The Process of IVF Services
When it comes to conceiving, many couples around the world struggle to see results – and in extreme cases a man and woman can go for years without any luck. A common solution for potential parents is IVF, or In Vitro Fertilisation – and IVF services in particular have assisted couples who are unable to conceive, over the past few years. The process is technical and it does involve a variety of medical resources to be utilised for the highest chance of results.
How IVF Works
The first thing that is put into practice is for fertility medications to be issued to the woman wanting to get pregnant. These medications will stimulate the growth of multiple eggs, and it is these eggs that will be harvested when necessary (typically as more than one egg will promote the rate of success, but also due to the tendency for certain eggs to fail to fully develop).
The procedure is considered minor and once extracted, these eggs will be stored properly as the simultaneous procedure of obtaining sperm is undertaken. The man will be asked to provide a sample of sperm and once collected, this sperm will then be stored in much the same way as the eggs. The laboratory will then be prepared, and the next step will begin.
This phase is commonly referred to as the insemination period and it involves an introduction between the sperm and egg/s. The entire event is microscopic and a medical expert will oversee the activity to ensure that the chances of insemination are maximised. As soon as a particular egg has been fertilised it will be placed in storage, ready to be transferred into the woman.
A professional service will leave three to five days before transferring the fertilised egg into the woman’s uterus and once properly positioned, the embryo will be in a position to grow. At this point, further medication (including nutrients) will be provided to the woman to stimulate embryo growth and if all goes to plan – then the pregnancy should ensue in the same way as it would have done if the child was conceived naturally.
How Successful is IVF?
Although medical practitioners can claim different success rates within their particular organisations, studies have demonstrated that specialist IVF service centres boast a much greater success rate than regular, public facilities such as hospitals. This is believed to be for two reasons – the first relates to the level of care and attention that the process will receive when undergoing treatment in a dedicated centre, and the other relates to the greater level of expertise associated with specialist providers.
Although hospitals will employ trained practitioners, IVF service providers will be specifically suited to dealing with the practice of In Vitro Fertilisation – and will usually have access to a far greater range of equipment and resources. In any event, the entire process can take anywhere between a single month and several years before a result is obtained – if at all – in which case other methods will be recommended.