In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) Treatment
A common condition for women, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome can make natural conception harder, but not impossible.
At Peek A Baby, we are able to provide reassurance in the early stages of positive pregnancy. Our early pregnancy scans offer peace of mind when you have been trying to conceive for some time.
In vitro fertilisation, more commonly known as IVF, is a form of fertility treatment for women who have struggled to conceive naturally over a period of 12 months. It is when eggs are fertilised with sperm in a laboratory before being implanted into the womb.
Often, women who have been trying to naturally conceive for over 12 months, without success, or who have not been successful with other conception methods would seek IVF treatment as an alternative option.
Factors That Influence IVF Treatment
IVF treatment can be influenced by a number of factors that can ultimately impact the chances of success.
- The reason for fertility problems
- Your age
- Your Body Mass Index (BMI)
- Lifestyle factors such as drinking or smoking.
It is vital to ensure that you speak with your GP or fertility team about this method of treatment before going ahead with it. Understanding the process, risks and chances or conception beforehand is important to ensuring this method is the right one for you and your partner.
Where You Can Receive IVF Treatment in the UK
When considering IVF treatment, it is key to ensure you speak with your GP beforehand. In the UK, the NHS offers IVF treatment to women who comply with the eligibility criteria. Your GP would be able to help you with this.
For women under the age of 39 who have been trying to naturally conceive for over 2 years without success, or who have tried 12 cycles of artificial insemination, with 6 cycles using intrauterine insemination (IUI), IVF may be offered on the NHS. Where tests have shown that pregnancy is unlikely without IVF, a treatment referral should be made immediately by your GP.
If you are not able to receive IVF via the NHS, you can fund this treatment privately. Individual clinics will have their own eligibility criteria for women seeking this treatment and will set their own costs.
If you are looking to fund private IVF treatment, it is important to ensure you find a clinic that is regulated by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA). You can find out more about local clinics to you with the HFEA (https://www.hfea.gov.uk/choose-a-clinic/).
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Preparing for IVF Treatment
When you have been referred for IVF on the NHS, or have been decided to fund IVF privately, there are stages of preparation that take place to ensure the treatment can be started correctly for you and explicit consent has been given.
The process of IVF will be gone through in detail with you to ensure that you are aware of each stage and what is expected. With NHS referrals, you will be asked about any further tests that may be required for HIV, Hepatitis A or Hepatitis C. Once these have been completed, as required, you may well be given the oral contraceptive pill or progestogen tablets to help ensure treatment is started at the right time.
Whether from an NHS referral, or in a private clinic, you should always be asked to give your explicit consent to the treatment. This is required by law to ensure that sperm, eggs and embryos are used and stored in ways that you are happy with.
The IVF Treatment Process
The starting point for IVF can very much depend on whether the long or short protocol is opted for. These options can be discussed with your fertility clinic to understand which option if best for you based on your circumstances.
Both options are designed to help your body produce eggs which can then be collected during the second stage of IVF. This procedure is often approximately 20 minutes and is completed under sedation. It is key to remember that you must be nil by mouth for 7 hours beforehand, but all important information will be conveyed to you when setting the date for egg collection.
Often, when you have arranged the egg collection procedure, sperm collection will also take place. Men will be asked to step into a private room in order to provide sperm which will subsequently then be examined for quality. Should the sperm quality be too low, an intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) may be recommended.
Stage 4 of the process is the fertilisation step. At this point, the collected sperm and eggs are put together in a laboratory and left in an incubator in order to begin the fertilisation process. After your egg collection, you will be informed of the fertilisation progress, with transfer being arranged either 2,3, or 5 days post fertilisation.
When eggs have fertilised, they are called embryos. For transfer to the womb, a full bladder is required for clear visibility on ultrasound scanning. The embryos are transferred to the womb via a catheter. Once this procedure has been completed, any remaining embryos can be frozen, with additional information being discussed with you at this time.
Following a successful embryo transfer, you will be given a pregnancy test and a date to take this (usually 16 days after egg collection). If a positive result is given, a pregnancy scan is usually arranged for roughly 7 weeks to check the baby’s heartbeat. If a negative result is given, this sadly means that the treatment has not been successful. Additional support and guidance can be given on this from your fertility clinic or the NHS website.
Although the process of IVF can feel daunting and seem lengthy, in reality, this takes only a few weeks to complete overall.
Early Pregnancy Tests with Peek A Baby
At Peek A Baby, we understand that the early stages of pregnancy can be an emotional challenge for many women, particularly those who have been undergoing IVF treatment.
When you have successfully been able to conceive, via natural means or IVF, your body naturally sees and increase in beta-HCG levels within the blood. At Peek A Baby, we offer a Beta HCG early pregnancy blood test for women who are looking to confirm a successful pregnancy from as early as 10 days post-conception. For women undergoing IVF treatment, this does not replace your set pregnancy test but can give extra peace of mind in those results.
You can book an individual test to confirm pregnancy; however, if you have concerns about ectopic pregnancy, we recommend booking 2 tests, with the second taking play three days after the first. This second test can reassure you in the early days.
An early pregnancy test is available from all three Peek A Baby clinic for just £59.
Early Pregnancy Scans with Peek A Baby
When you have reached 6 weeks of pregnancy, you can book an early pregnancy scan with Peek A Baby. Available from 6 to 15 weeks, for just £49! This scan offers complete reassurance to expecting parents in the early stages of pregnancy.
This scan is designed to give opportunity to see your baby for the first time via ultrasound scan, get a rough gestational age of your baby, get an estimated due date for your baby and confirm their heartbeat.
Although women who have undergone IVF treatment offer an early scan at roughly 7 weeks of pregnancy, Peek A Baby can provide peace of mind beforehand for women or couples who have been struggling over a longer period of time to conceive.
Early pregnancy scans are available across all Peek A Baby clinic in Birmingham, Bromsgrove and London. Book online today from 6 weeks and meet your baby for the first time.
Support During & After IVF Treatment
We understand at Peek A Baby that conception and pregnancy can be challenging for many women and couples, particularly when there has been a struggle to naturally conceive. If you have been struggling emotionally or physically following IVF, seek support from your local GP. Support that could be offered includes counselling or fertility support groups such as Fertility Network UK or Fertility Friends Support Forum
IVF Facts & Figures
Fact
Around 52,500 patients had IVF and 3,000 had donor insemination (DI) treatment in the UK in 2022.
Fact
In 23/24, 107 clinics were licenced by the HFEA to provide fertility treatment.
Fact
The average ago of women seeking to start fertility treatment is now over the age of 35.
Resources:
https://www.hfea.gov.uk/about-us/media-centre/key-facts-and-statistics/
https://www.hfea.gov.uk/treatments/explore-all-treatments/in-vitro-fertilisation-ivf/
https://www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk/health-information/ivf-treatment
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