Do we have some kind of " What to expect when doing IVF" Thread

I feel so nervous about it all.. but very ready at the same time!

anyone care to share stories!!

Message edited 7/14/2009 3:36:07 PM.

Re: Do we have some kind of " What to expect when doing IVF" Thread

Glad u started this thread!!!!

I know that there are different things they can do w/ the eggs. ICSI? Assisted hatching? Anyone know what the most aggressive way is? My insurance will only pay 1X so I want to do whatever has the best "chances."

Re: Do we have some kind of " What to expect when doing IVF" Thread

Re: Do we have some kind of " What to expect when doing IVF" Thread

This is from my RE's website:
I also wanted to add, that IVF was beyond scary to me, but looking back, it really was alot scarier in my head then in reality!

What to Expect with In Vitro Fertilization

More couples every year are treated with IVF, which has proven to be a safe and effective option for the treatment of many forms of infertility. It is an especially important option for many women in their late thirties and early forties, or for women who have health conditions affecting the fallopian tubes, such as a blocked tube or a history of ectopic (tubal) pregnancy. IVF is usually the best treatment for couples when the man has a low sperm count, or in couples who have not had success with other treatments including hormonal therapy and artificial insemination.

Step 1 • Initiation of the IVF Cycle
During the first phase of an IVF cycle, patients are typically treated with medications that may include oral contraceptives or estrogen to coordinate the start of the treatment cycle. Depending on a patient’s history and health, additional medications are sometimes administered to prepare a woman for ovarian stimulation.

Step 2 • Ovulation Induction
Women normally produce a single mature follicle containing an egg during each menstrual cycle. This process is regulated by a naturally occurring hormone called follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). During the ovulation induction phase of the IVF cycle, the woman is treated with an injectible form of FSH that is identical to naturally produced FSH. The FSH stimulates her ovaries to produce multiple follicles containing eggs to grow and mature. Multiple follicle development is advantageous because a significant percentage of the eggs a woman produces are abnormal. The percentage of abnormal eggs increases with age. At this stage of treatment, other hormones (GnRH analogs) are used to prevent the ovary from releasing an egg too soon. Doctors monitor this process with ultrasound and blood work over the course of treatment, usually lasting seven to ten days.

Step 3 • Oocyte Retrieval
Once the follicles containing the eggs have reached an appropriate size, a hormone called hCG is used to mature the eggs. Thirty-six hours after the hCG injection, the eggs are removed from the ovaries in a minor surgical procedure. Anesthesia is administered to ensure patient comfort during this process. Guided by an ultrasound probe inserted into the vagina, doctors direct a needle into the follicles of the ovary to retrieve the eggs. The procedure takes anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes. Most women are able to return home an hour or so after the retrieval. On the next day, the woman starts injections of progesterone to prepare the uterus for implantation of the embryo.

Step 4 • Oocyte Fertilization and Embryo Development
Once removed from the follicles, the eggs are examined by an embryologist and prepared and placed in an incubator. The eggs are then inseminated. The next day, the eggs are checked to see if they have been fertilized. The fertilized eggs, now called embryos, are then placed in a special medium to promote their growth before they are transferred to the uterus.

Embryos are typically allowed to grow in the laboratory for three days before being transferred into the woman’s uterus. In couples where it is difficult to select the best embryo for transfer after three days, their embryos will often be allowed to grow another two to three days, developing to what is known as the “blastocyst stage.”
A blastocyst is an embryo that has developed to the stage where it has two different cell types and a central fluid-filled cavity. This important advance in culture conditions allows for better selection of embryos because many abnormal embryos are not able to mature to the blastocyst stage. With better selection of embryos, we are able to reduce the risk of multiple births by transferring fewer embryos.

Step 5 • Embryo Transfer
Embryos that have been cultured in the laboratory are now placed into a woman’s uterus using a catheter, which is inserted through the cervix. Doctors use ultrasound to help guide the catheter to ensure appropriate placement.

After the embryo transfer, the woman will continue her progesterone injections until about 14 days after egg retrieval, when a pregnancy test is done. If a pregnancy is confirmed, the woman will receive additional progesterone injections for about three to four weeks until her placenta begins to produce enough progesterone to support the pregnancy on its own.

