Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome is the most serious and well-documented side-effect of in vitro fertilisation. This is almost common knowledge nowadays. It is painful and can be very dangerous, having resulted in several deaths, including one recorded in Britain. The condition occurs when the woman's ovaries produce a large number of follicles - the exact number varies from woman to woman. After the eggs are collected, the fluid from the follicles collects and causes severe swelling in the abdomen.

The most obvious symptom is very bad abdomi¬nal pain. There are two safety precautions to protect against ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. One is to ensure that the clinic monitors thoroughly using both ultrasound and blood tests during the early stages of treatment to pick up early signs of the problem. The second is to ensure that it has freezing facilities so that if the syndrome does occur, the eggs can be collected, fertilised and frozen for replacement in a later cycle. Many clinics would opt to abandon a cycle if a woman developed OHSS. Current estimates are that it occurs in about two to three per cent of cases, but very few women get it so severely that they have to go to hospital. Again, it is important that you report any pain after egg collection to the clinic, especially if you have had a substantial number of follicles.

Each stage of IVF has its own success rate. This is often not immediately obvious, when all the public debate is about miracle cures and test-tube babies.

Shirley M. Duran is a mother of two and an author of a variety of related lifestyle issues and topics with which has helped hundreds of mothers become pregnant. If you have any pregnancy questions for which you need answers, it is recommended to visit: http://mypregnancyquestions.info/.

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