What happens in IVF?

IVF stands for in-vitro fetilization – ‘in vitro’ means ‘in glass’ and essentially means that your egg and your partner’s sperm are combined in a laboratory so that fertilization happens in controlled conditions outside of your body.

IVF is an option for many couples who are finding it difficult to conceive naturally. The fertilized embryos are placed back into your uterus, where the pregnancy will hopefully continue.

There are a series of complex steps, which have to be carried out in order for IVF to be successful…

1. Harvesting your eggs Your ovaries normally release only one egg each month but if you’re having IVF you’ll be given drugs to stimulate them into producing more than one egg, so you have more than one chance of a successful pregnancy. You’ll need to attend your fertility clinic regularly so your ovaries can be checked using ultrasound and you may also be given blood and urine tests to check your hormone levels.

Your eggs will be retrieved using a hollow needle guided through your pelvis under utrasound guidance (you’ll be given a local anesthetic to prevent discomfort).

2. Collecting the sperm Your partner will provide a sperm sample so your eggs can be fertilized. Alternately, your eggs can be fertilized using donor sperm.

3. Combining egg and sperm The next step is when your eggs are mixed with your partner’s sperm outside of your body, and placed in incubators so fertilization can take place. If any problems are anticipated, a single sperm may be injected directly into each egg in a procedure called intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

4. Transferring the embryos to your uterus Fertilized eggs are incubated for around 48 hours until the cells start to divide, and as long as they show no signs of abnormalities a predetermined number of embryos (four is said to have the best results but remember that more than one may implant in your uterus, meaning that you could have twins or multiples) will be transferred to your uterus using a catheter. Any additional embryos that have fertilized can be frozen for future use in case this attempt isn’t successful, and you may want to consider embryo donation. 

You’ll be advised to get plenty of rest while you wait to see if one or more embryos implants in your uterus – you’ll have a blood test 10-12 days after the transfer to check if you’re pregnant.

Other types of IVF

There are two other forms of IVF you may want to consider: gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT), where the egg and sperm are placed in your fallopian tubes via laparoscopy for fertilization to take place naturally; and zygote intrafallopian transfer, where the egg is fertilized in the lab and then placed in your fallopian tube, again via laparoscopy.

What are the chances of conceiving with IVF?

Success rates vary from clinic to clinic – you can check what they are on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website. Age is a factor – if you’re under 35 the live birth rate for each IVF cycle is 30-35 percent; but this falls to 25 percent for women aged 35-37, 15-20 percent for women aged 38-40, and 6-10 percent for women over 40. Keep in mind too that pregnancy doesn’t always lead to a baby – clinics may report both ‘chemical’ pregnancies, which are pregnancies confirmed by a pregnancy test; and ‘clinical’ pregnancies, which have been confirmed by ultrasound. As a rule, the clinical pregnancy rate is more important since these pregnancies are less likely to result in miscarriage.

• Centers for Disease Control www.cdc.gov

You might find it helpful to chat to other moms about IVF and their experiences if you’re considering this procedure – see our fertility chat forum. Visit our questions page if you need more information.

The information in this feature is intended for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional.