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Are you and your partner failing to conceive a child? There’s nothing to be afraid of, anxious about, or worried about, for you are not alone, and secondly, there are ways you can still conceive.
Among the many procedures applied under artificial reproductive technologies, one of the most popular ones is in-vitro fertilization, or IVF, in short.
If you are considering IVF, here are 7 IVF questions to ask your doctor the next time you visit them. But before that, let us understand what IVF actually is!
What is IVF?
Infertility is a condition of the male or female reproductive system described by the inability to conceive after a period of 12 months or more of unprotected sexual activity. Every 10 to 15 people in the United States suffer from infertility.
So if IVF is an option you’re considering, here are the IVF questions to ask your doctor!
The 7 Must-Ask IVF Questions to Your Doctor
We’ve answered the IVF questions to ask here, but we still advise you to seek a medical opinion.
1. Does any Test Need to be Carried Out Before the IVF Treatment?
Before having IVF, you must undertake a series of tests prescribed by your doctor to establish whether you are eligible for the procedure.
Some of the most popularly carried out tests are:
- Prolactin test
- Ovarian reserve testing
- Tubal Patency test
- Screening for HIV, Chlamydia, hepatitis B, varicella, and Rubella
Before beginning IVF therapy, males may be subjected to a variety of testing, including blood tests, sperm analyses, and Digital High magnification.
2. How Long will the IVF Process Expected to Take from Start to Finish?
Effectively fertilized eggs grow into embryos over the period of 3 to 5 days. The embryo’s viability is next assessed in order to determine whether it should be transferred, frozen, or cultured and developed further.
The IVF procedure, on the other hand, begins weeks early for the mother. IVF is a series of operations rather than a single therapy. From evaluation until transfer, a typical IVF cycle takes roughly 6 to 8 weeks, although the process is comparable for every patient, based on their unique situations.
The way your body reacts at each phase differs. So, it is best to include this question too, in your list of IVF questions to ask your doctor.
3. What are the Chances of Success with IVF?
Your doctor should be able to tell you whether or not the operation is likely to be successful based on your blood tests, fertility rate, weight, and overall health.
Most women have 20 to 35 percent success rates each cycle, but the chances of becoming pregnant diminish with each subsequent round, while the expense rises. Three full rounds of IVF improve the odds of a successful pregnancy to 45 to 53 percent.
4. How many Eggs Will You Try to Retrieve?
Fertility medicines are used to release more than one egg, even if ovulation is normal because pregnancy odds are higher with more eggs. In most cases, 10 to 20 eggs are extracted during IVF. Unfortunately, not many of them are fit for use, since only around two-thirds of them are mature enough.
5. Is it Better to use Fresh or Frozen Embryos?
When frozen embryos are used instead of fresh embryos after embryo transfer, several fertility clinics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have found a greater likelihood of success. When it concerns their relative success percentages, both FET and fresh have a number of elements to consider.
Your age or the age of your donors during embryo freezing, the quality of sperm used for fertilization, and your overall health throughout both kinds of transfers are all factors to take into account when selecting whether to freeze your embryos or pursue a fresh transfer.
6. What can I Do To Increase My Chances of Conception?
Many specialists advise against making any major dietary changes during your IVF cycle. Nevertheless, before you start IVF, you should make sure you’re eating a well-balanced, nutritious diet that includes a range of nutrients, minerals, and vitamins.
- Whole grains, such as quinoa or whole-grain pasta
- Fresh veggies and fruit
- Legumes such as chickpeas or beans
- More chicken and fish
- Healthy fats, like avocado, nuts, and seeds
7. Are there any Possible Risks or Side Effects?
IVF, like regular pregnancy, can have a significant physical impact on the pregnant woman. There are a few pregnancy dangers or issues to be aware of, including the following:
- OHSS, or Ovarian Hyper-Stimulation Syndrome, is a condition that affects women with PCOS
- Injections may be painful
- Certain IVF medicines are associated with some amount of risk
- Severe stomach discomfort, fever, inflammation, headaches, leg redness, etc.
If you have any of the above-mentioned symptoms, you must contact your doctor immediately.
To Summarize: Alternatives to IVF
IVF treatment does not always have the chance of success. In case it doesn’t work out, you may be willing to try again at a later period, depending on the underlying cause for the treatment’s failure. A frozen embryo transfer is an option if you have additional frozen embryos. Talk to your doctor about alternatives and all the IVF questions you have.
Do not be disheartened because you can restart the IVF cycle from the beginning.
