Anyway, the eggs are inspected during the whole following day in order to assess fertilization and see whether it occurred. Embryos are ready to be transferred in about three days after the egg collection procedure, and in case if fertilization occurred.
Stage 3rd: Embryo transfer for recipient
There are two ways to perform the embryo transfer: either fresh or frozen embryos may be transferred for a recipient. However, in case of fresh embryo transfer, the chance of success is much higher, rather than in case of frozen one. While the egg donor is going through her In Vitro Fertilization treatment, the egg recipient (the perspective surrogate mother) has her menstrual cycle synchronized with the menstrual cycle of an egg donor. The egg recipient is given a hormone replacement treatment in order to get her endometrium ready for implantation. The hormone replacement treatment includes estradiol pills or skin patches, and later progesterone in the form of injections, pessaries, vaginal tablets or gel is added. Because there exists a great variety of different protocols for giving these drugs, the doctor will have to discuss the protocol with his patient.
Synchronizing a surrogate mother’s natural cycle with the natural cycle of the egg donor In Vitro Fertilization cycle may become an extremely difficult problem. In about two or three days after the egg collection procedure the embryos, which developed in the result of the fertilization become ready to be transferred into the uterus of a surrogate mother with the help of a fine plastic catheter.
Up to three embryos may be possibly transferred in a single treatment cycle, and any spare embryos, which are of good quality, may be frozen for a later use. However, most In Vitro Fertilization clinics recommend the transfer of no more than two embryos, because there exists an increased risk of multiple pregnancies.
If the frozen embryos are used for the transfer, this can either be carried in a natural cycle or hormone replacement cycle. It is also extremely important to keep in mind, that there is a risk that not all frozen embryos will survive the procedure of thawing. It should also be noted that natural cycle is only possible for young women, who have regular menstrual cycles and regular ovulations. The embryo replacement procedure is to be carried out at exactly the right time in the cycle.
The surrogate mother will have to go on taking her estradiol pills as well as progesterone up until a pregnancy test will be performed in about a couple of weeks after the embryo transfer procedure took place. In case if pregnancy occurs, the patient will have to repeat the blood tests at intervals between two to five days in order to check the rising levels of Beta hCG hormone. In about five weeks after the embryo transfer procedure, an ultrasound scan is performed as a rule. With the help of ultrasound it will be possible to see if the pregnancy is normally located, whether it is normal and viable. It is also necessary to conduct an ultrasound in order to see if there is more than one fetus in the uterus.
According to some recently conducted investigations, routine use of folic acid supplements will reduce the risk of neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, development. It is recommended that surrogate mother should take folic acid tablets from the very beginning of the treatment cycle.
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