What Is In Vitro Fertilization?
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a treatment to fertilize eggs outside of a woman’s body in a laboratory. The goal is to produce embryos, then place the best available embryo back into a woman’s uterus.
WHY CHOOSE UCRM?
The Utah Center for Reproductive Medicine (UCRM) is a fully inclusive fertility program. We care for all patients, regardless of gender, age, size, and sexual orientation. A compassionate team of physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, fellows, residents, nurses, medical assistants, and embryologists cares for you.
We participate in leading-edge research and have access to the most advanced technology available because of our affiliation with University of Utah Health. Virtual visits make it easy to access our services in the way that’s most convenient for you.
IVF Benefits & Risks
IVF is an efficient way to combine greater numbers of sperm and eggs at one time.
IVF is also effective at treating male infertility and female infertility problems:
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Inability to ovulate
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Low egg quantity
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Low sperm count
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Fallopian tube damage or blockage
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Need for gestational carrier (surrogate)
The most significant downside of IVF for many people is that it can be financially or emotionally burdensome. Although access to insurance coverage for IVF Is improving, it’s still very limited. Many people need to undergo more than one IVF cycle for treatment to be effective.
How Successful Is IVF?
In vitro fertilization works well for many infertility conditions. Doctors can detect a pregnancy after two weeks.
IVF Success Rates By Age
Age impacts IVF success rates. The chances of success decline slightly after age 35 and drop significantly after age 40.
Who Is a Candidate for IVF?
People who have eggs in their ovaries and access to a sperm source are candidates for IVF. You’ll need to know your ovarian reserve, which is based on the quantity and quality of eggs in your ovaries, before starting IVF. You should undergo testing with a reproductive endocrinologists or other fertility specialist to determine your ovarian reserve.
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IVF Process Timeline
Your IVF treatment journey will start with a reproductive endocrinology consultation. You’ll go through a fertility assessment to find out what’s causing your infertility and learn more about treatment options. Fertility testing for you and your partner will take about 1–2 months.
When you and your provider have determined that IVF is right for you, you’ll start your first IVF cycle:
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9–14 days of ovarian stimulation with injectable medications
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Sperm collection
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A 30-minute outpatient procedure to retrieve your eggs
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One week of embryo development
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Embryo transfer
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Two weeks of waiting to find out if you are pregnant
You may have additional time between embryo development and transfer if you have chosen to genetically test the embryos. In these cases, your embryos are frozen while we wait for genetic testing results, and we schedule embryo transfer for a later date.
How Long Does It Take to Get Pregnant with IVF?
Maternal age and overall health are two of the most important factors for IVF success. Your fertility specialist will give you a personalized timeline estimate after your fertility testing. It’s common for people to need more than one IVF cycle to get pregnant.
How Long After IVF Implantation Can I Test?
You should wait 10–14 days after IVF implantation to take a pregnancy test.
How to Improve Sperm Quality & Egg Quality for IVF
There are several ways you can improve sperm and egg quality for IVF:
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Avoid processed foods and eat a Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes healthy fats and plant-based foods.
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Find healthy ways to cope with stress, such as journaling, meditating, or talking with trusted loved ones.
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Maintain a healthy body weight.
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Limit exposure to environmental toxins, such as tobacco and marijuana.
Chance of Twins With IVF
Our standard protocol is to place only one embryo in your uterus at one time. With this approach, the chances of getting pregnant with twins is about 2% to 3%. We place more than one embryo in very rare circumstances. Your specialist will discuss whether you should have more than one embryo placed during transfer.
Preimplantation Genetic Testing
Preimplantation genetic testing (PGT), formerly called preimplantation genetic diagnosis, is an optional step during IVF. During PGT, we will take a few cells from the embryos and test them in a laboratory. This will give us information about any chromosomal or genetic abnormalities. Your specialist can help you understand whether PGT is right for you.
