Ovulation Induction

The second step of in vitro fertilization is ovulation induction using fertility drugs to stimulate up to twenty follicles in the ovaries, each containing a single egg. There are a variety of medications available for ovulation induction ranging from oral medications such as clomiphene citrate to human menopausal gonadotropins (hMG) and the more commonly used recombinant follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). FSH are drugs that are injected into the muscle or under the skin in various combinations (prescribed by the physician) to produce the best eggs possible.

Your response to these medications is followed very closely with a combination of blood levels measuring estradiol concentrations and ultrasound measurements of your ovaries. The ultrasound helps to identify the number of follicles (fluid pockets which contain eggs) which are growing, their rate of growth, and the optimal timing for egg retrieval. Early in your ovulation induction cycle, these tests will be performed every several days. However, towards the end of ovulation induction, monitoring will become more frequent.

Once the physicians feel your eggs have reached their optimum potential, a medication called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is administered and egg retrieval is scheduled approximately 34 hours later. This medication helps with the final maturation of your eggs, which will enable them to fertilize when exposed to sperm.