IN VITRO FERTILIZATION

#1 - Ovary Stimulation

The first step of the IVF process is stimulating your ovaries to produce multiple mature eggs, using fertility medication. We'll create a personalized protocol based on your age, past history and results of both hormonal and ultrasound evaluations. Periodic lab work and ultrasounds are done to monitor egg growth over the next 10 days. Then, a medication will be given to prepare your eggs for retrieval.

 

#2 - Egg Retrieval

During this 15 minute procedure, Dr. Wells or Dr. Ulrich will retrieve several eggs from your ovaries via the insertion of a needle through your vaginal wall. You’ll be under sedation and won’t feel a thing.

 

#3 - Insemination

Then your male partner gets to contribute by providing a semen sample, which is 'washed' (not like your laundry)--it separates the sperm from the seminal fluid, increasing the number of mobile sperm and improving the likelihood for fertilization. Only the all-stars are picked to mingle with your top quality eggs.

 

If your man is feeling a little gun shy, a semen sample can be produced ahead of time and cryopreserved until needed. In some male factor infertility cases, a testicular biopsy can also be performed as a method to extract sperm for IVF.

 

If there's a lower probability of fertilization, Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) may be used, where a single sperm is injected directly into each of the eggs. The eggs are closely monitored to confirm that fertilization and cell division are taking place, resulting in embryos.

 

#4 - Embryo Culture

The impending embryos will hang out together between 3 to 5 days-- specifically, embryos are incubated in a perfect culture medium in a tightly controlled laboratory environment, where cells will grow to the blastocyst stage.

 

At this point, you'll have the option to have your embryos screened using PGS or PGD to detect genetic abnormalities or to select the gender.

 

#5 - Embryo Transfer
Then we'll simply transfer a single, healthy embryo into your uterus during ovulation. This procedure mimics that of a routine pap smear and has little pain or discomfort. For best results, the use of ultrasound technology is used to guide the catheter to the best location within the uterine cavity.

 

 

We offer Assisted Hatching, if necessary, where we help the cells of the embryo escape from their shell and implant on the uterine wall with ease. Another option we can utilize is a Blastocyst Transfer, to help us identify the very best embryo to transfer. 

 

If the procedure is successful, implantation (AKA pregnancy) is typically able to be detected around 9 to 11 days following the transfer.

 

Immediately after transfer, any remaining embryos will be frozen in our state-of-the-art laboratory just steps from the procedure room by our embryologists, who are the best in the field. Your embryos will be frozen using Vitrification, a flash-freezing technique that increases embryo survival rates to nearly 100%.