What is in vitro fertilization (IVF) and how can it help me?
March 10, 2009 @ 04:39 PM — by unknown
Sometimes infertility has an obvious cause, such as a disease or a physical defect that prevents a person or a couple from conceiving. Often, treating the root cause will also treat the infertility. But for couples who can’t seem to get pregnant on their own, in vitro fertilization could be the answer they’re looking for.
Couples who have failed to conceive after a year of trying might be good candidates for in vitro fertilization (IVF). IVF is a medical process that mixes the father’s sperm with the mother’s egg in a laboratory setting. Once the egg has been fertilized, it is implanted into the mother’s womb and left there to develop.
IVF is carried out in five stages. The first involves monitoring and the stimulation of egg production. Fertility medicines are administered during this phase, in the hopes of producing several viable eggs. Ultrasound technology is used to monitor egg development, and hormone levels are monitored with blood tests.
Next comes the egg and sperm co
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