IVF
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a process where a person’s ovaries are stimulated, using hormone medications for up to 2 weeks, to produce mature eggs which are then removed (retrieved) from the person’s body, without making any cuts or incisions on the person. These mature eggs are then combined with either partner’s sperm or donor sperm, outside of the uterus, in the laboratory, to create fertilized embryos. The embryos are then inserted (transferred) into the mother’s womb or into the womb of the person who will be carrying the pregnancy to develop into a fetus, or the embryos can be frozen for a future transfer (also known as embryo freezing or embryo banking).
Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection
Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) involves injecting a single live healthy sperm (identified by your embryologist) directly into the center of an egg. The technique was originally developed for those struggling with male factor infertility, as it makes it easier for the sperm to get into the egg.
Egg Donation
The process in which mature eggs from a younger person who was born with ovaries are used to create embryos which can then be implanted into the uterus (womb) of an intended mother or a gestational carrier (also known as a surrogate). Patients who consider using an egg donor include women with diminished ovarian reserve, women who are peri-menopausal or have already entered menopause, single fathers by choice or same sex male couples. Egg Donors are usually anonymous/unidentified to the intended parents but one can also utilize egg donation from a person that they know, after adequate screening and paperwork has been completed by the Fertility clinic and relevant legal representation.
