Table of contents:
- How is the IVF procedure?
- Who can run IVF (IFV) programs?
- How good is my chance of getting pregnant with IVF?
- What are the side effects and risks of IVF?
In vitro fertilization, aka in vitro fertilization (IVF), is one of many techniques available to help people with fertility problems have a baby.
Since their introduction in the 1970's, IVF and other assisted reproductive methods have given birth to more than 5 million babies worldwide.
Quoting from Liputan6.com, according to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) in 2008, the number of couples experiencing fertility disorders reached 10 percent of all couples in Indonesia, or up to 4 million people. About five percent (about 200,000 couples) must be assisted by IVF programs.
The number of IVF clinics in Indonesia to date are 27 clinics in 11 major cities, including Jakarta, Medan, Padang and Denpasar.
How is the IVF procedure?
Before starting IVF, your doctor can give you a number of prescription fertility drugs. This fertility drug works to stimulate your ovaries to produce many eggs at one time. A large number of eggs helps increase your chances of a successful pregnancy with IVF.
While you are taking these drugs, your doctor will continue to monitor your ovaries, hormone levels in your body, and ensure that your eggs are in the maturation stage of the ovarian follicles.
When the egg is cooked, the doctor will use a thin syringe to remove the egg and then combine it with the sperm, which has been removed from your partner or donor, in a petri glass. This is where the in vitro fertilization process begins.
The fertilized egg, now called an embryo, is then incubated for several days. During the incubation period, your embryo will be continuously monitored and examined for growth and development. After that, the healthiest embryos will be inserted back into your uterus using a thin, flexible tube (catheter) to continue their growth and development in your body.
Then, your doctor will prescribe a progesterone supplement to increase your chances of having a normal and healthy pregnancy.
Some doctors may choose to transfer more than one embryo, while others think that only one embryo should be transferred. This is done to avoid the health risks associated with multiple pregnancy. One embryo is actually enough to make a pregnancy occur if you are less than 35 years of age.
In vitro fertilization can be done using your eggs and your partner's sperm, or both eggs and / or sperm come from a donor.
Who can run IVF (IFV) programs?
IVF program is not the main recommendation for infertility treatment. Conversely, IVF programs will be recommended if other methods, such as fertility drugs, surgery, and artificial insemination, are not working well.
IVF may be the best solution, if you or your partner is diagnosed with:
- Endometriosis
- Low sperm count
- Disorders of the uterus or fallopian tubes
- Ovulation problems
- Life-threatening antibody problems for sperm or egg
- The inability of sperm to enter or survive in the mucus of the cervix
- Unexplained infertility problem
Women who have problems with their fallopian tubes will greatly benefit from this IVF program. The IVF procedure does not involve the fallopian tubes, therefore women whose fallopian tubes are blocked, or who don't have any fallopian tubes at all, will find it easier to plan a pregnancy with the IVF program.
Woman with endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) will also be greatly helped by this program, because IVF can help them cope with the signs and symptoms of infertility, and make it easier for them to get pregnant.
Women who have irregular ovulation cycles can also have a dream pregnancy with the help of IVF, because fertility drugs can be used to encourage ovulation and the production of healthy eggs.
For men who have problems with low sperm counts, the IVF program will be supported by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). ICSI can help your partner get pregnant, because this injection requires only one healthy sperm to produce an egg during IVF.
How good is my chance of getting pregnant with IVF?
Quoted from webmd.com, the success rate of IVF will depend on a number of factors, including the cause of your infertility, where you performed the procedure, and your age.
If you don't want to use donor eggs for your IVF procedure even though the eggs you are producing are not healthy, your chances of having a successful pregnancy will decrease.
If you are in your 30s, using donor eggs can increase your chances of getting pregnant with IVF. Even so, even though elderly women successfully get pregnant with the IVF program, those aged 40 years and over can still be at great risk of experiencing a miscarriage.
What you need to understand is that the IVF program in Indonesia does not allow the involvement of donors (eggs and sperm) or surrogate mothers (surrogate mother).
Other health conditions that may hinder the success of your IVF program, include fibroid tumors, ovarian dysfunction, abnormal hormone levels, and uterine abnormalities. Women who have this condition have a low chance of being able to get pregnant successfully with the IVF program.
What are the side effects and risks of IVF?
After you are done running IVF, you can return to your daily routine. However, it is still possible for your ovaries to swell. It's best to avoid strenuous activities that can cause pain and discomfort.
Common side effects include:
- Leucorrhoea - transparent discharge from the vagina immediately after the procedure, caused by the process of swabbing the cervical wall prior to embryo transfer
- Breast soften due to high levels of estrogen
- The taste is so light
- Mild cramps
- Constipation
In addition, in vitro fertilization (IVF) increases the risk of ovarian overstimulation syndrome and multiple pregnancy. The risk of overstimulation can easily be overcome if your doctor keeps a close watch on your ovaries and hormone levels during fertility drug therapy.
The risk of multiple pregnancies is directly related to the number of embryos that are inserted into the uterus, especially if you are over 35 years of age. Multiple pregnancy is a condition that puts you at high risk not only for your health, but also for your fetus.
There is a high chance of birth defects for babies conceived through the IVF process. Consult your doctor for more information.
If you or your doctor are concerned about passing genetic disorders to your fetus, the IVF fertility clinic provides preimplantation genetic diagnostic testing services. Some genetic disorders can be identified by special tests before the embryo is inserted back into the uterus, ensuring you have a good chance of having a healthy fetus.
