What is the IVF process?
IVF is an assisted reproductive technology, which helps couples who cannot conceive naturally realize their reproductive dreams by cultivating embryos in vitro and transplanting them into women's uterus. The IVF process usually includes the following four main steps: selection of appropriate hospitals and doctors, adjustment of women's menstrual cycle and follicle stimulation, egg collection and fertilization, embryo transfer and pregnancy testing. The flow of IVF will be described in detail from these aspects.
1. Select appropriate hospitals and doctors
The success of IVF is closely related to the choice of hospitals and doctors. Therefore, when choosing IVF hospitals, couples should choose hospitals with certain reputation and strength. They can evaluate by consulting relatives and friends, consulting the hospital's official website, and reading the hospital's professional qualifications and successful cases. Once the hospital is selected, the couple also needs to communicate with the doctor to understand the doctor's experience and medical technology to ensure that the doctor can provide professional guidance and support.
After selecting hospitals and doctors, couples also need to go through relevant procedures, such as signing informed consent, conducting physical examinations, and understanding medical expenses.
2. Adjustment of women's menstrual cycle and follicle stimulation
Test tube babies need to be adjusted according to women's menstrual cycle. Generally, the woman needs to carry out a series of examinations, such as blood examination, gynecological examination and ultrasonic examination, to ensure that she is in good health. At the same time, the doctor will formulate an egg stimulation program according to the woman's menstrual cycle to promote ovarian development and produce enough eggs.
After adjusting the menstrual cycle, the doctor will inject the woman with ovarian stimulation drugs to promote the development of eggs. The type and usage of these drugs depend on the specific situation. After the ovary is fully stimulated, the doctor will conduct ultrasonic examination to determine the size and number of follicles, so as to determine the best time for egg collection.
3. Egg collection and fertilization
Egg collection is one of the key steps in IVF process. During this process, the doctor will collect the eggs through vaginal approach or abdominal wall puncture. This process is usually carried out under anesthesia to ensure the comfort and safety of the patient.
The collected eggs will be immediately sent to the laboratory for in vitro fertilization, that is, sperm and egg combination. This can be achieved by conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF) or single sperm injection (ICSI). During IVF, doctors cultivate eggs and sperm together to promote fertilization; ICSI injects a sperm directly into the egg to increase the fertilization rate.
4. Embryo transfer and pregnancy testing
After successful fertilization, doctors will select the most promising embryos for transplantation. Embryo transfer is usually a painless minimally invasive operation, under the guidance of doctors, to transfer embryos into the woman's uterus. After transplantation, the woman needs to rest and follow the specific instructions of the doctor.
In 10-14 days after transplantation, the woman can have a pregnancy test. This can be determined by measuring progesterone levels in urine or blood.
summary
The IVF process includes the main steps of hospital and doctor selection, women's menstrual cycle adjustment and follicle stimulation, egg collection and fertilization, embryo transfer and pregnancy detection. The success rate of IVF can be improved by selecting appropriate hospitals and doctors, adjusting the menstrual cycle of the woman, stimulating ovarian development, successfully fertilizing and transplanting the fertilized eggs into the uterus. The application of IVF technology gives new hope to couples who are unable to conceive naturally, and provides a feasible choice for them to realize their reproductive dreams.
