The In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Process

Understanding the Steps of In-Vitro Fertilization

Have you and your spouse or partner decided to undergo the IVF process to conceive?The decision to have a baby is just the first step in the very sensitive, complex process of achieving a successful pregnancy. At Palm Beach Fertility Center, we often recommend IVF for couples that have not been or cannot be helped with other fertility treatments. Over 1 million children have been conceived through in-vitro fertilization (IVF), which is a term that literally means "fertilization outside the body."

Starting In-Vitro Fertilization

After the patient's menstrual cycle has been regulated with the aid of oral contraceptives and hormone medications, eggs are harvested from the ovaries and fertilized in the laboratory with the male partner's or a donor's sperm. The embryos are allowed to develop for a few days, at which time the best one(s) are placed in the uterus in the hope that one or more will result in a full-term pregnancy. Egg retrievals are done under IV sedation administered by Board Certified anesthesiologists, so you can rest assured your comfort and safety are always a top priority.

IVF is a complex process with many steps that must be successful in order to maximize the chance of conceiving. This includes:

• Pre-treatment
• Ovulation induction
• Egg harvesting
• Insemination and fertilization
• Embryo development
• Embryo transfer
• Pregnancy

Pre-Treatment & Ovulation Induction

After you have undergone a thorough screening, examination, and full medical history, you may undergo testing, including ultrasound, blood testing, uterine imaging, semen analysis (for men), and infectious disease testing. The initial step is to then retrieve the eggs (or oocytes) from the ovaries. There are several medications used to help stimulate the ovaries to produce more eggs than normal, which is known as superovulation.

Every patient is different, and your IVF treatment plan will be tailored to you individually. The average time from the start of pre-cycle testing to the embryo transfer is 6 to 10 weeks.

To learn more about the timeline of IVF and if it is right for you, please call us at (888) 819-5177 to make an appointment with our Palm Beach fertility specialist.