In vitro fertilization IVF is a treatment for infertility or genetic problems. If IVF is performed to treat infertility, you and your partner might be able to try less-invasive treatment options before attempting IVF , including fertility drugs to increase production of eggs or intrauterine insemination — a procedure in which sperm are placed directly in the uterus near the time of ovulation.
Sometimes, IVF is offered as a primary treatment for infertility in women over age IVF can also be done if you have certain health conditions. For example, IVF may be an option if you or your partner has:. Fertility preservation for cancer or other health conditions. If you're about to start cancer treatment — such as radiation or chemotherapy — that could harm your fertility, IVF for fertility preservation may be an option.
Women can have eggs harvested from their ovaries and frozen in an unfertilized state for later use. Or the eggs can be fertilized and frozen as embryos for future use.
Women who don't have a functional uterus or for whom pregnancy poses a serious health risk might choose IVF using another person to carry the pregnancy gestational carrier. In this case, the woman's eggs are fertilized with sperm, but the resulting embryos are placed in the gestational carrier's uterus. Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome.
Use of injectable fertility drugs, such as human chorionic gonadotropin HCG , to induce ovulation can cause ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, in which your ovaries become swollen and painful. Symptoms typically last a week and include mild abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
If you become pregnant, however, your symptoms might last several weeks. Rarely, it's possible to develop a more severe form of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome that can also cause rapid weight gain and shortness of breath. A clinic's success rate depends on many factors. These include patients' ages and medical issues, as well as the clinic's treatment population and treatment approaches. Ask for detailed information about the costs associated with each step of the procedure.
Before beginning a cycle of IVF using your own eggs and sperm, you and your partner will likely need various screenings, including:. Before beginning a cycle of IVF , consider important questions, including:. How many embryos will be transferred? The number of embryos transferred is typically based on age and number of eggs retrieved. Since the rate of implantation is lower for older women, more embryos are usually transferred — except for women using donor eggs or genetically tested embryos.
Most doctors follow specific guidelines to prevent a higher order multiple pregnancy, such as triplets or more. In some countries, legislation limits the number of embryos that can be transferred. Make sure you and your doctor agree on the number of embryos that will be transferred before the transfer procedure.
What will you do with any extra embryos? Extra embryos can be frozen and stored for future use for several years. Not all embryos will survive the freezing and thawing process, although most will. Having frozen embryos can make future cycles of IVF less expensive and less invasive. Or, you might be able to donate unused frozen embryos to another couple or a research facility.
You might also choose to discard unused embryos. IVF involves several steps — ovarian stimulation, egg retrieval, sperm retrieval, fertilization and embryo transfer. One cycle of IVF can take about two to three weeks. More than one cycle may be needed. The start of an IVF cycle begins by using synthetic hormones to stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs — rather than the single egg that typically develops each month.
Multiple eggs are needed because some eggs won't fertilize or develop normally after fertilization. Typically, you'll need one to two weeks of ovarian stimulation before your eggs are ready for retrieval.
To determine when the eggs are ready for collection, you may have:. Sometimes IVF cycles need to be canceled before egg retrieval for one of these reasons:.
If your cycle is canceled, your doctor might recommend changing medications or their doses to promote a better response during future IVF cycles. Or you may be advised that you need an egg donor. Egg retrieval can be done in your doctor's office or a clinic 34 to 36 hours after the final injection and before ovulation. If you're using your partner's sperm, a semen sample needs to be provided at your doctor's office or clinic the morning of egg retrieval.
Typically, the semen sample is collected through masturbation. Also, FYI, a lot of this information is based on animal research, especially events that happen deep in the reproductive tract. Before diving into conception, you should brush up on your knowledge of eggs and sperm , and of how ovulation works. Ovulation is when an egg is released from the ovary, and is critical to the whole process. The cervix is what connects the vagina to the uterine cavity.
It has glands that produce cervical fluid also called cervical mucus , which passes through the vagina. You sometimes might see cervical fluid on your underwear or on toilet paper as you wipe.
Cervical fluid characteristics change throughout the menstrual cycle :. During and just after your period: You may not notice any cervical fluid. Between your period and ovulation: As estrogen levels rise, the amount of cervical fluid increases and becomes wetter, thicker and cloudier 2,3. So why does this matter? In short, sperm swim best through wet and stretchy cervical mucus 3,4. If this fluid is absent or is thick and sticky, sperm have a hard time passing the cervix 3,4. The time period between when cervical fluid is ideal for sperm and ovulation is known as the fertile window.
Finally, sperm have an effect on the vagina. Normally the vagina is somewhat acidic, in order to protect against infection 5. When exposed to sperm, the vagina becomes less acidic 1,5. During your period , the uterus sheds the endometrium, which built up during the previous menstrual cycle. After shedding, the endometrium waits for estrogen produced in the ovaries to rise. Estrogen causes the lining of the uterus to thicken by stimulating the endometrial cells to divide 2.
After ovulation, the endometrium prepares for the possible arrival of a fertilized egg. In response to increasing levels of progesterone :. Also, the rise in progesterone after ovulation also signals to the endometrium to release little sugar-filled sacs into the uterus to nourish the incoming egg 2. With artificial insemination, sperm is often introduced directly into the cervix or uterus, so this step is bypassed.
Sexual activity can cause the brain to release the hormone oxytocin 1,6 , which causes the innermost layer of the uterus to contract and push the sperm onwards 1,5,6. The uterus also has little finger like structures called cilia that help move the sperm, hopefully, towards the egg 1.
Sperm triggers an immune response when it enters the uterus 5. Also, sperm may end up going up the wrong fallopian tube. Pregnancy begins when a sperm fertilizes an egg. This usually occurs in the 2 weeks following the first day of the most recent menstrual period.
In the first few weeks of pregnancy, a woman may have no symptoms. Some can sense that they are pregnant, but most do not suspect it until they miss the next period. In this article, gain a detailed understanding of fertilization, and learn what goes on in the first 5 weeks of pregnancy.
This feature is part of a series of articles on pregnancy. It provides a summary of each stage of pregnancy, what to expect, and insights into how your baby is developing. First trimester: fertilization, implantation , week 5 , week 6 , week 7 , week 8 , week 9 , week 10 , week 11 , week Second trimester: week 13 , week 14 , week 15 , week 16 , week 17 , week 18 , week 19 , week 20 , week 21 , week 22 , week 23 , week 24 , week 25 , week Ovulation is the process of an ovary releasing an egg.
The medical community measures pregnancy from the first day of the last period, even if fertilization happens several days after the period has ended. For fertilization to occur, sperm must enter the vagina. This usually, but not always, happens through sexual intercourse. There, the sperm will penetrate and fertilize an egg. Once fertilized, the egg travels down the fallopian tube toward the womb, or uterus, where it will implant in the uterine wall. Beginning in the ninth week of pregnancy, and until the pregnancy ends, doctors call the developing baby a fetus.
The egg comes either from a donor or a woman who wishes to become pregnant. In a laboratory, a specialist doctor works to fertilize the egg with donated sperm. The goal is for at least one fertilized egg to implant and develop. When the egg and sperm unite, they form a zygote. The zygote contains 46 chromosomes: 23 from the female and 23 from the male. The chromosomes determine the genetic make-up of the fetus, including its sex and inherited physical characteristics, such as:.
They may also help shape factors such as personality, intelligence, and the risk of some health conditions.
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