Fertility treatment & drugs

When there are problems for the sperm to fertilize the egg in the womans body, in vitro fertilization (IVF) is the fertility treatment normally used. In the laboratory the egg and the sperm are put together to be transfered into the woman's body later on.

What's IVF (Fertilization in vitro) fertility treatment?
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All about fertility treatments?
8 questions about fertility treatment IVF
Planning your fertility treatment

Fertility Tests ? Pregnancy / Ovulation / Sperm

Since 1978, Louise Brown was born, the first in vitro baby, this fertility treatment has developed a lot, with less aggressive medications and introducing less embryos in the woman's body. The IVF fertility treatment is a process of several phases until the egg is fertilized and transfered into the woman uterus.

1. Stimulation in the ovaries:
Before the IVF fertility treatment starts the woman follows a hormonal treatment to have a menstruation and let the ovaries rest. After that, with injections in the muscles, they start to stimulate the ovaries. This fertility treatment will need to be checked with ultrasound and blood tests during 6 or 8 days to ensure the good development of the eggs, determine the good time for collecting the ova and preparing the interior of the uterus for the implantation of the embryos. A sample of semen is needed from the male to check on the quality of the sperm and to see if it's contaminated.

2. Collecting the eggs:
The eggs are in the interior of the follicles in the ovaries and it's necessary for them to mature and that there are enough of them. Normally they will collect between 8 and 10 ova. This process lasts only about 15 minutes. It's done in theatre of the hospital under sedation. A very fine needle it's introduce in the follicle, sucking it's content.

3. Fertilisation of the ova:
Before fertilisation, the liquid sucked from the ovaries is inspected to make sure the ova are in good condition. They are stored until the moment of fertilisation. The man will provide with a fresh sample of sperm the day of the fertilisation. Then the egg and sperm are mixed. It can be done in two different ways:

Conventional fertilisation:
When the male and the female cells are placed together in the same container, a sperm will penetrate the eggs.

Fertilisation with micro injection of the sperm:
A sperm is injected inside each egg. This IVF technique is used when the sperm is bad quality or low count or motility, or in cases of undiagnosed infertility..

4. Transference of the embryos:
Normally the embryos are transfered two days after they were collected. The process is short and painless. 2 or 3 embryos will be transfered. In couples with other problems the transfer might be done 5 or 6 days after the extraction of the eggs.

After the embryos have been transfered the woman has to rest and relax as much as possible. After the extraction of the eggs the woman has to rest for 24 hours.

When the embryos have been transfered the woman has to sleep 8 hours daily. Rest 4 hours during the day. Don't practice sports, rest as much as possible, don't have sex . Also follow a medical treatment after the implantation to help the embryos development.

Risks:
The main risk of the in vitro fertilization fertility treatment is the multiple pregnancy. That's why the number of embryos transfered to the woman is reduce to three. Another risk is the hyperstimulation of the ovaries, which is a dangerous complication of the exaggerated hormonal stimulation of the ovaries.

Fertility treatments and drugs can be expensive and quite often health insurance does not cover them. It depends on the diagnosis of the patients from which the patients can see the fertility treatment options available to them.

It's important to know that no matter what you are able to spend on fertility drugs and treatments, they are never a sure bet. According to the statistics, 50-60% of couples who follow a fertility treatment eventually have a successful pregnancy. This means that fertility treatment is only a possibility to start a family, but it's important to evaluate the financial costs and also the emotional risks.

Books on Fertility Drugs:
Getting Pregnant Naturally: Healthy Choices to Boost Your Chances of Conceiving without Fertility Drugs