Part of your treatment is at home

The CRG of UZ Brussel has a worldwide reputation for its expertise in Assisted Reproductive Treatment (ART) and all related treatments. Many prospective parents who could not be helped elsewhere have managed to have children thanks to the CRG.
This expertise is within reach to every prospective parent: neither the distance nor the traffic should be a problem. For treatment at the CRG you don't have to travel to Brussels very often if this might be a problem.

We will quickly go over the treatment plan: anything in green means you need to be at the

Phase 1 – Preliminary programme

First consultation with the CRG doctor

The CRG fertility gynaecologist will ask questions and examine you and usually prescribes a number of preliminary tests. See medical screening. The preliminary tests can be performed at the UZ Brussel or by a doctor and/or an external lab of your choice.
In the latter case you obviously have to send us the results.

Second consultation with the CRG doctor

Based on the results of the preliminary tests and his/her own findings, the CRG doctor suggests an ART treatment.

Talk with the CRG counsellor

The counsellor is the nurse or midwife who goes over the treatment with you in detail. Because this involves a lot of practical information, we try to plan the counsellor's talk as close to the start of your treatment as possible.

Phase 2 – Treatment to just before egg retrieval or insemination

• For IVF/ICSI, the treatment usually starts – on an agreed date – with ovarian stimulation.
  You can administer this medication – in the form of subcutaneous injections – yourself or ask a home visit nurse. There is no need to come to Brussels for this every time.
• Artificial insemination (AI) is usually without stimulation.

• Both for AI and IVF/ICSI the growth of the follicles in the ovaries must be monitored with blood tests and ultrasound scans:
• In case of IVF/ICSI, an hCG injection is often given at the end of the ovarian stimulation to trigger ovulation. This too you can do at home, as long as you can be in Brussels within 36 hours.

Phase 3 – insemination (AI), egg retrieval and embryo transfer (IVF/ICSI)

For these procedures you obviously have to be at the CRG.
See Artificial insemination: IUI - Procedure in detail
See IVF|ICSI - treatment in detail:
the collection of eggs,
embryo transfer, and/or
embryo transfer with thawed embryos.

Phase 4 – implantation support

The hormone treatment with progesterone to facilitate embryo implantation you can easily do yourself. At home as well.

Phase 5 – follow-up of the result

• The blood analysis for the pregnancy test – day 15 after the insemination or day 12 after the embryo transfer - can again be performed by your GP and a lab of your choice.
• The same applies to the blood analysis on day 3 of your period if you - unfortunately – are not pregnant.
  In this case you are expected a number of weeks later for a meeting with the CRG doctor.
• If you are pregnant, the first pregnancy ultrasound is scheduled five weeks after the insemination or embryo transfer. This can be done at UZ Brussel or by your own gynaecologist.

Phase 6 – follow-up of pregnancy and birth

Although the follow-up of your pregnancy and any pre- and postnatal tests can be performed by your own gynaecologist, UZ Brussel also wants to know about the progress of your pregnancy and the birth of your baby. We will send you two questionnaires:

• the first is sent at the end of the first term of your pregnancy,
• the second after the estimated delivery date.

Our questionnaires are, on the one hand, out of personal interest: we like to know whether the treatment was a success and whether you experienced any problems. On the other hand they are also part of the scientific study we conduct into pregnancies and children resulting from fertility treatment. The aim is to improve the quality of our treatments and to map the effects of certain changes (e.g. in stimulation medication). We also have to meet legal obligations regarding the collection of statistical data on (the health of) our patients and their babies born from IVF/ICSI or AI(D).
We therefore insist that our patients complete and return the questionnaires. Not only does it help scientific research, it also helps many future patients. And one day you may be one again.
There is no need to worry about your privacy: all data is processed strictly anonymously. There is absolutely no chance that medical or other information you provide can be traced back to you personally.