Everything you need to know about IVF cycle

An IVF 'cycle' is the way we explain one round of IVF treatment starting with the very first day of your period.

As part of your fertility plan, you may start medication or injections prior to the first day of the cycle. During IVF cost is the major issue for instance IVF cost in Mumbai is way more cheaper as compared to other cities.

Measure 1: Day 1 of your period

The first official day of your IVF treatment cycle is day 1 of your period. Everyone's body is different, and your fertility nurse can help you understand how to discover day 1.

Measure 2: Stimulating your ovaries

The stimulation phase starts from day 1. At a natural monthly cycle, then your ovaries normally produce 1 egg. You'll take medication for 8-14 days to encourage the follicles in your ovaries (where the eggs reside ) to make more eggs.

Your specialist prescribes medication particular for your body and treatment plan. It's usually in the kind of injections, which can vary from 1-2 for the cycle, or 1-2 per day. It can be daunting, however your fertility nurse will be there to show you exactly how and where to provide the shots. You can get your partner involved also and watch and learn together to get it correctly. It becomes a habit and you'll be an expert very quickly.

The most Frequent hormones from the medications used to stimulate the pores are:

follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)

luteinizing hormone (LH)

Both hormones are produced naturally within the body. The eggs are already there; the medication boosts the natural degrees to encourage more eggs to grow.

We keep an eye on your ovaries and the way the follicles are growing with blood tests and ultrasounds. Your medication will be adjusted if necessary. You are going to have any transvaginal ultrasounds (a probe is added internally). Our team will support you through these procedures and make you as comfortable as we can.

We'll track you frequently towards the end of the stimulation phase to period the 'trigger injection' perfectly.

The cause injection receives the eggs ready for ovulation -- the natural procedure where eggs are released and you have your period. Your fertility nurse tells you exactly when to perform the cause injection. Your fertility specialist will schedule the egg retrieval until you ovulate.

Measure 3: Egg retrieval

Egg retrieval, or egg 'pick up', is a hospital day process where the eggs are gathered from your ovaries. An anaesthetist can get you ready for a general anaesthetic. You'll be asleep and the process takes about 20-30 minutes.

Your fertility specialist employs the latest ultrasound technology to guide a needle to each ovary. It's delicate function where each millimetre counts, and this is where the expertise of our specialists pays off. You can't see an egg with the naked eye; they're contained in the fluid within the follicles in your ovaries. The specialist removes fluid from the follicles that look like they've grown enough to have an egg inside.

Your fertility specialist should have a fair idea from your ultrasounds how many eggs there are before retrieval. The average number of eggs collected is 8-15.

Recovery takes about 30 minutes and you'll be able to walk out on your own. It's a good idea to have a support person with you as you won't be able to drive after the process.

Step 4: The sperm

In case you're a few planning on using fresh sperm, the male would generate a sample the afternoon of the egg retrieval. If you are using suspended or donor semen, our scientists may have it ready in the lab.

The sperm is graded using 4 distinct levels of quality. It's washed at a special mix to slow it down so our scientists can identify the top ones beneath the microscope. A great, healthy sperm is not overly fat or slim, with a tail that is not overly long or brief. The very best sperm are chosen, and they're ready and waiting at the lab to be released into the eggs.

Step 5: Fertilisation

Your fertility specialist gives our scientists the eggs they have recovered, nevertheless from the fluid out of the follicles of the ovaries. The scientists utilize powerful microscopes to discover the eggs from the fluid in order that they can be taken off.

It's important the eggs are fertilised fast. The eggs and a few semen are placed in a dish. They have the chance to get each other and fertilise like they would naturally inside your body.

Measure 6: Embryo growth

If the sperm fertilises the egg, then it will become an embryo. Our scientists set the embryo into a special incubator where the conditions for growth and growth are ideal.

We create the best growing conditions employing a mixture of amino acids, just like your body will use to nurture the embryo.

Our scientists keep an eye on the embryos within 5-6 days. What we want is:

A two- to - four-cell embryo on day 2 and a six- to eight-cell embryo on day 3 (called the cleavage stage)
We all know implanting embryos at the blastocyst stage to the uterus boosts your chances of a successful pregnancy.

Unfortunatelynot all eggs will fertilise and reach embryo stage. The eggs may not be mature or the sperm not to be powerful enough. We all know you'll be waiting on information, so we'll keep you up to date with the development of your semen, egg and embryo growth.

Stage 7: Embryo transfer

In case your embryo grows from the lab, you're ready for it to be transferred to your uterus.

Your fertility nurses will contact you to explain what you need to do to prepare.

The embryo transfer is a really straightforward procedure, like a pap smear. It takes about 5 minutes, so you'll be awake, there's no anaesthetic, and you can wake up straight away. You can continue with your day, the embryo can't fall out if you stand up or go to the toilet.

A scientist prepares your embryo by placing it in a small tube called a catheter. It's critical this is done by an expert to disturb the embryo as little as possible.

Your fertility specialist places the catheter through your cervix and into your uterus. They use ultrasound guidance to pinpoint exactly where to place the embryo. An embryo is only 0.1 millimetre, and the specialist has a target area of approximately 1 millimetre to play with. If it's placed in the wrong spot, the embryo may not 'stick' and there is a risk it'll find a home outside the uterus.

It's common practice at Monash IVF to transfer one embryo at a time. Other embryos are frozen using our advanced technology, to use in future treatment.

Step 8: The final blood test

Two weeks after your embryo transfer, you'll have a blood test to measure your levels of the hormone hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin). hCG in your bloodstream usually means a positive pregnancy test.

The time between the embryo transfer and the blood test is often called the 'two-week wait' (2WW). It can be hard to not be more anxious about the outcome. Should you want some help to manage or someone else to talk to, our counsellors are ready to help you.