Everything You Need to Know Before You Do IVF: So, you want to start a family, but you’re having trouble conceiving? You are not alone. About one in eight couples experience issues with infertility. Before you give up hope, look into the revolutionary fertility treatment known as in vitro fertilization (IVF).
IVF involves lab-based creation of embryos that are placed into the woman’s uterus. The first baby conceived through IVF was born in 1978, and new developments are still being made every day. If you are looking into this fertility treatment, you probably have a lot of questions. Follow along below as we answer everything you need to know before you do IVF.
Everything You Need to Know Before You Do IVF
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What’s the process?
While the basic process of combining egg and sperm to create an embryo sounds simple enough, you’re probably wondering what the process entails for you. A woman undergoing IVF treatment will begin their cycle by taking a Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) which produces multiple follicles to create more eggs than one would in a normal month. Once FSH has taken effect, women undergo a procedure to remove these eggs. Men provide their donation of sperm through masturbation.
The lab specialist then combines these samples in a Petri dish through one of two ways. The first involves adding hundreds of sperm in the same dish as one egg and allow fertilization to occur naturally. The second, known as Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI), which involves directly injecting the egg with one sperm. This helps in cases of less sperm count or poor sperm health.
Once the egg is fertilized, doctors wait approximately five days until a blastocyst embryo forms. One or two of these embryos are then implanted within the woman’s uterus. Often women will take progesterone to aid with implantation and lower chance of miscarriage.
How can I make this more affordable?
There’s no way to sugarcoat it, IVF is an expensive venture. On average, these medical services cost around $12,000 before medication and complications which can tack on another $3,000-$7,000. This is for one cycle. Before embarking on this journey, you’ll want to save up.
There are some health insurance policies that aid with infertility services. Perhaps investing in temporary health insurance can help save you money on your infertility treatments. Discuss options of your insurance policies with your fertility doctor as well. The short-term plan and your doctor may be able to offer some flexibility and creative problem solving to help you get an affordable rate.
What are my risks?
As with any medical procedure, there are risks involved with IVF. Advanced age and obesity are major risk factors. Therefore maintaining a healthy weight is the best way to prepare for IVF. Another risk is ovarian hyperstimulation where your ovaries expand to a dangerous size. While this is uncommon, if you have the best IVF doctor in your area, they are sure to monitor and minimize your risks.
Rely on your doctors. Listen to testimonies and sources of praise for each fertility center. Also, investigate success rates. For example, the best IVF doctor in Los Angeles* has above average pregnancy rates and has received praise from publications like NPR and CBS. These organizations are innovators in the world of fertility, and they guarantee to get you through your procedures healthily and hopefully with a successful pregnancy.
Genetic Testing
If you are worried about passing along any genetic diseases to your future child, new Pre-implantation genetic screening (PGS) can eliminate embryos that are carriers of certain diseases. By examining the DNA of embryos, doctors can ensure the healthiest are implanted. So with these new tests, you can increase your chances of a healthy baby.
Success Rates
While reproductive medicine gives hope to couples struggling with infertility, it is not an absolute guarantee. Average success rates are 40%-50% for women under 35. You may need to undergo multiple attempts before success. However, miracles are happening every day! If you have the compassion for bringing a child into the world, don’t give up hope.
