What Is IVF Or Test Tube Baby?

A test tube baby is not born in a test tube. It is born in its mother s womb. However, fertilization of the egg with the sperm takes places outside the mother s womb, in a test tube. This is the reason that such babies are known as test tube babies. Now, it is known as IVF or In Vitro Fertilisation implying that the fertilization takes place in a test tube or laboratory dish.

IVF takes place in 5 steps. In the 1 st step, medicines are administered to stimulate the production of eggs. In this step, multiple eggs are taken since some eggs may not develop or fertilize. In the 2 nd step, eggs are retrieved from the ovaries by guiding a hollow needle through the pelvic cavity. In the third step, a sperm sample is taken from the male partner and is prepared for fertilizing the eggs. The fourth step is known as insemination. In this step, the sperm is mixed with the eggs and stored for fertilization. In some cases, a single sperm may be directly injected into the egg to achieve fertilization. The eggs are monitored for fertilization and cell division. Once fertilization is observed, the resultant embryo is transferred into the woman s uterus.

IVF does have some side effects, but they are not severe. Some likely side effects include passing some blood-tinged fluid after the procedure, bloating, mild cramps, tenderness of breasts or constipation.

It is a fact that the success rate of IVF depends on the availability of eggs in the woman. Since the numbers of eggs continue to decline with age, the success rate of IVF also comes down with age.