Everything You Need To Know About In Vitro Fertilization

Insemination

At this stage, the egg and sperm are joined for insemination. The andrologist will first rinse the semen sample with a solution to remove dead sperm and debris while protecting the living sperm. Now the prepared sperm can be used to inseminate the eggs. A small sample of the sperm is dropped into a culture containing the eggs. If a sperm is having trouble with fertilizing the egg on its own, it is directly injected into the egg via ICSI. At this point, there is a waiting period of two to five days for the eggs to be closely monitored and determine if cell division takes place. The embryos that are growing and shown to be viable are the ones chosen to be transferred into the uterus.

Embryo Transfer

The fifth and final stage is where the embryo or embryos are placed into the woman’s uterus. This procedure is done via catheter, which is inserted into the cervix and uterus guided by an ultrasound. Women may experience cramping, and are advised to rest for at least an hour after the procedure. Once discharged and feeling well enough, women can get back to their daily routines. If the procedure is successful, the embryo will typically implant approximately six to 10 days after the eggs were initially retrieved. A pregnancy test to indicate if the IVF round was successful can be taken 17 to 18 days after egg retrieval. Vaginal progesterone supplements will be prescribed for women to take after egg retrieval leading up to the pregnancy test.