IVF
In vitro Fertilization (IVF) is a procedure by which a woman’s eggs are removed from her ovaries and fertilized with her partner’s (or donor) sperm in the laboratory. After an incubation period of 3-5 days, some or all of the fertilized eggs are returned to the uterus to mature.
IVF is used in a variety of circumstances. It was developed as a treatment for women with blocked or absent fallopian tubes, but has also proven successful in response to male fertility issues, problems with ovulation, and unexplained infertility.
During a normal cycle, a woman will produce one egg each month. Prior to IVF, medication is used to stimulate a woman’s ovaries so that she will produce multiple eggs for extraction and fertilization-thus increasing her chances of getting pregnant.
Every egg will be fertilized to create an embryo, but not all embryos are transferred. A woman can decide on her risk tolerance for multiple pregnancy based on the number of embryos she chooses to have transferred into her womb. Two embryos for example, can result in twins.