If you’re struggling to get pregnant and are considering IVF treatment, you probably want to know all about it. What does IVF stand for? How exactly does it work? And just how expensive is it? This guide explains everything you need to know about IVF, including how it works, the costs involved, and the potential risks and side effects of this fertility treatment. You’ll also learn about some available alternative treatment options so that you can make the most informed decision before embarking on this journey to become a parent.
What is IVF?
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is assisted reproductive technology (ART) used to treat infertility. This fertility treatment involves retrieving eggs from a woman’s ovaries and fertilizing them with sperm in a laboratory. The resulting embryos are then transferred back into the woman’s uterus. The goal of IVF is to increase the chance of pregnancy, especially for people who have blocked or damaged fallopian tubes, cancer, or other health conditions that make it difficult for their partner to produce healthy sperm. It can also be used when there are more than three failed intrauterine insemination cycles (IUI). There is no limit on how many cycles one can undergo. However, there may be an increased risk to the mother and child if more than two procedures are done consecutively.
What is egg donation?
Egg donation is when another woman provides one or more of her eggs to be used in fertility treatment. The egg is fertilized with the father’s sperm in the laboratory, and the resulting embryo is then transferred to the mother’s uterus. Surrogacy is when another woman carries and gives birth to a baby for someone else. It can also involve donating an egg. In this case, the surrogate would carry and give birth to a child that she did not conceive herself but instead donated an egg that was fertilized by the intended father’s sperm, meaning that he is the biological father of the child born through surrogacy even though he was not physically involved in its conception.
A woman can only be a surrogate if she has gone through menopause because it means that her eggs cannot create life as the ovaries no longer produce them. However, before going with surrogacy, it is essential to consult with ivf specialist in Maldives and family members before deciding whether it would be a good idea for the entire family.
How does egg donation work?
Egg donation or surrogacy is often used when a woman cannot produce her eggs. In egg donation, healthy eggs are retrieved from a donor and fertilized with the father’s sperm in a lab. The resulting embryos are then transferred to the mother’s uterus. In surrogacy, the surrogate carries the baby throughout the pregnancy. With both procedures, age is one of the biggest factors influencing success rates. Younger women have better success rates than older women because their eggs are healthier and more likely to produce successful pregnancies. Women who use eggs donated by another woman may also experience higher chances of pregnancy, but only if they use an experienced reproductive endocrinologist.
What are the chances of success with egg donation?
The chances of success with egg donation are typically very high. Many couples choose this route to have a baby within the first year. The average success rate is about 70-80%, and most clinics will have a higher success rate. However, it’s important to remember that every couple is different, and fertility treatments have no guarantees.
Is there any age limit on undergoing IVF?
No, there is no age limit on undergoing IVF. This fertility treatment can be an option for women of all ages. The success rates for IVF vary depending on the woman’s age, with younger women typically having higher success rates.
What are the steps of the IVF process?
The first step of the IVF process is to stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs. This is done through daily injections of hormones for around two weeks. Hormones cause the ovaries to release more than one egg each month, increasing the chance of a successful pregnancy from each IVF cycle. Eggs and sperm are then collected from the couple during a procedure called fertility retrieval and put together in a laboratory dish in a process called fertilization.
If fertilization is successful, embryos develop into one or more cells that divide into eight cells daily. After five days, these early-stage embryos are implanted back into the mother-to-be’s womb. An embryo may not implant successfully after 5 days if it is not at the right stage of development. Embryos can be frozen until they reach their optimum level of development and can also be donated to another infertile woman who cannot conceive without them. Some couples may decide to store spare embryos if they want another child later.