According to your description, it seems
that you are going through “in
vitro”-fertilization.
The process of in vitro fertilization
includes several steps:
- First, a woman is given medications for
blocking the axis hypothalamus-pituitary
gland-ovaries to eliminate endogenous sex
hormones in the body.
- Then, gonadostimulators (FSH) are given
to stimulate the growth and maturation of
the ovarian follicles. Unlike natural
conditions, several follicles are
stimulated during artificial stimulation
rather than just one. The follicles’
growth is regularly monitored by measuring
the size of the follicles.
- When the stimulated follicles reach a
certain size, a LH-shot is given to
stimulate ovulation and follicular
transformation into yellow bodies.
- Just before ovulation, egg-cells are
taken out of the follicles via needle
punition under ultrasound monitoring.
- Then, under special artificial
environmental conditions, the egg-cells
are mixed with sperm ...or one
spermatozoid is injected in each egg-cell
(ICSI).
- After conception, the fertilized
egg-cells are kept under special
artificial environmental conditions for 8
days until they reach the embryo stadium.
Not all egg-cells will successfully be
fertilized and each this stage of
development. That’s why several
egg-cells are fertilized.
- After 8 days growing in a laboratory,
the embryos are transferred into the
uterine cavity (embryotransfer) for
implantation. Not all embryos will succeed
in being implanted and that’s why a few
embryos are transferred.
Successful implantation which, in fact,
means getting pregnant can be proven with
a pregnancy test. You don’t need to wait
for the menstrual period. Blood pregnancy
tests can confirm a pregnancy up to 5 days
before the expected period is missed.
Getting your period is a secure sign that
the embryo transfer wasn’t successful.
If the chances for having twins are about
25%.... the chances for having 3, 4 or
more babies are even more remote.
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