It is a bit scary to think about going into a reproductive center to discuss in vitro fertilization for the first time. This can be a scary step if you are struggling to conceive naturally, and especially if you have already been told that you will be unable to conceive a child naturally. If the infertility issues lie with your partner or you do not have a verified infertility problem affecting your eggs, there is a good chance that you could have a baby through natural birth with IVF.

Many woman cannot imagine having a child without a natural childbirth through their own bodies. There is just something so magical and special about carrying a child in your body for ten months and then finally bringing the into the world through labor. If you are dreaming of having a baby through natural childbirth, you have to consider in vitro fertilization before you give up the dream.

What Is IVF?

The in vitro fertilization process involves collecting eggs from a woman and sperm from a man and fertilizing the eggs with the sperm outside of a woman’s body. This procedure hopefully leads to a fertilization which will then attach to the woman’s womb once placed back into her body. Many people use IVF because the male in the relationship does not have healthy sperm to conceive naturally, but that is not always the case.

For instance many same-sex couples will conceive by having donor sperm united with one woman’s eggs and then placed into one of the mother’s bodies. It is very common for a reproductive center to work with donated sperm for this procedure, whether the patient knows the donor or not.

What to Expect from IVF

The journey into IVF always starts with a booked appointment with a local reproductive center. This is not something that you go in and do right away. You will go in for a consultation and a doctor will determine whether you are an ideal candidate for in vitro fertilization, or whether there are other options that may work better in your situation.

In some cases they will know right away whether you are a good fit for IVF, but in other cases you may be put through further testing or may even be advised to give natural conception more of a chane. It depends on your particular situation and the type of infertility problems you are experiencing. You will also be able to ask questions about the procedure and discuss options for paying for the procedure, since it is not cheap for most people. You should find out whether your insurance will cover any of the procedure prior to going to this consultation.

Once a reproductive center has agreed to work with you for IVF, they will give you a special medication that will help your body ovulate. The medication will stimulate the release of your eggs, and hopefully you will release multiple eggs. The more eggs you collect, the more chances you have at successfully conceiving a baby through IVF. This is why there are higher odds of producing multiples when you go through in vitro fertilization.

Your reproductive center will need to go in and get your eggs out of your body after they have been released. Once the eggs are collected, the center will also need to have the sperm to be used for your conception. Once eggs and sperm are in the laboratory, the process of fertilization can be started. This is done with certain environments present so fertilization is more likely to occur.

The (hopefully) fertilized eggs are then placed back into your body and you will hopefully take a pregnancy test with good results in the near future. In some cases, you may have additional eggs waiting in case a pregnancy doesn’t occur on the very first attempt with IVF.