In this fertile land, the United States has attracted numerous infertile couples with its outstanding medical technology and professional standards. IVF technology in the U.S. is favored for its high success rates, advanced equipment, and painless cycle. The ‘painless cycle,’ as the name suggests, aims to minimize pain and discomfort for prospective parents throughout the IVF process through a series of medical measures. So, how is the painless cycle in IVF achieved in the United States?

Key Aspects of Achieving a Painless IVF Cycle in the United States:

1、Strict Control of Ovulation Induction Medication

IVF specialists in the United States tailor ovulation induction plans according to a woman’s physical condition, avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach. Women usually receive ovulation-inducing injections for 8 to 12 consecutive days, typically starting on the second day of their menstrual cycle if estrogen is <70, FSH is <10, and dominant follicles have not appeared. In U.S. fertility centers, ovulation-inducing injections are usually administered once a day, unlike some institutions in other countries that may administer multiple injections daily, which can overly stimulate the ovaries. Additionally, ovulation-inducing injections in the U.S. are administered using pens similar to insulin injections, making the process simple and independent without the need for daily hospital visits, reducing mental and physical exhaustion for prospective parents.

The U.S. fertility centers strictly control the use of medications, ensuring that all drugs are certified by the U.S. FDA, derived from human sources, and cultivated in animals without passing through human organs such as the liver or viscera. These drugs are natural, without side effects, metabolized in just one menstrual cycle, and do not negatively affect a woman’s body.

2、Egg Retrieval: Safe, Swift, and Painless

During the ovulation induction process, U.S. IVF specialists closely monitor the development of follicles. Around the fifth day of medication, experts evaluate the tension and echo strength of the follicles to assess the woman’s reaction to the ovulation-inducing drugs. This is to ensure proper follicle development, preventing adverse effects such as abdominal fluid, polycystic ovaries, or ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. By the seventh day of medication, experts primarily check estrogen, progesterone, and follicle values to accurately time the egg retrieval. Retrieving mature follicles does not cause pain or ovarian bleeding.

When 1-2 follicles reach a diameter of 18mm or 2-3 follicles reach a diameter of 17mm, experts start the trigger injection (HCG or Lupron). Egg retrieval occurs 36 hours later.

The egg retrieval process does not involve surgical procedures; it is performed under ultrasound monitoring. Before retrieval, a professional anesthetist administers general anesthesia based on the woman’s height and weight. The anesthesia does not harm the woman’s body or impair memory. The fertility center uses fast-metabolizing, lightly anesthetic drugs without adverse effects on health, administered through intravenous injection. Experienced experts administer appropriate doses of anesthetic, ensuring a painless and comfortable process. The entire egg retrieval process, monitored with specialized equipment for heartbeat, respiration, blood pressure, and oxygen supply, lasts around ten minutes, prioritizing the woman’s safety.

3、Embryo Transfer: Healthy and Non-invasive

Some hospitals, due to inadequate technology and incomplete laboratory equipment, often choose to transfer 2-3 embryos directly in the early blastocyst stage. These embryos typically have incomplete cell development, unstable morphology, weak vitality, resulting in low viability and increased pain for women after implantation. In the U.S., blastocyst incubators simulate the mother’s uterine environment, enabling embryos to grow in an environment similar to the uterus, reaching the blastocyst stage successfully. Blastocysts have distinct cell differentiation, stable structure, strong developmental potential, high vitality, and better suit the uterine physiological state, resulting in a very high successful implantation rate. Therefore, U.S. IVF experts usually choose to transfer only one embryo, reducing the burden on expectant mothers. U.S. experts use PGS/PGD to screen and diagnose all genes and chromosomes of blastocysts, selecting higher-grade embryos according to the parents’ reproductive wishes for transplantation.

During transplantation, under ultrasound monitoring, a very fine and soft catheter is used to extract the chosen blastocyst, inserting it into the ideal implantation site in the uterus through the vagina, cervix, and uterine cavity. A liquid containing the embryo is swiftly injected into the uterine cavity. A blood test after 12 days post-transfer confirms pregnancy success.