In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF)

Fertility treatment is often something you never expected to need, and it can frequently feel overwhelming. In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is one of the most effective fertility treatments available and can help overcome a wide range of fertility challenges. Combining advanced reproductive science with highly personalised care, our team is here to help you navigate treatment with clarity and confidence and support you through every stage of your journey.

Dr Karolina at Genus

In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF)

Fertility treatment is often something you never expected to need, and it can frequently feel overwhelming. In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is one of the most effective fertility treatments available and can help overcome a wide range of fertility challenges. Combining advanced reproductive science with highly personalised care, our team is here to help you navigate treatment with clarity and confidence and support you through every stage of your journey.

What is IVF and How Does it Work?

In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) is one of the most effective fertility treatments available today. IVF involves fertilising an egg with the sperm outside the body, within a carefully controlled laboratory environment, before transferring an embryo into the uterus.

The term ‘in vitro’ literally means ‘in the glass’, reflecting the laboratory-based process to support fertilisation and embryo development.

How Do I Know if I Need IVF?

There are many reasons why IVF may be recommended. At Genus Fertility, we first aim to understand the underlying causes of fertility difficulties before recommending fertility treatment, if that’s what you need.

Your investigations, treatment plan, and recommendations are tailored to your family goals and take into account your age, health, and fertility status. In Vitro Fertilisation may be appropriate if:

  • You have unexplained fertility challenges
  • Your egg reserve is lower than expected
  • Severe endometriosis
  • Your partner has male factor infertility
  • Your fallopian tubes are blocked or damaged
  • Other treatments, such as ovulation induction (OI) or intrauterine insemination (IUI), haven’t been successful
  • Age-related changes in egg quality and quantity are affecting fertility

The IVF Process Step by Step

  • Ovarian stimulation:

    The aim of the stimulation phase is to encourage the ovaries to grow multiple follicles containing mature eggs. During this stage, medications are also used to temporarily suppress the body’s natural hormone signals and prevent premature ovulation before egg collection. You will take hormone injections at home for around 9 to 14 days. Throughout treatment, your response is carefully monitored using an internal ultrasound scan every few days as clinically indicated. This allows us to personalise medication doses and accurately time the next stages of treatment.

  • Trigger injection:

    Once the follicles have reached the appropriate stage of development, you will be advised to take a carefully timed “trigger injection”. This injection helps the eggs complete their final stage of maturation prior to collection. The timing of the trigger injection is extremely important, as egg collection is usually performed approximately 34 to 36 hours later. Our team will provide clear instructions regarding the exact timing and administration of the medication.

  • Egg collection:

    Once the follicles have reached an appropriate stage of development, the eggs are collected via a straightforward, minor surgical procedure performed under deep sedation. Using ultrasound guidance, a fine needle is passed through the vaginal wall into the ovaries to collect the fluid from the developed follicles. The procedure takes around 20 to 30 minutes. After collection, the eggs are transferred to our team of embryologists in our state-of-the-art lab, where they are identified, assessed and prepared for fertilisation.

  • Embryo development:

    The eggs are fertilised in the laboratory with sperm from your partner or a donor. In conventional IVF, eggs and prepared sperm are combined within a specialised culture dish. In some cases, we may recommend Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI), where a single sperm is carefully injected into the egg. The embryos are kept within carefully controlled time-lapse incubators, allowing continuous assessment of the development while maintaining a stable laboratory environment. Our embryology team monitors embryo development over the next five to six days to help identify embryos with the highest developmental potential.

  • Embryo transfer:

    Before your egg collection, we will discuss the most appropriate embryo transfer strategy for you, including whether you’re planning a fresh or frozen transfer. Embryo transfer is a quick, straightforward procedure for placing an embryo into the uterus. Following the transfer, there is typically a two-week wait before taking a pregnancy test.

FAQs

From the beginning of ovarian stimulation to embryo transfer is usually about three weeks, followed by a two-week wait for your pregnancy test.

​However, the overall journey – including preconception preparation, fertility investigations and treatment planning – may take several months, from your initial consultation to your pregnancy test.

During the stimulation phase, most patients attend for monitoring ultrasound scans every one to three days, depending on how the ovaries are responding.

As follicles approach maturity, visits may become slightly more frequent to ensure accurate timing of the trigger injection and egg collection.

Yes. We can arrange treatment using donor sperm, donor eggs, or both from our partner donor banks.

Our team will guide you through the legal requirements, screening tests, timelines, and support you through the emotional and practical considerations involved in donor conception.

In IVF, eggs are collected from the ovaries, fertilised with sperm in the laboratory to create embryos, before an embryo is transferred into the uterus.

In IUI (intrauterine insemination), prepared sperm is placed directly into the uterus around ovulation, and fertilisation occurs naturally within the body.

IUI is less invasive than IVF and may be recommended as an earlier treatment option for some patients. However, IVF offers higher success rates compared to IUI, particularly in more complex fertility situations.

Yes. For many people with PMOS or endometriosis, IVF is a highly effective treatment because it can overcome many of the natural conception hurdles these conditions create. Treatment protocols may need to be carefully adjusted to minimise risks such as ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) in PMOS or to optimise the uterine environment in endometriosis.

Fertility naturally declines with age, particularly after the mid‑30s and more significantly after about 40, as egg quantity and quality decline over time.

Although IVF can still be a viable fertility treatment option for those aged 40 and over, success rates are generally lower when using your own eggs, and the risk of miscarriage increases.

A detailed fertility assessment at Genus Fertility is an essential first step, as it will give us a clearer picture of your reproductive health and help us tailor your treatment, whether that’s using your own eggs or supporting you in using donor eggs to improve your chances of success.

Start your journey with Genus Fertility today.

If you’re looking for a clearer picture of your fertility health or you’re ready to start a family, we’d love to hear from you.

CONTACT US

Genus Fertility
Three Wester Shawfair
EH22 1FD
Edinburgh

T: 0131 374 4855

E: reception@genusfertility.co.uk

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Book Online CROSS V2

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© 2026 Copyright Genus Medical Fertility, all rights reserved

LICENSED BY

QUICK LINKS

Fertility Assessments CROSS V2
Fertility Treatments CROSS V2
Fertility Preservation CROSS V2
Book Online CROSS V2
Genus Fertility

GENUS FERTILITY

Genus Fertility
Three Wester Shawfair
EH22 1FD
Edinburgh

T: 0131 374 4855

E: reception@genusfertility.co.uk

PRIVACY POLICY

© 2026 Copyright Genus Medical Fertility, all rights reserved