Infertility has been one of the major causes behind many disrupted marriages in India. There are ample of reasons that may lead to childlessness; however, the condition is not something that lacks cure or remedy.
Medical science has evolved, and still continues to bring about effective solutions for many of our health problems. However, the question is, are we all aware about the available remedies that can make our lives easier, happier and simpler? Perhaps No!
Out of the many different solutions available for infertility, IVF stands to be the most effective of all, and is slowly gaining popularity amongst the population. IVF treatment in India has become a common medical procedure performed in most hospitals. And couples from all strata of society find the solution both effective and affordable.
However, doctors are of the belief that even when there exist a solution to infertility problems, not many people come up to avail these remedies. Let aside the social taboos, fear and lack of knowledge is what stops them from taking up this readily available as well as mandatory solution for many. Therefore, the following post aims at discussing few of the causes of infertility and then moves ahead to the treatment procedure and how couples can prepare themselves for the same.
Causes of infertility:
Under normal conditions, healthy sperms released from a male testis travels through the female reproductive system to reach the ovum. The healthiest sperm reaches the egg and they unite in the fallopian tube and form a zygote. This in turn goes through several developmental stages and a baby is born after completion of 9 months of successful pregnancy period.
Now, any factor disrupting this normal conception method may result in infertility. Most commonly, infertility in women routes down to a defective fallopian tube; while for men it may be related to unhealthy sperm count or testis. Depending on the causes of infertility, doctors take up necessary steps to ensure healthy fertilization taking place under laboratory conditions. The following section briefly explains IVF procedure.
IVF – Invitro Fertization - Procedure:
Invitro comes from a Latin word meaning “within glasses.”And therefore, any fertilization procedure that is taking place inside glasses is referred to as Invitro fertilization or IVF. A more popular term used for children born out of IVF procedure is test tube babies.
IVF procedure can be divided into the following five important stages:
Let us see the above mentioned stages in details:
Any couple undergoing IVF treatment has to opt for several laboratory tests and examinations that help doctors to determine the cause and thus a treatment option. Hormone level tests, blood tests, sperm analysis for males and ovarian tests for females are few of the common exams conducted. All of these tests ultimately help doctors to determine on the treatment option to be adopted.
Stage 1:Prior to ovarian stimulation, females are needed to undergo hormone therapies that stop natural period. This is carried out for around 2 weeks, and most hospitals offering IVF treatments in India administer the required hormonal doses through nasal sprays or injections.
Thereafter, female partners are prescribed with a specific fertility medicine, known as Follicle stimulating Hormone (FSH) that triggers ovaries to generate healthy and fertile eggs. These doses are again introduced in the body through injections that are administered for around 12days.
Stage 2: With the commencement of ovarian stimulation, small follicles containing eggs are seen to grow within ovaries. Ultrasounds are carried out to map the growth of follicles containing healthy eggs.
Doctors usually wait for 3 fully grown follicles to initiate the second stage of IVF, i.e., egg retrieval. Once ultrasounds show the development of healthy follicles, your doctor will prepare for retrieval; whereby, a needle is passed through a vaginal path and collects the required number of eggs formed. Females are usually mildly sedated during the procedure that lasts for around 10
Stage 3: While the female partner prepares for egg retrieval, male partners are needed to give fresh sperm samples for the procedure. Sperms collected are then placed in a centrifuge that separates the most active sperm for fertilization. Eggs that were retrieved in the previous stage are placed in a dish containing required hormones.
The sperms and eggs collected are then placed in an incubator containing culture fluid to form embryos within the next 24 hours. Embryos formation takes around 24 hours, after which these embryos are again placed in a different culture medium for fertilization.
It must be noted that both the egg and sperm collected must be of good fertile health for a successful Invitro fertilization treatment. In case any one of the partner fails to provide healthy sample, IVF can be carried out using either a donor sperm or donor egg.
Stage 4: Fertilization of embryo continues for about 5 – 6 days where they are continuously monitored under laboratory conditions. Your doctor will then study the embryo development and choose the healthiest ones for implantation. A healthy woman usually requires two embryo implantations for successful pregnancy. However, women with other health issues or those at a considerable age may require multiple embryos to ensure at least one successful pregnancy.
Embryo implantation usually involves a speculum that is inserted into her vagina to dilate the path. A catheter is then passed through the vagina and reaches the uterus. Fertilized eggs are then passed through these catheters and safely transferred into the uterine cavity. A fortnight post implantation a pregnancy test is carried out to confirm conception.
This was all about Invitro Fertilization treatment that can be a magical solution to your infertility and thus a successful and happy married life.You can find more information about IVF treatment and cost here
Pousali is an M.Phil in English literature and likes to explore genres related to arts and aesthetics. She is an ardent believer of the ‘learning, unlearning and relearning’ process. She truly enjoys knowing and writing on different concepts.