IVF process explained Before you begin the IVF process, take some time to read through the different stages of treatment. Understanding how the process works will help you feel in more control. If you’re...
The IVF Process Explained
What are the most common questions about IVF that we get asked?
How long is the IVF process from start to finish? In general, an IVF treatment includes two major parts. The first part involves the stimulation of the ovaries. This lasts approximately 12 days and is completed with the...
“What are the chances of IVF working the first time around?”
“What are the chances of IVF working the first time around?” This is the question anyone, starting IVF really wants to know. We turned to Dr Harry Hiniadis, Consultant Reproductive Gynecologist and...
The different types of IVF
IVF refers to combining eggs and sperm outside of the body with the purpose of creating embryo. However, techniques to accomplish this aim have evolved and advanced over the years, expanding the list of terms related to...
The patient journey explained by Mr James Nicopoullos
We turned to Mr James Nicopoullos, Consultant Gynaecologist and Sub-specialist in Reproductive Medicine and Surgery at The Lister Fertility Clinic, and asked him to introduce us to the brilliant fertility team that a...
The timeline of an IVF journey with a Donor Egg
As any woman trying to conceive knows only too well, time is of the essence, with the first question at a consultation usually being, “how long will it be until I am pregnant?!’ For those women who are...
What should I expect from my first consultation?
We turned to Dr Raef Faris, Gynaecology and Fertility Specialist at The Lister Fertility Clinic, to explain what happens during an initial consultation at a fertility clinic What should I expect with my first...
Stages of an IVF cycle
The different stages of an IVF cycle
Before you begin the IVF process, take some time to read through the different stages of treatment. We know it’s quite a long read, but taking the time, and understanding the process will help you feel in more...
The patient journey explained by Mr James Nicopoullos
We turned to Mr James Nicopoullos, Consultant Gynaecologist and Sub-specialist in Reproductive Medicine and Surgery at The Lister Fertility Clinic, and asked him to introduce us to the brilliant fertility team that a...
Protocol and medication
Everything you need to know about the most commonly prescribed fertility medications
If information on fertility medication seems like a foreign language, leaving you frustrated and confused, you are not alone. Designed in a format only a specialist doctor can decipher, descriptions of these drugs often...
What is a protocol and which one will you be put on?
Starting a round of fertility treatment can be incredibly overwhelming, as there is just so much to take in The unfamiliar medical terminology that you will hear your consultant use, can make the experience seem even...
Organising my time and schedule around my IVF cycle
We turned to the team at iGin Fertility to help us understand how long an IVF cycle takes and how much time you might need to take off work for appointments. How long in total, will my IVF round last? The...
How you might feel
What does IVF feel like?
Going ahead with IVF treatment is a big step, and although an exciting one, the fear of the unknown can be quite overwhelming, especially when you start to think about how treatment is going to leave you feeling Each...
You told us how IVF has made you feel
What does IVF feel like?!! This is the burning question we all wanted to know before we embarked on our IVF journeys. We all respond differently to IVF, but there are common symptoms that can occur during the different...
How do we not stress about stress during fertility treatment??
One of the most irritating things anyone can say to a man or woman who is struggling to conceive, is “try not to stress!! I bet you as soon as you stop stressing, you will fall pregnant” But how on earth...
How do you stay balanced when your hormones have a different idea?
Fertility treatment can be incredibly tough emotionally as well as physically, which is why it is always great to be able to turn to someone who can help you feel like you aren’t going mad!! Sandra Hewit, the...
Eggs and follicles
Injections
How to prepare the injectable medications for your treatment
If you haven’t yet started your IVF treatment yet, you may feel slightly overwhelmed at the thought of having to inject yourself everyday, so Embryolab Fertility Clinic have prepared a series of short videos to...
IVF and injections, your questions answered
The thought of injecting yourself with your fertility drugs can seem hugely overwhelming, especially for those who have a fear of needles. However, there really is no way around it, so the best thing to do is try and...
One step at a time
The next stage in our IVF journey is under way – it is time to ripen the tiny little follicles that inhabit and lie dormant in my ovaries! I’d imagine everyone has their own way of coping with this...
Your Top Tips: How to survive the injections!
There is no better advice than advice from someone who has actually been there. So we turned to a brilliant woman we found on Instagram who is on her third round of IVF, @Love, Hope & IVF Science, and asked her to...
Progesterone and IVF
Progesterone and IVF: What’s The Deal And Why?
By Jay Palumbo, TTC warrior, freelance writer, infertility and women’s health advocate, former stand-up comic, and proud mother of two Now, your immediate thought might be, “Girl, I do NOT need more hormones...
