Fertility tests
Female fertility tests entail a blood test , which tests for anti-Müllerian hormone ( AMH ), which provides an estimate of your egg reserve , and an intravaginal scan or transvaginal ultrasound ( Figure 5 ) [ 11 ] to examine your ovaries and womb for egg production and pregnancy viability .
You will be required to take an infectious disease test , for example , screening for sexually transmitted infections , as this may impact how your eggs are stored . This screening may incur a charge at a clinic but is likely to be free of charge through the NHS .
Legal agreements
Prior to the treatment , you will be asked to read and sign several legal documents . This is to ensure that you understand what the treatment entails and any implications . They will contain agreements about things such as what should be done with any eggs if you are later unable to decide how they are used , due to mental incapacity or death , for example . While such topics are unpleasant to think about , completing the paperwork ensures that your eggs will be used as you intended .
Fertility treatment
Figure 5 . Diagram showing a transvaginal ultrasound scan procedure [ 11 ] .
Your clinic will provide you with a treatment plan . Plans vary from clinic to clinic and patient to patient , but they usually cover the exact days and times your medication is to be taken , the quantity and dose of the medication , the period over which the medication is to be taken , and the overall timeline of the treatment . An example of an approximate timeline can be seen in Figure 6 .
mivf . com / au
Follicle stimulating hormone ( FSH ) • Antagonist cycle • Egg • Embryo freeze
Please call to report Day 1 of period |
Start follicle stimulating hormone |
Start antagonist
( may be required )
|
Trigger |
Egg collection and egg freeze ( if applicable )
Fertilisation call
|
Embryo freeze ( if applicable ) |
1 DAY
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
Daily FSH injection Trigger injection Ultrasound scan Blood hormone test Antagonist
IMPORTANT This is a visual tool only . Dates of medication will vary depending on the individual .
There are four potential outcomes of the scan :
• Poor response
• Over response
• Not ready for trigger
• Ready for trigger mivf . com / au Figure 6 . An approximate timeline of fertility treatment . Adapted from Melbourne IVF [ 12 ] .
16 Veterinary Nursing Journal