What are the 5 Stages of IVF?

Understanding IVF: The Five Key Phases from Stimulation to Transfer

IVF, or In-Vitro Fertilisation, is a fertilisation technique that helps to unite the sperm and eggs to form an embryo. Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) helps address infertility in men or women. There are 5 stages to the IVF process. This starts with ovarian stimulation and ends with embryo transfer. 

Step 1: Ovarian Stimulation 

Typically, in a healthy menstrual cycle, one egg becomes mature enough for ovulation. However, if a woman is infertile, this process is inhibited. Therefore, the first step involves injecting the woman with hormones that stimulate egg maturity. 

Through this process, doctors ensure that all the eggs in a particular cycle mature simultaneously. Doctors prescribe this hormone according to the woman's age, medical history and anti-mullerian hormone (AMH). 

These steps include the following actions:

●  Monitoring Response

With the help of ultrasound and blood hormone levels, doctors measure your body’s response to the injectables. However, ovaries are too small to be visible with ultrasound. Therefore, doctors measure ovarian follicles’ size and number to determine maturity. 
This process lasts between eight to fourteen days. After this, doctors move to the following process. 

●  Finalising Maturity 

You will be administered a ‘trigger shot’ if you are ready for final maturation. The doctor will perform this procedure 36 hours before the egg retrieval.

Step 2: Retrieval of the Egg

Your doctors perform the following steps:

• Your doctors will use a thin needle to reach your ovaries through your vagina. With the help of ultrasound and a suction device, they will pull out each ovary from the follicle. 
• Doctors put the eggs in a dish, which is then kept inside an incubator.
• To assist you in this process, doctors use mild sedation and certain medications. 
• The whole process takes 20 minutes to complete. 
• You may experience cramps after this procedure. 

Step 3: Retrieving the Sperm 

Women can opt for their partner's sperm or a sperm donor. When using your partner's sperm, he will be asked for a semen sample. This is typically done on the morning of the procedure. A centrifuge spins the collected sperm at great speed to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy sperm. 

However, if you are using a donor’s sperm, they are first thawed before following the above process. 

Step 4: Fertilisation Process

You can choose from two methods of fertilisation: 

• Conventional Insemination: In this process, a healthcare professional mixes healthy sperm and eggs in a petri dish. They are left overnight for natural fertilisation.
• Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI): This process involves injecting each sperm into individual eggs. 

According to statistics, 70% of eggs are fertilised with this process. This means 7 out of 10 eggs have completed fertilisation with ICSI or conventional insemination. 

You can choose to store your eggs for future use if you do not want them to be fertilised. 

The scientists monitor the fertilised eggs for 6 more days before moving to the last step.

Step 5: Embryo Development and Transfer

Embryo development is the most crucial stage in the IVF process. To transfer the embryo back to the uterus, it has to progress to the blastocyst stage. This is the most suitable stage for transferring. 

Embryo Transfer

50% of fertilised eggs successfully transfer to the blastocyst stage. However, the rest are discarded. They freeze the remaining eggs for future embryo transfers.

A doctor performs embryo transfer on day 2 or 5 after your egg retrieval. There are two types of embryo transfer: 

• Frozen embryo transfer 
• Fresh embryo transfer

Doctors begin by inserting a soft and flexible tube called a catheter into your uterus. An ultrasound procedure guides this. Two weeks after transfer, your doctors will test you for pregnancy. A follow-up test is conducted to confirm the pregnancy if you are pregnant. 
Therefore, couples suffering from infertility can take the help of IVF to experience the wonder of childbirth. 

 
To sum up, IVF offers hope to couples facing fertility issues through a structured, five-step process—from ovarian stimulation to embryo transfer. While it may seem complex, each stage brings you closer to parenthood. With expert guidance, emotional support, and medical care, IVF can be a successful path to achieving your dream of starting a family.

Also Read:

→ What are the Side Effects of IVF

→ Is IVF a Painful Process

→ How Much Does IVF Cost

→ What is IVF Treatment Used for

→ What is IVF and How is it Done