Did you know that IVF has been around for over 40 years? It is now one of the most common fertility treatments in the world, with more than eight million babies born worldwide.
As one of the UK’s leading clinic, we wanted to share with you how this incredible treatment works, when it might be recommended and who is involved in the IVF process here at Manchester Fertility.
What is IVF?
IVF – which means In-Vitro Fertilisation – is where your eggs or donor eggs are retrieved and fertilised in the laboratory with sperm to try and conceive a baby.
How does it work?
It involves using medications to stimulate the ovaries, so mature eggs are produced. These are then collected via a short procedure and fertilised with sperm in an embryology laboratory to create embryos. The best embryo is gently transferred back into the uterus to implant and grow, just like in natural pregnancy. You can take a pregnancy test two weeks later. Our clinical midwife will support you during this time.
When is IVF recommended?
Because IVF happens outside of the body, it overcomes many different fertility issues that would prevent conception from happening naturally. Such as:
- Blocked or scarred fallopian tubes – fallopian tubes need to be open and clear for the egg to reach the sperm.
- Sperm problems – issues such as slow-moving sperm can mean sperm never reaches the egg in time.
- Unexplained fertility issues – in some cases, there is no medical reason why conception is not happening.
Our IVF expert team
At Manchester Fertility, our dedicated team of experts plays a crucial part in supporting patients throughout their journey. From the initial call with our New Patient coordinator team right through to our highly-trained specialists, with every stage of your IVF treatment tailored to you, so you have your best chance of success.
We wanted to highlight who you will meet during your IVF Treatment and what they do.
Our Fertility consultants: Your fertility consultant plans your IVF cycle from start to finish, taking into account your diagnosis, history and circumstances. This includes what IVF medications you need to mature your eggs and any additional testing or procedures you may need. One of our experienced consultants also performs your egg collection and embryo transfer.
Fertility nurses: Our fertility nurses help you learn how to administer your medications and support and monitor you during the ovarian stimulation phase. They also take excellent care of you when you come into the clinic for egg collection and embryo transfer.
Embryologists: Our embryologists are the specialist behind-the-scenes lab experts that look after your eggs, embryos and sperm. They join eggs and sperm together and monitor embryo growth. Highly trained in embryo development and selection, our embryologists choose your best embryos for transfer, including through the use of time-lapse videos and iDAScore a new time-lapse technology to further support embryo culture and selection.
Midwife: Our in-clinic midwife helps you post embryo transfer, with any questions or queries about self-care and early pregnancy symptoms. She will be in touch with you during the ‘two-week wait’ whilst you wait to take your pregnancy test and provides support when the treatment outcome is known, including during your first pregnancy scan at our clinic.
IVF care and support
Our friendly, welcoming experts provide personalised patient-focused care throughout your IVF journey. At Manchester Fertility, we have been dedicated to supporting our patients through IVF for more than 35 years.
When you start your IVF journey with us, we offer comprehensive patient support services including fertility counselling and our very own Patient Support Group, run by our Senior Patient Advisor Hayley Cuthbert. It allows you to connect with other patients who may be experiencing a similar journey as you. Our Facebook fertility support group provides online support, reassurance and advice and allows you to ask questions and share tips with other Manchester Fertility patients.
How to start your IVF Treatment?
If you are researching IVF as a treatment, we can help you get started. You can now book a free 1-2-1 discovery appointmentwith our dedicated, caring New Patient Coordinator Team, or you can call us on 0161 300 2737.
Last updated: 26th January 2022
