IVF Process - The Egg Retrieval Aspect

For couples considering IVF, it can be exciting but stressful at the same time. There are ups and downs to this procedure and one of the downs is that success is not guaranteed. One of the biggest steps to IVF is the egg retrieval. Your body is going to be given drugs to help stimulate more eggs to be produced. There are going to be a few eggs removed from the woman's body in hopes of them being fertilized once paired with a man's sperm. IVF is not successful unless there are mature eggs.

What's Egg Retrieval?

The egg retrieval process entails removing eggs from a woman's ovaries. Later on, the eggs that are retrieved are examined and a few mature ones are placed in a small dish with sperm in hopes of them fertilizing. Eggs are stimulated with hormone drugs and that is when egg retrieval is done. If retrieved eggs are fertilized, they are then implanted to the walls of a woman's uterus.

Stimulating Eggs

In order to this entire process to be successful, there will be a few eggs retrieved. There is an endocrinologist that removes the follicles that are found in the ovary. This allows a few eggs to try and be fertilized. A woman's ovaries are going to be stimulated with hormone drugs. These drugs can include:

• HMG

• FSH

• Clomid

There are two ways these drugs can be taken including injections or pills. These will be taken or injected for a little over a week.

Monitoring Development

In the IVF process, timing is everything and it's essential to time everything right. If follicles are developed in higher quantities, this can result in eggs that are not as healthy. This has a serious affect on the process of IVF. For that very reason, your doctor will closely monitor your ovaries to ensure they are developing correctly.

Retrieving Eggs

Retrieving eggs sis a rather simple procedure and is done at a fertility clinic. It can also be done at a hospital that is associated with your local clinic. There are eggs that are going to be removed from both ovaries and this process is also known as follicular aspiration. There is going to be a needle that is hollow inserted into the ovaries and this hollow needle also has a little auction to help remove the eggs.

This process is done with the aid of an ultrasound to help guide the doctor in the right direction. This ultrasound is known as a transvaginal ultrasound. This means the needle is inserted in the right locations. To ensure you don't feel any pain, you will be given anesthesia.

This needle, once located in the proper location, will be used to aspirate eggs that are located inside the ovary. Once retrieved, these follicles are going to be examined to ensure they are a good egg to be fertilized. Once examined, they are moved to an incubator-like environment. While some women only have 5 eggs, others may have 20 eggs.

After the Retrieval

After your egg retrieval, your tummy area may be a little tender and you may also feel tired from the anesthesia. You will be kept in the hospital or clinic for a few hours to ensure you are OK. Afterwards, you are going to be permitted to go home and rest. You are going to be warned to take it easy and not to do any lifting. There may be some spotting and this is normal but anything more than that you should call your doctor at once.

Your eggs are going to be mixed with sperm in hopes of them begin fertilized. These eggs are monitored and kept overnight. If any of your eggs become fertilized you will be going back in for the next step which is the transfer.


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