When you start understanding the IVF process, at the beginning it might seem a bit overwhelming and confusing, regarding what the actual process entails. When you decide to go through the journey of IVF, it automatically means hardships, emotional struggles, and a load of medical consultations. However, IVF is a proven solution for many couples who are struggling to conceive, offering them a chance to be parents. Whatever the challenges might be, with expert guidance and a successful IVF treatment, there is always hope of achieving parenthood. Make sure you choose the right infertility specialist in Kolkata for yourself, to help you guide throughout your IVF journey.
In this blog, we will explore the step-by-step process of IVF stimulation, with an estimated timeline for each phase.
Ovarian Stimulation
After going through some necessary blood tests and ultrasounds, you will start your stimulation process by taking some fertility drug injections. These drugs will help boost your egg production, telling your body to release more than just one egg per month. This injection is usually given on the second and the third day of your menstrual cycle.
However, before you start your IVF cycle, you will be given some estrogen pills prescribed by your doctor. These pills will help regulate your menstrual cycle and prepare your ovaries for the stimulation process. The more eggs you produce the more are the chances of your fertilisation treatment being successful. The hormone injections stimulate your ovaries to produce multiple eggs, increasing the chances of retrieving multiple eggs for fertilization.
Ovarian stimulation takes 10 to 14 days on average, depending upon the patient’s tolerance and how their body reacts to the medication. The timeline of the stimulation cycle ranges from when the patient begins taking the medicine to induce egg production to the retrieval of those eggs.
Monitoring process
Your doctor will prescribe you some blood tests and ultrasounds to monitor the development of the eggs. You have to go through some regular monitoring appointments that can help your doctors keep track of your follicular development. These appointments are important to check the response of the fertility medications and whether there is any need to adjust your treatment plan. Through blood tests, the doctors measure the hormone levels, keeping track of the follicle growth and overall ovarian response to the stimulation injections.
Doctors however prefer ultrasounds, as it helps them to visualize the ovaries directly, allowing the medical team an insight into the number and size of follicles present. Regular monitoring appointments during this time is essential to ensure a positive outcome and a successful IVF journey.
Trigger shot
When your follicles reach the appropriate size, your medical examiner will give you some trigger shots to induce the final maturation of the eggs. This process plays a vital role in preparing your ovaries for egg retrieval. This shot causes the final maturation of the eggs, to ensure that the eggs are developed to an optimal stage and are ready to be retrieved. Once your eggs reach the optimal stage, it increases the chance of a successful fertilization process. However, the timing of the trigger shots is mostly decided by your medical team based on your response to the fertility medicines and the progress of your follicles.
It is essential for your medical team to monitor the whole process since the egg maturation process needs to be in sync with the egg retrieval process. It is recommended to follow the steps exactly as instructed by your healthcare professionals, as the timing of the trigger shots is crucial to increase the chances of a successful IVF outcome.
Egg retrieval
Egg retrieval is done approximately 36 hours after the trigger shot. The egg retrieval is done in the hospital, where you will receive general anesthesia, before the minor surgical procedure. The egg removal process is generally done under sedation, where your doctor performs a transvaginal ultrasound to identify the follicles.
During the process, your doctor will use ultrasound to guide a thin needle, through your vagina, to collect the matured eggs. The needle is attached to a suction device that helps in collecting your eggs from each of the follicles. During this process, you may feel a little cramping due to the pressure. The removed eggs are then taken to a laboratory and placed in a dish containing a special solution made of nutritive substances. The dish is then placed in an incubator, a controlled environment for the eggs, before the fertilization process.
Sperm Collection
This process is done on the same day as the egg retrieval process. Your partner’s sperm is collected, treated, and prepared for fertilizing your eggs. There are different ways to collect semen. Your partner can provide a sperm sample, through masturbation. Or you can also choose a male donor and use their sperm to fertilize your eggs. TESA is another method used to retrieve sperm using a needle directly from the testicles. The sperm is then taken to the laboratory to be washed and run some tests to find the healthiest ones.
Fertilization
This is the insemination process where the mixing of the sperm with the egg occurs. This stage is performed using the best sperm collected with your best eggs. The immature eggs that could not be matured are mostly placed in a dish containing sperm and nutrients. In case they do mature in that dish, they are collected to attempt to fertilize the eggs.
During the natural insemination process, the healthy sperm and eggs are combined in a laboratory. While the ICSI procedure includes injecting a single sperm directly into each egg. However, this process is only used when the natural process fails to give results. Normally, it takes a few hours for a sperm to fertilize an egg.
Transferring Embryo
Over the next five to six days, the development of the embryos will be closely monitored by your embryologist. You will receive another medication to prepare your uterus to receive the embryos that will be transferred into you. With the best infertility clinic in Kolkata, the process will not require any anesthesia and will be painless. Your doctor will simply transfer the embryos into your uterus using a catheter. This process is performed in a hospital, where the thin catheter is inserted through the cervix into your uterus and then the embryos are injected. This procedure usually takes about 10 minutes.
Pregnancy test
Approximately 9 to 14 days after the embryo transfer, your healthcare provider will run some blood tests, to check whether the implantation has been successful. Once the process is successful, you will have to follow t
he exact instructions of your doctor and visit an infertility specialist in Kolkata for regular check-ups. There are several things to consider before starting your IVF journey, but your mental preparation is mandatory. If you are looking for the best infertility clinic in Kolkata, you are at the right place. With PHS Fertility, you will get high-quality and cost-efficient service. Our gynae experts care about your needs and deliver the best possible treatment plans that can meet your requirements.
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