IVF

In Vitro Fertilization

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a process where a person’s ovaries are stimulated, using hormone medications for up to 2 weeks, to produce mature eggs which are then removed (retrieved) from the person’s body, without making any cuts or incisions on the person. These mature eggs are then combined with either partner’s sperm or donor sperm, outside of the uterus, in the laboratory, to create fertilized embryos. The embryos are then inserted (transferred) into the mother’s womb or into the womb of the person who will be carrying the pregnancy to develop into a fetus, or the embryos can be frozen for a future transfer (also known as embryo freezing or embryo banking).

 

IVF is for:

  • Couples who have been trying to conceive for 6+ months

  • Women who haven’t had success with other fertility treatments (like medication and insemination)

  • Individuals or couples with PCOS, endometriosis, low sperm count, and other fertility diagnoses

  • People who want to screen for hereditary disorders

  • Those who want pregnancy on-demand, including LGBTQIA+ couples and single women

The process,
explained simply.

  • Depending on your reason for choosing IVF, you’ll go through diagnostic testing to see what the cause of your infertility is. Depending on the results, IVF may not be necessary or feasible, or the doctor might recommend alternative treatments to start.

  • The doctor will review your diagnosis with you and discuss your treatment options. If you decide to use IVF, our doctor and staff will go over the entire process including financials to determine if IVF is right for you.

  • Ovarian stimulation is designed to retrieve as many mature eggs as possible to increase chances of fertilization. This process involves the injection of medications daily for up to two weeks to encourage your ovaries to produce a lot of eggs.

  • About 36 hours after the trigger shot (which induces ovulation), the eggs are retrieved under monitored Anesthesia via a transvaginal ultrasound with a guided needle. This is conducted as an out-patient procedure and most women go home a few hours following the procedure

  • The healthiest sperm from the sample are then used to fertilize the eggs. Before transfer, the embryologist will evaluate the embryos based on their likelihood of successfully implanting in the uterus. Those embryos with the best characteristics, which are dividing properly and at a normal rate, are chosen for transfer. Then, the embryologist injects a single healthy sperm into the egg.

  • The embryo transfer procedure is when a very soft catheter is gently inserted through your cervix and the embryo is released into the middle of the uterus through the catheter. (If you choose to freeze your embryos, this transfer will occur at a later date).

  • After two weeks, you will take a pregnancy test to determine if the IVF transfer was successful.