Starting In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) treatment process can be a nerve-wracking and exciting experience. Usually, people pursued IVF after other fertility treatments failed. But this is not always the case; sometimes people try IVF first. Just looking over the schedule of blood work, injections, and ultrasounds can have you feeling fragile. Add that to the Average IVF cost, especially if you’re paying out of pocket, it’s no surprise if you are feeling concerned.

However, the more you know about IVF, the more comfortable you will be. Though the protocol will be a bit different depending on the clinic, and the couple’s individual needs, below are the breakdowns of what usually takes place during the IVF cycle.

Ovarian Stimulation

To start, you will be given medications to stimulate your ovaries to form several eggs. Your doctor will monitor your ovaries and egg release timing with ultrasound and blood test. The fertility specialist will ensure the ovaries are producing eggs, and normal hormone levels. Also, your doctor will discuss with you the best medication protocol that might work with you. They will also determine the right dose, and you will be informed of the possible side effects, risks, and benefit of the medications.

Stimulation of ovaries is also done using different protocols. The most common one being Lupron protocol – with this, gonadotropin hormones secretion is suppressed to prevent you from having premature ovulation. After achieving prime suppression, the next thing is to recruit multiple follicles by the daily injections of gonadotropins.

Hormone assessments and ultrasound imaging are used to monitor the development of follicles. The instance the lead follicles reach the required size, the last eggs maturation is completed by HCG administration.

Egg Retrieval

The next step in the process of IVF steps is egg retrieval, and this requires a surgical procedure. During the procedure, an anesthesiologist will be available and is likely to give you sedation to make you sleep.

During this procedure, your fertility specialist will place an ultrasound probe and needle into your vagina. The doctor will gently move the needle into each of the mature follicles in your ovaries through the back of the vagina. There will be an incision or cut in your abdomen since the egg retrieval process will be done through your vagina. The doctors will use the needle to draw the egg and the fluid from each of the follicle.

This procedure usually takes between twenty to thirty minutes; it will depend on the total number of mature follicles present. The eggs will be placed in a special media and cultivated in an incubator until the process of insemination. You will most likely be required to rest for about an hour after this procedure.

Egg Fertilization

After the follicle retrieval, it will be searched for eggs or oocytes because not every follicle will have oocyte. Once the embryologist found the oocytes, they will evaluate it. Fertilization may be unsuccessful if the eggs are overly mature. On the other hand, if the oocytes are not mature enough, the embryologist may be able to stimulate them to maturity.

Oocytes fertilization must happen within 12 to 24 hours. The sperm sample from your partner must have been ready at this stage as well. The semen sample will be put through a distinct washing process – this washing process separates the sperm from other kinds of stuff found in your semen.

The embryologist will go through the sperms and select and place the best in each culture dish with the oocyte. The dishes are placed in an incubator, and they are checked for signs of fertilization after 12 to 24 hours. About 70% of the oocytes will be fertilized with the exception of serious male infertility.

Embryo Transfer

After a few days (usually between 3 to 5 days), the healthiest looking embryos will be identified. The procedure for transferring embryo won’t require anesthesia. A catheter or thin tube will be passed through your cervix during embryo transfer.

Usually, the discussion with your doctor and the quality of the embryos will determine the number of embryos transferred. Also, depending on the recipient age, anywhere between one to five embryos will be transferred, whereas the most common option is the transfer of two embryos.

More doctors are recommending that just one embryo should be transferred and the rest of the embryo should be frozen. After the transfer of the embryo, you will have to stay lying down for a few hours.

Frozen Embryo Transfers (FET)/Embryo Cryopreservation

Freezing or cryopreservation offers a way for you to store the embryos you didn’t use for a subsequent IVF succession. You can store frozen embryos for about five years or more. In the case you want to use a frozen embryo, the embryologist will examine it to see if they still survived the frozen process. Usually, 10 to 20% of embryos do not survive the freezing process.

It has been shown that pregnancy rates are similar in equal quality to non-frozen embryos. However, the best quality embryos are sometimes used during the first IVF cycle, and the remaining embryos that are frozen may be related to those with a lower pregnancy rate.

During a frozen embryo transfer cycle, cryopreservation has a lot of benefits. First, you don’t need to use medications to stimulate your follicles, so the period is not as demanding. Plus, the cost is much less than that of a fresh IVF cycle.