Supporting hopeful parents in taking home a healthy baby through IVF
The expert team at our South Austin fertility clinic utilizes state-of-the-art in vitro fertilization (IVF) protocols and laboratory techniques to support hopeful parents in developing healthy pregnancies. IVF is a very effective treatment, helping those with various fertility challenges bypass these barriers and fulfill their dream of parenthood.
Contributing to the success rates of in vitro fertilization are advancements in the fertility field, such as preimplantation genetic testing (PGT), egg freezing and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Whether hopeful parents face inheritable genetic diseases, low sperm count, the need for fertility preservation or many other circumstances that affect fertility, our specialists can help.
Understanding who can benefit from IVF
Before we recommend IVF, there are various tests we perform to ensure hopeful parents are good candidates for this form of fertility treatment.
- Bloodwork. We test the blood of women to assess ovarian reserve and hormone levels. For men, bloodwork helps us test the levels of their testosterone and other hormones.
- Genetic testing. Women and men receive thorough genetic testing, which reveals genetic conditions that could be passed on to their future children. In the case of an inheritable genetic condition, we can perform PGT on the embryos that resulted from the IVF cycle.
- Transvaginal ultrasound. Hopeful mothers receive an ultrasound at our South Austin fertility clinic that helps our specialists determine whether they have uterine abnormalities. The ultrasound reveals the shape and size of the uterus and the health of the ovaries.
- Semen analysis. Hopeful fathers undergo a semen analysis to determine the quantity and quality of their sperm. If this analysis reveals low quality sperm, we might recommend ICSI because it allows our fertility specialists to inject one healthy sperm into each egg.
Hopeful parents can rest assured that all laboratory procedures are performed by leading embryologists in our fully accredited Austin IVF lab.
The process of IVF
While the exact IVF protocol depends on the hopeful parents’ diagnosis, most cycles include similar steps.
- Ovulation induction. Cycles begin with the hopeful mother taking medication to stimulate her ovaries to produce multiple mature eggs. We closely monitor her at our clinic during this time.
- Egg retrieval. When enough of the hopeful mother’s eggs have matured, she will undergo a simple egg retrieval at our clinic.
- Fertilization. Our embryologists then fertilize the retrieved eggs with the sperm of the hopeful father or a sperm donor.
- Embryo transfer. After fertilization and development, the remaining embryos are frozen. In a future month, the doctor will transfer the healthiest embryo to the hopeful mother’s uterus.
- Luteal phase support. The final step involves the woman taking progesterone to nourish her uterine lining, which promotes successful implantation.
We take pride in supporting hopeful parents through fertility diagnosis and treatment. Our goal is to give them the best chance of taking home a healthy baby.
Contact our South Austin fertility clinic to learn more about IVF and the other fertility services we provide.