IVF: What it does and why it works
Visiting a doctor for In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) can be an emotionally demanding experience. At times, your doctor's language may be a little too complex to take in. The amount of new or technical information can seem overwhelming, and at times, confusing.
To ensure that you make your decisions with a clear understanding, here's a detailed look at what makes the IVF process a boon for couples who are unable to conceive.
Why go for IVF
In IVF, the woman's eggs are fertilized by the man's sperm in a laboratory dish. This means that the process of fertilization takes place in a more controlled environment. One of more of the fertilized eggs is then transferred to the woman's uterus, where possible implantation could lead to pregnancy. Therefore, opting for In Vitro Fertilization helps avoid fertilization problems during conception.
The significance of In Vitro Fertilization can be gauged by understanding the reasons why couples opt for it, such as the ones listed below:
- Ovarian failure
- Advanced reproductive age
- Severe male factor infertility
- Absent of blocked fallopian tubes
- Endometriosis, Ovulation disorders, or any other cause of infertility
When couples cannot get pregnant naturally, IVF is usually the last hope to get pregnant. Despite it not guaranteeing 100% success in pregnancies and not being exactly affordable, the process is still well-sought. Its popularity is courtesy of the continuous advances in reproductive medicine, boosting the efficacy of the process.
To understand this process better, let's understand the basic model of the In Vitro Fertilization process.
- SUPEROVULATION - where fertility drugs are given to the woman to boost egg production.
- EGG RETRIEVAL AND MATURATION - a minor surgery, called follicular aspiration or ovum pickup, is done to extract the eggs from the woman's body. By referring to ultrasound images, a thin needle is inserted through the vagina and into the ovary and follicles containing the eggs. The needle (which is connected to a suction device) pulls the eggs and fluid out of each follicle, one at a time. The collected oocytes are then matured in vitro under a CO2 Incubator.
- INSEMINATION AND FERTILIZATION - The man's sperm is processed and placed together with the best quality eggs for insemination. The eggs and sperm are then stored in an environmentally-controlled chamber called CO2 Incubator. Fertilization happens a few hours after insemination.
- EMBRYO CULTURE - When the fertilized egg divides into 2 cells, 4 cells, 8-16 cells stage, it becomes an embryo. Within five days, a normal embryo has several cells known as morula and blastocysts inside the CO2 Incubator.
- EMBRYO TRANSFER – where the cultured embryos are transferred into the woman's womb 3-5 days after egg retrieval and fertilization. This procedure is carried out in the doctor's office while the woman is awake. A thin tube (catheter) containing the embryos is inserted into the woman's vagina up into the womb. The chances of conception will increase if an embryo sticks to (implants) in the lining of the womb and grows.
The chances of giving birth to a healthy baby via In Vitro Fertilization depends on factors like lifestyle, embryo status, causes of infertility, maternal age and reproductive history. Please talk to your doctor about these factors and how they could affect your chances of a successful pregnancy.
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