In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF)

While aspects of IVF treatment, including injections and embryo transfer, can cause some discomfort, it is very unlikely that individuals will feel any significant pain. The experience may be slightly uncomfortable, but most women can go through the process without any pain.

A usual IVF treatment cycle takes around 6-8 weeks, from the initial consultation, through the entirety of treatment and all the way to the pregnancy test. The treatment course can vary slightly due to different personal circumstances. Multiple IVF cycles may be required to achieve a pregnancy.

The cost of IVF will vary for different individuals based on their circumstances and treatment needs. At Create Fertility, an initial IVF cycle costs $4098.80. You can find out more about our estimated out-of-pocket IVF cost on our Fees page.

The key difference between both fertility treatments is where fertilisation takes place. In a cycle of intrauterine insemination (IUI), fertilisation occurs within the body, with assistance given to the sperm to reach the egg, while in an IVF cycle fertilisation occurs outside of the body with an embryo being implanted. IUI is a non-surgical outpatient procedure in which sperm is placed directly into the uterus, decreasing the journey for the sperm to reach the egg and increasing the chances of conception. IVF by contrast involves retrieving eggs from the ovaries and fertilising them with sperm in a laboratory to create an embryo that is then transferred into the uterus.

Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) is a specialised form of IVF treatment, where instead of using multiple sperm to try and fertilise an egg, a single healthy sperm is selected. This sperm is injected directly into the centre of the egg to try and improve the chances of fertilisation where IVF and other techniques have not been effective. Overall, IVF and ICSI follow a similar process, but ICSI is used to overcome male-factor infertility by only using a single sperm that has been observed as viable under a microscope.

The success of achieving a pregnancy is dependent on a number of factors, including the age of the patient. Some embryos may not survive the freezing and thawing process if cells are damaged. However, an embryo that is vitrified at the blastocyst stage has approximately the same success rate as a fresh embryo. While no embryo transfer process can guarantee pregnancy, the success rate of frozen embryos is similar to that of fresh embryos. Similarly, using a frozen embryo is just as safe as one that is transferred immediately without vitrification. Our skilled embryologists take pride in looking after your eggs, sperm and embryos in our care. They are stored safely and securely in our lab.

After an egg has been inseminated, our scientists begin looking for signs of fertilisation around 16 to 18 hours later, observing whether the egg and sperm have fused. Embryos that are normally fertilised are then assessed for healthy cell division, with most embryos having between 2 and 4 cells on the second day. By the third day, they will often have 6 to 8 cells, and on this day a biopsy may be taken for preimplantation genetic testing. Day 4 usually sees the embryo develop into a compact ball of around 16 cells, and on day 5 the embryo develops into a blastocyst — a cluster of rapidly-dividing cells. Each healthy blastocyst must be transferred or frozen by day 6 to remain viable.