It is hardly possible to imagine a full-fledged family without children. As they say, “people meet, people fall in love, get married”, but, unfortunately, not everyone succeeds with offspring. Modern medicine successfully solves this problem. One of the methods is in vitro fertilization. Follicle puncture during IVF in this case is a mandatory procedure.
What is IVF?
IVF (in vitro fertilization) is the artificial conception of a baby, as a result of which the eggs extracted from the ovary are mixed in a test tube filled with a nutrient medium with male sperm. A few days after artificial insemination, the egg is placed in the uterus, where it takes root. Women are encouraged to take the hormone progesterone, which prepares the womb for bearing a child.
In most cases, the embryo takes root successfully. Often, in order to increase the chances of pregnancy, two or even three embryos are planted. A pregnancy test after artificial insemination is taken after seven to ten days.
If “extra” embryos remain after the procedure, they are frozen to be used in the future (when it was not possible to get pregnant the first time or when the couple wants a second child).
Eggs, like sperm, can be used own or donor. The method of in vitro fertilization is indicated for those couples who suffer from infertility, women with obstruction of the fallopian tubes, as well as men with incapacitated (slow) sperm.
On average, one IVF procedure takes three to six weeks and costs 120-150 thousand rubles. Trying to get pregnant with artificial insemination should be stopped if IVF has failed three times.
IVF stages
Before IVF, you need to undergo a full examination and consult with your doctor about possible risks and complications. The specialist must examine the patient on the chair, do an ultrasound and prescribe all the necessary tests (blood for hormones, cytological examination of smears, smears for STDs, and so on).
For successful artificial insemination, a woman and a man need:
- To be he althy, not to have acute and chronic inflammatory processes.
- Keep a he althy lifestyle, give up bad habits, including coffee.
- Limit physical activity.
- Follow a diet, take vitamins daily.
- Do not take any medication unless prescribed by a doctor.
Extracorporealfertilization is carried out in several stages and can take from three to six weeks.
The first stage is preparation. Includes a full examination of both partners.
The second stage is the stimulation of ovulation. All normal he althy women produce one egg during one menstrual cycle. For successful IVF, doctors need to obtain two or more eggs. Therefore, ovulation is stimulated with the help of various hormonal drugs (Megonin, Diferelin, Orgalutran, Menopur, etc.). Such medicines can only be prescribed by a doctor. Tablets are taken under the strict supervision of specialists. From time to time, an ultrasound may be performed to determine the growth of follicles.
When the follicles reach 16–20 mm, proceed to the third stage. This is a puncture of the follicles during IVF - the extraction of mature eggs with a special needle. The procedure takes from 15 to 30 minutes and is performed under local anesthesia with ultrasound. Simultaneously with the puncture, the partner must donate sperm.
Egg and sperm are sent to the laboratory for further research and fertilization.
The fourth stage is fertilization. Mature eggs are placed in a laboratory test tube with a nutrient medium. Then the spermatozoa are injected there. A container for one or two days (rarely five) is placed in an incubator, where conception occurs. When a cell begins to divide rapidly, it is already called an embryo, which is ready for implantation.
Fifth stage - transfer of embryos into the cavityuterus. The process takes a few minutes and is completely painless. The embryo is inserted into the uterine cavity using a special catheter. "Extra" embryos are cryopreserved for future use.
The first two weeks the embryo takes root in the uterus. Pregnancy can be diagnosed 10-14 days after the procedure. There are times when pregnancy does not occur the first time. Do not despair. After a while, you can try again. After three unsuccessful attempts, IVF is no longer prescribed.
One of the in vitro fertilization programs is surrogate motherhood. It is used in cases where a woman cannot bear a child on her own. Surrogacy is officially allowed in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and several US states. In other countries, it is either prohibited or not regulated by law.
Puncture of follicles during IVF
Puncture of follicles is the extraction of mature eggs for further fertilization in vitro. The procedure is performed transvaginally (through the vagina) under general anesthesia. In rare cases, local anesthesia may be done. Egg retrieval is monitored by ultrasound. Time 10-15 minutes.
Before puncturing the follicles, it is important to observe the following requirements:
- Two to three days before the procedure, you should refrain from sexual intercourse.
- Follow a special protein diet. Temporarily give up foods that cause fermentation.
