According to your description, it seems that you are going through “in vitro”-fertilization.
The process of in vitro fertilization includes several steps:
- First, a woman is given medications for blocking the axis hypothalamus-pituitary gland-ovaries to eliminate endogenous sex hormones in the body.
- Then, gonadostimulators (FSH) are given to stimulate the growth and maturation of the ovarian follicles. Unlike natural conditions, several follicles are stimulated during artificial stimulation rather than just one. The follicles’ growth is regularly monitored by measuring the size of the follicles.
- When the stimulated follicles reach a certain size, a LH-shot is given to stimulate ovulation and follicular transformation into yellow bodies.
- Just before ovulation, egg-cells are taken out of the follicles via needle punition under ultrasound monitoring.
- Then, under special artificial environmental conditions, the egg-cells are mixed with sperm ...or one spermatozoid is injected in each egg-cell (ICSI).
- After conception, the fertilized egg-cells are kept under special artificial environmental conditions for 8 days until they reach the embryo stadium. Not all egg-cells will successfully be fertilized and each this stage of development. That’s why several egg-cells are fertilized.
- After 8 days growing in a laboratory, the embryos are transferred into the uterine cavity (embryotransfer) for implantation. Not all embryos will succeed in being implanted and that’s why a few embryos are transferred.
Successful implantation which, in fact, means getting pregnant can be proven with a pregnancy test. You don’t need to wait for the menstrual period. Blood pregnancy tests can confirm a pregnancy up to 5 days before the expected period is missed. Getting your period is a secure sign that the embryo transfer wasn’t successful.
If the chances for having twins are about 25%.... the chances for having 3, 4 or more babies are even more remote.