The Ultimate Guide to In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

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The Ultimate Guide to In Vitro Fertilization
(IVF)
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What is IVF?

• IVF, which stands for In Vitro Fertilization, is
  an advanced reproductive technique.
• IVF is a blessing that allows infertile couples
  to realize their dream of having a child.
• It is an infertility treatment that enables a
  woman to conceive and become a mother.
• Fertilization occurs in a woman's body during the
  normal reproductive process.
• Both men and women are unable to conceive
  naturally due to infertility.
• Here IVF procedure is required.
• During the IVF process, a mixture of eggs and
  sperm are placed in a petri dish to allow
  fertilization to occur.
• Once created, the embryo is transferred.

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The IVF Procedure

• IVF is not a one-step treatment or procedure.
• It consists of several steps and stages that lead
  to the result.
• An IVF procedure consists of five major steps

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1. Ovulation Induction

• This is the first step in an IVF procedure in
  which your doctor will administer medications to
  stimulate egg production in your body.
• Ovaries produce only one or two eggs during a
  normal menstrual cycle.
• However, to increase your chances of getting
  pregnant through IVF, you will need a large
  number of eggs.
• During this time, the doctor will perform regular
  ultrasounds and blood tests to monitor your
  hormone levels as well as the ovaries' egg
  production.

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2. Egg retrieval

• Once enough eggs have been produced, the next
  step is to retrieve those eggs after they have
  matured.
• This egg retrieval during IVF is accomplished
  through a minor surgery performed by your doctor
  at the clinic.
• Multiple eggs can be removed in 25 minutes using
  a suction tube.
• This procedure may cause minor cramping, which is
  normal.
• If you are experiencing severe pain, consult your
  doctor as soon as possible.

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3. Sperm retrieval

• The next step in an IVF procedure is sperm
  retrieval, which requires the male partner to
  collect his sperm sample through masturbation.
• If the collected sample does not contain enough
  sperms, another method of sperm retrieval, such
  as testicular aspiration, is used.
• Sperms are extracted directly from the testicle
  using a surgical needle in this method.

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4. Fertilization in the lab

• After retrieving the eggs and sperms, the next
  critical step in an IVF procedure is
  fertilization.
• If the sperms are healthy, Conventional
  fertilization is performed.
• When sperms are not motile, ICSI, or
  intracytoplasmic sperm injection, is used as part
  of IVF.
• In ICSI, one of the best sperms is chosen and
  directly injected into a mature egg.

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5. Embryo Transfer

• The transfer of the embryo is the final step in
  the IVF procedure.
• After fertilization, the fertilized egg is
  referred to as an embryo.
• This embryo's growth is monitored for at least
  2-3 days, and when it grows properly, it is
  transferred into the lady's uterus.
• If the implantation is done correctly, it will
  result in a pregnancy.

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IVF vs ICSI vs IUI

• As previously stated, IVF is an advanced
  fertilization procedure performed manually in a
  lab by doctors.
• In this procedure, eggs and sperms are collected
  and then fused in a laboratory to form an embryo.
  
• The embryo is transferred into the uterus after
  it has grown for 2-3 days and has been monitored
  for growth.
• If the sperms are healthy during IVF, they will
  naturally fuse the egg.
• However, perform ICSI IVF in cases where the
  sperms are not sufficiently motile.
• Healthy sperm is chosen from the semen sample and
  is directly injected into the mature eggs in
  ICSI.
• In cases of male infertility, ICSI-IVF is used.

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Cost of IVF

• IVF is a cutting-edge method of treating
  infertility, and it involves one cycle per
  treatment. In India, the price of one IVF cycle
  can range from 80,000 to 3.50000.
• IVF also includes several additional tests,
  medications, and procedures that are chargeable
  separately.
• The cost of IVF also depends on the fertility
  clinic you select, the doctors' experience, how
  the procedure, and the technologies and
  techniques used.