The process of IVF
IVF is a kind of assisted reproductive technology, which is usually used for couples who cannot conceive naturally. It helps couples realize their reproductive dreams by fertilizing eggs and sperm in the laboratory, and then transplanting the fertilized eggs back to the mother. The following are the main processes of IVF:
Step 1: Promote ovulation. First of all, women will receive a series of hormone treatments to promote their ovaries to produce more eggs. The doctor will monitor the growth of the follicle, and once the follicle reaches the proper size, the next step will be taken.
Step 2: Egg collection. In the process of egg collection, doctors will use ultrasound guided fine needles to extract follicles. This process is usually carried out under local anesthesia, so you will not feel too much pain. The eggs collected will be immediately sent to the laboratory for processing.
Step 3: Sperm sample preparation. At the same time, the man provided a sperm sample. If men cannot provide sperm samples, they can obtain sperm through semen extraction or testicular sperm extraction and other technologies.
Step 4: In vitro fertilization. In the laboratory, eggs and sperm are fertilized in vitro. This can be done by ordinary IVF (putting eggs and sperm together) or microinjection of sperm (injecting a single sperm into an egg). The doctor will monitor the fertilization process and select the best fertilized egg.
Step 5: Embryo culture. In the days after fertilization, the embryos will continue to be cultured in the laboratory. The doctor will monitor the development of the embryo to select the embryo most likely to succeed in pregnancy.
Step 6: Embryo transfer. Once the embryos have reached the right stage, doctors will transplant them back to the mother. This is a simple operation, usually without anesthesia. Generally speaking, doctors will transfer 1-2 embryos into the uterus.
Step 7: Observation and pregnancy detection. After embryo transfer, women need to rest for a period of time to give the embryo a better chance of implantation. Then, she can conduct a pregnancy test to confirm whether she is successful in pregnancy.
Hospitals that can carry out IVF
Nowadays, many hospitals provide IVF services. The following are some well-known hospitals for IVF at home and abroad:
1. Reproductive Medicine Center of Peking Union Medical College Hospital. As one of the earliest hospitals to carry out IVF in China, the Reproductive Medicine Center of Peking Union Medical College Hospital has rich experience and professional team in the field of assisted reproduction.
2. Boston Children's Hospital. As one of the world's leading pediatric hospitals, Boston Children's Hospital has advanced equipment and technology to provide patients with comprehensive IVF services.
3. London Fertility Clinic. The fertility clinic in London, England, is a leading infertility treatment center, providing IVF and other assisted reproductive technologies.
In general, there are many formal hospitals that can carry out IVF. When choosing a hospital, patients can consider the professional level, equipment and facilities, success rate and other factors of the hospital.
Advantages of IVF
The development of IVF technology has brought hope to many couples who cannot conceive naturally. The advantages of IVF mainly include:
1. Solve the problem of infertility. IVF can help couples who are unable to conceive naturally due to infertility realize their reproductive dreams.
2. Improve the pregnancy rate. By selecting the best fertilized eggs and embryos, the success rate of IVF is higher than that of natural pregnancy.
3. Screening for genetic diseases. In the process of IVF, embryo genetic diagnosis can be carried out to help couples screen embryos with genetic diseases and reduce the risk of children's genetic diseases.
Summary
IVF is an assisted reproductive technology. Through fertilization and embryo culture in the laboratory, and embryo transfer back to the mother, it helps couples who cannot conceive naturally realize their reproductive dreams. At the same time, many well-known hospitals provide IVF services, such as Beijing Union Medical College Hospital Reproductive Medicine Center in China, Boston Children's Hospital in the United States and London Fertility Clinic in the United Kingdom. The advantages of IVF include solving infertility problems, improving pregnancy rate and screening genetic diseases. Through IVF technology, many couples have successfully achieved their reproductive aspirations.
