VF cycles take four to six weeks to complete. From a distance, the steps involved with this infertility procedure seem fairly simple: Administer fertility drugs, retrieve the eggs, fertilize the eggs, and transfer the embryo. But in actuality, one IVF cycle is a time-intensive, emotionally challenging endeavor that may or may not result in pregnancy. Before you and your partner decide to go through an IVF cycle, both of you should be keenly familiar with what’s involved.

Women must inject themselves with fertility drugs.

If you’re the female partner and you have a needle phobia, you might consider seeing a psychologist or a hypnotist to help you get through the cycle. Two medications must be injected subcutaneously: One to stimulate egg development, and one to prevent ovulation from happening too soon. One of these medications is given for 21 days, and must be injected into the abdomen or thigh. Another is usually injected for nine days. To make matters a little more complicated, some fertility drugs must be reconstituted from powder before being injected.

There will be lots of office visits.

Try to choose an IVF clinic as close to your home as possible, as you’ll be driving there very frequently. You’ll have a couple of initial office visits, followed by office visits every one to two days, usually starting on day five of stimulation. These appointments are for cycle monitoring, and they require an ultrasound and blood test. After cycle monitoring, you’ll have a few more office visits to complete the cycle.

Some additional procedures may be necessary.

Sometimes, an IVF cycle isn’t as simple as stimulating the ovaries, retrieving the eggs, and transferring the embryo. Men may not be able to contribute a semen sample conventionally. They may need to see a vasectomy reversal surgeon for the MESA technique, which involves the surgical extraction of sperm to fertilize the eggs.

The Center for Vasectomy Reversal in Sarasota is a leading destination for couples seeking infertility procedures. Dr. Joshua Green specializes in vasectomy reversals and in the MESA technique for the surgical retrieval of sperm. Couples can call our office at (941) 894-6428.

These days, it’s not uncommon to see older parents at children’s museums and “mommy and me” classes. Couples often delay having children, because they want to obtain a graduate degree, advance in their careers, and achieve greater financial stability. Other individuals are simply still looking for Ms. or Mr. Right. This was the case for Wendy and her husband, whom you’ll meet when you watch this featured video.

Wendy delivered their first child at age 36, and their second one year later. She explains that, contrary to popular belief, her energy level has actually increased since having kids, as she has to be more physically active to keep up with them.

Dr. Joshua Green at the Center for Vasectomy Reversal considers it a privilege to help couples become loving parents , regardless of their age. Call (941) 894-6428 to discuss our infertility procedures in Sarasota.

Whether you’re still making arrangements for a vasectomy reversal, or you’re already excitedly sharing the big news, you and your partner are probably eager to get ready for baby’s first year. Before going on a spending spree at the toy store, take a step back and make a few decisions. You’ll need to think about healthcare, family leave, and child care, in addition to setting up the nursery and choosing the perfect baby name .

Healthcare

Sorting through healthcare policies is probably one of the least exciting aspects of becoming pregnant, but it’s definitely a top priority. You’ll need to determine which medical services are covered during the pregnancy, and for the labor and delivery. Talk to your HR manager at work to get the details about adding your little one to your policy when the time comes. During the second or third trimester, it’s time to start the search for the pediatrician.

Family Leave

If you don’t already know your company’s family leave policy, now is the time to look it up. Check the employee handbook first, and then talk to your HR manager if it isn’t mentioned there. Look up the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to learn about your legal rights. Most women wait until after the first trimester to let their employers know they are pregnant. Sharing the news is only necessary, because it’s reasonable to assume that the company will need to plan for your extended absence.

Child Care

Once your leave ends, you probably can’t rely on grandparents to provide free child care forever. There’s no question that child care is expensive, but this is one thing you don’t want to skimp on. It’s essential to choose a daycare provider with an unblemished safety record. Double-check the licensure with the appropriate state agency, and check out the provider’s references.

Baby Gear

Shopping for cute baby gear is the fun part (until you see the price tags). You should be able to get most things secondhand from thrift shops and garage sale groups on social media. However, for safety reasons, you should never purchase a secondhand car seat or crib.

Did you have a vasectomy that you now regret? Call Dr. Joshua Green at (941) 894-6428 to request a consult at the Center for Vasectomy Reversal. We make special accommodations for out of town patients who plan to travel to our vasectomy reversal clinic in Sarasota.

Men who do not want to undergo vasectomy reversal or who may not be likely to have success with this procedure for various reasons may opt to plan in-vitro fertilization, or IVF. The IVF procedure involves fertilizing eggs in a laboratory setting and then transferring the most viable embryos in the uterus, where they may implant and develop throughout a healthy pregnancy.

The MESA procedure, or microscopic epididymal sperm aspiration, may accompany IVF to provide a cleaner, more reliable sperm sample for the insemination process. Sperm aspiration involves surgically operating under a microscope to obtain sperm directly from the epididymis, eliminating the concern of blockages or previous vasectomies that may prevent normal ejaculation. MESA is only appropriate for men considering IVF.

The Center for Vasectomy Reversal will provide you with several surgical options to fit your unique situation and family planning goals. To learn more about our male fertility services in Sarasota, visit our website or call us at (941) 894-6428.