Embarking on an IVF journey can feel overwhelming, but understanding each step of the process helps settle the anxiety and prepares you for what lies ahead. This guide walks you through the whole thing, plainly.
Initial consultation and assessment
Your journey begins with a consultation, where the fertility team will:
- Review your medical history
- Carry out the necessary fertility tests
- Assess your ovarian reserve
- Discuss treatment options suited to your situation
The IVF process, step by step
1. Ovarian stimulation
You receive fertility medication to encourage your ovaries to produce several eggs. Regular monitoring by ultrasound and blood tests keeps the timing right.
2. Egg retrieval
A minor procedure under sedation to collect the eggs from your ovaries. It usually takes 20 to 30 minutes.
3. Fertilisation
In the laboratory, eggs are fertilised with sperm. Depending on your situation this is either conventional IVF or ICSI, where a single sperm is injected directly into the egg.
4. Embryo development
Fertilised eggs develop into embryos over three to five days, with the embryology team monitoring their growth closely.
5. Embryo transfer
The best quality embryo is selected and transferred into your uterus. It is a simple procedure and does not require anaesthesia.
6. The two week wait
After the transfer you wait roughly 10 to 14 days before a pregnancy test. For most people this is the hardest part emotionally, and there is no way around that other than being kind to yourself through it.
Success rates and what affects them
Success rates vary with age, the cause of infertility, and embryo quality. Beware of any single headline percentage: the number that matters is the one for someone in your situation, and a good clinician will give you that honestly rather than the flattering version.
Emotional support
IVF is demanding emotionally as well as physically. Support that helps includes:
- Counselling, ideally independent of whoever is treating you
- Support groups with others going through the same thing
- Practical strategies for managing stress through the cycle
You are not the first person to find this hard, and you are not doing it wrong if you find it hard.
Where we fit in
We are a consultancy rather than a clinic. The medical work described above is carried out by licensed specialists and embryologists at our partner clinics in Accra. Our role is to help you choose the right clinic, understand what you are being told, keep the whole journey coordinated, and stay on your side of the table throughout.
This article is general information, not medical advice. Your own situation needs a proper assessment by a qualified clinician, which is something we arrange at our partner clinics in Accra.
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