In preparation for artificial insemination, or in the event of hormonal imbalances, we stimulate the woman’s egg maturation by administering low doses of hormones.
The aim of hormonal stimulation is to obtain several viable eggs. This increases the chance of pregnancy, as not every egg cell can be fertilised automatically – whether naturally or during subsequent artificial insemination. Instead, the procedure stimulates the growth of the follicles in the ovary. The egg cells mature in the follicles and are subsequently retrieved. Some of the hormones used for stimulation are injected under the skin. This is almost painless and, thanks to easy-to-use syringes, so simple that you can do it yourself at home.
POSSIBLE TREATMENT PROTOCOLS
Egg maturation is stimulated using various medications in different combinations: these are referred to as treatment protocols.
Depending on your personal hormonal requirements, your doctor will decide which stimulation protocol can be used to achieve the desired success. A distinction is made between long and short protocols.
The long protocol lasts six weeks and begins in the pre-cycle from day 21 to 23 with downregulation. This inhibits the production of the body’s own fertility hormones in order to prevent uncontrolled ovulation in the subsequent cycle. You will be brought in to the fertility clinic for an ultrasound check-up and blood test after ten to 15 days. The stimulation of the ovaries begins with the next cycle by administering hormones again.
If the follicles have grown well after around nine to twelve days, the ovulation-triggering hormone hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) is administered. The follicles are then retrieved 36 hours later – before ovulation takes place – in a short outpatient procedure.
The short protocol lasts four weeks and starts immediately with ovarian stimulation. The hormone FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) or hMG (human menopausal gonadotropin) is self-injected on the second or third day of the cycle. The hormone GnRH (gonadotropin-releasing hormone), which prevents spontaneous ovulation, is also administered starting from around the sixth day of the stimulation cycle.
You will be brought back in to the clinic for an ultrasound exam to assess the development of your follicles ten days after the start of treatment. We will also check the hormone levels in your blood. If the follicles have grown well, the ovulation-triggering hormone hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) is administered – as in the long protocol. The follicles are finally retrieved 36 hours later.