How does a test-tube baby center do it?
Roughly there are 5 steps in this procedure and they can be explained as follows:- In the beginning, a medication drug is administered which suppresses the normal menstrual cycle. It is generally given in the form of a daily injection and it helps in the stimulation process which is the second step in the procedure.
- The second step involves stimulating the ovaries to produce more eggs. Fertility drugs containing Follicle Stimulating Hormone are administered which stimulates the production of eggs so that the ovaries produce more eggs than they normally produce. This process can be monitored with the vaginal ultrasound scans.
- When the eggs have been formed, they are extracted through a minor surgical procedure called as “follicular aspiration.” A device is inserted into the vagina with the help of which a very thin needle is inserted into the ovary and the eggs are sucked with a suction device connected to the needle. Eggs are extracted from both the ovaries with this procedure. During one cycle of egg extraction, the doctors may extract up to 15 eggs so that the changes of pregnancy increase.
- The extracted eggs and the sperm (already extracted) are brought into contact with each other in a container and it is kept in an environmentally controlled chamber. This chamber imitates the natural condition that is there inside the womb necessary for fertilization. The sperms get into action and one of them fertilizes the egg. The other way is that a sperm cell is directly injected into the egg so that it can fertilize it. This is called intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). This is done when the problem is of low sperm motility.
- When the sperms fertilize several eggs and embryos are formed, one of the best embryos is selected to transfer. If there are no ideal embryos to implant in the womb, more than one embryo is selected to implant. This is done with the consent of the intended parents of the child.
- At the end, Progesterone or chorionic gonadotropinhCG is administered to prepare the inner lining of the womb for receiving the embryo. The embryo transfer and implantation is done via a thin tube called a catheter. The catheter is inserted into the uterus through the vagina. The embryo sticks to the inner wall of the uterus and a normal embryo begins to grow.
