IVF or ‘In vitro fertilisation’ is quite a popular and considerably successful medical means for any childless couple to become parents.
Here are the FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) on IVF:
The full form of IVF is ‘In Vitro Fertilisation’. It refers to the in vitro (medical or clinical) process or procedure with the help of which a sperm fertilizes an egg within a test tube in another suitable place outside the body of the female that provides the egg.
The concerned medical specialists carry out the IVF process in a set of stages.
All these steps involves not only monitoring but also stimulating an individual’s ovulatory process, removing an ovum or ova from their ovaries and letting sperm fertilise them in a culture medium within a laboratory.
These steps include collection of the mature eggs from ovaries. This phase is termed ‘retrieval’. Then, they fertilize these retrieved mature eggs with the help of a healthy sperm. But, this crucial activity is done in a laboratory.
The fertilized egg is called ‘embryo’.
Next, the IVF specialist(s) transfers the embryo into the uterus.
Notably, pregnancy takes place once the embryo (fertilized egg) gets implanted in the uterus successfully.
A full or complete cycle of IVF is around three weeks. Of course, depending on the situation(s), the IVF specialist(s) breaks down the steps into separate stages. Then, the full cycyle of IVF may take a longer period.
Yes, there are three principal IVF approaches. These IVF processes are:
- Natural-Cycle IVF;
- Mild Stimulation IVF; and
- In Vitro Maturation (IVM)
Notably, none of the trio involves major drugs intake in any way. Only minimal use of drugs or medicines is recommended in the IVF process.
People or couples go for IVF for a number of reasons. These basically include the causes that lead to infertility.
Yes, there are two primary reasons are blocked fallopian tubes and/or advanced maternal age. The former situation can be owing to earlier surgery leading to reproductive situation(s) or inflammatory ailment in the pelvic region of the intending woman. On the other hand, the latter connotes advanced age of the concerned woman.
On the average, an IVF cycle of IVF gets completed within or in 60 days (two months).
Yes, very much. If the patient is less than 35 years of age, her pregnancy should take place with their maiden egg retrieval in the IVF process. The subsequent embryo transfer(s) about half the time.
Absolutely yes… Across the globe, there are hundreds of infants who have been born via the IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) process, and these babies are absolutely normal and healthy too.
No, there aren’t any risks – be it short-term or long term to the infant born in the IVF process.
Well, the primary difference between normal babies and IVF babies is the manner in which they were conceived.
The possibility of the IVF resembling its mother is rather thin as a donor egg doesn’t share any of its genes with its intended mother. Nonetheless, if the sperm used is that of her partner then the baby may look like its father. This is simply because both share the same genetics.
Studies show that women in their 20s and 30s have the most success when getting pregnant through IVF and other reproductive technologies. According to the CDC, the average percentages of assisted reproductive technology (ART) cycles that lead to a live birth are: 31% in women younger than 35 years of age.
No, the IVF process is not at all a painful process. However, if any patient takes oral sedative (before the transfer) to relax the cervix then there is a possibility of she experiencing instances of cramping of the abdomen. But it happens just for a day or two after the IVF treatment.
In comparison to the babies conceived naturally, the IVF babies have 45% increased risk of dying within their first year of life, indicate medical records. The risk depends on the type of ART (Artificial Reproduction Technique) and on the child’s age within the first year of life). Earlier, the demise rate of IVF babies was the highest in the first few weeks. But now with the advance medical progress and developed methods of ART, the rate has reduced to a considerable extent.
Though women in general would shake their heads to indicate a negative response, the fact remains that following the first few weeks, a pregnancy achieved via the IVF technique remains the same as that of a “regular” pregnancy in all aspects.
Irrespective of how the baby has been conceived, the experience of motherhood is definitely unique and for the first-timers it’s an out of the world feeling. Every pregnancy is specially designed here at Pride IVF because each woman is unique.
Studies have indicated that the general global average success rate of women experiencing their maiden cycle in the IVF process is 35%. And by the time they are in the sixth or eighth cycle, the success rate is 50-75%.
Doctors don’t know exactly why IVF babies are born earlier than other babies. More research is being done, but so far the studies suggest that a combination of the IVF procedure itself and factors in the mom may cause the increased risk of delivering early.14-Jun-2021
The process consists of five steps:
- Step 1: Medication. The woman is given injection hormones to stimulate healthy egg development.
- Step 2: Harvest the eggs.
- Step 3: Fertilization.
- Step 4: Embryo culture.
- Step 5: Embryo transfer.
- Delivering the good news.
According to the latest US laws, babies born via the IVF process do not have any biological fathers legally. However, there is a condition that legally someone may opt to be the father of the baby born via the IVF process. But that person must have committed or given his sperm to carry forward the essential AI (Artificial Insemination) requirement.
It is to be noted that such a person must also legally shoulder the financial responsibility of bringing up the IVF baby. This support is also mandatory legally even if the person might have walked out before the delivery of the IVF baby.
Nonetheless, this condition is not binding on such persons or fathers who willingly take part in the IVF process.
Multiple and even twin births can be possible via IVF (in vitro fertilization) in a special case. Such situations may arise if more than a single embryo is replaced inside the mother’s womb.
Identical twins can definitely develop if only one embryo is again placed inside the womb.
Well, in the IVF (in vitro fertilization) process, there are chances of a majority of the babies being males compared to the situations where babies are born naturally.
A study brought out in the ‘Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences’ explains why most of the babies born out of the IVF process turn out to be males.
Remember, in the IVF process, babies are born after an egg is fertilized in laboratory conditions (i.e., outside her biological physique) to be implanted inside her uterus.
