Menstrual closed: Follicle inhibitor drugs are used to stop the woman’s normal menstrual cycle. The medicine is injected or applied in the nose for two weeks.
Stimulation: Fertility drugs are used to stimulate the woman to produce eggs. If the drug is applied for 12 days, multiple eggs are produced.
Egg retrieval: Eggs are matured by applying hormones. The wife is given painkillers. The hollow needle of the follicular aspiration device is inserted into the woman’s ovaries. The fertilized eggs are then collected along with the fluid. Sometimes the eggs are collected through the umbilical cord with a pelvic laparoscopy instrument. If the woman is unable to produce eggs, donor eggs are collected from someone else. Usually 5-10 eggs are collected and placed in an incubator.
Sperm retrieval: Semen is collected from male body by suction process. Semen is cleaned in a special process. Healthy and active spermatozoa are then selected and placed in the incubator by rapid rotation.
Fertilization: One egg from the incubator is placed in each test tube. About 100,000 sperm are mixed in the test tube for each egg. The mixing of sperm and egg is called insemination. Fertilization is completed within 24-48 hours of insemination.
Embryo culture: The fertilized egg or zygote divides and becomes a multicellular embryo. Embryo growth is monitored for 3-5 days in the incubator.
Embryo transfer and implantation: Within 3-5 days of egg collection, dividing embryos are transferred to the woman’s uterus. The fertilized egg is placed through the cervix into the uterus with the help of a narrow tube or catheter. Implantation can be confirmed by ultrasound examination. Pregnancy is considered to have occurred when the embryo is implanted.