Fertility treatments are becoming increasingly common amongst single women as it gives women the opportunity to have a family without having a partner. At Wijnland Fertility, we are well aware of the desperate need one feels when wanting to enter parenthood, and we are here to help. We believe that being a parent is one of the truest callings in life, and we are therefore very passionate about helping single woman turn their dream of motherhood into a reality.
We strive to provide as much information as possible regarding our treatments so you are able to make an informed decision about which option is best for you. For single women, treatment is centred around using donor sperm and the various treatment options are based on different indications where the process of using the donor sperm subsequently differs.
We have the following treatment options:
- Artificial insemination (AI) / Intrauterine insemination (IUI), with donor sperm
- IVF, with donor sperm
- This can also be performed with the combination of donor sperm and ova
- ICSI, with donor sperm
- This can also be performed with the combination of donor sperm and ova
- Transfer of a donated embryo(s)
- Egg freezing and storage
Please visit our extensive sperm donor bank here!
The process & what to expect
We recommend the following process in order to start the process to parenthood:
1. To see one of our fertility specialists (make an appointment here!) (please add link to contact us page)
2 Get all the relevant tests and procedures done that the fertility specialist has recommended and needs in order to make an informed decision
3 A decision is made regarding the treatment option
4 The search can begin for a sperm donor
5 A decision is made on the donor(s)
6 Final check to make sure all paper work and legalities are in order
7 The treatment cycle can begin
What's involved with the different treatment options?
With regards to the process of the actual treatment, one can expect the following:
Artificial insemination (AI) / intrauterine insemination (IUI)
This process involves the donor sperm being artificially inserted into the uterus. You will undergo the insemination of the prepared donor sperm sample at the doctor’s rooms. The AI procedure is similar to a routine gynaecological examination for a Pap smear. The pregnancy test is normally performed 12 days after the AI procedure. A blood beta-hCG test is the most accurate. A home pregnancy test is less accurate and can be done 15 days after the AI. We will contact you as soon as we receive your test result.
In vitro
- Standard IVF
- ICSI
- IMSI
For all ‘in vitro’ procedures, the patient’s process is the same for all procedures. The differences between the procedures only occur within the laboratory.
Female patients will be stimulated in order to produce a number of eggs for aspiration around day 12 – 14 of your stimulation cycle. 36 hours prior to your procedure, a very important hormone trigger is administered in order for us to control exactly when to retrieve the eggs (before you ovulate).
On the day:
You will be admitted into the day ward at Wijnland Fertility. The aspiration procedure is very short and makes use of anaesthesia, which means that you need to be prepared prior to the day of the procedure (no eating after midnight). The aspiration procedure is so short (generally), that the process of the anaesthetist putting you ‘to sleep’ takes longer than the actual egg retrieval. Once your procedure is finished, you will be wheeled out of theatre and be placed back into your warm recovery bed where you will be woken up with some tea or coffee and a scone. Thereafter, an embryologist will let you know how many eggs where retrieved. This information is only given to you once you have fully woken up from your drowsy sleep and are relaxed and ready to receive the much awaited information.
Following the egg retrieval:
The eggs will be evaluated the next day to see how many have been fertilised (Day 1).
We will call you to inform you of the results. Fertilised eggs are now known as zygotes and can start to develop into embryos.
Not all fertilised eggs develop into embryos, but most do. The quality of the embryo development will be evaluated by a scientific grading system, which will guide us to select the embryos with the greatest implantation potential to place into the uterus. The embryologist will inform you of embryo development.
Embryo Transfer:
The Embryo Transfer The embryo transfer procedure will be done on Day 5 (in standard cost option Day 3), depending mainly on how many good-quality embryos have developed. Our clinic’s protocol is to transfer only one embryo per cycle. In exceptional cases, two embryos may be transferred at the discretion of the treating doctor and attending embryologist. It will depend largely on the quality of the embryos. If any surplus high-quality blastocysts remain in culture after the transfer, they can either be frozen and stored for future use, or donated or discarded.
Please talk to the doctor and/or embryologist about the freezing, discarding or donation of surplus embryos before starting fertility treatment to ensure you have enough time to think about these options and make a well-informed decision. The nursing sister or embryologist will call you to inform you when the transfer procedure is going to take place.
You will be given information about preparing for the transfer procedure. This will also include having a full bladder. You will be conscious, and san attending friend/family member can be with you in the procedure room. Your uterus will be visualised by doing a trans-abdominal scan and the doctor will use a speculum to visualise the cervix. The embryos will be drawn into a thin catheter and will be placed into the uterus.
The embryos will be released slowly into the uterus – you will be able to see this on the ultrasound screen!. You may lie down and rest for 20 to 40 minutes after the transfer. If you have any surplus embryos in the laboratory, the embryologist will talk to you about your decision and/or instructions on the handling of your surplus embryos. The embryologist will give you the applicable consent forms to be signed by you.
You will also receive forms showing a summary of the number of eggs retrieved, the number fertilised, how many embryos were transferred, how many were left in culture and when pregnancy tests can be done. You can then go home and continue with your daily activities. We advise you to take it easy on the day of the transfer. You may drive a car if needed. The embryologist will phone you a few days after the transfer to give you feedback on the further development and/or freezing of your surplus embryos, where applicable.