Many people around the world experience fertility issues where they are unable to get pregnant naturally. Some complications during pregnancy harm the embryo. Then they need a fertility treatment in which eggs can be combined with sperm outside the human body. Scientific research has revolutionized the medical world and now it is easy to treat your fertility problems. In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a method through which people achieve pregnancy manually. This is a complex procedure where sperm and eggs are fertilized outside your body.
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is an effective form of assisted productive technology that involves retrieving eggs from ovaries and manually combining them with sperm in a lab. After fertilization, the embryo (fertilized egg) is placed inside the female uterus. Pregnancy occurs when the embryo implants itself into uterine walls.
What Is In Vitro Fertilization?
The latest treatment of infertility is known as in vitro fertilization or IVF. This is a complex series of procedures that leads to pregnancy through assisted reproductive technology. This is needed by couples who experience problems in getting pregnant even after years of trying to conceive. In addition, in the modern era, this technology is also used to prevent passing on genetic problems to a child.
This complex procedure starts with the collection of mature eggs from ovaries and proceeds by fertilizing them with sperm in a lab. The next step is to place the fertilized egg (embryo) in the uterus, where it develops into a baby. This procedure takes 3 to 4 weeks to be done but sometimes the procedure is split into parts that may take longer.
This advanced form of assisted reproductive technology can be done using a couple’s eggs and sperm. However, sometimes, it may involve the sperm, eggs, or even embryos of unknown donors. Moreover, in some cases, a gestational carrier, an operation that has an embryo implanted in the uterus, might be used.
Now, the question is how many chances are there to have a healthy baby using IVF? The chances of having a healthy baby through this procedure depend on several factors, including the cause of infertility, age, and genetic history. Moreover, this is a time-consuming procedure that is also invasive and expensive. Placing more than one embryo in the uterus can result in a pregnancy with more than one baby, known as multiple pregnancies.
The safest way is to seek assistance from the expert team of healthcare providers to understand how IVF works, what the risks are associated with it, and whether it is appropriate for you.
Why is IVF Done?
Infertility can be treated in many ways, and IVF is one of them. However, before trying in vitro fertilization, you and your partner might be able to try some other methods to treat infertility that may involve fewer or no procedures that enter the body. These methods include intrauterine insemination, where sperm are directly placed in the uterus near the time when an ovary releases an egg, or fertility drugs that can help the ovary to produce more eggs.
However, over the age of 40, IVF is considered the main treatment for infertility. Having certain health conditions also makes it the only option to get IVF treatment. Such health conditions include:
Ovulation Disorders: If the ovulation process doesn’t occur often or doesn’t happen ever, no or fewer eggs are available to fertilize by the sperm.
Previous Surgery to Prevent Pregnancy: If you go through a surgical procedure where your fallopian tubes are blocked or cut to prevent pregnancy for good is another reason to get the IVF treatment when you wish to conceive after tubal ligation.
A Desire to Preserve Fertility Due to Certain Health Conditions: Certain health conditions go through treatments that can harm fertility, such as chemotherapy and radiation. If you are going to start treatment for cancer, IVF can help you have a baby in the future. For this purpose, eggs are harvested from the ovaries and frozen for later use. At a certain time, when you desire, eggs are fertilized to get pregnant.
Unexplained Infertility: If tests can’t explain the reason for the infertility, this is called unexplained infertility.
Genetic Disorder: If you’re at risk of transferring a genetic disorder to your child, you can adopt the IVF technology. Through this preimplantation genetic testing allows the harvesting and fertilization of eggs under controlled circumstances. These fertilized eggs are checked afterward for certain genetic problems. These are many in number and the one which does not appear to contain a genetic problem is placed in the uterus.
Blocked or Damaged Fallopian Tube: Eggs are naturally released from ovaries and transferred to the uterus through fallopian tubes. If both fallopian tubes get blocked or damaged, the fertilization of the egg and transfer of the embryo to the uterus becomes hard.
Uterine Fibroids: Tumors found in the uterus are called fibroids but they are not cancerous. People over the age of 40 usually develop such tumors in the uterus. These fibroids cause trouble for the attachment of fertilized eggs to the uterus lining.
Endometriosis: When inside cells of the uterus start to grow outside of the uterus lining, endometriosis happens. This condition often affects the function of the fallopian tubes, ovaries, and uterus.
IVF is also a treatment for those who don’t have a working uterus for whom pregnancy poses a serious health risk. They use another person to carry the pregnancy for them. This is your gestational carrier. During these procedures, the eggs are fertilized with sperm, but the fertilized eggs are placed in the gestational carrier’s uterus.
Preparation for In Vitro Fertilization
Before starting the in vitro fertilization, a woman undergoes ovarian reserve testing. This means taking her blood sample to test it for levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). This test helps to determine the quality and size of your eggs.
Examination of your uterus involves doing an ultrasound, which uses high-frequency sound waves to create an image of your uterus. Doctors usually insert a scope through your vagina into your uterus to check the health of your uterus. Healthcare professionals use this method to suggest the best way to implant the embryo.
In the next step, the male partner goes through a sting for the quality of sperm. In this test, a semen sample is taken from a male partner and taken to the lab to analyze the accurate number, size, and shape of the sperm. In case of finding weak or damaged sperms, intracytoplasmic sperm injections are used to treat them. During this procedure, the professional technician directly injects the sperm into your egg. This is also part of the IVF procedure.
