In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

IVF is an abbreviation for in vitro fertilization. It is one of the more well-known types of reproductive technology. IVF works by combining medications and surgical procedures to assist sperm in fertilizing an egg and the fertilized egg is implanted in your uterus.

First, you take medication to prepare several of your eggs for fertilization. The eggs are then removed from your body and mixed with sperm in a lab to help the sperm fertilize the eggs. Then they implant one or more fertilized eggs into your uterus. Pregnancy occurs if any of the embryos are implanted in the uterine lining.

IVF is a lengthy process that takes several months to complete. It can work on the first try, but many people require more than one round of IVF to become pregnant. The chances of getting pregnant with IVF increase if you're having fertility problems, but there's no guarantee. Everyone's body is different, and IVF won't work for everyone.

IVF Process

The first step in IVF is to take fertility medications for several months to help your ovaries produce several mature, ready-to-fertilize eggs. This is known as ovulation induction. The production of eggs and hormone levels may be monitored through regular ultrasounds or blood tests.

Your doctor will remove the eggs from your body once your ovaries have produced enough mature eggs (this is called egg retrieval). Egg retrieval is a minor surgical procedure performed in the office of your doctor or at a fertility clinic.

You will be given medication to help you relax and feel comfortable during the procedure. Through your vagina, the doctor inserts a thin, hollow tube into your ovary and follicles to see inside your body. The needle is attached to a suction device, which gently extracts the eggs from each follicle.

Insemination occurs when your eggs are mixed with sperm cells from your partner or a donor in a laboratory. In a special container, eggs and sperm are stored together for fertilization. To promote fertilization, sperm with lower motility may be injected directly into the eggs. Fertilized eggs are divided and developed into embryos in the lab by people working there.

1 or more embryos are implanted into your uterus about 3-5 days after the egg retrieval (this is called embryo transfer). The doctor inserts a thin tube through your cervix into your uterus and inserts the embryo directly into the tube.

Pregnancy occurs when any of the embryos attach to the uterine lining. Embryo transfer is usually painless and performed at your doctor's office or a fertility clinic.