In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a process of assisted reproduction that offers infertile couples a chance to have a child who is biologically related to them.<br><br>With IVF, a man's sperm and the woman's egg are combined in a laboratory dish, where fertilization occurs. The embryo which forms is then put into the woman's uterus (womb) and left to naturally develop. Typically, 2-4 embryos are put in the woman's uterus each time. Each attempt is called a cycle, and the cost of IVF per cycle is approximately $12,000.<br><br>So, what exactly is involved in each cycle? Here is a more detailed explanation...<br><br>The woman may be given hormones in order to stimulate her ovaries to produce several eggs. A surgeon then inserts a needle into the woman's ovary to take out the eggs. General anesthesia is not necessary for this part of the procedure, but the woman may be given a mild sedative. Whilst that is taking place, a semen sample is taken from the man. He is asked not to have sex for half a week before the eggs are retrieved from the woman. A laboratory procedure then takes places to separate the sperm from the semen.<br><br>Following this, the sperm will be mixed in a laboratory dish with the eggs. About 20 hours after this fertilization procedure, it is possible to find out if the egg or eggs have been fertilized and if embryos have grown as a result. Should this have happened, they will be incubated over the next 2-7 days. The doctor then transfers the embryos back to the woman through the cervix with a catheter (a long slender tube). The woman is then given a course of hormones to take for the following 2 weeks. All being well (which is the case if any of the eggs attach to the wall of the uterine and grow), a standard pregnancy test result will show as positive.<br><br>The pregnancy success rate of the IVF procedure is 36% among women younger than 35 years, 27% for those between 36-39 years, and 14% in those older than 40 years. On the basis of the those percentages, the final cost of IVF is normally over $20,000, as a minority of couples succeed first time around.<br><br>As for the health of babies born through IVF, research has proved that they are at least as healthy as those born in the natural way. The only complication worth noting comes in the risk of multiple births happening, with the probability of giving birth to twins or triplets being perceptibly higher when using IVF.<br><br>If you feel that IVF might be an option for you, then you should talk to an IVF specialist, who will carry out tests to check your blood hormone levels and ovarian function, and your partner's sperm quality. You may also have an ultrasound or X-rays of your reproductive organs, to see if there are any blockages or structural problems.<br><br>If the IVF specialist concludes that the cause of your infertility may be treatable by IVF, then you are in a position to proceed with the treatment as set out above.