If you’re beginning your North Houston IVF journey at our Kingwood fertility clinic or The Woodlands fertility clinic, you likely have some questions about the process. Our skilled team of medical professionals will be with you each step of the way, managing your expectations and ensuring the best chance for a successful IVF treatment.
What To Expect At Your First North Houston Fertility Clinic Visit
Deciding to undergo IVF is an important decision, so building a relationship with you is our top priority. We’ll begin by gathering essential information regarding your medical history and fertility goals. If North Houston IVF is right for you, we’ll walk through the following steps of the process and answer any questions that arise.
Before the Procedure
Infertility testing is an important part of the IVF process. This is done through a series of blood tests to measure hormone levels, as well as tests for infectious diseases and genetic anomalies. We will also complete a uterine exam and semen analysis in order to determine the best method of insemination.
The North Houston IVF Process
Once these tests have been completed at our Kingwood IVF clinic or Woodlands IVF clinic and In Vitro Fertilization is determined to be the most suitable method for you, you can expect the following:
Step 1 - Fertility Medications
Because not all eggs a woman’s body produces will fertilize or develop normally, multiple eggs are needed for the North Houston IVF process. You’ll receive hormones to stimulate your ovaries to produce multiple eggs each month. This process usually takes between 1-2 weeks.
Step 2 - Egg Retrieval
Egg retrieval occurs through a minor medical procedure completed in our office. A hollow needle is inserted to collect the eggs, which usually takes around 20 minutes. We provide medication to lessen discomfort during and after the procedure.
Step 3 - Sperm Retrieval
The sperm sample is collected in our office (unless using donor sperm, in which this step can be omitted).
Step 4 – Fertilization
The egg and sperm are introduced and incubated overnight in our onsite North Houston IVF lab to encourage fertilization.
Step 5 - Embryo Transfer
Embryo transfer typically occurs after the embryo has grown to the day-5 blastocyst stage. First, a catheter will be placed inside the vagina, where a syringe containing the embryo is attached. Using this syringe, the doctor will place the embryo or embryos into your uterus.
After The Procedure
About two weeks after egg retrieval, we will run a blood test to determine if the procedure was successful. If so, we recommend you begin prenatal care visits as soon as possible.
Are You Considering North Houston IVF At Our Kingwood Or The Woodlands Fertility Clinics?
Infertility is a battle that doesn't need to be fought alone. Our North Houston IVF specialists in Kingwood and The Woodlands are here to support you in your fertility journey. If you're considering undergoing IVF, please request an appointment with our fertility specialists so we can further discuss your case. We look forward to working with you!
Think you and your partner are facing infertility? Before seeking infertility treatment such as North Houston IVF at our Kingwood or The Woodlands IVF clinics, the first step is to get tested. In this article, our fertility specialists will discuss when is the right time to get tested for infertility.
Why Get Tested For Infertility Before Undergoing North Houston IVF?
IVF is a popular infertility treatment, but first you need to determine if you need it. Fertility tests can be conducted in a number of ways, each of which helps doctors determine whether a couple is facing infertility, what is causing it, and what are the best options for them going forward.
When Should You Get Fertility Testing Done?
If you and your partner have attempted to get pregnant for over a year with no results, then it may be time for both of you to get tested so you can better understand what’s going on. Sometimes it just takes a while to get pregnant, so seeking testing after just a few months of trying isn’t necessary. However, if you’re a woman over 35 who hasn’t had any success getting pregnant for 6 months, this is a good time to get tested.
How Do Fertility Tests Work?
A fertility test starts out with your doctor asking you and your partner about your medical and sexual histories and then completing a physical. Following this, the doctor may evaluate a woman’s eggs, uterus, and fallopian tubes with a pelvic exam and ultrasound.
For men, their sperm and semen may be evaluated through a semen analysis, which will give the doctor insight on sperm count, sperm quality/shape/size, sperm speed, and the amount of seminal fluid.
In the event that the answer isn’t found with these exams, there are additional exams that may be administered. Our specialists in our Kingwood IVF and The Woodlands IVF clinics want to assure you that there is no need to get discouraged. Infertility is complex, but there is a possibility you can surpass it with North Houston IVF.
Once You Learn Why You Can’t Get Pregnant, What’s Next?
The type of fertility treatment plan we recommend to you will depend on the test results. We may recommend In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), Intrauterine Insemination (IUI), or other, less common (but still effective) treatments. It all depends on the individual.
HART Fertility Is Committed To Helping Infertile Couples Get Pregnant With North Houston IVF
Whether you are in or near Kingwood or The Woodlands, our North Houston fertility clinic is committed to supporting you in your pursuit of pregnancy. If you would like to undergo fertility treatment, then please request an appointment with our IVF specialists. We will work with you to determine which fertility methods may work best for you.
Egg freezing is a fantastic way to preserve your fertility in the event that you aren’t ready for kids yet, but wish to have some in the future. If it has been a few years and you’re ready to use them, this article will explain the steps that follow in your fertility journey.
Once You’ve Frozen Your Eggs, It’s Time To Undergo IVF
Once you decide you’re ready to attempt getting pregnant, we will proceed with North Houston IVF at one of our IVF clinics in Kingwood or The Woodlands.
IVF is a process in which we fertilize an egg outside of the body. Once the egg has been fertilized, we will let it grow to the day-5 embryo stage–known as the blastocyst stage–and then conduct Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT).
