored. Once a suitable embryo is found, it is transferred to the woman. This is done through a simple procedure where the embryo is put on a catheter and is placed through the cervix into the uterine cavity.
How effective is IVF?
It is important to understand that IVF is a delicate treatment and needs to be timed perfectly for it to work properly and effectively. Over the last few years, its success rate has shot up tremendously, yet there are many factors to consider. An important factor amongst many others continues to be the woman’s age and can have an impact on the result.
Before beginning the treatment, you may feel stressed and intimidated by the entire process. It is important to select the right hospital, develop trust and confidence about the process and keep an open mind. Focus on the positive and give a 100% to the process and you could soon be proud parents of a baby.
