If you and your partner are having difficulty conceiving, you may wonder if in vitro fertilization is right for you. Understanding what the process entails is the first step, especially if you're unsure whether you and your partner are suitable candidates. The following guide will help you decide whether this is a procedure worth discussing further with your gynecologist, primary care doctor, or fertility specialist. 

How In Vitro Fertilization Can Help You

What In Vitro Achieves

In vitro is an effective method of assisting couples with conceiving a child. There are many reasons why you might not be able to conceive, including endometriosis, uterine fibroids, and ovarian disorders. Low sperm counts also cause issues with conception. It’s important for a specialist to determine the underlying issue.

Problems with conception are not the only reasons to use in vitro, however. If you’re about to undergo chemotherapy, for instance, you may use in vitro to preserve your eggs. In vitro is also used to screen for many common genetic problems. In vitro is a complex and delicate procedure, so if you’re having trouble conceiving, your doctor may recommend trying other methods first, such as fertility-enhancing medication or artificial insemination.

What to Expect From the Process

If your medical professional believes you’re ready to try in vitro fertilization, a medical assessment will then be performed on both you and your partner before the treatment cycle begins. The first step of the cycle entails stimulation of the ovaries via hormone injection, which results in the formation of multiple eggs simultaneously. After a week or two, egg retrieval surgery will be performed. Your partner will also be asked to submit a sperm sample at this time.

Fertilization of egg and sperm takes place in a laboratory. Once fertilization is deemed successful, the resulting embryos are placed in your uterus via a catheter. After a few weeks, the fertility specialist will request follow-up testing. Confirmation usually requires two positive pregnancy tests before the process is considered complete. 

The success of the procedure depends on many factors, including your age, whether you’ve previously given birth, your lifestyle, and the underlying cause of the infertility. Your doctor or fertility specialist will walk you through how these factors may apply to you. 

The doctors at Pacific In Vitro Fertilization Institute will help you make your family dreams a reality. Thanks to their extensive in vitro knowledge, they’ve helped couples in Honolulu, HI, understand their options for more than 32 years. They’ll also help women planning to conceive in the future by offering essential information on ways to stay healthy and boost fertility. If you’d like to schedule a consultation to learn more about what they’ll do for you, feel free to call (808) 946-2226 today. Learn more about these trusted fertility doctors by visiting their website.