At Alcove Fertility Center, we offer in vitro fertilization (IVF) as a fertility treatment option for patients who are trying to get pregnant. IVF is a complex and highly advanced fertility treatment that involves retrieving eggs from the ovaries, fertilizing them with sperm in a laboratory setting, and then transferring the resulting embryos back into the uterus.
IVF is typically recommended for patients with more complex fertility issues, such as blocked fallopian tubes, advanced maternal age, or problems with the uterus or cervix. It may also be recommended for patients who have not had success with other fertility treatments, or for those who are using donor eggs or sperm.
The IVF process typically involves several steps, including ovarian stimulation, egg retrieval, fertilization, embryo culture, and embryo transfer. These steps are typically done in a controlled, laboratory setting, and the process is carefully monitored by a reproductive healthcare provider.
IVF is generally considered to be a safe and effective fertility treatment, with success rates that vary depending on the specific fertility issue being addressed. If you are considering IVF as a fertility treatment option, it’s a good idea to speak with a reproductive healthcare provider to determine the best course of action for your individual needs.
Your treatment will be coordinated by your fertility specialist who is supported by an experienced team of nurses, counsellors and scientists. We understand how important having a family is to you and can assure you that we will provide you with the highest standard of fertility care.
We usually grow embryos in the laboratory until Day 5, known as the Blastocyst stage, because there is strong evidence that these embryos are more likely to implant into the uterus.
Fertilised embryos are transferred to the woman’s uterus in a simple procedure call an embryo transfer (a very similar technique to a pap smear).
If more than two embryos develop, we can freeze those that are surplus for use in subsequent cycles. Find out more about freezing embryos…
If there is any concern about sperm quality, the process of fertilisation is carried out by Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI). This is where one sperm is inserted into each egg.
Each IVF treatment cycle takes around six weeks.
Step 1: Initial Specialist Appointment
At your initial appointment, your fertility specialist will review your medical history and all previous investigations and treatments.
You and your partner should both attend your first appointment with your fertility specialist. They will review your medical history, all previous investigations and treatment, and will provide preliminary advice about your treatment options.
Step 2: Pre-treatment consultation
You’ll meet again with your fertility specialist, confirm your treatment plan, have any questions answered and sign the relevant consent forms. Discuss any complementary medicines you are taking now, as these may interfere with your treatment.
Step 3: Treatment begins
Your fertility nurse gives you the medication you need, explains the treatment cycle timeline, and shows you how to self-administer the Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) injections. We recommend both you and your partner attend this appointment.
Step 4: Hormone stimulation
FSH is administered, stimulating your ovaries to produce more eggs than usual. We have a higher chance of achieving fertilisation and pregnancy when we can collect more eggs.
Step 5: Treatment monitoring
Throughout your cycle, regular blood tests measure your hormone levels and ultrasounds measure the size and number of your ovarian follicles. This also helps us determine the appropriate time for egg collection. All your blood and ultrasound tests are conducted by our nurses.
Step 6: Trigger injecton
Once you have the optimum number and size of follicles, we plan your egg collection. You’ll have a trigger injection of hCG (human chorionic gonatrophin) in the evening, and the operation for egg collection will occur 36 to 38 hours later. The hCG injection replaces the natural Luteinising Hormone in the body and ‘triggers’ or instigates ovulation.
Step 7: Egg collection in day surgery
Egg collection is undertaken in day surgery, usually under ultrasound guidance. Usually under local anasthetic unless you prefer a light general anaesthetic, but you can have a local anaesthetic with sedation if you prefer. You will be at the hospital for about 2 – 4 hours and will need someone to drive you home afterwards.
On the morning of your egg collection your partner will need to provide a fresh semen (sperm) sample, so we can immediately fertilise your eggs.
Step 8: Egg fertilisation
Collected eggs are taken to the laboratory to prepare them for fertilisation later that day. In IVF, prepared sperm and eggs are placed together in a dish where fertilisation occurs. In ICSI, an individual sperm is selected by a highly experienced embryologist, and, under very delicate microscopic control, the egg is injected with this single sperm.
Step 9: Embryo development
The egg and sperm are then placed in individual incubators at 37 degrees to mimic the temperature of the human body. The next day, scientists will examine the eggs to determine if fertilisation has occurred, and will call you to advise you of the development of the embryos.
Step 10: Embryo transfer
Embryo transfer is a simple day surgery procedure and usually takes place five days after the egg collection. The embryos are transferred into the uterus through a very fine catheter passed through the cervix, a procedure similar to a pap smear. In some cases we may recommend transferring embryos earlier.
Step 11: Embryo freezing
Any extra embryos not used during a treatment cycle that are suitable for freezing can be stored for the future.
Step 12: Pregnancy test
Your nurse will organise an appointment for you to have a blood test two weeks after the embryo transfer. Occasionally, women can still have a period despite being pregnant, so this blood test will occur even if your period has commenced. We do not recommend the use of urinary pregnancy test kits, as the hormone medication given throughout treatment could produce an incorrect reading.
Your pregnancy blood test results are usually available by mid afternoon. If the pregnancy test is positive, we will arrange an ultrasound scan approximately three weeks later.