What is Ovulation Induction and why do I need it?

A grown woman has about 350,000-400,000 eggs in both of her ovaries of which a single egg is released every month through the monthly ovulation cycle.

Explained simply, ovulation induction is the process of stimulating theovaries to grow and release several oocytes (eggs) at a time so that a good number of eggs are available for use in an IUI or IVF treatment cycle. Also known as ovarian stimulation, ovulation induction is often the first step in a typical infertility treatment cycle. To enable the growth of multiple eggs, your fertility doctor stimulates your ovaries with oral or injectable medication.

When we explain the step-by-step fertility treatment to patients, many ask why ovulation induction is needed at all.

Here’s why:

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           Ovulatory disorder:If a woman is ovulating irregularly or not ovulating at all, the first line of treatment is to try and induce ovulation with medication. In this scenario, your doctor’s aim is to restore your ovulation to help you try and conceive on your own, or through IUI if needed.

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      Other causes of infertility:In contrast, if a woman is ovulating regularly but cannot conceive due to another underlying problem, such as endometriosis or male factor infertility, she would need ovulation induction to increase the number of eggs available for fertilization during her fertility treatment. Based on the patient’s infertility diagnosis, the eggs obtained through ovulation induction would be utilized in a stimulated IUI cycle, or in an IVF/ICSI cycle.The goal here is to have at least 8-10 oocytes to maximize the viability of your fertility treatment.

How are the ovaries stimulated to grow multiple follicles?

This is done with the help of pills, also known as fertility medication. The medicine is typically prescribed on day 3 of your menstrual cycle. Your doctor monitors the growth of your follicles (fluid-filled sac-like structures each containinga single egg)through ultrasound and blood tests. The complete process takes between 10 and 12 days.If oral medication fails to produce desired results, or is not indicated, your doctor may opt to use injectable fertility medication(hormone injections)to stimulate egg development.

You will have your first ultrasound scan after about 5 days of stimulation. Once the eggs have matured, they are collected using a microscopic needle through a procedure known as egg retrieval.

Always remember: An experienced fertility specialist would try their best to limit the use of fertility medication to only what is absolutely essential for your treatment. This can happen only when your fertility specialist holds the experience and expertise to make an accurate diagnosis of your condition and decide the best treatment protocol.

Therefore, it is vital to choose your fertility specialist with care!

If you are looking for an independent second opinion before committing to a fertility treatment plan,or if you are not satisfied with your current fertility treatment, book a free second opinion consultation with Dr. Anubha Singh, India’s leading Fertility Superspecialist and Director, Shantah Fertility Centre.