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Conception The IVF Way - Page 2

© Lori Ramsey

With the eggs matured, you will be given an injection of HCG - this gives your eggs their last growth spurt. After this the egg retrieval is scheduled. On the morning of the egg retrieval, a preoperative examination will be given and a sedative administered to help make you sleepy. Most of the egg retrievals are done by the help of ultrasound through the vagina, though a few are done by laparoscopy. The procedure takes from 20 to 30 minutes depending on the number of eggs you may have. On the same day, your husband/partner will have to give his sperm specimen, before which he should have abstained from ejaculation for at least 3 days prior. Later that same day the sperm and eggs will be united for fertilization. By the following day you will know how many fertilized eggs you have.

After the egg retrieval you will go home and start progesterone therapy - either in the form of suppositories or injections. This gives the uterus the best possible lining for the attachment of the embryos and pregnancy. Approximately 3 days later you will return for the transfer of 3 to 5 embryos. Some women will wait to have a blastocyst transfer at 5 days. After the transfer, you will remain in bed for about an hour and be on bed rest for the remainder of the day. You will be given Doxycycline, an antibiotic, to take for several days to prevent infection.

Approximately 11 days after the embryos transfer, you will take a pregnancy test. If the test is positive, your physician will instruct you further what to do. If the results are negative, you will then make an appointment with your physician within the next couple of weeks to discuss the next cycle.

Check out this website for more information on IVF and related topics: http://www.ihr.com/bafertil/index.html.

IVF procedures may vary somewhat - this is simply a thumbnail sketch of what goes on. There are other procedures similar to IVF, such as GIFT (Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer), ZIFT (Zygote Intrafallopian Transfer) and frozen embryos. Your physician will best determine which procedure, if any, you may be a candidate for.

The copyright of the article Conception The IVF Way - Page 2 in Preconception is owned by Lori Ramsey. Permission to republish Conception The IVF Way - Page 2 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.