FAQ
Assisted reproductive technology (ART) refers to treatments used to assist people in achieving a pregnancy. Depending on the cause of infertility , procedures such as in vitro fertilization, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), cryopreservation of gametes or embryos and surrogacy can be suggested.
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a therapeutic protocol in Assisted Reproductive technology (ART), due to a couple’s infertility. IVF is usually attempted after natural methods and other methods like intrauterine insemination (IUI) have failed. During IVF, a woman’s ova (eggs) are removed and fertilized by sperm outside the body and grown in a medium which mimics the uterus. The fertilized eggs, or zygotes, are then transferred back into the intended parent several days later. During a normal monthly cycle, a woman releases 1-2 eggs at ovulation, usually between cycle day 12-14. During an IVF cycle, a woman is given medication to create more eggs to increase the chance of pregnancy.
There are basically five steps in the IVF and embryo transfer process:
- Ovarian stimulation and monitoring;
- Aspiration of the ovaries and egg collection;
- Sperm collection;
- Insemination;
- Embryo transfer;
The success rate of IVF depends on a number of factors, the most important of which is the woman’s age. It is also important to realize whether a cli ic is referring to a pregnancy rate as confirmed by a Beta HCG test or a live birth rate. In the U.S., live birth rates are usually referred to. According to The Society For Assisted Reproduction Technologies (SART), the averagelive birth rate in the U.S. is:
- 40% for women under age 35
- 38% for women ages 35 to 37
- 29% for women ages 38 to 40
- 19% for women ages 40 to 42
- 9% for women over 42
If a woman;s eggs are not viable for IVF, one can choose to work with donor eggs, eggs from a third party that are transferred back to the intended mother’s uterus. Success rates with donor eggs can be significantly higher than with one’s own eggs as success rates are almost entirely bound to the age of the eggs used.
IVF can certainly be a hormonal roller-coaster. In addition, to the natural mood swings induced by artificial hormones, feelings of swelling in the abdomen are common, and it is normal to feel some discomfort after follicular aspiration. Thus, it is important to modify your activity during the later stages of a cycle.
ICSI involves the direct injection of a single sperm into each egg to achieve fertilisation.
Surrogacy is a form of ART in which a woman (the surrogate) carries a child for another person or couple, the intention of giving the child to that person or couple after birth.
Yes, We work with single intended parents, , same-sex couples and heterosexual couples.
We understand that Choosing an egg donor is one of the most challenging choices intended parents will have to make, that´s why we offer a wide varity of egg donor that you can find in our egg donor catalogue. When you find a profile that you like the most, our staff will assit you in making match.