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IVF, or In Vitro Fertilisation, is a wonder of modern medicine that can help you achieve your dream of becoming a parent.
Each month, your ovaries produce a bunch of tiny egg sacs, known as follicles. Usually, only one of these follicles will mature and release an egg during your menstrual cycle, thanks to a special hormone called FSH. But in an IVF cycle, multiple eggs are released, through FSH injections that stimulate growth.
When the time is right, your eggs are carefully collected via a small needle at the end of a transvaginal ultrasound probe which delicately drains the contents of each ovarian follicle. Our scientists then find your eggs in this fluid and combine them with sperm in the lab to allow fertilisation to take place.
Over the next few days, we keep a close eye on your embryos as they develop. And when the time is just right, we transfer one of them back into your uterus, where it can hopefully implant and grow into a beautiful baby. Any extra embryos can be frozen for use at another time.
An IVF cycle typically lasts about three weeks and involves a series of steps, from injections to egg collection. But IVF isn’t for everyone: about half of our patients find success with other fertility treatments, and that’s totally okay! We’ll work together to figure out the best path forward for you.
There are many possible causes, and only 40% are female-related, with 40% male and 20% unexplained. You might not know the case, or you might already, or it just might be taking you longer to fall pregnant than you expected. Whichever of these situations best describes you, we can help you take the next steps. After your initial appointment, I’ll refer you for tests to explore and hopefully pinpoint the reason(s).
ART, or Assisted Reproductive Technologies, are a range of options designed to help you achieve your dream of parenthood. Your main options are:
When your own eggs aren’t doing the trick, donor egg IVF is a great backup plan, giving you another shot at creating the family of your dreams.
These are just a few of the options available.
And remember, I’m here to answer any questions you may have along the way. Now let’s make your dreams of parenthood a reality!
I admire the pioneers of IVF, many of whom were from Australia. They were ahead of their time, and they took some bold moves to make IVF what it is today. I’m just happy to be following in their footsteps.
