How does IVF work?

Treatment commonly starts with hormone medicines such as gonadotrophins to encourage several eggs to develop. Monitoring scans and blood tests help the fertility team decide when the eggs are ready. A short procedure then collects the eggs, while a sperm sample is prepared separately.

Fertilisation may happen by placing sperm with the eggs or by injecting a single sperm into an egg, a technique called ICSI. Embryos are observed in the laboratory, and a selected embryo can be placed inside the uterus during embryo transfer. Extra suitable embryos may be frozen for later use, depending on the plan.

Your clinic will explain injection timing, monitoring appointments, sample arrangements, and medicines after transfer. Tell the team about medical conditions and every medicine or supplement you take. Ask how many embryos may be transferred, how embryos are assessed, and what happens if the cycle produces few eggs or no transferable embryo.

IVF can be used for different fertility situations, including polycystic ovary syndrome or unexplained infertility. The team should explain alternatives such as IUI and when ICSI might be considered.

Contact your clinic promptly for severe or increasing abdominal swelling, marked pain, repeated vomiting, breathing difficulty, faintness, or heavy bleeding during or after stimulation. These symptoms can need urgent assessment. After embryo transfer, follow the clinic’s instructions about testing and seek advice for significant pain, bleeding, fever, or feeling acutely unwell.

Ask which protocol fits your health history, how monitoring will be organised, what fertilisation method is planned, how embryos will be selected, and what the next step is if transfer is postponed.