What is ovarian stimulation?
Once you’ve made the decision to embark on the journey of motherhood you might be concerned about the different procedures it entails. To remain calm you need to gather as much information about the different aspects such as the symptoms, procedures etc. Do you want to know more about ovarian stimulation?
What is ovulation?
The ovulation process in women is part of the menstrual cycle and it starts with the period and ends around 14 days later. During this process, only one egg will mature and be fertilised. A woman’s ovarian reserve is the number of eggs that they have at a specific time and it determines their fertility.
What is ovarian stimulation?
It’s a technique that increases the number of eggs in women who are undergoing assisted reproduction methods such as artificial insemination or in vitro fertilisation using their own eggs. It’s also used for freezing eggs or egg donation.
It consists of administering hormones, which have been carefully controlled and tailored, through injections in order to allow the maximum number of eggs to mature throughout the cycle.
In the case of in vitro fertilisation, around 6 to 15 mature eggs can be extracted, but it must be done before the woman spontaneously ovulates. On the other hand, artificial insemination requires less stimulation since the aim is to obtain one or two eggs.
What is the treatment like?
The treatment is as follows:
- Egg maturation: hormone treatment to ensure that one or more eggs mature.
- Ovulation: hormone treatment to allow ovulation and the natural cycle to be controlled externally.
During these treatments there will be a number of clinical tests performed in order to determine its effectiveness.
Does it have side effects?
Hormonal treatments are usually risk-free for women but they do tend to have some side effects resembling the menstrual period. Some of the most common symptoms are abdominal swelling (not weight gain), breast tenderness, pressure in the ovaries, general malaise or dizziness.
Some things that can happen despite all of the medical check-ups and testing done are:
- Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS): the follicles produced are larger than normal.
- The chance of a multiple birth is increased.
By the next day most women can go about their normal daily activities. The symptoms decrease after the egg retrieval.
It’s natural to be stressed at the beginning of the hormonal treatment. Having a healthy lifestyle and doing low impact sports (such as swimming, Pilates or walking) is beneficial in this process. There are also natural treatments that can help but these should be used under medical advice.
It’s natural to be stressed at the beginning of the hormonal treatment. Having a healthy lifestyle and doing low impact sports (such as swimming, pilates or walking) is beneficial in this process. There are also natural treatments that can help but these should be used under medical advice.
Remember if you have any questions all you have to do is contact us.
