Preparation: Getting Ready for the Journey
Before starting the actual treatment, you and your partner will meet with your fertility doctor to get your body and mind ready. Both of you will have some health checkups, like blood tests and physical exams, to make sure everything is okay and there are no problems that could affect your chances of having a baby or make the treatment unsafe.
For women, optimizing health before treatment is encouraged, such as a nutritious diet, regular moderate exercise, avoiding alcohol and smoking, and taking prenatal vitamins. Men are often asked to avoid alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs that might impact sperm quality. Stress management and adequate sleep are important for both partners, since both can affect reproductive health.
The woman’s cycle is closely monitored using blood tests and ultrasounds. Ovarian stimulation begins with hormone injections that encourage the ovaries to produce multiple mature eggs, more than the single egg released during a natural cycle. The goal is to increase the chances of successful fertilization and a healthy pregnancy.
Egg Collection: What Happens on the Day
When the woman’s follicles (small sacs in the ovaries that contain eggs) reach a certain size, a “trigger shot” (a hormone injection) is given to mature the eggs and prepare them for retrieval. Egg retrieval is scheduled 34–36 hours after this injection, because that’s when the eggs are ready but haven’t yet been released (ovulated).
On the day of the procedure, you’ll arrive at the clinic and be prepared for a minor surgical procedure. You’ll be given medicine to help you relax and avoid pain, often with light sedation or general anesthesia (without a breathing tube). This means you’ll be comfortable and not feel anything during the procedure.
Under ultrasound guidance, a thin needle is inserted through the vagina into each ovary to reach the follicles. The fluid (and egg) from each follicle is gently suctioned out through the needle and collected in a test tube. The whole process usually takes less than 30 minutes, depending on how many follicles are present. Multiple eggs can be collected in a single session.
After the procedure, you’ll be moved to a recovery area. Some cramping, fullness, or mild discomfort is normal and should go away within a day. Pain relief medication can be used as needed. You’ll be able to go home the same day, but it’s a good idea to have someone accompany you, since you may feel a bit groggy from the sedation.
Sperm Collection: How It’s Done
Sperm collection often happens the same day as egg retrieval. The most common method is masturbation, usually in a private room at the clinic. The man provides a semen sample, which is then given to the lab for processing. If needed, the sample can be collected at home, but it must be delivered to the lab within about an hour and kept at body temperature.
In some cases, such as when a man has difficulty ejaculating or has very few sperm in his semen, other methods may be used. These can include:
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Testicular aspiration or biopsy: A needle or minor surgery can be used to collect sperm directly from the testicle. This is rare, but an option if there are severe sperm production problems.
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Electroejaculation: A mild electrical stimulation is used to cause ejaculation (mainly used for men with spinal cord injuries).
Some clinics recommend freezing a “backup” sperm sample before egg retrieval, just in case there’s a problem with the fresh sample on the day. The sperm is then “washed” in the lab, separated from the semen fluid, and prepared for fertilization.
Handling and Fertilization: The Lab’s Role
Once collected, the eggs are taken to the embryology lab, where they’re carefully examined for maturity and quality under a microscope. Only mature, healthy-looking eggs are used for fertilization. These eggs are placed in a special liquid (“culture medium”) that mimics conditions in the fallopian tubes, helping them stay healthy and grow.
In most cases, fertilization happens within hours of egg retrieval. There are two main methods:
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Conventional IVF: The eggs are mixed with thousands of sperm in a dish, and the sperm are allowed to swim to and fertilize the eggs naturally.
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ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection): If sperm quality or number is low, or if previous IVF attempts failed, a single sperm is injected directly into each mature egg using a tiny needle. ICSI is also used for cases of severe male infertility.
After fertilization, the dishes are placed in incubators that carefully control temperature and gas levels, much like the conditions inside the body. Embryologists check the dishes the next day to see which eggs have been fertilized and are developing into embryos.
Over the next few days, the embryos grow and are monitored for quality. The best-quality embryos may be transferred to the woman’s uterus, usually 3–5 days after fertilization. Any extra high-quality embryos can be frozen for future use.
Special Lab Techniques
Sometimes, additional lab procedures are used to help embryos develop or to check for genetic problems:
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Assisted hatching: As embryos grow, they must “hatch” from a thin membrane to implant in the uterus. Sometimes, especially for older women, frozen embryos, or after previous IVF failures, a small hole is made in this membrane to help the embryo hatch and implant.
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Preimplantation genetic testing (PGT): When there’s a risk of passing on a genetic disease or to check for chromosome problems, a few cells can be taken from the embryo and tested. Only embryos without the genetic problem are transferred to the uterus. This can reduce—but not eliminate—the chance of passing on certain diseases.
After Collection: What Next?
Once eggs and sperm are collected and embryos are created, your fertility team will guide you on the next steps. This usually includes preparing the uterus for embryo transfer and discussing the number of embryos to transfer, based on your age and health.
You’ll receive updates about how many eggs were retrieved, how many were successfully fertilized, and how the embryos are developing. Communication with your clinic is key; ask questions and share any concerns you have.
If you’re not ready for pregnancy right away, or if you have extra embryos, they can be frozen for future use. The process of freezing (“cryopreservation”) involves carefully cooling and storing embryos, eggs, or sperm at very low temperatures, so they can be thawed and used later.
Key Points to Remember
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Preparation is crucial: Both partners should follow their clinic’s instructions for health, diet, and lifestyle in the months before treatment.
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Egg retrieval is a minor surgical procedure: It’s done under sedation or light anesthesia, is generally not painful, and recovery is quick.
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Sperm can be collected in different ways: Masturbation is most common, but there are alternatives if needed.
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Fertilization happens in the lab: Eggs and sperm are mixed, or a single sperm is injected into each egg (ICSI), then embryos are grown in a controlled environment.
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Extra techniques may be used: Assisted hatching and genetic testing can help improve success rates for some couples.
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Communication is important: Ask questions, understand your options, and stay in touch with your fertility team.
Final Thoughts
Collecting and handling sperm and eggs is a carefully managed process that forms the foundation of many fertility treatments. While it can feel overwhelming at first, knowing what to expect can help you feel more confident and in control. Every couple’s journey is unique, but the goal is always the same: to give you the best chance of building the family you hope for.
If you want to understand more about this process and how IVF labs actually work behind the scenes, SEART (School of Embryology and Assisted Reproductive Technology) offers excellent training and insights into the real science behind fertility treatments. They train future embryologists and lab experts to handle every step of this process with precision and care.
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