IVF Treatment (In-Vitro Fertilization) is the most effective methodology for infertile couples to have children. Thanks to this method, plenty of women who would never have conceived, can now have children. However, IVF technology and procedure is not without its pluses and drawbacks. And it is important to know everything about it before going for it.
Listed below are eight important pieces of information you need to know before adopting IVF Treatment to have children.
1. Time Consuming:
A full IVF course takes 1-2 months before you get pregnant depending on your body’s response to different medications and hormonal treatment. First, the natural menstrual cycle needs to be suppressed and this could take about two weeks of hormonal injections. Shots to stimulate ovaries could last up to 8 days and the retrieval of eggs after 36 hours. The fertilized eggs are grown for around 6 days and almost a week after implantation, then the IVF doctors carry out a pregnancy test. Thus, one should be ready for this long haul and be aware that it takes time to get the results.
2. It is Stressful:
It is important for the patient to ask all the questions to the ivf doctor and have complete information of the procedure in minute detail, to feel in control. This helps reduce uncertainty and stress which is normal during the process.
3. More than One Cycle:
It is important for the couple to know that it takes more than one IVF cycle to get results. You should be ready for a course of IVF treatment which may even last up to 8 months, as the chances of success increases with more cycles, with 65% conceiving after 6 cycles of treatment.
4. Pregnancy vs Live Birth Rates:
It is important to know the difference between both because some clinics misleading advertise only pregnancy rates, and if you are older, the live birth becomes difficult and most pregnancies end as failures. You should ask the clinic to disclose live birth rates for your age group before signing up.
5. It is Costly:
Apart from the cost of IVF cycles, there are other costs which the patients should become aware of. These include cost of medication, hormonal treatments, anaesthesia and additional techniques. Knowing this in advance can spare you from surprises.
6. Multiple Pregnancies:
During IVF treatment the doctors insert multiple embryos in the uterus to increases chances of successful implantation. Sometimes all of these (2-5 embryos) can implant successfully resulting in multiple pregnancies. You should be ready to handle this situation if it develops.
7. Lab Standards:
Embryos are highly sensitive to changes in temperature, pressure and oxygen levels, etc to name a few. It is necessary to find out how well the labs monitor these parameters and the care that is given to your embryos when they are grown and preserved, prior to implantation. Success rates can depend on the quality of the laboratory.
8. Birth Complications:
Since more than one embryo is implanted, there is an increased risk of premature labour or low birth-weight. You could go for embryo pre-screening procedures such as PGS or PGD to lower the chances of birth defects.
