What is Luteal Phase Stimulation? (LPS)
Imagine tending to your garden nurturing flowers with the goal of harvesting a bounty. Typically, one would harvest flowers but there exists a clever technique where you can aid buds in blossoming into flowers that can be harvested at a later time. This is the essence of Luteal Phase Stimulation.
In the realm of IVF (a method to assist in conception), medical professionals aim to retrieve eggs from a woman’s ovaries through a two step process.
Initial Retrieval: This occurs prior to egg release. Doctors administer medication to prepare the ovaries for an egg yield. These eggs are akin to bloomed flowers awaiting harvest. This phase usually occurs between days 3 and 14 of the cycle.
Second Retrieval (Luteal Phase Stimulation): Following egg release (around day 14), doctors can stimulate egg growth using medication even if they are in early stages akin to flower buds. This specialized stage commences around day 21 of the cycle. The grown eggs are then retrieved before your menstrual period.
Why LPS?
Quantity: The second collection gives more eggs to be retrieved. It’s like a second round of flower picking after an initial picking of flowers.
Medications: Though medications are alike the first step, the doctors may change the proportions given since they are doing it at a different time during the cycle.
Purpose: This is an excellent method for women who did not have enough eggs first time around or who urgently need to move fast.
Research: Luteal Phase Stimulation is a new technique, but it’s fast improving and increasing in popularity since it offers more options in IVF.
Luteal Phase Stimulation is good for retrieving more eggs in a cycle by collecting eggs in two rounds in a cycle.
