More and more infertility-stricken couples are able to start a family because to advancements in IVF and other forms of Assisted Reproductive Technology. Over 100 clinics in the United Kingdom monitor more than 75,000 cycles every year in the UK. In spite of the widespread usage of IVF, many people are still unfamiliar with the procedure.
The ‘usual’ IVF timeline
For the avoidance of doubt, each individual’s journey through in vitro fertilisation (IVF) is absolutely unique. Depending on their circumstances, every couple or person undergoing IVF may encounter a unique set of problems. In addition, each clinic has its own protocols, which might modify the duration of each stage somewhat. It is our goal with this article to offer you a general idea of how long the two most frequent protocols may take.
- Preliminary consultation
A thorough evaluation of your fertility and maybe a diagnosis of the underlying problem will have been completed (s). You’ll likely meet with a fertility specialist at the clinic before beginning the IVF procedure. At this point, you are likely to receive a step-by-step explanation of what your treatment will entail so that you are fully informed and at ease throughout the procedure. - Suppressing hormone production
In IVF, eggs are harvested from ovaries while they are just beginning to develop. Follicles are fluid-filled sacs in the ovaries where a woman’s eggs grow. During an IVF cycle, these sacs are stimulated to expand. An increase in luteinizing hormone is caused by an increase in estrogen levels when the follicles develop (LH). When the LH surge occurs, the eggs are fully mature and ready to be released. The IVF cycle will be cut short and the eggs will be wasted if they are released spontaneously. Preventing an LH spike during an IVF cycle is critical. The agonist protocol (also known as down regulation) and the antagonist protocol are two popular approaches for doing this. Suppressing LH release is the goal of both procedures in order to avoid spontaneous ovulation, which is the release of eggs from the ovaries before egg collection. - Stimulating egg supply
A fertility hormone known as Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH), which may also have some LH activity, is essential during this time. It is estimated that the stimulation phase would last 10-12 days. Your ovaries will produce a large number of egg-containing follicles as a consequence of taking this medication, ready for collection at the clinic. It is more likely that a high-quality embryo will be created when there are more eggs available for fertilization.
Throughout your therapy, the clinic will maintain tabs on how you’re doing. Your doctor will be able to tell when your follicles are ready for harvest via bloodwork and imaging.
Down regulation
Alternatively known as the “agonist protocol.” To prepare for ovulation, agonist injections are administered daily for roughly two weeks before to the initiation of FSH injections. A rise in LH will not occur as a result. It is possible that the FSH product contains some LH activity as well. During the time when FSH-containing products are administered, the agonist injections continue.
Antagonist protocol
To begin, patients get daily injections of an FSH-containing medication. Extra injections will begin after 5 or 6 days of LH (luteinizing hormone) stimulation, which may quickly reduce the LH surge. The duration of treatment with the second medicine is determined by your clinic, although it is usually just for a few days at a time. For women with PCOS, the antagonist treatment is typically favored because of their strong or possible over-response to FSH stimulation. - Egg collection
If your hormone levels and the size of the follicles (sacs) storing the eggs have reached the appropriate level, your clinic will ask you to take a last hormone injection between 34 and 38 hours before the retrieval process. The purpose of this injection is to imitate the LH surge that occurs in a natural cycle, allowing the eggs in the follicles to mature. An egg collection can only take place at the clinic if the ‘trigger shot’ is administered late at night.
Patients on the Agonist or lengthy protocol will often get an hCG trigger injection, which is a hormone that stimulates LH production.
A single AGONIST injection may be the trigger shot for patients on the antagonist treatment, causing a surge of LH in the female body.
Keep your egg collecting on time! As soon as 40 hours have passed after the trigger shot, a woman’s ovaries may have discharged all of her eggs, making the egg collecting impossible. A transvaginal technique under ultrasound supervision is the most common method of egg retrieval. Under anaesthesia, the process takes around 30 minutes to complete. - Egg fertilization and embryo development
You and your spouse or a donor sperm will be blended in a laboratory. To make sure they’re fertilised, they wait for around 16 to 20 hours before doing so. A single sperm may need to be put into each egg in certain situations, which is known as ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection). Embryos may then be developed in the lab for up to six days before being put into a mother’s womb. After three days of development, some clinics may transfer the embryo, while others may wait until the blastocyst stage (up to day 6). - Fresh or Frozen embryos?
In certain cases, this may be influenced by the time of day or the clinical condition that you’re in. In this case, you have a choice between a frozen or a fresh embryo transfer. We are witnessing a growing number of embryos that have been frozen for at least a month before being transplanted.
It is possible to do a simple operation via the cervix to transfer the finest quality embryo (or maybe two embryos) that have been maturing in the lab over a few days. When a woman’s hormonal balance or uterine lining health is in doubt, her doctor may choose to postpone transfer until a later cycle in order to assure the lining’s proper growth and receptivity. This method may be very successful in certain cases.
The use of a frozen embryo transfer is also recommended for individuals who have a greater risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHS), a side effect of IVF (OHSS). OHSS symptoms might intensify if a woman is pregnant during therapy, which is a known fact. Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) is typically recommended for patients at risk of OHSS because it allows the ovaries and uterine lining to recover from stimulation and return to their natural state.
Waiting for a future menstrual cycle before trying to implant a frozen embryo is standard procedure in a frozen embryo transfer. However, this might take up to many months depending on your circumstances. We’ve seen a rise in the frequency of frozen embryo transfers lately since it allows the clinic to establish an ideal uterine environment prior to implanting, especially in individuals who are deemed strong responders to egg stimulation.
- Progesterone supplementation
Progesterone is given to all IVF patients to help them maintain their newly implanted embryo. This aids in the embryo’s survival and development during the early phases of implantation. It is possible to get progesterone as a vaginal pessary, a pill, or a shot.
An additional boost in progesterone is common after a frozen embryo transfer. Depending on whether the embryo has properly implanted and a pregnancy is still underway, this might carry on for many weeks. - The nervous wait
Once the clinic has given you the highest chance of conceiving, they will be done. Pregnancy is confirmed with a blood pregnancy test, which measures the amount of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in your blood after two weeks. You may be asked to continue taking progesterone and maybe additional medications by your doctor if you are expecting a child, so that they can monitor the embryo’s growth.
Although technology and knowledge have advanced, many IVF rounds fail. 29 percent of IVF procedures for women under the age of 35 resulted in a live delivery between 2014 and 2016, according to the 2.NHS website. 15 percent for women ages 38 to 39 and 23 percent for those ages 35 to 37, respectively. There will always be a wide range of success rates, even within the same facility.
People also search
How long does IVF take from start to finish?
During IVF, mature eggs are collected (retrieved) from ovaries and fertilized by sperm in a lab. Then the fertilized egg (embryo) or eggs (embryos) are transferred to a uterus. One full cycle of IVF takes about three weeks
How many rounds does IVF usually take?
The cumulative effect of three full cycles of IVF increases the chances of a successful pregnancy to 45-53%. This is why NICE has recommended 3 IVF cycles as it is both the most cost effective and clinically effective number for women under the age of 40.
How IVF is done step by step?
Understanding the Steps of IVF
Step 1: Starting treatment.
Step 2: Ovarian stimulation.
Step 3: Trigger injection.
Step 4: Egg retrieval and semen collection.
Step 5: Fertilization (insemination) and embryo development.
Step 6: Embryo transfer.
Step 7: Luteal phase.
Step 8: Pregnancy test.
