IVF: How long does it take to treat IVF?
Test tube baby (IVF) is a kind of artificial assisted reproduction technology, which is used to help couples who cannot conceive naturally realize their reproductive aspirations. This treatment process usually requires multiple steps, and the time varies from individual to individual. The following will introduce the process and time of IVF treatment in detail from four aspects.
1. Initial evaluation and preparation stage
Before IVF treatment, doctors will conduct a preliminary assessment of the couple to understand their health status, birth history and potential fertility problems. This stage usually includes:
First, the couple will undergo a series of physical examinations, including gynecological examination, semen analysis and fallopian tube fluoroscopy. These tests can help doctors determine whether there is a birth disorder.
Secondly, couples may also need genetic counseling and psychological counseling to ensure that they can understand and cope with the risks and pressures that may arise during IVF treatment.
The entire initial assessment and preparation phase usually takes 2-3 months, depending on the individual situation of the couple and the arrangement of the hospital.
2. Ovulation promotion and egg retrieval stage
Before IVF treatment enters the next stage, women need to receive ovulation induction treatment. The goal of this stage is to stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple mature follicles and increase the chances of fertilization.
Usually, women will inject ovulation promoting drugs regularly every day, and return regularly to monitor the development of follicles. Once the follicle develops to a sufficient size, the doctor will arrange to go to the hospital for the egg retrieval procedure.
Egg retrieval is a minimally invasive surgery process, and mature eggs need to be removed from the ovary. The whole process of egg retrieval usually takes only a few minutes, but women need to rest for 1-2 days to recover.
3. Fertilization and embryo culture stage
After taking the eggs, doctors will conduct in vitro fertilization of male sperm and female eggs in the laboratory. This process usually takes 1-2 days. Once fertilization is successful, the embryo will continue to develop in the culture dish.
Embryo culture usually lasts for 3-5 days, and doctors will closely monitor the development of embryos. During this period, the doctor will also discuss the number and time of embryo transfer with the couple.
4. Embryo transfer and subsequent observation
Embryo transfer is the last step in IVF treatment. At this stage, doctors place carefully selected embryos into a woman's uterus through a slender tube. This is a painless process that usually takes only a few minutes.
After embryo transfer, couples need a period of rest and observation. Doctors usually recommend avoiding strenuous exercise and sexual activity to improve the success rate of embryo implantation.
About two weeks later, the couple will have a blood test to confirm whether they are pregnant successfully. If the pregnancy is successful, the couple will enter the observation and nursing stage of early pregnancy. If the pregnancy fails, the couple can choose to receive IVF treatment again.
To sum up, the time of IVF treatment varies from individual to individual, and usually takes 2-6 months. The treatment process includes initial assessment and preparation, ovulation induction and oocyte retrieval, fertilization and embryo culture, as well as embryo transfer and follow-up observation. Every stage requires the careful operation of doctors and the cooperation of couples to help them realize their reproductive dreams.
