IVF stands for ‘in vitro fertilization’, the most commonly known type of ART (assisted reproductive technology) that is used to assist couples with a large range of fertility issues, to conceive. IVF involves a combination of fertility medication and surgical procedures to help sperms fertilize an oocyte (or egg) in the laboratory (‘in-vitro’), and to have the newly-formed embryo (fertilized egg) transferred back into your uterus.
In a nutshell, the steps that a couple goes through during an IVF treatment cycle are:
- Ovarian stimulation
- Egg retrieval and sperm collection
- Fertilization of the eggs
- Embryo culture and assessment
- Embryo Transfer and Embryo Freezing
- Pregnancy test
Learn more about the different Assisted Reproductive Technologies: