In vitro fertilization (IVF) is an assisted reproductive technology (ART) where doctors fertilize eggs outside the womb, in a petri dish. Once the eggs are fertilized, the resulting embryos are tested to be sure they’re healthy. Then one or more is transplanted into a woman’s womb.
The first IVF baby, and the most famous — Louise Joy Brown — was born to a traditional biological male-and-female couple in 1978. However, the millions of children born through IVF since then have had a more diverse range of parents.
If you’re struggling to have a biological family, the fertility experts at OC Fertility help you find the right solution. Dr. Sharon Moayeri and Dr. Nidhee Sachdev may recommend IVF in the following cases.
One of the most common reasons to turn to IVF is when a woman over age 40 wants to have a child. By the time you’re 40, you only have about 25,000 eggs from the million or so you were born with. And many of those eggs are no longer viable, which is why your odds of having a natural pregnancy are so low.
With IVF, you take hormones that release multiple eggs in a single menstrual cycle, which increase your odds of one or more being healthy and viable. We then transfer one or two healthy embryos to your uterus.
Unless you’re over age 40 or have a medical condition, IVF isn’t usually your first step in your fertility journey. When you’ve struggled to have a child or have been diagnosed with infertility, the first step is to find out why.
During your fertility workup, we examine both the woman and man in traditional couples. If we determine that you or your partner has a physical problem that impairs conception, we then prescribe treatment, such as:
We may recommend IVF if you’ve had several miscarriages or if your fallopian tubes are damaged or missing.
If you or your partner have a genetic condition that could adversely affect your baby, you may choose to undergo screening before attempting to become pregnant. Based on the results of those tests, you may choose to go forward with a natural pregnancy, and screen the baby as it develops.
However, if your baby’s at high risk for birth defects or another serious condition, you may choose to undergo IVF instead. Once the embryos are created with your fertilized egg, our lab tests them for chromosomal disorders. We only implant healthy embryos in your womb.
You may have delayed becoming a parent because you wanted to focus on your career and so froze your eggs or sperm when you were younger. You may decide to have a child with IVF if you now:
You might also be able to use your partner’s frozen sperm or eggs in the case of their untimely death.
Two biological females who wish to have their own child may opt for a form of IVF called reciprocal IVF. In this case, one woman donates her eggs (and, therefore, her genetic material), while the other carries the child in her womb.
Although the child won’t have the second woman’s DNA, her body nourishes and changes the baby as it grows. You can choose to use anonymous donor sperm or ask a friend to donate for you and go through our screening process.
Two biological males who wish to have a child together can donate sperm that’s then used to fertilize donor eggs. The resulting embryos would be transferred via IVF into a surrogate’s womb.
If you think that IVF may be the way for you to finally have the family of your dreams, call us at 949-706-2229 or book an appointment on our website. We also offer educational Virtual Events that help you learn more about your options for creating a family.