Special ART Procedures

In addition to IVF and blastocyst transfer, the medical team at RMA uses several other advanced procedures designed to make treatment safer and more effective, including:

Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) – In this procedure a small glass needle is used to inject a single sperm directly into the egg. ICSI is most commonly used when the man has a low sperm count or poor sperm quality. However, it can be used for other conditions as well. For men who don’t produce any sperm in their ejaculate but are able to produce sperm in the testes, doctors can also now remove sperm directly from the testes using an outpatient surgical procedure. The retrieved sperm can then be used in the ICSI procedure to inseminate the egg.

Assisted Hatching (AH) – This procedure is performed prior to the transfer of embryos at an early stage of development in IVF. Immediately prior to transfer, the embryologists make a small hole in the outer layer of the embryo, called the zona pellucida, using a solution or laser. This procedure can make it easier for some embryos to implant.

Cryopreservation – A couple with extra high-quality embryos may opt to freeze and store them for use in future attempts to achieve a pregnancy. This can eliminate the need to repeat the egg retrieval process.

Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) – This is a special procedure in which embryos are evaluated for genetic abnormalities prior to being transferred into the uterus during IVF. PGD can be useful for couples that have a known risk of passing on an inherited disease to a child. It is also an option for couples that have had multiple miscarriages, or for couples that are unable to achieve a pregnancy after several attempts at IVF or are at risk for producing a large number of abnormal embryos.

Re: Do we have some kind of " What to expect when doing IVF" Thread

thanks Michelle!
very informative!

Re: Do we have some kind of " What to expect when doing IVF" Thread

I have the book Couples Guide to IVF if either of you ladies would like it...free of course!!

Re: Do we have some kind of " What to expect when doing IVF" Thread

Hhhhmmm...that was very informative. I always wondered about the egg retrieval, for some reason I had in my head they went in through the vajayjay to get the eggs...this makes much more sense though. I always wondered how they got through the uterine wall!

Re: Do we have some kind of " What to expect when doing IVF" Thread

Thanks for starting this thread and for all of the info!

Re: Do we have some kind of " What to expect when doing IVF" Thread

very informative i am doing ivf this month, did my retrieval on monday
once you start everything its not so bad especially if you have already done iuis, the worst part for me has been the increase in the amount of follistim i had to inject

Re: Do we have some kind of " What to expect when doing IVF" Thread

I just want to add that it's very overwhelming when you get your box of medications and all of the paperwork, but after a couple of days you really get into the swing of things and it's much easier.

Good luck!!!!

Re: Do we have some kind of " What to expect when doing IVF" Thread

Posted by JennyPenny

I just want to add that it's very overwhelming when you get your box of medications and all of the paperwork, but after a couple of days you really get into the swing of things and it's much easier.

Good luck!!!!

Re: Do we have some kind of " What to expect when doing IVF" Thread

they'll also show you a video which takes you through the whoe process- very informative. Basically, they decide ahead of time if they will be doing ICSI, but assisted ahtching is done only if the embryos are not hatching themselves. You have to consent to both beforehand tough, because if they decide on that day that ICSI would be better or if assisted hatching is needed, than they don't want to have to track you down to see if they can do it.

Re: Do we have some kind of " What to expect when doing IVF" Thread

My RE made us go to an IVF orientation class. They went through all the stages of doing IVF and gave us tons of reading material. Does your RE's office have these classes? Might be worth going to.

Re: Do we have some kind of " What to expect when doing IVF" Thread

Re: Do we have some kind of " What to expect when doing IVF" Thread

The whole cycle flew by for me... I have no idea what I did for the entire month of May, except inject myself with drugs :)

It can be overwhelming at first: you're jumping into this huge (and expensive) procedure when you suddenly realize you have no idea what is really going on. Once you start the process, you'll get a much better feel... you'll go stage by stage and before you know it, you'll be in your 2ww.

Good luck!

Re: Do we have some kind of " What to expect when doing IVF" Thread

It's normal to be nervous about IVF but hopefully you will look back on this process as just a hurdle to overcome once you reach your goal. Feel free to FM me. I went through IVF 1 year ago and DD is now 2 months old from my first IVF attempt.

Re: Do we have some kind of " What to expect when doing IVF" Thread

Talking with the girls on this board really put my mind at ease before I began the process. I'm glad I had a basic idea of the process before going into the orientation, otherwise I'd have Once I got started, I wasn't that nervous.

Good luck to everyone!