IVF process (In vitro fertilization) is an assisted reproductive technology. It involves a follicular aspiration surgery, in which fully developed eggs are recovered from the body of the mother or the female donor.

IVF process involves several steps such as, ovulation induction, egg retrieval, sperm retrieval, fertilization and embryo transfer. The eggs can be retrieved from the body of the mother or from the ovaries of a suitable donor.

IVF procedure will start with ovulation induction where synthetic hormones are used to stimulate your ovaries to produce multiple eggs. Fully developed eggs are retrieved from the body of the mother and at the same time, sperms are recovered from the father or the donor.

The eggs and the sperms are processed in the lab before they are made to fuse either by insemination or Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) method. The embryo is transferred into the womb of the mother of the carrier for implantation at blastocyst stage. The procedure is painless, but patients may experience mild cramping during the procedure.

Some of the IVF side effects include passage of a small amount of fluid after the procedure, mild cramping and constipation. IVF cost is usually high and varies from hospital to hospital. It may also depend on the total number of cycles conducted for successful conception.