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Stimulation
Assisted reproductive technologies usually involve some form of ovarian stimulation.
During your natural menstrual cycle, usually only one follicle reaches maturity. Fertility treatment therefore often includes ovarian stimulation. You are given a subcutaneous (under the skin) injection of hormones into your abdomen to promote egg maturation and/or ensure that several eggs develop at the same time.
Ovarian stimulation uses hormones that are also present in a natural cycle, albeit in different doses and conditions.
Your consulting physician and counsellor will provide more information about the nature, administration, and process of stimulation as part of the process of determining your treatment.
GOOD TO KNOW
Do you know the difference between IVF and IVF with ICSI?
In ‘conventional’ IVF, fertilisation occurs in the lab because the woman’s eggs are surrounded by the man’s sperm in a Petri dish. The strongest swimmer will fertilise the egg.
ICSI or intracytoplasmic sperm injection is another lab technique, whereby a single live sperm is injected directly into the centre of an egg by an expert. Fertilisation thus occurs mechanically.
For whom?
Hormonal stimulation in assisted reproductive technologies is used in women in different situations. Mild stimulation can support your natural cycle or may be used for IUI. In IVF/ICSI treatment, a higher dose of hormones promotes the growth of multiple follicles with mature eggs. These can then be fertilised in the lab.
Which stimulation is used largely depends on the type of treatment.
Does ovarian stimulation affect my oocyte supply?
Absolutely not. During stimulation, up to 10 or more follicles develop simultaneously, just like during a natural cycle. In a natural cycle, however, all but one or two follicles will wither and die and only the strongest are left to be fertilised. During IVF, we support the body so all the follicles reach maturity.
Ovarian stimulation ensures that a greater number of oocytes can be used.
The difference between IVF and IVF with ICSI
In IVF, we transfer an egg into a Petri dish along with the sperm cells and the sperm cells swim to the egg to fertilise it.
In ICSI, one single sperm is injected into each egg. The next day, we can determine whether fertilisation has occurred.
Is hormonal stimulation safe?
The administered hormones can cause side effects, but these are temporary and are closely monitored. A medical intervention may be required in case of overstimulation (ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome).
The hormones used during IVF have been widely administered for many years to women who struggle to conceive, without any adverse effects ever being observed. However, scientists around the world continue to study the (long-term) impact of hormone treatments for safety reasons.
How does treatment work at Brussels IVF?
You can visit our centre virtually to take a look behind the scenes.
Five common questions on assisted reproductive technologies (ART) answered:
How do I make an initial appointment?
Our colleagues at the Contact Centre are happy to assist you with general information or schedule an appointment for you. They will ask you a few questions, after which they direct you to the right fertility specialist. Call us on +32 2 477 66 99 or send an email to info@brusselsivf.be.
Are birth defects more common in children conceived with ART than in children born after natural pregnancy?
Children born with ART at UZ Brussel are examined at random by the Centre for Medical Genetics (CMG). Birth defects have been observed in about three percent of ART children. This percentage corresponds to that of other IVF centres, and to the percentage of birth defects in children born after natural pregnancy. So there is nothing to indicate an increased risk. Nonetheless, we continue to conduct research into this. When using new technologies, we always strictly monitor children conceived with them. Around the world, we have research that spans several generations: some studies focus on the offspring of (adult) children conceived with IVF, for example.
Prof. dr. Willem Verpoest
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Ever since the inception of our centre in 1983, we have been conducting research on children who were conceived with ART at our centre.
Does travel have an impact on our treatment?
Some regions have an increased risk of communicable diseases such as Zika, West Nile virus or COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2 virus). If you have recently spent time in a high-risk area, you may have to wait before commencing ART treatment. Given the risk of viral infection during pregnancy and considering the possible transmission of the virus through sperm, Brussels IVF takes the necessary precautions. If you spent time in a high-risk region during the three months prior to your treatment (or donation), always inform us before starting. Check whether your destination is listed below.
Is self-injecting difficult?
We can understand that you may feel uneasy about giving yourself injections under the skin as part of your treatment. However, most fertility treatment stimulation drugs are user-friendly, so you or your partner can easily administer them. Your midwife will give you more information about this during your counselling appointments. You will also receive our medication brochure with instructional videos on how to give yourself injections. Contact one of our colleagues if you have any questions when picking up medication from the hospital or when you receive instructions from DM (daily monitoring). If you and your partner do not feel up to this, you can also schedule an appointment with a home care nurse. We can provide you with a prescription.
What is ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome?
The most common complication of stimulation treatment is 'ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome'. The ovaries overreact to the fertility medication to stimulate egg growth. That is why we monitor your closely with blood tests and ultrasounds. You may experience some discomfort in your lower abdomen after the subcutaneous injections. However, if you feel a lot of pain or discomfort in the lower abdomen, feel nauseous and/or short of breath, you should definitely contact the DM. If there is too great a risk of overstimulation at the end of your pathway, the embryos obtained will be frozen (with cryopreservation) for subsequent transfer. This allows your body to recover first.