Considering starting your IVF journey? At TFP Fertility, we customize each treatment plan to meet your specific needs, but there are some common steps that most people will go through along the way to boost the chances of a successful outcome.
Referral Process
First off, whether you’re going through private or NHS funding, the journey begins with a referral. If you’re on the NHS, just hang tight for your referral letter before we can kick things off. But if you’re going private, you can reach out to us anytime—no need to see your GP first!
Fertility Assessment and Consultation
Next, we conduct a fertility assessment and consultation. This is where we’ll run some tests to figure out the best treatment path for you. If you’ve had any relevant NHS tests done in the last year, we can often use those too.
Counseling Support
We also offer counseling at any stage of your treatment, which can be really helpful since fertility journeys can be a bit emotionally challenging.
Treatment Planning Appointment
During your treatment planning appointment, we’ll go over everything in detail, including your medication schedule. You’ll have a chance to ask any questions before we dive in.
Legal Considerations
We’ll also review the legal side of things, and you’ll need to give your consent for treatment—it’s all part of ensuring that parenthood is legally recognized post-treatment. You’ll sign an online consent form after watching a few helpful videos. If you’re paying for treatment, this is when you’ll settle the costs.
Starting Your Treatment
Your treatment officially starts on the first day of your next period, so make sure to give us a call to get the ball rolling!
Daily Injections and Monitoring
In the beginning, you’ll be taking daily injections at home to stimulate your ovaries, which usually lasts about 14 days. Then, a second daily injection will help suppress your natural menstrual cycle, ensuring that when it’s time for egg collection, everything is perfectly timed.
We’ll monitor your progress with pelvic scans to check how your follicles are developing. Once they’re ready, you’ll take a trigger injection to prepare your eggs for collection.
Egg Collection Procedure
About 36-40 hours later, it’s time for the egg collection procedure. Don’t worry; you’ll be sedated so you won’t feel a thing! If you’re using fresh sperm, it needs to be produced on the same day; if it’s frozen, we’ll thaw it out for you.
Fertilization and Embryo Development
Once we have your eggs, they’ll be assessed by our embryologist. Healthy eggs are mixed with sperm, allowing them to fertilize naturally. The embryos will then develop over five to six days. We keep a close eye on them using an EmbryoScope™ to select the strongest ones for transfer. If there are any viable embryos left over, they can be frozen for future use.
Embryo Transfer
During the embryo transfer, which occurs if you’re doing a fresh cycle, we’ll place the embryo into your uterus using a thin catheter.
The Two-Week Wait
After that, it’s the two-week wait before you can take a pregnancy test. We suggest waiting the full two weeks to avoid any false negatives. It’s tough, we know, but you can reach out to us anytime with any concerns!
Follow-Up and Next Steps
If everything goes well, we’ll schedule a scan for you between 6-8 weeks. If it’s a positive result, you’ll be discharged to your GP. If it’s negative, we’ll have a follow-up chat to discuss your options moving forward.
Additional Resources
If you’re interested in more insights on related topics, check out tips on managing skin concerns during pregnancy. You might also want to explore great fertility supplements. And for additional information about IVF, visit NHS IVF information.
Conclusion
In summary, an IVF journey involves a series of tailored steps, from initial assessments to medication, monitoring, and finally embryo transfer. Each step is crucial for maximizing your chances of success, and we’re here to support you through every moment.