Test Tube Baby

Test Tube baby (IVF) Pregnancy brings a new meaning to life, a period of great joy of carrying a little soul inside you. Infertility deprives you of the joy of parenthood . IVF or test tube baby is a blessing to every couple who cannot conceive. What is a Test tube baby (IVF)? Test Tube baby is a non-medical term for babies that are conceived using artificial reproductive technique of in-vitro fertilization (IVF). Here the eggs are fertilized outside the human body and implanted in the uterus A pregnancy starts with fertilization, when a woman's egg joins with a man's sperm. Fertilization usually takes place in a fallopian tube that joins an ovary to the uterus. If the fertilized egg successfully travels down the fallopian tube and implants in the uterus, an embryo starts growing. When this normal process of fertilization does not take place in couples who plan to have a baby advanced techniques of Assisted Reproductive Techniques (ART) are done to increase the chances of conceiving a healthy baby. Test Tube baby (IVF ) is a assisted reproductive technique done in the treatment for infertility where the eggs and sperms from the intended couple is allowed to fertilize outside the body in the laboratory and placed in the uterus of a intended mother . When is a test tube baby (IVF) advised? It is advised usually to

• Women who are unable to conceive even after one year of trying or six months if a woman is 35 or older

• Women who can get pregnant but are unable to stay pregnant

• If there are difficulties in conceiving a child because of issues in you or your partner then, These are some of the Indications for Test tube baby (IVF) :

 Blocked or defects in fallopian tubes

 Premature ovarian failure

 Stage 3 or 4 endometriosis,

 Uterine fibroids

 Poor ovarian reserve

 Women with ovulation troubles due to advanced age

 Individuals with a genetic disorder

 Women with removed fallopian tubes

 Unexplained infertility

 Repeated IUI failures

 Male factor infertility with diminished counts, motility or morphology

 A problem called varicocele-This happens when the veins on a man's testicle(s) are too large. This heats the testicles. The heat can affect the number or shape of the sperm.

 Other factors that cause a man to make too few sperm or none at all.

 Movement of the sperm. This may be caused by the shape of the sperm. Sometimes injuries or other damage to the reproductive system block the sperm. Procedure of IVF Following are the basic steps in the IVF process:

 Step 1: The process of test tube baby begins with Fertility medications and hormones which are given to the woman for about 10 – 12 days which stimulates growth of multiple eggs in the ovary. Serial transvaginal ultrasound scans and hormone analysis is done to know the status of growing eggs.

 Step 2: Once eggs are grown sufficiently and matured with trigger injections, eggs are extracted through a minor surgical procedure called follicular aspiration that uses ultrasound to guide a hollow needle through the pelvic cavity to extract the eggs. Medication is provided to decrease or eliminate potential discomfort.

 Step 3: The male counterpart is asked to produce a sample of semen, The sperms and eggs are put together in a dish and stored in laboratory in a controlled environment to encourage fertilization. In certain cases, a process called ICSI is undertaken where the sperms are pushed into the egg, without damaging the eggs. This will ensure fertilization. The fertilized egg is stored in a special growth medium for about 48 hours until it divides and becomes an embryo containing 6-8 cells. At the same time, the woman is given supplements of progesterone hormone to prepare the uterus lining for implantation of the embryo.

 Step 4: The embryos are usually transferred into the woman’s uterus three to five days after egg retrieval and fertilization. A catheter or small tube is used to transfer the embryos into the uterus. This procedure is usually painless for most women, although some women may experience mild cramping. After successful transfer of embryos, implantation takes place inside the uterus resulting in pregnancy which can be detected by blood tests after 16 days of embryo transfer. If the test turns out to be positive, you go through the pregnancy phase as a regular pregnancy. a healthy and successful pregnancy happens through ‘test-tube baby treatment’. IVF or test tube baby is a blessing to every couple who cannot conceive. “Conception is a blessed event. Fertilization is divine intervention. The development of embryo is a miraculous encounter. The birth of a child is a supernatural spiritual event.” ―

Lailah Gifty Akita, At GarbhaGudi IVF Centre, we believe that your faith in us, combined with the efforts of our dedicated doctors / embryologists and Divine intervention,