- Manipulation should be done in the morning on an empty stomach.
- One and a half days before the puncture, an injection of hCG should be given,which will accelerate the maturation of follicles.
After the procedure, the patient may feel a slight dizziness, pain in the lower abdomen. The ovaries after follicle puncture increase, sometimes up to 12 cm in diameter. Bleeding may also appear. This condition is considered normal.
The appearance of nausea and vomiting, acute pain and heavy bleeding should be alarming. You should immediately notify the doctor about the symptoms, as this can be dangerous not only for IVF, but also for the he alth of the patient herself.
The main component of artificial insemination is the puncture of follicles during IVF. Reviews about the procedure are very different, but without it, the conception of a baby is impossible.
How to behave after IVF?
A married couple who decided on IVF, of course, really wants to have a baby. After a successful embryo transfer, a woman needs increased love and care. The first days after the procedure, it is better for her to spend at home in bed.
Successful implantation of the embryo is already the beginning of pregnancy. However, such a pregnancy has its own “whims”. Very often, at first, a woman's body, in particular, the uterus, behaves aggressively towards the implanted embryo and rejects a new life. Therefore, after IVF, miscarriages occur much more often.
In order to stop this phenomenon, it is recommended to refrain from physical activity and sex for the first three months. Hot baths and saunas are also prohibited.
It is worth saying goodbye to all bad habits that often provoke miscarriages.
He althy lifestyle, proper nutrition and vitamins are all that is needed to maintain pregnancy. It is important to remember about a positive attitude and good emotions. After all, thoughts materialize!
Pregnancy test, as well as blood for hCG, must be taken at least two weeks after IVF. At five to six weeks of pregnancy, an ultrasound examination is necessary to confirm the final growth and successful attachment of the embryo to the uterus.
Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome
It should be noted that follicle puncture during IVF (reviews about the procedure are different) is one of the most important stages of fertilization. However, for its implementation, you need as many he althy mature eggs as possible. To do this, stimulate ovulation with the help of special hormonal preparations. A side effect of the drugs is hyperstimulation syndrome, which causes the ovaries to enlarge, form cysts on them, rupture of these cysts, and accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity.
Unpleasant consequences can be avoided with the help of thorough examinations that are carried out before fertilization. It is necessary to analyze the hormones. Thanks to him, you can calculate the exact dosage of drugs and avoid hyperstimulation.
If a patient has the following symptoms - pain and distension in the lower abdomen, rapid weight gain, an increase in waist circumference - she should immediately consult a doctor. It could bethe onset of hyperstimulation syndrome, the moderate and severe degree of which require inpatient treatment.
Complications after IVF
Any procedure that is carried out without preparation or by an inexperienced specialist can have negative consequences. This also applies to IVF. So, stimulation of ovulation sometimes leads to hyperstimulation. As a result, ascites, an accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity, may develop.
Complications sometimes occur after such a simple procedure as follicle puncture. Reviews of some patients are frightening in nature - terrible pain, heavy bleeding. This is because during the puncture of the follicle, other organs of the small pelvis can also be affected.
An equally common consequence of artificial insemination is infection. The main reason is the negligence of doctors, non-sterile conditions.
Therefore, it is necessary to choose a clinic for IVF very carefully. And if such a manipulation as follicle puncture has negative feedback from patients, then the hospital that performs it should be bypassed.
Contraindications for IVF
IVF is a medical manipulation that gives infertile families a chance to become parents. However, this procedure has its contraindications. This is:
- Somatic diseases (diseases of the heart, blood vessels, respiratory system, liver, kidneys, digestive system, hereditary genetic diseases and others).
- Mental diseases.
- Birth defects, abnormal structures of the uterus.
- Benign and malignant formations in the uterus, when it becomesimpossible follicle puncture during IVF (consequences - death of the patient).
- Acute inflammatory processes.
After the treatment of the listed diseases, you can start the IVF program. If the treatment of diseases has not brought results, the only way out is to use the service of "surrogate motherhood".
Conclusion
Thanks to new medical technologies, IVF gives many couples hope for the birth of a baby. Thousands of families have already taken advantage of this opportunity and become parents safely.
Puncture of follicles during IVF is a mandatory component, without which the conception of a new life is impossible. An egg for fertilization can be given by both a woman who is going to become a mother and a donor woman.
