How long is the waiting time of test tube babies in the United States?
IVF technology is a medical method of assisted reproduction through in vitro fertilization (IVF), which is increasingly popular in the United States. However, for many couples, waiting for a successful pregnancy can be a long and painful process. So, how long is the waiting time of IVF in the United States? This article will elaborate on the treatment cycle, sperm and egg acquisition, embryo culture and selection, and transfer cycle.
Treatment cycle
The IVF treatment cycle usually needs to be carried out many times, because the success rate is usually low. Each treatment cycle includes ovarian stimulation, egg collection, fertilization and embryo culture. The whole treatment cycle usually takes two to three months from the beginning to the end.
First, women need ovarian stimulation to increase the number of eggs. This process usually lasts 10 to 12 days and requires daily injections of hormone drugs to stimulate ovarian development. After the stimulation, the doctor will use ultrasound guided puncture to collect the eggs.
Then, the sperm and egg are combined by artificial fertilization to form an embryo. The fertilized eggs will be cultured in the laboratory to observe their development. Generally, embryos will be stored in the incubator for at least 5 days to select the embryos with the most development potential.
Finally, the embryo will be implanted into the female uterus, waiting for whether it can be successfully implanted and developed into a fetus. This process usually requires a waiting period of 10 to 14 days, and pregnancy test is carried out to check whether you are pregnant.
Sperm and egg acquisition
In the process of IVF, obtaining high-quality sperm and eggs is crucial for successful pregnancy. Usually, couples can choose to use their own sperm and eggs, or they can obtain sperm or eggs by donation.
For women, if they can provide eggs with normal fertilization ability, they can reduce the waiting time. However, for older women or women with ovarian dysfunction, they may need to wait for a suitable egg donor, which may extend the waiting time.
Similarly, if men provide high-quality sperm, the waiting time can also be reduced. However, if men have low sperm quality or no sperm, couples need to rely on donated sperm, which will also affect the waiting time.
Embryo culture and selection
The process of embryo culture and selection will also affect the waiting time of IVF. In the process of embryo culture, doctors will observe the development of embryos and select the most promising embryos for implantation.
Normally, embryos will be cultured in the laboratory for at least 5 days to evaluate their development. This process may take several days to ensure that the selected embryo has a high implantation and survival rate.
In addition, some hospitals also provide services such as embryonic genetic screening (PGS) or genetic disease screening to help couples choose healthy embryos. These additional tests may prolong the waiting time, but can improve the probability of pregnancy success.
Migration cycle
The last step of IVF is embryo implantation. The selection of implantation cycle will also affect the waiting time.
For the conventional implantation cycle, the embryo will be stored in the incubator for at least 5 days and implanted into the uterus, and then wait for the pregnancy test. This process usually takes 10 to 14 days.
The other is the frozen embryo implantation cycle, that is, the frozen stored embryos are implanted when needed. This cycle may need to wait for several months, because appropriate time needs to be arranged for endometrial preparation.
It is worth noting that these waiting times are only estimates under general circumstances. The actual situation will vary depending on the specific situation of the couple, the working efficiency of the hospital and other uncontrollable factors.
Summary
In the United States, the waiting time of IVF is a relatively long and complex process. From the perspective of treatment cycle, sperm and egg acquisition, embryo culture and selection, and transfer cycle, the whole process may take several months. However, each couple's situation is unique, so the waiting time will be different. For couples who want to realize their dreams through IVF technology, patience and confidence are very important qualities.
