In- Vitro Fertilisation (IVF)
IVF was first developed in the 1970s and means, literally, fertilisation which takes place in glass - hence the popular term "test tube babies".

As the first step multiple eggs are stimulated to maturity by a daily hormonal injection and the eggs are collected by needle under a light anaesthetic. The operation is carried out by an ultrasound-guided technique, and the woman can return home soon afterwards, the same day.

The day the eggs are collected, the husband provides semen and the sperm are specially prepared for mixing with the eggs to achieve fertilisation in the laboratory. The fertilised eggs are cultured for two or three days and up to three of them, now call embryos, are transferred to the womb (uterus). The transfer along the cervical canal causes little discomfort and anaesthesia is rarely necessary. Any remaining suitable embryos can be stored frozen for future attempts, if necessary, for several years

If pregnancy occurs, it continues in the natural way

 

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