In Vitro Fertilization

First successfully performed in 1978, in vitro fertilization (IVF) is probably one of the best known ART methods and quite possibly the most common form of treatment people think of when they think of infertility treatment. As a result, people often believe that IVF is the only treatment option for those experiencing fertility problems.

In reality, less than 2% of couples actually seek this option and often they have tried other methods, like fertility drugs, first. Although it can simply be explained as the process of joining an egg and sperm together in a lab, the procedure itself can be painstaking and must be perfectly timed in order to be successful.

The First Step

Because it is necessary to harvest several eggs for IVF treatment, women will first be administered hormonal medications, like clomiphene, hMG or FSH, for about ten days. These drugs will help promote the development of several follicles and therefore several eggs. By using these drugs, it is easier to determine just when ovulation will occur. However, frequent monitoring is still required.

You will have regular blood tests done to measure the levels of hormones in your blood. Additionally, an ultrasound may be used to allow your doctor to observe the development of the egg follicles. Once the eggs have matured, but before they have been released from the follicle, your doctor will harvest them.

Some women, however, will produce less than the ideal number of mature eggs even with high doses of ovulation stimulating medications. Women who find themselves in this situation are what is known as a "poor responder." To find out if you may be a poor responder, it is a good idea to have testing done on your ovarian reserves as well as have an ultrasound done to evaluate your ovaries and the number of resting follicles.

Some women may not be suited to IVF because they are poor responders while others may just need to adjust the dosage of their medication. It is best to learn this information out beforehand so that you and your partner can avoid spending money on a procedure that may not work for you.

Phase Two

Now that your eggs have matured, they will be retrieved from your ovaries. Timing is everything in this process - an egg retrieval that is performed too soon may result in immature eggs that can't be fertilized, while waiting too long may cause the eggs to be too mature or possibly even be spontaneously released by your body.

To harvest the eggs, your doctor will give you an anesthetic that will help you feel more comfortable although it won't completely knock you out. Using an ultrasound to locate the mature follicles, a long, thin needle will be passed through your vagina to the ovaries. The needle will then suck the fluid from the mature follicle. An immediate microscopic observation of the fluid will reveal whether or not an egg was retrieved. If an egg was retrieved, it will be removed from the fluid and placed into an incubator. The process will then be repeated to retrieve several more eggs. The total number of eggs harvested can vary depending on the clinic you are using - it may be as low as five or it could be as many as 15.