Starting In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) treatment process can be a nerve-wracking and exciting experience. Usually, people pursued IVF after other fertility treatments failed. But this is not always the case; sometimes people try IVF first. Just looking over the schedule of blood work, injections, and ultrasounds can have you feeling fragile. Add that to the Average IVF cost, especially if you’re paying out of pocket, it’s no surprise if you are feeling concerned.

However, the more you know about IVF, the more comfortable you will be. Though the protocol will be a bit different depending on the clinic, and the couple’s individual needs, below are the breakdowns of what usually takes place during the IVF cycle.

Ovarian Stimulation

To start, you will
be given medications to stimulate your ovaries to form several eggs.
Your doctor will monitor your ovaries and egg release timing with
ultrasound and blood test. The fertility specialist will ensure the
ovaries are producing eggs, and normal hormone levels. Also, your
doctor will discuss with you the best medication protocol that might
work with you. They will also determine the right dose, and you will
be informed of the possible side effects, risks, and benefit of the
medications.

Stimulation of
ovaries is also done using different protocols. The most common one
being Lupron protocol – with this, gonadotropin hormones secretion
is suppressed to prevent you from having premature ovulation. After
achieving prime suppression, the next thing is to recruit multiple
follicles by the daily injections of gonadotropins.

Hormone assessments and ultrasound imaging are used to monitor the development of follicles. The instance the lead follicles reach the required size, the last eggs maturation is completed by HCG administration.

Egg Retrieval

The next step in
the process of IVF steps is egg retrieval, and this requires a
surgical procedure. During the procedure, an anesthesiologist will be
available and is likely to give you sedation to make you sleep.

During this
procedure, your fertility specialist will place an ultrasound probe
and needle into your vagina. The doctor will gently move the needle
into each of the mature follicles in your ovaries through the back of
the vagina. There will be an incision or cut in your abdomen since
the egg
retrieval process will be done through your vagina. The doctors
will use the needle to draw the egg and the fluid from each of the
follicle.

This procedure usually takes between twenty to thirty minutes; it will depend on the total number of mature follicles present. The eggs will be placed in a special media and cultivated in an incubator until the process of insemination. You will most likely be required to rest for about an hour after this procedure.

Egg Fertilization

After the follicle
retrieval, it will be searched for eggs or oocytes because not every
follicle will have oocyte. Once the embryologist found the oocytes,
they will evaluate it. Fertilization may be unsuccessful if the eggs
are overly mature. On the other hand, if the oocytes are not mature
enough, the embryologist may be able to stimulate them to maturity.

Oocytes
fertilization must happen within 12 to 24 hours. The sperm sample
from your partner must have been ready at this stage as well. The
semen sample will be put through a distinct washing process – this
washing process separates the sperm from other kinds of stuff found
in your semen.

The embryologist will go through the sperms and select and place the best in each culture dish with the oocyte. The dishes are placed in an incubator, and they are checked for signs of fertilization after 12 to 24 hours. About 70% of the oocytes will be fertilized with the exception of serious male infertility.

Embryo Transfer

After a few days
(usually between 3 to 5 days), the healthiest looking embryos will be
identified. The procedure for transferring embryo won’t require
anesthesia. A catheter or thin tube will be passed through your
cervix during embryo transfer.

Usually, the
discussion with your doctor and the quality of the embryos will
determine the number of embryos transferred. Also, depending on the
recipient age, anywhere between one to five embryos will be
transferred, whereas the most common option is the transfer of two
embryos.

More doctors are recommending that just one embryo should be transferred and the rest of the embryo should be frozen. After the transfer of the embryo, you will have to stay lying down for a few hours.

Frozen Embryo Transfers (FET)/Embryo Cryopreservation

Freezing or
cryopreservation offers a way for you to store the embryos you didn’t
use for a subsequent IVF succession. You can store frozen embryos for
about five years or more. In the case you want to use a frozen
embryo, the embryologist will examine it to see if they still
survived the frozen process. Usually, 10 to 20% of embryos do not
survive the freezing process.

It has been shown
that pregnancy rates are similar in equal quality to non-frozen
embryos. However, the best quality embryos are sometimes used during
the first IVF cycle, and the remaining embryos that are frozen may be
related to those with a lower pregnancy rate.

During a frozen
embryo transfer cycle, cryopreservation has a lot of benefits. First,
you don’t need to use medications to stimulate your follicles, so
the period is not as demanding. Plus, the cost is much less than that
of a fresh IVF cycle.