In vitro fertilization, or IVF, is a fertility treatment that has helped countless couples become parents. It involves the retrieval of eggs from the female partner, which are then combined with sperm from the male partner in a laboratory setting. 

The resulting embryos are then transferred to the uterus of the female partner, where they can implant and grow into a baby. 

If you’re considering IVF, you need to know,

How does IVF work?

The first step in an IVF cycle is to stimulate the woman’s ovaries so that multiple eggs can be retrieved. This is done using medications called gonadotropins, which help encourage egg production by signaling the ovaries to make more follicles than they would normally produce in a single menstrual cycle. 

The follicles are monitored over several days with ultrasounds and blood tests until they reach maturity. When they do, an injection of HCG is given to trigger their release from the ovaries. 

The eggs are then retrieved from the body by inserting a needle through the top of the vagina and into each follicle under ultrasound guidance.

Next, sperm from the male partner is collected and prepared for use in fertilizing any eggs that were successfully retrieved from the female partner. These eggs and sperm are placed together in a lab dish for fertilization to occur naturally. 

Once fertilized eggs (now called embryos) have been created, one or two of them can be selected for transfer back into the uterus of the woman who provided them, while additional embryos may be frozen for future use if desired by the couple. 

Embryo transfer involves inserting a thin catheter through your cervix and placing it directly into your uterus using ultrasound guidance; embryo transfer itself usually takes less than 15 minutes and does not require sedation or anesthetic medications because it should not cause any discomfort or pain. 

After transfer is complete, progesterone supplements will be prescribed as they help support early pregnancy development while awaiting confirmation of implantation via urine pregnancy test approximately two weeks later.

Success Rate of IVF?

The success rate for IVF depends on many factors including age, medical history and lifestyle habits such as smoking status and alcohol consumption. 

On average women aged 37 or younger have around a 40-45% chance of achieving a successful pregnancy with each cycle depending on other factors present; this rate drops off significantly after age 37 although women up to age 42 can still have success with IVF treatment when appropriate candidacy has been established via baseline testing prior to starting treatment cycles. 

Moreover, best IVF centres or hospitals like Sahyadri, offer comprehensive genetic testing services for embryos, which also increases the chances of successful outcomes; recent studies show that utilizing this service can help reduce miscarriage rates significantly as well (2019). 

Therefore, if you’re considering IVF treatment, it’s important that you discuss all aspects with your fertility specialist prior to starting so that you understand what your individual chances may be based on your specific profile before committing fully to this process financially as well as emotionally.