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Your treatment journey
Here's what you can expect during your treatment with us
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Artificial insemination: progression of individual treatments
In our clinics, fertility treatment is always based on a thorough diagnosis. The doctor (or reproduction specialist) will have an in-depth consultation with you to become familiar with your individual case so that any possible treatment can be aligned exactly to your needs. Therefore, it may turn out that your treatment varies from the example of an artificial insemination plan represented below.
1. The preparation phase
In order for egg extraction and egg transfer to take place, we need to understand the woman's cycle. We may suggest that she takes a contraceptive pill prior to this stage to ensure regularity. We may also suggest she takes GnRH analogues, which prevent production of the body’s own fertility hormones and thus prevent premature and uncontrolled ovulation, providing extra cycle control.
At the beginning of her next cycle, she then comes to the practice and the next stage can begin.
Ovarian stimulation for follicle maturation
To increase the treatment’s chances of success, we will start with follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) treatment within the first three days of the woman's cycle. This encourages several eggs to mature simultaneously. This treatment involves a daily injection for between 11-13 days, and is usually administered at home. Please speak to our doctors about this if it's something that could present an issue, they will gladly advise. After around a week of injections, we'll look into how mature the eggs are via an ultrasound and blood analysis. We'll also predict the date of ovulation.
Triggering ovulation in mid-cycle
Once we've happy with the egg maturation and are confident that they can be fertilised, we'll trigger ovulation. This takes place via another injection (hCG). This can also be administered without coming into the clinic, if it suits you.
2. Egg extraction and artificial insemination
Around 36 hours post-ovulation, the matured eggs are extracted from the ovaries. This quick procedure takes place under anaesthesia. We'll select the follicle via a fine needle through the vagina, and the patient will stay in the clinic until the anaesthesia has worn off completely. The extracted eggs are then fertilised in our laboratories that very same day, using a fresh semen sample. With the IVF method, the sperm must penetrate the eggs on their own in the nutrient solution. We monitor this process in the laboratory and transfer any fertilised eggs to the incubator for further development.
3. Embryo transfer
As long as one embryo has matured the following day, we will book a date for the embryo transfer. We transfer a maximum of three embryos to ensure the safety of our patients and to encourage successful implantation. The transfer is carried out with a thin, flexible catheter and is usually completely painless (and very exciting!)
We continue to provide you with care once the insemination has taken place. Hormones are often administered in the form of hCG or progesterone injections to support implantation and embryo development. If menstruation doesn't take place then a pregnancy test is taken. If this is positive, then we'll arrange for the mother to come in for an ultrasound in around two weeks.
Things to bear in mind during treatment
Allow yourself to relax: Most of our patients tell us that the worst part of treatment is the waiting between stages. We understand that this can be very stressful - but we encourage our patients to try to relax and keep busy.
No physical exertion: Having said that, the mother should try to avoid heavy exercise, very hot baths, saunas and excessive sunbathing - anything that could be stressful for the body.
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