Though many people with fertility problems can have a child after treatment, anxiety about whether the treatment will work can also undermine a person’s mental health.
World IVF Day, observed annually on July 25, here are a few things that first-time IVF parents might want to know before they decide to undertake this journey.
The procedure of in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), which necessitates numerous medical appointments, is time-consuming and exhausting. At such times, one could experience worry, depression, and mental distress. Consult a therapist or counsellor, suggested Dr. Nishi Singh, HOD of the Department of Infertility & IVF at Prime IVF Center, New Delhi, India.
As part of the process, an IVF patient’s initial step is to receive hormone injections that encourage the production of several eggs as opposed to a single egg. However, a series of injections are given to the patient prior to the retrieval procedure in order to assist ripen the egg and initiate the ovulation process. It is crucial to understand that the eggs won’t be able to grow normally if they are removed too early or too late. It is essential to know that if the eggs get taken out too early or later, “they will not be able to develop the normal way”.
At this point, it is common for the doctor to do a series of blood tests or an ultrasound to find out if the eggs are at the right stage of development or not before they are retrieved. Your doctor will use an ultrasound to find the follicles in the ovary.
The eggs will then get extracted using a hollow needle. You can anticipate that the eggs will be combined with your partner’s sperm after the successful retrieval. Once done, they will implant one or more embryos into your uterus. A pregnancy test will be run two weeks later, Dr. Singh elaborated.
Before you begin IVF therapy, have your health parameters examined. Self-improvement is a crucial component. It significantly raises the success rate of IVF. Remember that hormone injections are a part of IVF procedures. You may consequently encounter mood swings, cramps, discomfort, and other things.
Dr. Singh emphasised that if you experience excessive discomfort, you should see a doctor and not ignore it. At such moments, one may even endure emotional distress, depression, and worry. Dr. Singh advised speaking with a counsellor or therapist.
Anyone undergoing IVF wants access to a large selection of viable embryos. More healthy embryos improve the likelihood that those embryos will be implanted successfully, increasing the likelihood of becoming pregnant and giving birth.
Patients may receive more healthy embryos than they need, however this is rare. Communication is the key in this circumstance. Talk to your doctor about your options if you wind up with surplus embryos, such as giving them to others who could use them to grow their families.
One can choose surrogacy as well. Traditional and gestational surrogacies are the two main forms. In traditional surrogacy, a surrogate’s eggs are fertilised with the father’s sperm. When the female is unable to create eggs, it occurs. In contrast, during gestational surrogacy, the parents’ eggs and sperm are pumped into the surrogate’s uterus.
As a result, one can decide what they need and choose surrogacy in order to use IVF to become a parent.
A woman’s ability to conceive is mostly determined by her eggs and a variety of other factors.
The clinic you chose to perform your IVF at will also affect the success percentage. Therefore, talk to the expert about your concerns and the likelihood of a successful pregnancy.
Parvathy Sukumaran 
