IVF

• IVF involves 6 main stages
• In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is one of several techniques available to help people with fertility problems have a baby.
• During IVF, an egg is removed from the woman's ovaries and fertilised with sperm in a laboratory.

  The fertilised egg, called an embryo, is then returned to the woman's womb to grow and develop.
• Stage 1- suppressing your natural cycle – your menstrual cycle is suppressed with medicine
• Stage 2 - helping your ovaries produce extra eggs – medicine is used to encourage your ovaries to produce more than 1 egg at a time
• stage 3 - monitoring your progress and maturing your eggs – an ultrasound scan is carried out to check the development of the eggs, and medicine is used to help them mature
• Stage 4 - collecting the eggs – a needle is inserted through your vagina and into your ovaries to remove the eggs
• Stage 5 - fertilising the eggs – the eggs are mixed with the sperm for a few days to allow them to be fertilised
• stage 6 - transferring the embryo(s) – 1 or 2 fertilised eggs (embryos) are placed into your womb
• Once the embryo(s) has been transferred into your womb, you'll need to wait 2 weeks before taking a pregnancy test to see if the treatment has worked.