If you have decided on in vitro fertilization (IVF), you may be wondering when you can see results. After all, you have still not conceived and have been waiting a long time for a baby. If you know what to expect along these lines, you can assure the health of your baby and experience more patience, as well. This type of family planning is innovative as well as helpful to parents who want to start a family now.
However, you still have to understand that conception is unpredictable. Therefore, you should just follow the steps and look at the process calmly. Do not get stressed out during the activity, as you need to be objective if you want your plans to succeed.
An Effective Way to Conceive for Couples with Infertility Issues
For couples with infertility problems, IVF is the most efficient way to for them to conceive today. IVF permits couples to work within a controlled environment – one that will give them more of an opportunity to fertilize an egg and reach their conception goals.
When IVF is utilized, technicians combine the sperm and egg in a lab dish. Both are incubated and watched throughout fertilization. Over a course of about three days, the eggs that are fertilized begin to form into embryos. The embryo is examined so that it can be transferred, frozen, or cultured for further development.
However, that does not mean that this answer to infertility happens with this one step. An IVF treatment in Bangkok begins weeks earlier. Therefore, the treatment is a series of steps with the cycle taking about six weeks from an initial consultation to the transfer of the embryo.
Therefore, week one of the procedure involves an initial consultation. This consultation takes into consideration the health of the parents and their finances. By receiving consultation at this point, couples can handle what will happen next and be prepared financially.
Initiating the Process – Weeks Two through Four
During the second through fourth weeks, preparation starts. This begins with a pretreatment plan for IVF. A complete lab test provides a clear picture of the fertility issue experienced by the parents. In turn, practitioners order the following tests:
- Blood panel
- Ultrasound testing
- A screening for infectious disease
- Male fertility test and sperm analysis
- Uterine test
Next, the practitioners at the lab will begin the woman on birth control pills. This is done to regulate menstruation and prepare the ovaries for the sperm. Women generally take birth control pills for a period of about three weeks after the initial testing. The length of time depends on a woman’s cycle.
Undergoing a COH – Week Five
By week five, a woman will undergo what is call controlled ovarian hyperstimulation, or COH, for short. While an ultrasound will be used to review the state of the ovaries and uterus, you will take fertility medicines and undergo monitoring during the COH procedure.
Usually, fertility medicines are administered for two weeks to stimulate the ovaries so that more eggs can be produced. Practitioners usually make it a goal to produce at least four eggs when using the medications. During this phase, the woman undergoes monitoring to see how the eggs are developing. This part of the process can be time-consuming, as it usually involves about six office visits.
Retrieving the Eggs for Implantation
During week seven, egg retrieval and fertilization occur. This happens after the woman takes a course of fertility medicine for about ten days. Once the practitioners determine that the follicles are sized right, they can trigger the maturation of the eggs with a substance, known as HCG. They follow up this part of the process by scheduling egg retrieval by ultrasound about 36 hours thereafter.
When the eggs are retrieved, the woman is placed under sedation. During retrieval, the woman should make sure that she has the available time and that someone can take her home afterwards. If she is sharing the IVF procedure with a partner, his sperm is also collected the same day of the retrieval process. In some instances, the sperm is frozen prior to the retrieval.
Combining the Sperm and Egg
When retrieval occurs, the sperm and egg are combined for lab use. If things go well after this point, the embryos will form. A number of options are featured to guarantee a successful pregnancy. These options include the following:
- Preimplantation genetic screening, or PGS ensures that only the healthiest of embryos are transferred. This testing is often recommended if a woman has miscarried in the past.
- Intracytoplasmic sperm injection or ICSI proves to be a good alternative when the man is infertile. During the process, the practitioner injects a healthy sperm into the egg.
- Assisted hatching involves making a small hole in the embryo’s outside membrane. This is done to enhance the implantation rate after transfer.
About four days after fertilization, the embryos are surveyed for transfer purposes. When embryos are reviewed regularly, experts in the lab can better decide which ones have the best survival transfer rate.
Promoting Implantation and Testing for Pregnancy
After the transfer of embryos, women take progesterone to support their uterine lining and promote implantation. Two pregnancy tests are performed thereafter. The first test takes place about 12 days after transfer. If it proves to be positive, the woman is scheduled for a second pregnancy test. This test is performed about one week after the first test. If it is positive, an ultrasound is scheduled after about three weeks. At this point, a woman is ready to be seen by an OB GYN specialist.
As you can see, IVF is one involved process – a process that consists of a number of steps. However, it is a procedure that is well worth the effort, as you can realize positive results. If you have been contemplating this procedure, you need to set an appointment for a further consultation. The more you know about the process, the more you will know what to expect. It will also give you the information that you need to consider your options for implantation or promoting a pregnancy.