Why people choose IVF as a means of reproduction depends on many factors, such as infertility due to blocked or damaged fallopian tubes, ovarian disease, uterine fibroids, genetic disorders, low sperm count, or genetic factors on the male side. Or due to a decision not to want to get pregnant. Whatever the reason, it takes a good team of doctors and specialists to achieve this.
Your chances of having a healthy baby through IVF depend on many factors, such as your age and the cause of infertility. In addition, IVF can be time-consuming, expensive, and invasive. If more than one embryo is transferred to the uterus, IVF can result in a pregnancy with more than one fetus (multiple pregnancy).
What is IVF?
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a complex series of procedures to aid fertility or prevent genetic problems and help conceive a child.
In IVF, mature eggs are retrieved from the ovaries and fertilized with sperm in a laboratory. Then, the fertilized egg(s) (embryo) are transferred to a uterus. A complete IVF cycle takes about three weeks. Sometimes these steps are divided into different parts and the process may take longer.
How effective is IVF?
IVF is the most effective form of assisted reproductive technology. The procedure can be performed with the couple’s own eggs and sperm. Or IVF can be performed with eggs, sperm or embryos from a known or anonymous donor. In some cases, a gestational carrier – a person who has an embryo implanted in the uterus – can also be used.
What role does your embryologist play?
In women, the creation of embryos through IVF begins with controlled ovarian hyperstimulation – a process that causes the ovaries to mature more than one egg in order to retrieve multiple eggs at once. During egg retrieval, the doctor punctures the matured follicle with a needle and collects the fluid inside. After this step, the embryologist removes this fluid for examination under a microscope to identify and separate the eggs it contains.
For males, a sperm sample is the only step in obtaining genetic material. After the sample is collected, it is sent to the embryologist to wash the sperm. During this process, all of the seminal fluid is removed to identify the most motile and healthy sperm.
Once the eggs are retrieved and the sperm washed and prepared, the embryologist gets to work! Their goal is to combine the sperm and eggs to create embryos, whose development they then carefully monitor.
What is an embryologist?
If you have ever heard the saying “An embryologist is your child’s first babysitter” during your fertility journey, you heard right! Embryologists create viable embryos that are either used in in vitro fertilization (IVF) or frozen for later use. While you may not spend a lot of time with your embryologist team, they work hard in the lab to ensure the healthy development of your embryos!
Embryologists are highly trained medical professionals who usually have a master’s degree due to the specialized nature of their work. They are responsible for managing the genetic material (sperm and eggs) as they develop into embryos. They also ensure that the embryology laboratory provides an ideal environment for the growth and storage of the embryos.
Becoming a parent can be an emotional journey, and many medical professionals and specialists are involved in making this dream a reality. Sometimes lifestyle changes can help with fertility problems, and sometimes medical intervention is required.
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