IVF TREATMENT

There comes a point in all in life when everyone wants to slow down and settle for a family life. And that means a home, a spouse and a beautiful kid or two. However, for some, having children naturally becomes a challenge – but it’s a hurdle that advancements in medicine have made possible.

It’s heartbreaking when the doctor tells you that you won’t be able to have kids naturally, due to various reasons. However, as long as both members are producing normal eggs, conception and a successful pregnancy are possible through the use of assisted reproductive technology (ART), popularly known as IVF or in vitro fertilization. IVF refers to the ‘test-tube baby’ technique that was successfully first implemented in 1978 in England. The technique was initially developed to help women with damaged fallopian tubes to conceive. It basically involves extracting eggs from the ovaries of the female, retrieving sperms from the male and then combining them together in a petri-dish under controlled conditions.

After allowing for 2-4 days, one or two of these fertilized eggs or embryos are transferred into the uterus through the vagina, allowing implantation and pregnancy to occur. Surplus embryos are usually stored in case implantation isn’t successful the first time around. The team handling this IVF procedure involves physicians, psychologists, nurses, Lab technicians, embryologists and allied health professionals, who together work in various capacities to help the aspiring parents, achieve pregnancy.

The entire IVF cycle takes about 4-6 weeks. The woman usually has to wait a while as her eggs are artificially stimulated to mature before harvesting. The harvesting process can be a little painful and is usually done under local anaesthetic. Egg retrieval usually takes half a day after which the couple can go home while the team continues its work on the eggs.

Once you have decided you need help in getting pregnant and start doing a little homework, you realize there are so many clinics out there offering IVF! The next dilemma is which clinic to choose as they all seem to be offering the same fantastic results. The truth is that not all clinics have experienced personnel or the scientific technology and back-up for achieving significant success rates; this means that choosing the right clinic is crucial in your quest for having a successful pregnancy.