Your first meeting with the clinic

When you get in touch with us you will get an appointment without further delay. The first one, you will meet, will be one of our experienced coordinating midwifes. Of course we will give you detailed information on how an IVF-treatment is performed. If you have any medical records of previous investigations or treatments, don't forget to bring them with you. This will improve our possibilities to offer you the most adequate treatment. Contact doctors and clinics to get photocopies of these records, and ask to have this material sent to you in advance.

When you and your partner visit the clinic for the first time, we will do our best to answer every question that you may have about the treatment. To our experience it is very useful if both of you can attend all the visits.
Some complementary investigations might be necessary. Based on Your reports and additional investigations we will schedule a time for your treatment, at your convenience.
The list of medicines to be taken during the treatment can sometimes appear extensive. We will explain the details of how these medicines are to be taken. A simple rule is that the treatment will always be started in a certain relationship to your menstrual period. The start of the medication will either be scheduled just before an expected period or in immediate connection with the period. All the details are thoroughly exploited at your first visit.

Thereafter we will find a suitable time for Your treatment, and you will also have an opportunity to familiarise with the clinic and get acquainted with the operating theatre and laboratories. Some blood samples will also be taken from both of you at this visit.


Initial stage of the treatment

At the first check up after start of medication you will meet both the doctor and coordinating midwife who will follow you throughout the entire treatment. You will be trained to give injections by yourself.

Once a day you are expected to give yourself a subcutaneous injection of the hormone that stimulates the growth of your follicles. It might sound scary, but we can promise you that the absolute majority of our patients will manage this easily. It might even fill you with a certain pride to be able to give yourself these injections. We can provide you with some simple advise on how to do it without any pain.

After our informal chat and brief training it is time for your gynaecological examination. A transvaginal ultrasound is performed to evaluate the status of your ovaries. The occurrence of ovarian cysts will be excluded. After the examination you will be given a schedule for your injections, marking the exact dates and doses at the start of your injections and how to continue.

Ovarian follicle growth

At the following stage of the treatment we will monitor the growth of the follicles , as well as measuring their number and size. This will give an indication on how you have responded to the stimulation. A measurement of the endometrium and it's thickness will also be performed and a blood sample to check your hormone levels will be taken. Based on the ultrasound scan and the blood sample, the day of oocyte retrieval can in most cases be estimated.
The oocytes will be retrieved by a transvaginal follicular puncture. This puncture will be preceded by an injection of another hormone that will provoke ovulation. This injection can also be given subcutaneously.

Time to remove the oocytes

On the day when your oocytes (eggs) are to be taken out of the follicles, both of you have to come to the clinic. The wife should not have been taking anything by mouth after midnight this morning. You will have your own room with a shower and a toilet. This room is yours as long as you are staying with us during the day of the oocyte retrieval. The husband will produce his sperm sample in this room and that is the reason why we think it is very important that you can relax and have as much privacy as possible.
The wife is prepared for the oocyte retrieval with a premedication as a suppository. The oocyte retrieval is performed as an ultrasound guided puncture through the vaginal wall. The puncture takes place in the operating theatre. The company of the husband in the operation theatre is very much appreciated, but is of course voluntary. The whole procedure is completed before lunch. You have now left your oocytes and sperms with us.
This is the time when our important task commences. Before you leave us on the day of the oocyte retrieval you have been given an appointment for the embryo transfer.

Embryo transfer

One or two embryos are replaced. The replacement, or transfer procedure, can be compared with an ordinary gynaecological examination where no anaesthesia or analgesia is given. A thin Teflon catheter, with the width of a tooth pick is passed through the cervix. Through this catheter the embryos are introduced into the womb.


The first step

You have taken the first step towards a pregnancy. Now the embryos have to attach to the endometrium to be able to continue to grow. Of course there is always a slight risk that no embryo will attach, which is something we cannot fully leave out of account.

This is a time of great tension and a lot of worries. At the time of the embryo transfer you will get instructions on how to take care of you in the best of ways. Approximately sixteen days after the embryo transfer you will perform a pregnancy test at home.

Live as you usually do

Is it possible to go to work? Can I sit and study? Am I supposed to take extra rests? Do I have to be in bed? The best answer is - try to be as relaxed as you can, and live a normal life in all aspect. It may be a good idea to stay away from work a couple of days immediately after the embryo transfer to be able to take it a little bit easy. Take a rest, read a book or watch television. Get out in the fresh air and take short walks. Take a little extra care of yourself. One thing is for sure, the embryos can't fall out.

Days of tension

In the days between the replacement and the day of the pregnancy test, most patients would probably prefer hibernating! For most of us, this is not possible, but please give us a ring if you start pounding back and forth in your livingroom... There are no stupid questions and remember that we are there for you! Sometimes a chat over the phone can make the days pass a little faster. These are tough days and we would like to help you as much as we possibly can.

Finally, time for the test!

When you have performed your pregnancy test, we would like you to call us irrespective of the result. If the test is positive and you are pregnant, you will be given an appointment about two weeks later to do an ultrasound scan. This scan is performed to confirm that the pregnancy has established itself properly and that a beating fetal heart can be detected. From that time on your journey can continue with the guidance of your ordinary gynaecologist or midwife. Of course we would be very happy if you call us to tell us how the pregnancy is proceeding. Therefore we will keep in touch with you over the phone and you are always welcome to visit us.

If it doesn't work out…

If you call us to say that your pregnancy test was negative, your world is in turmoil. Believe us, it's not, there are still numerous possibilities. We are not giving up that easy! We will sit down and discuss the situation and try to find the reasons why a pregnancy wasn't established. Are there any changes that can be applied in a treatment cycle to come? How and when can such a cycle be planned? There is always a future!

Of course, some couples will not find the joy of a pregnancy together. It would be unrealistic and unfair not to admit that. It is easy to say that life will go on, but by discussing the situation, quality of life might improve. We actually have some couples visiting us with adopted children and at those occasions we are honoured as we take this as an expression of trust.

Please come and visit us, we will be happy to take care of you to the best of our knowledge and experience.