Can I do IVF if I don’t have my period?

Currently in the whole society, there are many women who cannot get pregnant and many men who cannot have children. This means that once such a person marries his or her lover, they will not be able to have children normally. Fortunately, medical technology is quite advanced in modern society, and infertility can be treated with in vitro fertilization technology to have a baby of one’s own. So, can I do IVF if I don't have my period?

No menstruation means no ovulation, so IVF is not possible.

In my country, people often refer to "in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer" (IVF-ET) as "test-tube baby." In fact, in vitro fertilization is a special technology that takes both eggs and sperm outside the body, allows them to complete the fertilization process in an artificially controlled environment outside the body, and then transplants the early embryo into the woman's uterus to grow into a child. Babies created using in vitro fertilization technology are called test-tube babies, and these children also grow inside the mother's womb. It can be said that "test tube baby technology" is equivalent to "in vitro fertilization".

In July 2018, a new study in the UK showed that in vitro fertilization does not increase women's risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer and uterine cancer.

process

1. Ovulation induction therapy

Since not every egg can be fertilized and not every fertilized egg can develop into a viable embryo, multiple eggs must be obtained from the female body to ensure that there are embryos that can be transplanted, which requires ovulation induction treatment for women.

2. Egg retrieval

Under the guidance of B-ultrasound, the doctor uses a special egg retrieval needle to puncture the mature follicles through the vagina and suck out the eggs. Egg retrieval is usually performed under intravenous anesthesia, so the woman does not feel any pain from the puncture.

3. In vitro fertilization

Sperm retrieval: While the female retrieves the eggs, the male retrieves the sperm. After the semen has gone through a special washing process, the sperm and egg are placed in a special culture medium in the hope of natural combination. This is called conventional fertilization.

4. Embryo Transfer

A few days after fertilization, a very thin embryo transfer tube is used to transfer the best embryo into the mother's uterus through the cervix. The number of embryos to be transferred is determined based on age, embryo quality and previous IVF outcomes. Usually 2 to 3 embryos are transferred. In recent years, in order to reduce the multiple pregnancy rate, some centers have chosen to transfer a single embryo, or a maximum of 2 embryos.

Because the embryo transfer tube is very thin and the doctor's movements are gentle, the patient usually does not feel any pain.

5. Luteal Support

Due to the use of GnRH agonists/antagonists and ovulation-inducing drugs, as well as the loss of granulosa cells caused by oocyte retrieval, women usually have luteal insufficiency during the oocyte retrieval cycle and need to use progesterone and/or chorionic gonadotropin for luteal supplementation/support. If pregnancy is not present, stop taking progesterone and wait for menstruation to occur. If pregnancy is confirmed, progesterone should be continued, usually 3 weeks after the fetal heart rate is seen on ultrasound.

6. Confirmation of pregnancy

Serum HCG is measured 14 days after embryo transfer to determine whether pregnancy is present. Serum HCG is measured again 21 days after embryo transfer to understand the development of the embryo. A transvaginal ultrasound examination is performed 30 days after embryo transfer to confirm whether there is intrauterine pregnancy and the presence of fetal heartbeat.