In-vitro fertilization (IVF) is a treatment option for infertility in couples who can’t conceive a healthy, viable pregnancy through unprotected sex.

The goal of IVF is to combine a female’s egg with male sperm outside of the body in a lab. After fertilization, the team at the office of Katie Ostrom, MD, implants the resulting embryos into your uterine lining to initiate a pregnancy.

You may be a candidate for IVF if you have underlying health issues that make pregnancy difficult, such as:

• Endometriosis

• Uterine fibroids

• Ovulation disorders

• Genetic disorders

• Reproductive organ damage

• Unexplained infertility

The team at Katie Ostrom, MD, offers diagnostic testing services for infertility to identify its cause. They also provide comprehensive physical exams and review your medical history to determine if you’re an IVF candidate.

You should schedule a consultation with the team if you don’t become pregnant after a year of having unprotected sex. Risks of IVF complications are low but can include premature delivery, multiple births, and complications during egg retrieval.

During the IVF treatment process, you can expect to undergo several procedures to help you conceive a pregnancy.

To recover the eggs for your treatment, Katie Ostrom, MD, team prescribes medications to help stimulate your ovaries and release mature eggs. During an in-office procedure, the team harvests your eggs. In some cases, they may need to use donor eggs to increase the success rate of IVF.

The physicians combine the harvested eggs with sperm from your partner or a donor. They allow the fertilized eggs time to develop into embryos. A few days after fertilization, the team implants the embryos into the uterine lining to achieve a pregnancy.

After confirming your pregnancy, the team at Katie Ostrom, MD, can provide comprehensive obstetrics care to guide you through all stages of your pregnancy. They also personalize your labor and delivery plan for hospital or home births.

Call the office of Katie Ostrom, MD, to schedule an IVF consultation or book an appointment online today.