IVF process
Your Initial
Consultation
Before we can get started, we have to get to know each other better. The initial consultation affords us the opportunity to do this and is an essential preliminary step to treatment.
We highly recommend coming to our clinic for your consultation. This way, you can see our facilities first-hand and meet face-to-face with one of our doctors who will personally assess your case, describe the treatment plan in detail, and address any queries you may have. We are likewise able to perform sperm collection and freezing at this time, if the sperm sperm is of sufficient quality (in a state of ‘normozoospermia’).
However, if you cannot travel to Prague, we do offer consultation online with our doctor, free of charge.
We can generally schedule your in-person initial consultation within 1-2 weeks of request and offer appointments Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. For many, it is possible to fly here and back home on the same day. Remote consultations can be arranged even faster.
IVF Treatment
Following your initial consultation and deposit, your IVF cycle may commence. We begin with ovarian stimulation, using special medications to help your body produce a larger number of eggs than usual. Stimulation starts on the second day of your menstrual cycle and has the added benefit of helping to thicken your uterine lining to encourage successful embryo transfer.
Ultrasound scans on the 7th and 9th day of your cycle check endometrial thickness and confirm your stimulation medication dosage is optimal. These scans are performed at our clinic.
Around the 12th day of your cycle, your eggs are retrieved and a sperm sample is collected from your partner—unless already collected during your in-person consultation or donor sperm is being used.
On the same day, egg and sperm are combined in the lab, and the resulting embryos are allowed to develop for three to five days in a process known as embryo culture. During this time, your coordinator keeps you up-to-date on any developments.
On approximately the 17th day of your cycle, one to two embryos are transferred to your uterus with the aim of implantation and, ultimately, pregnancy. Any unused embryos we can safely freeze and preserve for later use.
In the days following transfer, prescribed medications are taken at home to facilitate pregnancy. Two weeks after transfer, a HcG pregnancy test is taken to determine the outcome of the cycle. If the result is positive, medications are continued up to the 12th week of pregnancy, but are otherwise discontinued.
Length of Stay
Ideally, we recommend you plan to stay in Prague approximately 7–10 days in total, during which time your ultrasound scans, on the 7th and 9th days of your cycle, will be performed at our clinic.
Pre-treatment Tests
for IVF
In preparation for treatment, it is important for us to have as much information as possible regarding your health and that of your partner. Tests for these purposes fall into two categories: compulsory and recommended. These may be conducted at our clinic at the time of your initial consultation or in your home country (required in the case of remote consultation). If you have your tests done at home, we will need the results emailed to us prior to the consultation.
Compulsory:
Fertility blood test to check levels of hormones FSH, LH, AMH, PRL, TSH and E2 should be performed between 2nd and 5th day of menstruation
STD testing for Hepatitis B and C, HIV and syphilis
Pelvic ultrasound with a clear image of uterus and fallopian tubes
PAP test
Breast examination for women over 40 (not performed at the clinic, not included in the price of the package)
Recommended:
Ureaplasma/mycoplasma hominid culture and smear test for chlamydia (these two should be performed when not menstruating)
Compulsory:
Sperm analysis (spermiogram)
STD testing for Hepatitis B and C, HIV and Syphilis
