7 Interesting Facts You Probably Did Not Know About In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

• Ayo AL
• November 7, 2017
• Health
• All women should know these things about ivf, Everything A Woman Should Know About IVF | FabWoman, everything to know about IVF, facts about ivf
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A woman getting pregnant and bearing a child should not be such a big problem but this is not the case with many women in modern times. It has been estimated that every 10th couple in their middle age might not able to have children which means a lot of women are looking at other options.

Many of these affected couples go through a nerve-wracking and time of uncertainty and fear, in which they consider the possible methods of the modern fertility treatments to fulfill their desire to have children.

The In-Vitro Fertilization is one of those methods. In Vitro Fertilization is an assisted reproductive technology (ART) commonly referred to as IVF.

IVF is the process of fertilization by extracting eggs, retrieving a sperm sample, and then manually combining an egg and sperm in a laboratory dish. The embryo(s) is then transferred to the uterus.

Read the 7 most important facts every woman should know before undergoing IVF treatment:

1. Retrieval of eggs involve surgery

Eggs are retrieved through a minor surgical procedure that uses ultrasound imaging to guide a hollow needle through the pelvic cavity to remove the eggs. Medication is provided to reduce and remove potential discomfort.

2. Conventional IVF can be very time consuming

In-vitro fertilisation, or IVF, occurs when eggs are removed from a woman’s ovaries, fertilised outside the body and then replaced inside the womb. The treatment process can be lengthy, as the woman’s body is typically stimulated in order that eggs can be collected.

This can involve taking medication and going to the clinic for scans/check-ups for many weeks before the egg collection takes place.

After the procedure, which usually takes only an hour, patients must come back to the clinic for the embryo to be transferred before returning for a pregnancy blood test.

This means that in total treatment can take around 4-5 weeks. There are shorter forms of treatment however, which are detailed below.

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3. IVF helps women who have problems with their fallopian tubes get pregnant

If the Fallopian tubes are not working, the egg cell cannot reach the uterus and cannot get lodged in the uterus. In the in-vitro fertilization, therefore, the mature egg cells are extracted and are brought together with the male sperm in an incubator.

Thereafter, the fertilized egg cells are transferred to the uterus. In this way, the blocked Fallopian tubes can be bypassed.

4. Using younger eggs give you youthful fertility advantages.

Many women don’t realize that younger donor eggs place your chances of a live birth in the same category as the donors’ hypothetical IVF chances for success. This can make a big difference in your potential IVF success. If you are in your 40’s and you use a donor egg from a woman who is 22, you will have the same chances of a live birth as a 22-year old women who undergoes IVF treatments with their own eggs.

5. During the IVF treatment, you should avoid smoking and intake of caffeine and alcohol.

Drugs and poisonous pleasures of all kinds can harm the embryo and cause miscarriages and infertility. Sexual intercourse, on the other hand, can be done during an IVF cycle. Studies have even indicated that this even improves the quality of the embryos.

6. A lot of factors determine the success

The success rate of IVF clinics depends on a number of factors including reproductive history, maternal age, the cause of infertility, and lifestyle factors. It is also important to understand that pregnancy rates are not the same as live birth rates.

7. Even IVF pregnancies can become ectopic.

Ectopic pregnancies occur when a fertilized egg implants outside the uterus. Typically, ectopic – or tubal – pregnancies occur in the fallopian tubes although they can take place elsewhere. You would think that since IVF transfers an embryo directly into the uterus, ectopic pregnancies wouldn’t be possible.

However, uterine contractions that occur post-transfer can cause the embryo to move elsewhere. In fact, ectopic pregnancies are more common (2% – 5%) with IVF than with natural conceptions (1% to 2.5%)