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In Vitro fertilization is the proper medical name for what the press dubbed ‘test tube babies’ many years ago. Essentially, a woman’s eggs are removed from her ovaries and sperm from her partner or donor is used to fertilize them before being inserted into her womb. In Vitro Fertilization is recommended if you are an older woman, have been diagnosed with unexplained infertility, those whose tubes are blocked, or if other techniques have been unsuccessful.

Techniques of In Vitro Fertilization differ from clinic to clinic but a typical pattern of treatment might go like this: Initially your physician will give you hormone blocking drugs normally produced during your menstrual period. Blocking the hormones helps the doctor have greater control over your egg production. After this your ovaries are stimulated by drugs to create more than one egg.

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It’s important that levels of estrogen produced by the eggs are monitored so a combination of blood tests and vaginal ultrasound scans are used. Once the time is right, another hormone will be injected to help the eggs mature. Timing is crucial, as you must have this injection 34-38 hours before your eggs are collected - this may mean you having it last thing at night. Eggs are usually collected by ultrasound guidance which takes around 30 minutes and you are either given a drug to make you drowsy or a general anesthetic.

It is not until this time that the man gets involved and needs to produce a sample of fresh sperm. To make sure that the best sperm are used for the process, the sample is washed and then spun at high speed, this will give the healthiest and the most active sperm. If you are using donated sperm, the sample is taken from the freezer and prepared in the same way. The process can take between 16 and 20 hours during which time the sperm and eggs are allowed to mix in a laboratory dish before they are inspected to find out if the fertilization was successful. Any embryo’s that have fertilized abnormally or not at all, are discarded, then those remaining are left for another 24 to 48 hours prior to a final check.

In order to help prepare your womb, pessaries, gel or an injection are given two days after your eggs have been collected.

IVF PGD

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