Some people have a more complicated journey to parenthood than others. Maybe you’ve tried to conceive naturally without success, maybe you’re doing it alone, or maybe you’re in a same-sex relationship and need to use a donor.
Whatever your story, if it’s time to try IVF, you’ve probably got many, many questions. Here’s what’s involved.
What is IVF?
In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is now a mainstream fertility treatment. It involves creating an embryo in a laboratory and then implanting it into the uterus in the hope of establishing a pregnancy.
IVF process
IVF is a meticulously managed procedure typically conducted over several weeks. The key stages include:
- Hormone treatment to stimulate the ovaries
- Egg retrieval
- Sperm donation and egg fertilisation
- Embryo culture, transfer and implantation
- Pregnancy test.
Of course, there are many variations in the IVF process, depending on your particular situation. You may be using donor eggs or sperm, you may have additional health complications, or you may be trying again after previous disappointments with IVF.
Finding out you’re pregnant after IVF
Two weeks after implantation, we take a blood test to measure your hCG levels to determine if you’re pregnant. Hopes and fears can both run wild during these two weeks. We know waiting for this test is hard, but we encourage you to do so. There’s little to be gained from testing earlier, and, in some cases, it can give you a false result.
We know a lot is riding on the results of your pregnancy test. It can be distressing if it’s negative. And, if it’s positive, there’s likely to be a mix of emotions – both joy and excitement mixed with anxiety.
How to calculate your due date after IVF
If you find out you’re pregnant, there’s one question that you, your family and your friends are bound to ask – when is the baby due?
With a natural pregnancy, the due date is considered to be 40 weeks after the start of the last menstrual period. That’s because it’s usually hard to know exactly when conception took place.
With IVF, of course, we know exactly when fertilisation and implantation occurred, which means we calculate your due date a little differently. It’s based on the date your embryo was transferred and its age at the time.
| Age of embryo at transfer | 3 days | 5 days |
| Due date | Date of transfer + 263 days (38 weeks) | Date of transfer + 261 days |
Knowing the due date helps with your personal planning and your pregnancy care. Remember, though, it’s an estimated date. Very few births happen on the due date – babies have always loved to surprise us!
How can Demeter Fertility help?
Whatever your situation, we’re here for you. We’ve helped to create families for a wide range of patients. We’re LGBTQI+ friendly and set no upper age limit or weight limit for our patients. At Demeter Fertility, we approach each case individually, offering our professional skills and understanding to you at each stage of your journey.
If you’re ready to chat, please contact us today.
Disclaimer
All information is general and not intended as a substitute for professional advice.
References
- Centre of Perinatal Excellence, Pregnancy after infertility, https://www.cope.org.au/expecting-a-baby/pregnant/life-after-ivf/, [Accessed 12 March 2024]