Infertility is an increasing problem of the 21st century. No matter what the cause for infertility might be, not being able to conceive and have the family you dream of can be a devastating feeling with a serious psychological impact.
Patients have rated the stress of undergoing IVF as more stressful than or almost as stressful as any other major life event, such as the death of a family member or separation or divorce. The aspects of IVF that are perceived as stressful by patients are multifaceted and affect all parts of their life/lives: marital, social, physical, emotional, financial, and religious.
What are the medical solutions to infertility?
Specialists say that the complex problem of infertility has many times a simple solution: adopt a healthy lifestyle and find the appropriate treatment or procedure according to your needs. Many infertility problems are caused by factors related to the patient's lifestyle. Stress, the body weight, exposure to toxins, the lack of calcium necessary for fertilization, eating unhealthy food, lack of sleep or PH imbalance among others, have a powerful negative impact on a woman's fertility level.
Unfortunately, changing the lifestyle and diet is not always helpful in solving the infertility problem. There are several medical conditions, medication, radiation therapy, some disorders, medical procedures (such as tubal ligation that cannot be reversed), multiple abortions or simply the age of the man or woman which need special attention.
Fertility clinics all over the world offer a variety of procedures and treatments. Each fertility program is created according to the patients' needs and after a careful evaluation the experienced medical team will present the most convenient treatment plan.
If you decide to go abroad for fertility treatments, do a careful research regarding each country's policy related to this subject. Some countries ban surrogacy, PGD, embryo donation or egg donation, so you really need to know where to go and for what treatment. If you need information about what treatments are available in each country and for what price, we are here to help!
What is IVF?
In IVF, the process of fertilisation happens outside the woman’s body. A woman’s eggs are surgically removed and fertilised in a laboratory using sperm that has been given as a sperm sample. Hormonal medications are administered to women to cause their ovaries to produce an increased number of mature eggs suitable for fertilization. The resulting embryos are transferred to the uterus for implantation; the more embryos are replaced, the greater the chances of a pregnancy through IVF. Also, if more embryos are replaced the chances of a multiple birth are increased, since each embryo has a chance of developing to full term.
The risk of multiple births in IVF is linked to the woman’s maternal age. Young women have more chances to get pregnant with less embryos and the risk of having multiples is lower. While the ultimate goal of IVF treatment is having a healthy baby, the chance of getting pregnant and the decision on the number of embryos transferred and techniques used is best evaluated and discussed with your doctor.
Also, the drugs used to stimulate the ovaries during IVF can lead to ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). In OHSS, the ovaries enlarge and become painful, causing abdominal discomfort. More severe cases can lead to fluid retention in the abdominal cavity and formation of blood clots. In these cases, you may need a stay in hospital.
IVF treatment allows couples to screen embryos for genetic disorders prior to becoming pregnant. Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis allows fertility clinics to screen embryos for abnormalities and implant healthy embryos into the uterus.
Next find out What is the cost of IVF?
