The IVF Process

The first step in IVF involves injecting hormones into the female partner so she can produce multiple eggs each month instead of only one. She will then be tested to determine whether she’s ready for egg retrieval. Timing is important; the eggs must be retrieved just before they emerge from the follicles in the ovaries. If the eggs are taken out too early or too late, they won’t develop normally. Your doctor may do a blood test or ultrasound to be sure the eggs are ready.

Generally, the day after the eggs are deemed ready, they will be retrieved. During the procedure, your doctor will locate follicles in the ovary with ultrasound and remove the eggs with a hollow needle. The procedure usually takes less than 30 minutes, but may take up to an hour. Your doctor will likely offer pain medication or mild sedation before the procedure.

Immediately following the retrieval, the eggs will be mixed in the laboratory with your partner’s sperm, which he will have donated on the same day. If your doctor has determined that ICSI is necessary, a sperm is taken from semen -or in some cases right from the testicles- and inserted directly into the egg. The fertilized eggs are kept in the clinic under observation to ensure optimal growth and viability. Depending on the clinic, you may even wait up to five days until the embryo reaches a more advanced blastocyst stage.

Once the embryos are ready, you will return to the IVF facility so doctors can transfer one or more into your uterus. This procedure is quicker and easier than the retrieval of the egg. The doctor will insert a flexible tube called a catheter through your vagina and cervix and into your uterus, where the embryos will be deposited. To increase the chances of pregnancy, most IVF experts recommend transferring up to three embryos at a time. However, this means you could have a multiple pregnancy, which can increase the health risks for both you and the babies.

Following the procedure, you would typically stay in bed for several hours and be discharged four to six hours later. Your doctor will probably perform a pregnancy test on you about two weeks after the embryo transfer.