When you’re busy living your life and fulfilling your daily responsibilities to your employer, friends, and family, you can often start taking your health for granted, without even thinking about it. It’s only when we expect our bodies to work in a certain way, and they don’t, that we realize how much we assume we know about what’s going on inside ourselves. If you’ve been trying to start a family, but been disappointed with your inability to conceive, you’re probably wondering if you did something wrong. The fact is that many people suffer from infertility for one reason or another, but it doesn’t have to mean the end of your baby dreams. IVF is one of the most trusted fertility treatments available.

In case you’ve never heard of IVF before, you should know that it stands for in vitro fertilization, a process whereby the sperm from the male and the egg from the female are united in a laboratory setting, instead of during normal unprotected intercourse. This method of reproductive assistance sometimes helps to alleviate some of the causes of infertility, such as damaged fallopian tubes, poor cervical mucus production, or low sperm count.

It’s important to point out although IVF is one of the most popular and successful forms of reproductive assistance, it isn’t always right for every couple. It’s important that both partners meet with a fertility specialist who can conduct a comprehensive exam and evaluation of medical histories. Both male and female partners can be diagnosed with conditions that can contribute to infertility, so it’s important that both are available for examination and treatment. Those that are best suited for IVF will have been diagnosed with blocked or damaged fallopian tubes, problems with sperm function or motility, or severe endometriosis.

If the doctor decides that you and your partner are ideal candidates for IVF treatment, you’ll have to schedule a series of appointments so that the steps of the process can be carried out. First you’ll need to go through ovulation induction, so that a viable egg can be retrieved. Then, sperm will be collected and prepared for insemination in the laboratory. Once a satisfactory insemination has occurred, the female will have to take a trip back to the hospital so that the embryos can be transferred back to the uterus.