IVF is a highly effective fertility treatment for men and women facing complex infertility diagnoses. The in vitro fertilization process involves removing some of a woman’s eggs so that they can be fertilized with sperm in controlled conditions inside an IVF laboratory. Through this complex process, we can create embryos that can later be transferred to the uterus of the hopeful mother or a gestational carrier to achieve pregnancy.

• A typical IVF cycle includes the following steps:

  • Ovulation induction — The woman receives hormone injections prescribed by her physician that stimulate her ovaries to produce mature eggs

  • Egg retrieval — A procedure where the mature eggs are removed

  • Fertilization and embryo culture — Retrieved eggs are placed in an incubator and fertilized with sperm; preimplantation genetic diagnosis and screening are available to identify which embryos are free of abnormalities and more likely to achieve the goal of a healthy pregnancy

  • Embryo transfer — Embryo(s) may be transferred after egg retrieval and are placed into the uterus using a catheter inserted through the cervix.

Around eight to 8- 12 days after the embryo transfer, those undergoing IVF treatment should take a blood test to measure the blood level of hCG, a hormone produced during pregnancy—this will confirm pregnancy. If hCG blood testing indicates pregnancy, it will be followed by periodic blood tests to monitor the early pregnancy.

Prenatal care typically begins around six to 10 weeks into a pregnancy. This care usually involves periodic blood and imaging tests, as well as physical exams to detect any complications that may arise.

IVF comes with a risk of certain complications due to ovarian stimulation and retrieval of eggs, including:

• Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), a condition in which the ovaries become overstimulated due to the use of fertility medications to stimulate the development of eggs. In OHSS, the ovaries swell and leak fluid into the abdominal cavity and chest area. Rarely, OHSS can be life-threatening.

• Blood clots

• Infection

• Abdominal bleeding

• Twisting of the ovary and, in some cases, the fallopian tube, disrupting blood flow

• Allergic reaction to medications used in IVF

• Anesthesia complications

The risk of some pregnancy complications may be increased in patients who conceive with IVF, including:

• Multiple pregnancy risk, most commonly due to the transfer of more than one embryo.

• Disorders of high blood pressure during pregnancy, including eclampsia/preeclampsia and gestational diabetes

• Ectopic pregnancy, when an embryo attaches somewhere other than the lining of the uterus; it affects around 2% of people undergoing IVF.

• Heterotopic pregnancy, when one embryo attaches to the lining of the uterus and another embryo attaches to a site outside the uterus; it occurs in 1 in 100 to 1 in 1,000 pregnancies from IVF.

• Placenta previa, when the placenta entirely or partially covers the opening of the cervix

• Placental abruption, when the placenta detaches prematurely from the wall of the uterus

For Female Couples

Female same-sex couples have multiple options to consider for fertility treatment.

Your choice of nationally accredited sperm banks is many: Seattle Sperm Bank & Cryobank, California Cryobank, Fairfax Cryobank, and DIRECTED fresh sperm donation through Gifted Conception.

Same-sex male couples have the option to work with a gestational carrier, a woman who carries a pregnancy to term for another couple. The embryo is created using an Egg Donor and sperm of both or one partner.

How you choose to build a family is a personal decision, and one that is completely unique to you.