IVF is a process where eggs are retrieved from the ovaries, fertilized with sperm in our laboratory, and the resulting embryo is placed back into the uterus. It’s not the first step for most couples – but when other approaches haven’t worked, IVF consistently offers the highest chance of pregnancy of any assisted reproductive technique available.

Conceive Hospital serves patients across all seven UAE emirates and internationally, with clinics in Sharjah and Dubai (Jumeirah Lake Towers). If you’re coming from Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, or further – you’re welcome here.

What is IVF?

IVF stands for in-vitro fertilization. “In vitro” is Latin for “in glass” a nod to the laboratory dish where fertilization happens outside the body.

The world’s first IVF baby, Louise Brown, was born in England in July 1978. In nearly fifty years since, science has advanced dramatically. What was once experimental is now a well-understood, routinely performed procedure with clear protocols and measurable outcomes.

At Conceive Hospital, IVF is carried out in strict compliance with UAE law – using eggs from the wife and sperm from the husband, with every step overseen by our specialist team.

Is IVF right for you?

IVF isn’t the answer for every couple, and we don’t approach it that way. When you come to Conceive Hospital, our doctors take a thorough look at your history, test results, and circumstances before recommending a path forward. That said, IVF tends to be the right choice when:

You’re dealing with blocked or damaged fallopian tubes. The tubes are where egg and sperm normally meet. When they’re blocked – whether from infection, surgery, or endometriosis – that meeting can’t happen naturally. IVF sidesteps the tubes entirely.

PCOS is making ovulation unpredictable. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is one of the most common hormonal conditions affecting women in the UAE. When ovulation is irregular or absent, IVF gives us control over the timing and number of eggs.

Endometriosis is involved. Endometrial tissue growing outside the uterus can affect the ovaries, tubes, and pelvic cavity, making natural conception difficult. IVF combined with careful monitoring gives endometriosis patients a real path to pregnancy.

Fibroids or polyps are in the way. Growths inside the uterus can block implantation. In some cases, surgery resolves this – in others, IVF gives the embryo the best possible environment for implantation.

There’s a male factor. Low sperm count, poor motility, abnormal sperm shape, azoospermia (no sperm in the ejaculate), retrograde ejaculation, or varicocele – all of these can make natural conception very difficult. IVF, often combined with ICSI, is specifically designed to work around these challenges.

IUI hasn’t worked. If you’ve already tried intrauterine insemination without success, IVF is typically the recommended next step. It gives us far more control over fertilization and embryo selection.

You’ve had recurrent miscarriages. Losing a pregnancy more than once, with no clear explanation, is devastating. IVF combined with Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) allows us to screen embryos before transfer, which significantly reduces miscarriage risk.

Your ovarian reserve is low. As women age, egg quantity and quality naturally decline. IVF allows us to retrieve and work with the eggs available, maximizing the chance of a viable embryo.

No one can explain why it’s not happening. Unexplained infertility is frustrating precisely because there’s no clear target to fix. IVF gives us the ability to observe fertilization directly and choose the strongest embryos – which often resolves what investigations couldn’t diagnose.

What does an IVF cycle involve?

An IVF cycle is done in step and sync with the wife’s menstrual cycle. Here’s what that looks like in practice –

Step 1 – Stimulating the ovaries You’ll take hormone injections for around ten to fourteen days to encourage the ovaries to produce multiple eggs rather than just one. We monitor your progress closely through blood tests and ultrasound scans, adjusting the dose if needed.

Step 2 – Collecting the eggs When the follicles are ready, we retrieve the eggs during a short procedure under light sedation. It takes around twenty minutes, causes minimal discomfort, and you go home the same day.

Step 3 – Preparing the sperm On the same morning as egg collection, a sperm sample is provided by the husband. Our embryologists process it in the laboratory to select the healthiest, most active sperm.

Step 4 – Fertilization The eggs and sperm are brought together in the laboratory. In most cases they’re placed in a dish and fertilization happens naturally. Where sperm quality is a concern, we use ICSI – injecting a single, carefully chosen sperm directly into each egg.

Step 5 – Watching the embryos develop Over the next two to five days, the fertilized eggs divide and develop into embryos. We use time-lapse monitoring technology to observe this process continuously without disturbing the embryos – giving us much richer information than periodic checks alone.

Step 6 – The embryo transfer One or two of the best embryos are gently transferred into the uterus through a thin catheter. It’s a simple, painless procedure – no sedation needed. Any remaining healthy embryos can be frozen for future use.

Step 7 – The pregnancy test. Our team will notify you of when is the best time to take a pregnancy test following your embryo transfer. If the test is positive then congratulations, you have conceived !

Why does IVF at Conceive Hospital give you the best chance?

Established in July 2004, Conceive – The Gynaecology and Fertility Hospital is considered the most successful and trusted fertility clinics in Dubai, UAE. We hold ISO 9001 and ISO 22301 certifications and a JCI Gold Seal of Approval – not because we pursued the credentials, but because the standards they require are the standards we hold ourselves to anyway.

The technology matters, but the team matters more. Our IVF program is led by Dr. Pankaj Shrivastav, possibly the region’s most experienced specialist in reproductive medicine and indeed a pioneer of techniques too. The embryologists, nurses, and coordinators who work alongside him have seen thousands of cases – and they bring that depth to yours.

We also offer genetic screening (PGD/PGS), which allows us to identify the chromosomally normal embryos most likely to result in a healthy pregnancy and least likely to miscarry. Not every patient needs this, but for those who do, it changes outcomes meaningfully.