So, choosing the IVF procedure is a personal decision because several factors affect this procedure that improve strong impacts on your pregnancy or baby’s health. The common factors include:
- The physical, emotional, and financial stresses associated with In vitro fertilization.
- What is the proper use of unused embryos after the procedure?
- Number of embryos you wish to transfer.
- The increase in the risk of pregnancy with the number of embryos transferred.
- Feelings about the possibility of having twins, triplets, or a higher order multiple pregnancy.
- Leg and emotional issues associated with the use of donated embryos, sperm, or eggs.
Procedure of In Vitro Fertilization
A total of five steps are involved in the IVF procedure, named as:
- Stimulation.
- Egg Retrieval.
- Insemination.
- Embryo Culture.
- Transfer.
Stimulation
During each menstrual cycle, you can produce one egg naturally. However, in vitro fertilization needs multiple eggs. That’s why you are given fertility drugs to increase the number of eggs you can produce. During this procedure, the healthcare professional continuously performs different ultrasounds and blood tests to monitor the production of eggs. So that they may decide when to retrieve them.
Egg Retrieval
This sepsis is also known as follicular aspiration. To perform this surgical procedure, anesthesia is used. During surgery, your doctor uses an ultrasound wand to guide a needle through your vagina, into your ovary, and finally into an egg-containing follicle. This needle suctions the eggs and fluid out of each follicle.
Insemination
In the next step, the male partner gives a semen sample. Under controlled circumstances in a lab, technicians fuse the sperms with eggs in a petri dish manually. If this method doesn’t work, your doctor may decide to use ICSI.
Embryo Culture
Under the strict observation of a team of expert technicians, the eggs are made to ensure division and development. During this phase, the embryos may undergo testing for genetic problems associated with south parental genes.
Transfer
As the embryos grow in size and become big enough, they are implanted. This step is performed usually four to five days after fertilization. Now the implantation starts and doctors with the help of technicians insert a thin tube called a catheter into your vagina, past your cervix, and into your uterus. The embryo is released into your uterus.
When the embryo implants itself in the uterine walls, pregnancy occurs. This will happen within 7 to 10 days. A blood test will confirm your pregnancy.
Risks associated with In Vitro Fertilization
From short term to longer term In Vitro Fertilization raises the chances of certain health problems, including:
Birth Defects: Assisted reproductive technologies like IVF are linked with a higher risk of babies being born with digestive issues, heart problems, or other conditions. The major cause of birth defects due to IVF is the age of the mother. More research is needed to find out if IVF causes increased risks of some more health conditions in newborns.
Miscarriages: People who conceive through IVF are more likely to experience miscarriages. The rate of miscarriages rises with the age of the pregnant person.
Ovarian Hyper-Stimulation Syndrome: Receiving shots of fertility medicines, causes swelling and pain in the ovaries. Its symptoms often last up to weeks. Its common symptoms are diarrhea, nausea, belly pain, upset stomach, bloating, and vomiting. A severe form of this condition causes shortness of breath and rapid weight gain.
Stress: IVF is a body and mind-draining procedure. It also causes a financial burden. These factors can develop the symptoms of stress and depression. The support from family, friends, and counselors can help you and your partner through the ups and downs of this treatment.
Ectopic Pregnancy: A fertilized egg attaches to outside tissues of the uterus, often in a fallopian tube. Embry can’t survive outside the uterus, thus pregnancy goes to an end. A small percentage of people are affected by this ectopic pregnancy.
Multiple Pregnancy: IVF raises the risk of multiple pregnancies. Carrying more than one baby as a pregnant person increases the risk of pregnancy-related birth defects, early labor and delivery, diabetes, high blood pressure, and low-weight birth.
Cancer: In the past, researchers suggested that certain medicines used to stimulate egg growth might be associated with developing an ovarian tumor. However, more recent studies do not go with this suggestion. According to recent studies, such medicines do not seem to be linked with higher risks of ovarian, cervical, endometrial, or breast cancer after IVF.
Low Birth Weight and Premature Delivery: Research suggests that IVF raises the risk of birth of a baby with low weight and early delivery of baby.
Complications Linked with the Procedure to Retrieve Eggs: Retrieving the eggs is a procedure through which sacs of ovaries are made to grow so that they might contain eggs. Ultrasound images help to insert a thin, long needle through the vagina into those sacs, called follicles, to harvest the eggs. The mistake in inserting the needle can cause severe bleeding, damage, or infection in blood vessels, bowel, or bladder.
Conclusion
Undergoing the In Vitro Fertilization procedure is an incredibly complicated and tough decision, as it is associated with many risk factors that can cause permanent damage to your fertility, in some cases. Moreover, the physical, emotional, and financial burden can cause a permanent trigger of anxiety and depression.
Therefore, it is best to talk to your doctor about all possible sources to get pregnant before trying IVF. Try to follow the instructions or suggestions of your healthcare provider strictly when you are preparing for IVF, so that the procedure may prove the right path for you and your partner. Seeking a support group or counselor to help you and your partner during the process can help you face all the difficulties without experiencing stress or anxiety.
