In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Specialist
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Elite IVF
Infertility and Reproductive Medicine & Minimally Invasive Robotic Gynecology located throughout Alabama, Tennessee, and Texas
If you have problems getting pregnant or maintaining pregnancy after successful fertilization, in vitro fertilization is a highly successful, individualized alternative to your usual attempts. At Elite IVF, Botros Rizk, MD, MA FACOG, FACS, HCLD, FRCOG, FRCS, and his team can fertilize your eggs in a lab before implanting the embryos in your uterus for pregnancy. Elite IVF serves patients in The Woodlands, Odessa, Houston and Fulshear, Texas, Nashville, Tennessee, and Fairhope, Alabama. To find out more about the process, call Elite IVF, or schedule an appointment online today.
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Q&A
What is in vitro fertilization?
In vitro fertilization is an alternative way to get pregnant when traditional intercourse has not resulted in successful fertilization or if an embryo has not successfully implanted in your uterus.
If you and the team at Elite IVF decide that in vitro fertilization is right for you, you’ll start the process by taking medications that help your eggs become mature. Once they’re ready, the team extracts the eggs from your ovaries and mixes them with a sperm sample from your partner or a donor. They store them until sperm fertilizes the eggs, and they divide to become embryos.
Soon, the team places one or more embryos into your uterus for implantation. Before this, you may have the option to submit your embryo for preimplantation genetic diagnosis, a type of testing that can identify specific genetic disorders before conception. If any of the embryos attach to the inner lining of your uterus, you become pregnant.
Who should consider in vitro fertilization?
The team at Elite IVF might recommend in vitro fertilization to you as a treatment for infertility or for genetic issues that affect your ability to get pregnant. They might suggest that you try other methods first, like fertility drugs or intrauterine insemination.
In vitro fertilization can help you get pregnant if you’re over age 40 or if you experience:
- Fallopian tube damage
- Uterine fibroids
- Ovulation disorders
- Endometriosis
- Genetic disorders
- Unexplained infertility
In vitro fertilization may also be an option for you if you have cancer and are about to start treatment. Specific cancer treatments, like radiation, can affect your fertility. You can freeze your eggs and use them later with in vitro fertilization.
How successful is in vitro fertilization?
In vitro fertilization is highly successful, especially if you have it at a younger age. Many other factors contribute to your likelihood of getting pregnant with in vitro fertilization. To improve your chances, your provider might recommend that you lose weight and stop smoking or drinking alcohol as soon as possible.
What are the side effects of in vitro fertilization?
In vitro fertilization includes many steps and can cause a few side effects at certain points in the process. Throughout the process, medical providers will strive to minimize the risk of multiple pregnancy and ovarian hyperstimulation. You might experience side effects while taking drugs to produce more eggs, right after the implantation procedure, or at other times They might include:
- Mood swings
- Headaches
- Cramping
- Bloating
- Breast tenderness
Typically, these and other side effects don’t last long. The team at Elite IVF is available to give you support and address any long-lasting or severe side effects that arise.
For more information about in vitro fertilization, call Elite IVF or book a consultation online today.
