When you find out you’re pregnant, the first thing you want to know is the delivery date.
You can use a pregnancy calculator available on the internet that assists women to determine their due date. The concept is simple: they simply enter their LMP (first day of their last menstrual period) and the calculator will calculate their due date (using Naegle’s formula, which involves adding 40 weeks to the LMP).
Because we know the exact date on which the eggs were extracted and the embryos were transplanted, one would assume that creating an IVF pregnancy calculator would be a lot easier! However, due to the distinction between menstrual age and embryonic age, it can be more complex. This is why so many couples are dissatisfied. Doctors frequently aggravate the situation, particularly when performing hCG testing and ultrasound examinations. Too much information can be confusing for the patient, who only wants to know when their bundle of joy will arrive.
CALCULATE THE DATE OF DELIVERY AFTER AN IVF PROCEDURE
Many pregnant women who have had fertility treatment are curious about how the pregnancy weeks and due date are calculated, as it differs from a natural pregnancy.
Because fertilization took place in the laboratory 48 hours prior, the moment of implantation is taken into account in an IVF pregnancy. As a result, it does not follow the natural process of a fertilized egg implanting in the uterus, which takes around 7 days. The correct procedure is to start counting from the day of implantation and determine the probable date of birth by adding 270 days to that date instead of the standard 280 days or 38 weeks.
It’s vital to keep in mind that the delivery date is only a guess. Only a small percentage of women give birth on the doctor’s predicted delivery day.
When is IVF required?
When the fallopian tubes are blocked or the quality of the egg or sperm is low, IVF is required.
The IVF procedure
Preliminary blood tests are performed to measure overall health and ovarian reserve (the number of eggs in the ovary). A sample of the male partner’s sperm is saved as a backup in case the male partner is unable to produce a sample on the day of the egg extraction.
Hormonal injections are given starting on the second day of the period and continuing for the next nine days. These injections cause the ovaries to generate eggs, which are then retrieved using transvaginal ultrasound guidance under brief anesthesia (15-20 minutes) with no cuts or stitches.
The sperm fertilizes the eggs, and the embryo is either placed into the uterus immediately away or preserved for later use. Before the final egg maturation injection, ultrasonography and blood tests are used to assess the egg’s growth. Embryo transfer is a painless process that is performed under ultrasound supervision without the need for anesthesia.
Progesterone, a female sex hormone which mainly produced in the ovaries after ovulation, is given after the embryo transfer to keep the pregnancy going. If you don’t like injections, oral or vaginal progesterone is an option. Now you need to have a pregnancy test just after 14 days. As you agonize over the outcome, these 14 days are quite emotionally draining.
It’s important to advise with your doctor about any factors that relevant to you and how they may affect your pregnancy.
