A deeper dive into embryo transfer during the IVF process
Because the IVF process involves multiple steps and multiple visits, it can feel never-ending. Our Tulsa fertility doctors understand how time-consuming trying to have a baby with IVF can seem. Once we arrive at embryo transfer, you are at the last, and most crucial, step of the IVF process.
How IVF works
Patients often choose IVF when natural conception attempts don’t yield results. IVF is a step-by-step process involving multiple steps over several weeks.
- Medication to regulate and control your menstrual cycle
- Injections of fertility medicine designed to stimulate the ovaries into producing multiple mature eggs during one cycle
- Monitoring of oocyte development through blood tests and in-office ultrasound
- Egg retrieval during an outpatient procedure
- Fertilization in the IVF laboratory
- Evaluation and monitoring of embryo development
- Transfer of a single embryo to the uterus
Preparing for the embryo transfer
Before the embryo transfer can occur, one of our Tulsa fertility doctors will retrieve the matured eggs from your ovaries. The eggs and sperm are combined in the IVF laboratory, either by being placed together in a petri dish or by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), in which a single sperm is injected into each egg. The resulting embryos are carefully monitored for several days to watch for development.
If patients choose preimplantation genetic testing (PGT), our team will perform a biopsy on the embryos before the transfer. During the biopsy, the embryologists remove a small sample of cells from the outer layer of each embryo and send them to a specialized genetics laboratory for testing. The embryos are not damaged by the biopsy, and will stay safely frozen and stored in our laboratory while we await the results, which can take weeks to months, depending on the type of testing performed.
What happens next in the IVF process?
The actual embryo transfer is a short, outpatient process. Prior to the procedure, patients may take a mild sedative to relax the uterus and limit contractions. Your doctor will then place a single embryo into the uterus by inserting a catheter through the cervix.
Generally, patients are discharged right after the procedure and can resume normal activity within 24 hours. You may experience mild cramping, bloating and discharge. We will schedule a follow-up appointment about two weeks later to see if implantation has occurred and confirm a developing pregnancy. As leaders in fertility care, our Tulsa fertility doctors use advanced reproductive technologies to enable our patients to achieve their family-planning goals. The IVF process, including embryo transfer, helps us increase the odds of success. Contact our office for more information or to schedule an appointment.