Stages of fertility treatment at Fertility Center Berlin

What will my treatment at Fertility Center Berlin look like? How will I be taken care of?

We will show you here the procedure of a typical fertility treatment at our facilities. We strive for you always to have a fixed contact partner - it is usually the doctor with whom you will have your initial discussion.

Initial discussion

It is our goal to show you during the initial discussion with one of our doctors the range of possibilities of fertility treatment. We will discuss with you the reasons for unwanted childlessness, the numerous treatment options, the perspectives of success, possible risks as well as the financial aspects. During all of this it is very important for us to be able to care for you and advise you individually.

Your first appointment should whenever possible be scheduled together with your partner, because fertility treatment always concerns pairs.

One can set an appointment at Fertility Center Berlin via phone at +49 (0) 30 - 30 35 49 37, or by using the form on the contact page. It is important that you reserve a lot of time, please plan approx. one hour for the first meeting.

Diagnosis

After the first discussion a series of examinations will follow, beginning with an appointment to take a blood sample and for an ultrasound examination. The exact date depends on your cycle. The first cycle day is the first day of your regular bleeding.

An important hormone that should stand in the beginning of all examinations is the Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH)): using it one can measure the number of egg cells still present in the ovaries. This is important both to provide you with an estimation of your chances of getting pregnant, as well as to examine how much hormones you will require. Sadly, the costs of these hormone estimations are not covered by health insurance, however from the medical point of view they are required.

After this follow if other examinations if necessary. These include, among others, a physical examination, cycle diagnostics (ovulation), semen analysis (spermiogram) of the partner, fallopian tube diagnostics (function of the fallopian tubes), as well as hormonal and ultrasound examinations (clarification of egg development).

If needed, we will also transfer you to colleagues cooperating with us, to assist you and us in the search the for the reason: human geneticists, clotting specialists, urologists, Chinese medicine doctors, nutrition specialists and our two psychologists.

Stages of the treatment

The stages of the treatment vary depending on the reasons determined for your childlessness.

Hormonal stimulation

Stimulation of the ovaries begins on the second or third day of the cycle. A control ultrasound examination is undertaken afterwards in 6 to 8 days. When the follicle had grown to an optimum size, a release injection of HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadothropin) is executed. 36 hours after this injection usually ovulation takes place. If intercourse is planned on, then it should take place 24-32 hours after the injection.

Insemination (semen transfer)

In case of insemination using the semen of the partner or a donor, the same preliminary treatment as in case of hormonal stimulation takes place. 24-32 hours after the release injection, the partner should provide their semen at Fertility Center Berlin. The preparation takes about 1,5 hours. In the end a normal gynaecological examination is executed, during which the semen is transferred to the uterine cavity via a small hose (intrauterine insemination).

IFV/ICSI treatment (in vitro fertilisation with or without micro-injection (ICSI) of the individual sperms into the egg cell)

During an artificial insemination outside of the body involving the use of the so-called 'long protocol', first hormone-regulating drugs are taken between the 20. and 22. day of the cycle (in the form of nasal spray or an injection). The first examination then takes place 14 days later.

Alternatively stimulation starting on the 2nd or 3rd cycle day be executed, just like in case of hormonal stimulation.

After 8-9 days, a further control examination is executed. In order to determine the optimum follicle size, 2 to 3 days apart blood samples are taken and ultrasound examinations are conducted. When the optimum size is reached, ovulation is induced about at 22.00 in the evening.

The follicle punction (egg cell extraction) takes place 2 days later. Also on this day the partner provides their semen. The embryo transfer into the uterine cavity of the mother can then take place on the second day after egg cell extraction.

One can execute the first pregnancy test by blood examination already 14 days later. Thanks to the fact that Fertility Center Berlin has at their disposal large laboratory facilities, when the blood sample is taken in the morning, we can already give you the results in the afternoon. Please do not make any urine sample tests, because these can be misleading!

The result of the pregnancy test is given to you via phone by a doctor. If the results are positive, the examination is repeated two days later by a further blood test.

The further development of the pregnancy cannot, however, be forecast. Should the levels of the pregnancy hormone HCG rise well, then another ultrasound scan is conducted 14 days later; if the pregnancy develops correctly, then you will be transferred back for further pregnancy care to your regular gynaecologist.

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