In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF)
In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF)
What is 'In Vitro Fertilisation' (IVF)?
In IVF, we combine collected eggs & sperm, overseeing the creation of embryos in our lab. The resulting embryos are monitored with care to ensure their health. From then, they can either be implanted directly into the uterus, resulting in pregnancy - or frozen for later attempts.
What is 'In Vitro Fertilisation' (IVF)?
In IVF, we combine collected eggs & sperm, overseeing the creation of embryos in our lab. The resulting embryos are monitored with care to ensure their health. From then, they can either be implanted directly into the uterus, resulting in pregnancy - or frozen for later attempts.
What is 'In Vitro Fertilisation' (IVF)?
In IVF, we combine collected eggs & sperm, overseeing the creation of embryos in our lab. The resulting embryos are monitored with care to ensure their health. From then, they can either be implanted directly into the uterus, resulting in pregnancy - or frozen for later attempts.
Is IVF Right for Me?
In vitro fertilisation may be a good fit, if you :
In vitro fertilisation may be a good fit, if you :
are having difficulties conceiving naturally, despite trying for quite some time
are a single woman or lesbian couple looking to have a child with donor sperm
Your Path to Parenthood: A Guide to In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF)
In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) is one of the most effective treatments available, and our dedicated team at Bridge Clinic is here to guide you with expertise and compassion at every stage of your journey.
This guide provides a clear overview of the IVF process, helping you understand what to expect on your path to parenthood.
What is In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF)?
"In vitro" is Latin for "in glass." IVF is a process where an egg is fertilised by sperm outside of the body in our specialised laboratory. The resulting embryo is then carefully cultured for several days before being transferred back into the uterus, where it can implant and grow.
Who Can IVF Help?
IVF is a versatile treatment that can help individuals and couples facing a wide range of fertility challenges, including:
Blocked or Damaged Fallopian Tubes
Ovulation Disorders (e.g., PCOS)
Endometriosis
Male Factor Infertility
Unexplained Infertility
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss
Use of donor eggs or sperm
The IVF Journey: A Step-by-Step Guide
While every journey is unique, a typical IVF cycle follows these key stages over approximately four to six weeks.
Step 1: Initial Consultation & Preliminary Tests Your journey starts with a thorough consultation with a fertility specialist. We will conduct blood tests and a pelvic ultrasound to assess ovarian reserve, and a comprehensive semen analysis to evaluate sperm health.
Step 2: Ovarian Stimulation To maximise the chances of success, you will take injectable medications for around 10-14 days. This stimulates your ovaries to produce several mature eggs at once.
Step 3: Monitoring During stimulation, you will visit the clinic for regular ultrasound scans and blood tests. This allows us to track follicle growth and tailor your treatment for the best possible outcome.
Step 4: The Trigger Shot & Egg Retrieval A final hormone injection prepares the eggs for collection. About 36 hours later, you will have the egg retrieval procedure—a short, minimally invasive procedure performed under light sedation at our clinic.
Step 5: Fertilisation in the Laboratory On the day of retrieval, a sperm sample is prepared. Our embryologists then fertilise the mature eggs. This is done either through Conventional IVF (placing eggs and sperm together) or ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection), where a single sperm is injected into each egg, often to overcome male-factor issues.
Step 6: Embryo Culture and Development The fertilised eggs, now embryos, are placed in a special incubator to grow for 3 to 5 days. Our team monitors them as they develop, aiming for the robust "blastocyst" stage (Day 5), which has the highest chance of implantation.
Step 7: The Embryo Transfer This is a simple and usually painless procedure that doesn't require sedation. Using a soft catheter, the specialist carefully places the best-quality embryo into your uterus under ultrasound guidance.
Step 8: The Two-Week Wait Following the transfer, you will take progesterone medication to support the uterine lining. Approximately two weeks later, you will have a blood test at our clinic to confirm the outcome of the cycle. Our team is here to support you throughout this waiting period.
