IVF Virtual Tour: Ovulation Induction

The second step of in vitro fertilization is ovulation induction using fertility drugs to stimulate up to twenty follicles in the ovaries, each containing a single egg. There are a variety of medications available for ovulation induction ranging from oral medications such as clomiphene citrate to human menopausal gonadotropins (hMG) and the more commonly used recombinant follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). The trade names for these drugs are Repronex, Follistim and Gonal-F.

Your response to these medications is followed very closely with a combination of blood levels measuring estradiol concentrations and ultrasound measurements of your ovaries. The ultrasound helps to identify the number of follicles (fluid pockets which contain eggs) that are growing, their rate of growth, and the optimal timing for egg retrieval. The ultrasound picture at the top shows four eggs forming on the ovary. The picture on the bottom is an ultrasound image of the endometrium (inside the uterus) showing good maturity of the endometrium.

Early in your ovulation induction cycle, these tests will be performed every several days. However, towards the end of ovulation induction, monitoring will become more frequent. Once the physicians feel your eggs have reached their optimum potential, a medication called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is administered and egg retrieval is scheduled approximately 34 hours later. This medication helps with the final maturation of your eggs, which will enable them to fertilize when exposed to sperm.