IVF or In-vitro fertilization is the most successful and sought-after form of assisted reproductive technique. In-vitro means outside the body, so IVF involves creation of a baby outside the body in a laboratory setting. It has come as a miraculous treatment for couples who had been struggling to have a baby and almost given up hope.
Femcare Fertility is one of the top up and coming fertility centres for IVF treatment. We employ the most advanced technologies and have extremely skilled and experienced infertility specialist for all your fertility-related needs. Our belief is to make every couple comfortable, build trust, be an equal partner in fulfilling their longstanding parenthood dream.
IVF is opted for when a couple is unable to have a baby through natural means. This process involves collecting eggs from the woman, sperms from the man and bringing them together in a test-tube or petri dish to form a baby. The fertilized egg, called an embryo, is then transferred into the intended mother’s womb to grow and thrive. This helps to overcome barriers involved in natural fertilization to create your little bundle of joy.
Infertility can be caused due to male and/or female factors (85% of cases) or can just be unexplained in about 15% cases.
In Males:
In Females:
Lifestyle factors can affect fertility in both partners – Smoking, drinking, obesity, excess exercise, poor diet, stress
IVF is offered for:
Each time a couple undergoes an IVF procedure, it is known as a “cycle”. One IVF cycle consists of all the steps upto transferring of the embryo into the female partner.
IVF at Femcare Fertility starts with a thorough counselling of the couple by our expert fertility specialist to help the couple be at ease with the process, set realistic expectations and answer all their queries.
IVF begins with prepping the female body to produce more eggs and getting her menstrual cycle attuned with the planned IVF cycle.
Ovarian stimulation and monitoring: Medicines & injections are used to stimulate the ovaries for production of more number of eggs. The egg follicle maturation is monitored by daily sonographies and blood hormone levels. When the follicles are matured, a booster injection is given for the final development of the eggs just before ovulation.
Gamete retrieval: On maturation, about 10-20 eggs are taken from the ovaries through a thin needle, guided by ultrasound. The woman is admitted for a few hours and this is carried out under general anaesthesia. The procedure is completed in about 30 minutes.
If it is a fresh cycle, sperms are collected on the same day as egg retrieval procedure. If using frozen sperms (self or donor), they are thawed before using.
Fertilization: The eggs are placed in a special solution, large number of good quality sperms are chosen and introduced to the eggs. They are kept in a sterilized, controlled environment at optimal temperature and we wait for the magic to happen ! The eggs are checked for fertilization on the next day.
A tweak to this method is directly injecting a single sperm into the egg – intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).
Embryo transfer: Once fertilization has occurred, the formed embryos are allowed to grow in a special growth media for 3-5 days. They are checked for quality. Some may be transferred or all may be frozen depending on the type of cycle.
Number of embryos transferred depends on your fertility doctor’s plan.
The embryo(s) are placed into the uterus, through the vagina, using an ultrasound-guided thin, flexible catheter. The remaining good quality embryos are frozen if the couple chooses.
Before transferring, the lining of the mother’s womb (endometrium) is made thick enough using hormone injections to make it a viable home for the baby.
Sometimes the specialist may suggest laser assisted hatched (LAH) of the embryo(s) before transfer to improve chances of attachment.
Post transfer, certain medications and hormone injections are prescribed to support the embryo and promote pregnancy.
Pregnancy testing: The D-day arrives after 2 weeks when pregnancy can be checked via a blood test. Once you receive the good news, a sonography will be scheduled the week after to see the pregnancy development followed by one and half months to hear the baby’s precious heartbeat !
And so begins your parenthood journey !
The cost of IVF differs across centres depending on the services they offer, technology and expertise they employ. Some centres have packages for a set number of cycles or embryo storage. Cost also differs case-wise depending on use of donors, surrogates, frozen cycle, need for ICSI, LAH or PGT. Always take a note of included and excluded services when discussing cost.
On an average, the cost for IVF can fall anywhere from 90,000 to 2 lacs.
If you are looking for low cost IVF treatment options with good quality services, experienced fertility specialist and most advanced infrastructure, Femcare Fertility is a centre you can always trust. Get in touch with our dedicated team, who will guide you with personalised treatment plans and prices.
The success rate of IVF varies depending on various factors from woman’s age to the cause. With the most advanced technology, the overall success rate is about 50% globally. Some centres may boast of higher success rates depending on the type of cases they handle. IVF is known to be more successful when the female partner is younger.
1. What precautions do I need to take after embryo transfer ?
There are no special precautions that need to be taken post embryo transfer. You might just be advised to avoid any rigorous activities which may strain the abdominal area (lifting heavy weights, playing sports, running/jogging). Regular daily activities can be continued as normal.
Bed rest is not required after embryo transfer.
2. How can I improve my chances of pregnancy after embryo transfer ?
Certain lifestyle changes can boost chances of implantation:
3. When is IVF helpful ?
IVF is helpful in women who have tubal blockage or low ovarian reserves and men with very low sperm counts or azoospermia. It has been for a boon for couples wanting to opt for surrogacy, using donor eggs/sperms, having multiple IUI failures and unexplained infertility. It can also benefit cancer survivors, who have lost their fertility potential, by using donor gametes/embryo or their own frozen gametes saved prior to cancer treatment.
4. How does age affect IVF success rate ?
With increasing age of the woman, the quality of her eggs decrease, which makes it difficult to achieve pregnancy. The success rate for women < 35 years is between 40-50% which falls to < 20% for women in their forties. This does in no way mean that older women cannot achieve successful pregnancies. Another way to boost success rates for older women is using donor eggs.
5. Can IVF increase risk of birth defects in my baby ?
Every pregnancy has a 2-3% risk of birth defects. Studies have not shown any significant increase in this risk with IVF pregnancies.
6. What are the risks associated with IVF ?
Over the years, IVF has become a very safe and routine procedure. However like every intervention, it involves certain risks mainly:
These complications are rare and in the right hands, these risks can be minimised and managed appropriately.
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