The journey to parenthood through IVF brings a ray of hope to couples struggling with infertility. This path to pregnancy is a bit complex, and involves several scans, injections and medical procedures. Naturally, you would be keen to know how does IVF work.

That’s exactly what we have discussed in this blog to help you get familiarized with the process. You will find a detailed walkthrough of the procedure. So, you know what you can expect at each stage as you move closer to parenthood.

What is in vitro pregnancy and why people choose it

IVF is an assisted reproductive technology. During this complex medical procedure, specialist doctors retrieve eggs from the ovaries. Then, these eggs are fertilized with sperm in a laboratory.

As a result of fertilization, the embryos are formed. They are monitored in an incubator for a few days. Then, one or more of these are placed back into the uterus through an embryo transfer process. An in vitro pregnancy occurs when that embryo implants and grows in the lining of the uterus.

IVF treatment is often the last resort to parenthood. People choose this treatment process in different situations like:

• Blocked or damaged fallopian tubes
• Endometriosis
• Low sperm count
• PCOS
• Uterine problems
• Advanced maternal age
• Risk of passing on genetic disorders
• Using donor eggs/sperm

Usually, a single IVF cycle spans 4-6 weeks, starting from medications to pregnancy testing.

How does IVF work? Different Steps Involved in the Process

In this section, we have comprehensively discussed how does IVF work.

Preparations and Initial Testing

In the first place, both partners need to undergo medical evaluations. Ovarian reserve testing includes blood tests and ultrasound. Other processes include:

• Semen analysis
• Screening for infectious diseases
• Sono hysterography or hysteroscopy
• Genetic carrier screening

The clinics also provide specific instructions on administering medications. Accordingly, you need to sign certain consent forms.

In some clinics, doctors might prescribe birth control pills or oestrogen first. This helps in controlling the timing and preventing ovarian cysts. The cycle is synchronized in such a way, that the clinic can maximize mature eggs that are retrieved.

Ovarian stimulation

At the next stage, injectable hormones like FSH and LH are given for 8-14 days. This helps in stimulating many follicles, and not the single follicle in a natural cycle. With frequent monitoring through ultrasounds and blood tests, the growth of follicles is measured.

Most follicles larger than 14 mm are likely to contain a mature egg. When the eggs are ready, doctors give a trigger shot of hCG around 36 hours before the egg is retrieved in order to finalize the maturation.

Egg retrieval

Around 36 hours after the trigger, the egg is retrieved under mild sedation. An ultrasound-guided needle is passed through the vagina to aspirate follicles. This process takes around 20 minutes. Mild cramping is common during this procedure. The retrieved eggs are placed in culture media and moved to an incubator.

Sperm collection and preparation

The sperm is collected on the day of retrieval of the eggs, or they are frozen previously. In case the semen contains a very low sperm count or it’s absent, it is surgically retrieved from the testicle. Then the sperm are washed and prepared for fertilization.

Fertilization

On the same day, the egg is fertilized using the sperm. Two common methods are used during this process:

1.      Conventional insemination

In the insemination process, healthy sperm and mature eggs are mixed in a dish and left to fertilize naturally in the incubator.

2.      ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection)

As per this process, a single sperm is injected into each mature egg. This method is commonly used when there’s an issue with the sperm count or quality, or previous attempts of fertilization failed.

Medical reports reveal that 70% of the mature eggs are likely to fertilize.

Embryo development and selection

Doctors at the clinic monitor the embryos for 5-6 days. By this time, many embryos reach the blastocyst stage. On average, around 50% of the fertilized eggs progress to blastocyst. Many clinics freeze suitable embryos on day 5 or 6 for future use.

The following techniques may be used at this stage:

1.      Assisted hatching

A small opening is made in the shell of the embryo to help it hatch and implant. It is used after several failed cycles, or for frozen embryos.

2.      Preimplantation genetic testing (PGT)

A small cell sample is taken from embryos to screen for genetic disorders before transfer.

Embryo transfer

The embryo transfer is a short and typically painless procedure. A catheter places embryos, which can be fresh or frozen, into the uterus. After the embryos are retrieved, a fresh transfer happens within 3-7 days.

A frozen embryo transfer (FET) uses previously frozen embryos that are thawed and transferred in a later cycle. FETs are commonly used since they can improve the chances of live birth and offer flexibility during scheduling.

When doctors prepare you for FET, the uterus is primed with oral, injectable, vaginal or transdermal hormones for 14-21 days. For the next six days, several injections are pushed. Doctors also visit the patient 2-3 times a day to make sure they are ready for the transfer.

Pregnancy test and follow-up

About 9-14 days after embryo transfer, a blood test is performed for the pregnancy hormone, hCG to confirm pregnancy. If the result comes positive, an obstetrician is entrusted with prenatal care. However, if the result is negative, progesterone is stopped and a period usually follows.

Conclusion

The process of IVF is technically complex. However, this is a well-established path to parenthood. Now that you know how does IVF work, you can prepare for parenthood with confidence.

Reputable fertility clinics have been helping thousands of women conceive through IVF. Discuss your challenges frankly with specialized teams, as it reduces anxiety. Schedule a consultation and take your first step to a successful IVF treatment.