IVF is where an egg (oocytes) is joined with sperm in a Petri dish (a glass container). The ovaries are stimulated with hormone drugs to produce more follicles than a woman would normally produce; the follicles obtain the eggs ready for collection. When the eggs have matured enough they will be collected from the patient through a small catheter like instrument that is inserted through the cervix.

The collected eggs are then mixed with the partners (or donor) sperm to try and achieve fertilisation, if any fertilisation occurs the fertilised eggs are placed into the womb using a very small like catheter. The woman then has to wait a two week period in which the embryo may attach to the womb.

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