Tuesday, October 16, 2012

What can I do if my IVF doctor does not show me photos of my embryos?

This is a guest post from our expert patient, Manju.

Let;s start with the basics ! What is an embryo and how it is formed? And why is it important to see and get photos of your embryos when undergoing IVF ?

We all began our life as a microscopic embryo.  An embryo is formed when a sperm produced by the male enters into the egg which is produced by the female. The sperm carries half of the information (genetic information) needed for creating a baby and the egg carries the remaining information. The sperm’s function is to deliver the genetic information it is carrying in the form of chromosomes to the egg so that a new life can be created. When a sperm successfully delivers the information it is carrying to the egg by entering inside it, an embryo is formed. On the first day of its genesis (formation) an embryo is called a zygote. The process which results in the formation of an embryo is called fertilization and when couples copulate (have sex) they provide their sperm and the egg a chance to meet each other ( this event takes place inside the fallopian tube of the female) which might or might not end in successful fertilization. The life of your baby begins the moment when an embryo is formed. All living organisms develop from an embryo. All babies come from an embryo but not all embryos have the potential to develop into babies.  This is the reason for IVF failure – not all embryos transferred into the uterus implant; and not all the embryos which implant in the uterus continue to grow. In humans, the term ‘embryo’ is used to refer to the new life that is created as a result of fertilization upto the end of the eighth week of pregnancy. After this, the embryo is called a fetus.

Read more at http://www.drmalpani.com/what-can-I-do-if-doctor-does-not-show-photos-of-my-embryos.htm

No comments:

Post a Comment