Unfamiliar with IVF? Heard of it but never knew exactly what the process was or who would benefit?
Whether you find yourself wanting to conceive but realizing it may not be as swift as you thought, or you are soon starting your first IVF treatment, we’ve highlighted some important facts for you.
What is IVF?
IVF is an assisted reproductive technology to help the 1 in 8 women who struggle to conceive. During IVF eggs are retrieved from a woman’s ovaries and then fertilized with the male’s sperm in a lab. Once fertilized, the embryos are placed in the female’s uterus for growth.
According to the Mayo Clinic, IVF is the most common and effective method of the 5 million babies born through assisted reproductive technologies. It’s used in 99% of assisted reproductive procedures.
Fast Facts about IVF!
- An IVF cycle takes anywhere from two to six weeks.
- It is recommended that three full IVF cycles are completed.
- The average cost of an IVF cycle is anywhere from $9,000 to $12,000.
- You won’t start IVF until prior exams and tests are done. Your doctor will perform these to ensure a personalized IVF treatment plan is made unique to your needs. Tests may include: blood test, x-ray of uterus and tubes, immune test, routine hysteroscopy, for him: semen analysis test
- Prior to removal of eggs, you will most likely be prescribed medication to stimulate the development of more eggs to increase the chances of producing a healthy embryo.
- Your first procedure, egg removal, will take less than an hour and patients are sedated or prescribed pain medication.
- Once sperm is mixed and fertilized with eggs, embryo transfer takes place with the embryo(s) placed into the uterus via a catheter.
- If more than one embryo is transferred to the uterus, IVF can result in more than one fetus.
- IVF is a great option for women over 40, or health conditions such as with Fallopian tube damage, Ovulation disorders, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, and other health conditions.
For more information on treatment for infertility and conception, please contact us here.
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