5 Reasons to Consider In Vitro Fertilization

It used to be that if you were unable to conceive, your only option for family building was surrogacy or adoption. 

On July 25, 1978, all of that changed when the first human birth was achieved through in vitro fertilization (IVF), which opened the doors for millions of people to build the families of their dreams.

As our name suggests, our team here at NOVA IVF specializes in IVF. Under the experienced direction of Drs. Richard Schmidt and Meera Shah, we’ve helped many clients overcome a wide range of fertility issues.

To give you an idea about how this approach to family building can help, here are five of the more common reasons our clients turn to IVF.

Infertility

Defined as an inability to get pregnant after one year of trying or having two or more failed pregnancies, infertility can stem from many different areas. 

In general, in a third of couples who struggle with fertility, the problem is in the woman’s reproductive system. In another third, the fertility issue is the result of an issue in the male reproductive system. In the final third, infertility stems from both genders or for reasons unknown.

Whatever the underlying cause of your fertility issues, IVF offers a way around most of them because we’re able to bypass many reproductive issues to fertilize and implant a viable embryo.

Parenthood later in life

Another common scenario we see involves women who have put off having children until their 30s, and even 40s, to pursue other interests first. In these cases, we recommend freezing your eggs in your 20s, and then when you’re ready, we have viable healthy eggs to work with. 

If, when the time comes, you’re unable to get pregnant naturally, we can access and fertilize your frozen eggs to create a pregnancy.

Medical issues

There are several medical issues that drive people to IVF. 

For example, if endometriosis is affecting your ability to get pregnant, IVF may be a perfect solution. With endometriosis, scar tissue can form on a woman’s reproductive organs (ovaries and fallopian tubes), preventing conception. 

With IVF, we’re able to bypass these obstructions to implant an embryo directly into your uterus.

Another scenario is when one of the partners needs to undergo certain treatments, such as those for cancer, which can greatly affect fertility. To preserve your fertility, we can freeze sperm and eggs for later use through IVF.

Genetic disorders

If you or your partner carries an inherited genetic disorder, you can turn to IVF and use donor sperm or eggs, depending on which partner carries the risk.

LGBTQ+ and surrogacy

If your family unit precludes creating children naturally, IVF offers several options for the LGBTQ+ community. For example, for lesbian couples, one partner can receive IVF with an embryo created from the other partner's eggs, or from her own. 

Gay couples can also turn to IVF using a surrogate and either partner’s sperm, assuming the sperm is viable, and a donor egg.

The bottom line is that for nearly 45 years, IVF has offered hope for millions of people who struggled with fertility, for whatever reason.

If you’d like to learn more about IVF and whether it’s a good option for your unique circumstances, please contact our office in Mountain View, California, to set up a consultation.