Preimplantation Genetic Testing To Improve Your Chances Of Carrying A Successful Pregnancy
Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT) is a way to determine if your embryo has a high chance of leading to a successful birth. The fertility specialists at our Kingwood IVF or The Woodlands IVF clinics will conduct genetic testing by performing a simple biopsy on the embryo, which gives us insight into embryo quality by showing any genetic abnormalities that may affect your chances of achieving a successful birth. If the embryo is genetically healthy, our Houston fertility doctors will transfer it to your uterus and conduct a pregnancy test after 10 days.
North Houston Frozen Embryo Transfer
Once the embryo has undergone PGT, Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) is the next step. At this time, we will prepare your uterus for pregnancy so it can accept the embryo. Our Kingwood and The Woodlands IVF specialists achieve this by administering hormonal medication so that your body undergoes the same hormonal changes it would with a conventional pregnancy. After a period of taking hormonal medication, the uterus is ready. We will thaw the frozen embryo and inject it into the uterus with the help of an abdominal ultrasound. You won’t feel any pain when this occurs.
North Houston IVF Specialists In The Woodlands And Kingwood Can Help You Achieve A Successful Pregnancy
If you have frozen your eggs and are ready to get pregnant, or would like to learn more about egg freezing, then please request an appointment with our IVF specialists. We want to provide the support you need to achieve your dreams of motherhood.
According to Penn Medicine, 1 to 2% of U.S. births every year are achieved through In Vitro Fertilization, also known as IVF. If you have been trying to get pregnant for over a year with no luck, then you may be experiencing infertility. North Houston IVF, a popular fertility treatment at our Kingwood and The Woodlands fertility clinics, is an option many patients turn to. So, is Kingwood and The Woodlands IVF right for you? Here’s what we think.
Understanding What North Houston IVF Is
Before you consider IVF, let’s discuss what it is.
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is the process by which an egg is fertilized by sperm outside of the body in one of our specialized Kingwood and The Woodlands IVF labs. After the fertilized egg develops into a day-5 embryo–known as the Blastocyst–we will implant it into the intended mother’s uterus (unless you opt for IVF with a gestational carrier).
Is North Houston IVF The Right Fertility Option For You?
Now that you understand what IVF is, here is what may make for a good North Houston IVF candidate:
In addition to good health–which may be improved upon by following a fertility-boosting diet–you might be a good IVF candidate if you:
- Have been trying to naturally conceive for over a year
- Haven’t successfully become pregnant with other fertility treatments, such as IUI
- Have been diagnosed with endometriosis
- Suffer from PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome)
- Are suffering from a low sperm count or low motility
- Are an LGBTQ+ couple
Ultimately, Fertility Testing And Our North Houston IVF Specialists Will Help Determine If IVF Is Right For You And Your Partner
IVF is effective for couples faced with several different circumstances, and our Kingwood and The Woodlands IVF clinics have impressive IVF success rates. However, we don’t usually recommend IVF as the first method to treat infertility. Often, lower-cost options may still result in a healthy pregnancy, but this just depends on our patients’ situations. If you would like to determine if North Houston IVF is a good option for you, please request an appointment with our IVF specialists in Kingwood or The Woodlands so we can begin our relationship with you by understanding your medical and sexual histories and initiating infertility testing.
It’s no secret that embarking on your fertility journey brings a lot of unknowns, and although this is a hard time, we are here to support you the entire way through. We want all of our patients–whether they are young couples, older couples, LGBTQ+ couples, or single–to have a successful pregnancy so they can experience the special joy children bring. Along with our impressive North Houston IVF success rates, we also over Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT). In this article, we will explain what PGT is, as well as the benefits of utilizing this service as part of your North Houston IVF treatment at our Kingwood and The Woodlands IVF clinics.
What is Preimplantation Genetic Testing?
Did you know that your embryos can be tested prior to being transferred into your (or your donor’s) uterus? Once you have undergone your North Houston IVF cycle and we have retrieved the eggs that will be implanted, we can proceed with Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT). Essentially, this means we will perform a simple biopsy on the embryos to better understand their quality.
Benefits Of PGT During Your North Houston IVF Treatment
There are numerous benefits to undergoing Preimplantation Genetic Testing during your IVF journey, but each of these benefits has to do with an overall healthier North Houston IVF pregnancy.
Did you know that 600 conditions are caused by genetic abnormalities? Or that some of these genetic abnormalities are responsible for causing a miscarriage? Without PGT, fertility specialists sometimes elect to implant multiple embryos in the body to see which one will result in a healthy pregnancy. However, by opting for genetic testing, our fertility specialists, as well as you and your partner, will be more educated about your unique North Houston IVF journey. At the end of the day, the greatest benefit of PGT is that out of the various embryos we let develop in our Kingwood and The Woodlands IVF labs, we can implant the one most likely to develop into a healthy baby.
The Success Of Your North Houston IVF Treatment May Be Up To Chance, But Preimplantation Genetic Testing Can Increase Your Chances
Our fertility specialists at our Kingwood and The Woodlands IVF clinics recommend PGT because it can help us and the intended parents gain a better idea of which embryo will likely have the greatest success. If you would like to take part in genetic testing through North Houston IVF, please request an appointment with us at our Kingwood or The Woodlands IVF clinics. We look forward to helping you also experience the joy and love of a child.