Connected Services: Embryo Freezing for Future Cycles
A successful IVF cycle often results in more than one high-quality embryo. Any excellent embryos that are not used in your fresh transfer can be frozen using the same advanced vitrification technique used for eggs.
What is Embryo Freezing? It allows you to securely store your remaining embryos for future use.
The Benefit: If you wish to try for another pregnancy later, you can have a Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) cycle. An FET is a much simpler process than a full IVF cycle, as it does not require ovarian stimulation or egg retrieval. This provides an excellent and less invasive option for growing your family in the future.
Your Path to Parenthood: A Guide to In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF)
In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) is one of the most effective treatments available, and our dedicated team at Bridge Clinic is here to guide you with expertise and compassion at every stage of your journey.
This guide provides a clear overview of the IVF process, helping you understand what to expect on your path to parenthood.
What is In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF)?
"In vitro" is Latin for "in glass." IVF is a process where an egg is fertilised by sperm outside of the body in our specialised laboratory. The resulting embryo is then carefully cultured for several days before being transferred back into the uterus, where it can implant and grow.
Who Can IVF Help?
IVF is a versatile treatment that can help individuals and couples facing a wide range of fertility challenges, including:
Blocked or Damaged Fallopian Tubes
Ovulation Disorders (e.g., PCOS)
Endometriosis
Male Factor Infertility
Unexplained Infertility
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss
Use of donor eggs or sperm
The IVF Journey: A Step-by-Step Guide
While every journey is unique, a typical IVF cycle follows these key stages over approximately four to six weeks.
Step 1: Initial Consultation & Preliminary Tests Your journey starts with a thorough consultation with a fertility specialist. We will conduct blood tests and a pelvic ultrasound to assess ovarian reserve, and a comprehensive semen analysis to evaluate sperm health.
Step 2: Ovarian Stimulation To maximise the chances of success, you will take injectable medications for around 10-14 days. This stimulates your ovaries to produce several mature eggs at once.
Step 3: Monitoring During stimulation, you will visit the clinic for regular ultrasound scans and blood tests. This allows us to track follicle growth and tailor your treatment for the best possible outcome.
Step 4: The Trigger Shot & Egg Retrieval A final hormone injection prepares the eggs for collection. About 36 hours later, you will have the egg retrieval procedure—a short, minimally invasive procedure performed under light sedation at our clinic.
Step 5: Fertilisation in the Laboratory On the day of retrieval, a sperm sample is prepared. Our embryologists then fertilise the mature eggs. This is done either through Conventional IVF (placing eggs and sperm together) or ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection), where a single sperm is injected into each egg, often to overcome male-factor issues.
Step 6: Embryo Culture and Development The fertilised eggs, now embryos, are placed in a special incubator to grow for 3 to 5 days. Our team monitors them as they develop, aiming for the robust "blastocyst" stage (Day 5), which has the highest chance of implantation.
Step 7: The Embryo Transfer This is a simple and usually painless procedure that doesn't require sedation. Using a soft catheter, the specialist carefully places the best-quality embryo into your uterus under ultrasound guidance.
Step 8: The Two-Week Wait Following the transfer, you will take progesterone medication to support the uterine lining. Approximately two weeks later, you will have a blood test at our clinic to confirm the outcome of the cycle. Our team is here to support you throughout this waiting period.
Connected Services: Embryo Freezing for Future Cycles
A successful IVF cycle often results in more than one high-quality embryo. Any excellent embryos that are not used in your fresh transfer can be frozen using the same advanced vitrification technique used for eggs.
What is Embryo Freezing? It allows you to securely store your remaining embryos for future use.
The Benefit: If you wish to try for another pregnancy later, you can have a Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) cycle. An FET is a much simpler process than a full IVF cycle, as it does not require ovarian stimulation or egg retrieval. This provides an excellent and less invasive option for growing your family in the future.