Overview Ovarian stimulation holds an important place in the field of assisted reproductive technologies (ART).1 In the recent decades, there have been noteworthy changes in the practice of ovarian stimulation, with a global trend being witnessed towards adoption of milder stimulation regimes for both IVF and IUI. While there is lack of consensus on the definition of mild ovarian stimulation (MOS), the International Society for Mild Approaches in Assisted Reproduction (ISMAAR) consensus group suggests that "mild IVF" protocols are the ones in which the number of oocytes collected range from 2 to 7. This differs from "conventional IVF" wherein the aim is to retrieve 8 or more oocytes. Like this, MOS-IVF requires smaller doses of hormones for stimulation than a conventional protocol, making it far less aggressive.2,3 Why Consider Mild Stimulation? There are several advantages of MOS over standard IVF which provide a foundation for its consideration in assisted conception…
Preparation of Endometrium for Egg Donation History of Oocyte Donation The first successful pregnancy achieved using in-vitro fertilization (IVF) in the late 1970s led to an explosion of reproductive technologies, of which one is certainly gamete donation.1 Historically, gamete donation was confined to sperm collection; however, oocyte donation techniques have now rapidly gained attention in IVF programs, and are being used to treat infertility due to various causes.2-4 The history of the first reported live birth achieved with donated eggs stretches back to the mid-1980s. The subsequent decade witnessed live births after in vitro oocyte maturation (IVM), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), and assisted hatching. Successful IVM and fertilization in non-stimulated cycles, and in non-ovulating women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) resulting in clinical pregnancies were also reported.5 Since then, oocyte donation has become more prevalent and a large fraction of fertile women are volunteering to help their infertile counterparts conceive…