Side effects
Sperm and collection
Producing a sperm sample. What happens if I just can’t do it when I am meant to?
The sperm sample… The role of the man in the IVF process may only be a small one, in terms of what he actually physically needs to do compared to what the woman has to do, but, being called in to the clinic to...
Testicular sperm aspiration explained
We turned to Dr. Sergio Rogel from IVF Spain to help us understand the process of TESA and TESE Before you explain the process, can you explain who this process is for? TESA is for men suffering from azoospermia or with...
What is azoospermia?
Thank you so much to Dr. Sergio Rogel from IVF Spain for answering our questions about Azoospermia. What you explain what azoospermia is? Azoospermia means that the man’s semen (the white fluid) contains no...
Embryos
Embryo transfer
Should you transfer one or two embryos?
We recently received an email from one of our IVF babblers asking us for advice, as to whether or not she should transfer one or two embryos, so we asked Mr Kamal Ojha MD FRCOG, the Medical Director at Concept Fertility...
What factors are key to a successful embryo transfer?
Transfer Day – the day you have been working towards Is there anything you can do to help make it a success? We turned to Dr. Lenka Hromadova, Head Physician at the Repromeda clinic to answer our...
The importance of the endometrium lining
In this article, we discuss the importance of the endometrium. After all, you can have what appears to be the perfect embryo, but if there are problems with the lining of your endometrium, then it may not implant. We...
Tests before an embryo transfer
We turned to Dr Guy Morris, MBChB (honours) MRCOG at BCRM and asked to explain more about the tests associated with embryo transfer. We also asked him about the ever so clever sounding ’embryo glue’ –...
Frozen Transfer vs. Fresh Transfer
We turned to Dr Izuierdo, fertility expert, director of Vida Fertility Alicante and asked him to help us understand what it means when when people talk about a frozen transfer vs. a fresh transfer A frozen transfer, aka...
What crucial factors must be present in the body for successful implantation to occur?
Implantation is the moment we all hold our breath for – the moment we have worked so hard for – the moment everything hangs on. Will our precious little embryo stick? We turned to the team at IVF...
Two Week Wait
Your two-week wait questions answered by Dr Michael Kyriadikis of Embryolab
IVF babble spoke to the brilliant Michael Kyriakidis from Embryolab about the dreaded two-week wait and what it means for your physical and mental health as you come towards the end of your IVF cycle… Michael...
Understanding hCG levels
We turned to Dr. Jana Bechthold from Clinica Tambre for some help in understanding what hCG means when it comes to finding out if your treatment has worked and to explain why it is important to see the ridiculously...
Pregnancy after IVF
What happens (other than indescribable joy, shock and excitement) after you see those two incredible lines on a pregnancy test? We turned to Michalis Kyriakidis, MD, MSc. Gynecologist in Assisted Reproduction, from...
Add ons
HFEA Updated Rating System to Help Ensure Transparency Regarding Unproven Fertility Add Ons
A new ratings system from the HFEA, the fertility regulator, in the UK has revealed that certain fertility treatment “add-ons” do not always improve the chances of having a baby This comes after concerns...
Welsh MP Alex Davies Jones calls for more legislation for expensive IVF add-ons
A new Welsh MP is calling for the government to do more to regulate add-on treatments for people going through IVF Alex Davies-Jones said in a statement given in the House of Commons that greater control was needed to...
Are immunosuppressive treatments safe as part of IVF during Covid-19?
As you can likely imagine, this is an increasingly common question as the Covid-19 pandemic threatens to carry on for the foreseeable future In terms of IVF, what are immunosuppressive treatments, and should you...
IVF options
Genetic testing explained
PGS testing explained
We have been receiving a lot of questions from readers on Preimplantation Genetic Screening (PGS) and we wanted to know more and so turned to a fantastic embryologist, Danielle Breen, for answers . . ...
The results
Understanding hCG levels
We turned to Dr. Jana Bechthold from Clinica Tambre for some help in understanding what hCG means when it comes to finding out if your treatment has worked and to explain why it is important to see the ridiculously...
Why did my IVF cycle fail?
Going through IVF is no guarantee of having a child – the odds of success are about one in three and it’s no exaggeration to say it is a challenging journey – physically and emotionally Success...
“What are the chances of IVF working the first time around?”
“What are the chances of IVF working the first time around?” This is the question anyone, starting IVF really wants to know. We turned to Dr Harry Hiniadis, Consultant Reproductive Gynecologist and...