Sometimes getting pregnant takes longer than expected, and that can feel difficult.
IVF (In Vitro Fertilisation) is a treatment that helps by bringing eggs and sperm together in our specialist lab to allow fertilisation. One or more developing embryos are replaced in the womb to grow naturally.
IVF can support people who’ve been trying to conceive without success, those with blocked fallopian tubes, or certain sperm-related issues. It’s one of several safe, effective treatments available through the NHS to help you start to grow your family.
Who needs IVF?
Your chances of becoming pregnant vary and depend on the reasons behind your fertility challenges. When you visit the clinic, we’ll talk through the most suitable treatment options for you and give you an honest estimate of your likelihood of success.
For most couples, IVF uses your own eggs and sperm. In some cases, donated eggs or sperm may be recommended – but this will only ever happen with your full consent and support.
What does IVF involve?
We’ll provide you with full details of your treatment plan separately, but here’s an overview of what IVF usually involves.
- Stimulation of the ovaries – medication helps your ovaries produce several eggs instead of just one, giving you the best chance of success
- Monitoring of egg development – regular scans and blood tests make sure your eggs are developing safely and at the right pace.
- Egg collection – a gentle procedure to collect your eggs when they’re ready, so they can be fertilised in the lab.
- Sperm preparation – the sperm is carefully prepared to select the healthiest ones for fertilisation.
- Fertilisation – eggs and sperm are brought together in the lab to create embryos, giving nature a helping hand.
- Embryo replacement – one or more embryos are placed into your womb, where they can grow just like in a natural pregnancy.
- Pregnancy test and scan – a test and early scan check whether treatment has been successful and your pregnancy is developing well.
Stimulation of the ovaries
In a natural cycle, the body usually produces just one egg. For IVF, we gently encourage your ovaries to make several eggs, giving you the best chance of success. This is done with carefully timed injections -firstly for three weeks to control your natural cycle, then additional injections are given for about 12 days to help your eggs grow and mature. We’ll monitor your progress closely to make sure everything is safe and on track. Your treatment plan will be tailored to your needs, and we’ll explain everything clearly before we begin.
Monitoring of egg development
As your eggs grow, we keep a close eye on their progress to make sure everything is going smoothly. We do this in two ways:
- Ultrasound scans – A small device gently placed in the vagina gives us a clear picture of your ovaries and the developing follicles.
- Blood tests – These check your hormone levels to confirm your eggs are maturing as expected.
We usually need at least three eggs to continue to the next stage. If your stimulation treatment works as planned, we’ll give you a final injection to help the eggs fully mature, and then schedule egg collection about 36 hours later.
Very rarely, a condition called ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome can occur, which can make the ovaries sore and swollen. If this is severe, a hospital admission may be necessary. This usually only happens if you become pregnant and gets better within a few weeks.
Egg collection
When your eggs are ready, we’ll collect them from the ovary in a short procedure, guided by ultra sound imaging. This is usually done under light sedation so you’re comfortable and can go home a few hours later.
We hope to obtain at least three eggs, but usually larger numbers are obtained.
Sperm preparation
A sperm sample is carefully prepared in the lab to select the healthiest ones. This gives the best chance for successful fertilisation.
Fertilisation
After collection, the eggs will be put into an incubator for a short time. Your eggs and sperm are brought together in our specialist laboratory. The eggs will be looked at the next day to see if fertilisation has occurred. They will then be kept in the incubator for up to six days from the day of egg collection. We monitor them and we will keep in touch with you to let you know when to attend for embryo replacement.
Embryo replacement
Before this stage, we’ll have already discussed together how many embryos should be transferred. While transferring more embryos can increase the chance of pregnancy, it also raises the risk of a multiple pregnancy, which can lead to complications and a higher chance of losing one or all babies. To keep you and your baby safe, we usually transfer one embryo.
In some cases—such as for women over 40—we may transfer two embryos, but no more than that. This decision is always made with your input and consent.
The procedure itself is quick and virtually painless, similar to an internal examination. You won’t need to lie down afterwards and can return to normal activities (just avoid anything too strenuous).
If extra embryos are available, sometimes it may be possible to consider freezing and storing them for future treatment, giving you more options later on.
Pregnancy test and scan
Around two weeks after your embryo transfer, you’ll take a pregnancy test. If it’s positive, we’ll arrange a scan about five weeks after egg collection to confirm that the pregnancy is developing well and a baby is growing.
If two embryos were transferred, there is a higher chance of twins—around 25%. While twins can feel like double joy, multiple pregnancies carry more risks for both babies and mothers, so we aim to avoid this where possible.
Miscarriage can happen in any pregnancy, and IVF does not increase or decrease this risk. There is also a small chance (around 7%) of an ectopic pregnancy, where the embryo implants in the fallopian tube instead of the womb. If this happens, surgery is needed to remove the pregnancy and sometimes the tube.
We’ll see you regularly at the hospital during early pregnancy to make sure everything is progressing as it should and to support you each step of the way.
