IN VITRO FERTILIZATION (IVF)
What is in vitro fertilization?
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a way to help single women who want to get pregnant. It is one of two forms of assisted fertilization treatment we use in Norway. The second is insemination treatmen (IUI). The treatment involves retrieving the woman’s eggs and fertilizing them in the lab, then implanting them back into the woman’s uterus a few days later.
Who is it for?
We normally recommend IVF if:
- You have advanced age
- You have not succeeded in becoming pregnant with insemination
- You have narrow fallopian tubes
What occurs during in vitro fertilization?
Treatment starts with a stimulation period of normally 10-14 days. Two weeks after the start of stimulation, a fertilized egg is implanted into the uterus and then comes the nerve-racking wait to take a pregnancy test.
1. STIMULATION PERIOD
You are stimulated so that you will develop more eggs than the one you usually produces in the month. This happens by taking medication through a small syringe under the skin just below your stomach. The stimulation period normally lasts 10-14 days.
2. ULTRASOUND EXAMINATION
In the stimulation period, you come inn for ultrasound examination, usually twice. If you live far away, a local gynecologist can perform the ultrasound. The ultrasound shows us how many egg sacks you have produced and how big they have become. After another ultrasound, you will be told when you should use the ovulation syringe.
3. EGG EXTRACTION AND IMPLANTATION
About 36 hours after the ovulation syringe is set, you will meet at our clinic. Now the eggs are extracted and put in a petri dish with the donor´s sperm to be fertilized. They are allowed to grow and mature at the IVF laboratory before they are implanted back into you. This usually happens after 5 days when the embryo has reached the blastocyst stage.
4. Support Treatment and Pregnancy Test
In the days following egg extraction, your progesterone level is increased, which is necessary for a successful pregnancy. After 14 days, a blood test will confirm if you have become pregnant.
5. The road ahead
If the test is positive, the next step is ultrasound examination after 5 weeks (i.e., Pregnancy Week 7). If you live far away, we can refer you to a local gynecologist or nearest hospital for the ultrasound. If the treatment is not successful, you will receive advice and guidance on the way forward, whether it is a new attempt or other solutions.
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