In vitro fertilization (IVF) is an infertility treatment in which a woman’s eggs are retrieved from her ovaries, fertilized with sperm, and then transferred into her uterine cavity.

Before your egg retrieval, you will go through ovulation induction, which stimulates your ovaries to produce multiple eggs for the in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedure.

Egg retrieval

Just prior to the time you would ovulate, your eggs will be removed from the follicles in your ovaries by a team consisting of a doctor, a nurse, and an embryologist. You may receive general anesthesia or intravenous sedation and a mild pain reliever during this procedure. An ultrasound probe will be inserted into your vagina so that your doctor will be able to see your follicles. Attached to the probe is a thin needle, which goes through the vaginal wall and into the ovary to draw the fluid and egg from each follicle. The fluid is given to the embryologist, who will examine it for eggs. This procedure usually takes about an hour. Afterward, as you recover from the anesthesia or sedation, you will rest for about 60 minutes before going home.

Fertilization

Your partner will need to provide a semen sample around the time your egg retrieval is performed. This is done by masturbating into a sterile container at the doctor’s office. The semen is “washed” to separate the sperm from the seminal fluid. The sperm are then incubated with the eggs for fertilization. The next day the eggs are checked to see if they are fertilized. The embryologist will then examine the fertilized eggs over the next 2 or 3 days to make sure they are developing properly.

Embryo transfer

Your doctor will discuss the number of embryos to be transferred—usually several embryos are transferred to your uterine cavity to improve your chances for pregnancy. This procedure is relatively simple, does not require anesthesia, and takes only a few minutes. Your doctor will place a speculum inside your vagina, insert a small catheter through your cervix into your uterine cavity, and transfer the embryos through the catheter. Any discomfort from the transfer is minimal.

Questions & Answers

Q. Can I drive home or go back to work after the egg retrieval?
A. No. You should plan to have someone stay with you during the procedure and for the first 24 hours after you return home. You are likely to have some cramping and vaginal spotting for a day or so after the egg retrieval, so you should plan to take off the next day from work to rest.

Q. Can I drive home or go back to work after the embryo transfer?
A. You will probably feel well enough to drive yourself home after the transfer. However, you may want to relax for the rest of the day instead of going back to work.

Q. My doctor started me on daily progesterone inserts. What is this medication for?
A. The hormone progesterone helps to support the lining of your uterus to help maintain a pregnancy.

Q. How soon will we know if this treatment has been successful?
A. In general, a pregnancy blood test will be performed about 2 weeks after your embryo transfer. Do not do a home pregnancy test before that time—some of the fertility medications may cause false results if the test is performed too early.

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