IVF

IVF is a procedure involving the stimulation of multiple eggs using medications, called gonadotropins, that are similar to natural hormones (FSH) that cause eggs to grow.  The growing follicles each contain 1 egg and are monitored using ultrasound exams.  When the follicles reach the appropriate size, they are retrieved, or harvested, at the appropriate time.  After the eggs are collected, they are combined with the sperm in a dish (conventional insemination), or the sperm is directly injected into the sperm (ICSI, or intracytoplasmic sperm injection).  After fertilization in the lab, the resulting embryos are grown (cultured) for 5 to 6 days.  The embryos may be transferred at this point or frozen for use at a later time.  It has been demonstrated that the stimulation of multiple eggs during the IVF process can cause the uterine lining to become less favorable for transfer.  By freezing all of the embryos and transferring them later using a process called a frozen embryo transfer, or FET, the pregnancy rates can be significantly higher.