Infertility Stress & Support : Coping with Infertility

  How can you cope with the stress of infertility ?

Even though the stress of infertility is often unavoidable, there are many steps that you can take to decrease the pain. First of all, both of you must recognize that you''ll have different feelings and different reactions at different times. If you expect your partner to behave in a certain way, you may create additional stress. Together, you should become informed about infertility and its treatment. Learn to focus on those factors which are within your control ( for example,, stopping smoking ) than those over which you have no control ( for example, your age). As you examine the treatment options and emotional stages, you can identify in advance the times that you will have difficulty. Then, as a couple, you can plan to make them easier. Talk about your feelings concerning infertility and its treatment. Determine if your expectations of one another are realistic, and accept differences of opinion that your partner may have.

How can you share your feelings about infertility ?

Sharing Your Feelings

Sharing your feelings is essential when dealing with the emotional aspect of infertility. At times, valued friendships are especially important, but friends and family may not understand what infertility means, and they will sometimes make insensitive remarks. As a result, feelings of isolation may increase, and this could lead to depression and loneliness.

Although it is true that many people do not understand infertility, it is important to remember that others don''t know what you''re going through unless you tell them. If friends make discouraging comments, try not to close them out. You may want to attempt to let them know how you feel and how they can help. Some of the following tips may be helpful.

• Don''t assume that everyone understands your needs and what you''re thinking.
• Don''t always put on a brave front. Friends and family may think that you are not distressed and don''t need emotional support.
• Try to identify your feelings and share them. Putting your thoughts down on paper is often a helpful exercise.
• Offer friends and family reading material concerning infertility. Articles or books with quotes from individuals who are infertile are especially beneficial.
• Become aware of your own anger directed towards your body, your partner, and your friends. It is important to recognize its effect on you and your ability to communicate with others.
• Examine your expectations of yourself and try to understand that infertility can lead to feelings of helplessness and loss of control.
• Examine your expectations of others. You will be disappointed if you expect others to always be there for you.
• Accept your own feelings and acknowledge that there may be a time when it is okay for you to avoid certain emotionally painful situations.

How can you cope with your infertility in your daily life ?

Coping with infertility in everyday living

Undergoing treatment can "eat up" into your entire day - waiting to talk to the doctor, waiting to take your injections, waiting to do scans, waiting for blood test reports - it''s endless and all you do is wait! The treatment seems to take all day - and you don''t seem to have time to be able to do anything else. You need to take control of your time. While some waiting is unavoidable, a lot can be minimised. Can your husband learn to give you the injections so that you don''t have to come into the clinic for them? Can you get the blood tests reports on the phone? Also, learn to make good use of the waiting time - you can read more about your problem ; and also talk to other patients in the clinic - this often become the place for an informal "support group" meeting!

The waiting to get pregnant also makes you put the rest of your life on "hold" you find you cannot make plans for the future because you do not know what lies ahead. Should you plan to go on a holiday next month - what if you get pregnant? Should your husband accept the new job, even if it means a transfer to another city and you will have to find a new doctor? This can be frustrating - not only are you not getting pregnant, but you also cannot get on with the rest of your life! You need to try to separate infertility from other important aspects of your life - and remember that you are a worthy person irrespective of your fertility. Women often have a harder time, because they have been taught that their life revolves around their family - which has yet to be started! Often getting a job is helpful, because it keeps you occupied and bolsters your self-esteem by confirming what you know - that you can accomplish useful things with your life irrespective of your fertility.

How can you cope with your friends and relatives ?

Talking to relatives and friends can be difficult when they ask awkward and thoughtless questions about infertility. Some typically painful questions include:

• So when are you going to start a family? You two aren''t getting any younger!
• When are you going to stop concentrating on your career and start on a family?
• Well, I guess we''ll never be grandparents.
• Oh, I have just the opposite problem - I get pregnant so easily.
• I wish you''d take one of my kids - they drive me crazy!
• I hear they''re having tremendous success with test-tube babies. Why don''t you try it?
• You can always adopt.
• Any good news yet?

Questions and comments from others can be turned into opportunities for you to explain your situation more fully to close friends; or you can discourage further discussion. Be firm and pleasant - and don''t let yourself be put on the defensive. After all, just because a question is asked does not mean it deserves an answer, so with a smile, you can let them know that it''s none of their business without being rude yourself.

Think about how you will respond to these questions - and plan ways in which you can successfully manage the conversation. There are emotional barriers between the fertile world at large and infertile couples - and you need to work to overcome this!

What times can be especially difficult ?

Times that may be especially difficult

Social gatherings such as weddings where the conversation focuses on pregnancy and children can be difficult to cope with. You''ll also inevitably have friends who become pregnant during your infertility treatment. The news that infertile friends have conceived with treatment can be bitter-sweet - you are happy for them, and know that this also means there is hope for you; but you feel it''s unfair that you are not the one pregnant, and sometimes despair whether you will ever be able to have baby. Furthermore, holidays and birthdays may bring added stress by reminding you that time is passing by without children.

Time becomes the enemy - whether it is the incessant ticking of the biologic clock, or the endlessness of waiting for the next menstrual period. The few days before your next period is due can be hell for both of you. The suspense is killing - and you await every day with bated breath to see if the period has started. Each twinge of pain or drop of discharge is monitored carefully - and if the period is delayed, hopes start rising. Then, when the menstrual flow starts, all the castles in the air come crashing down, and you are inconsolable. You sometimes wonder - is it worth beginning all over again?

Coping with treatment is difficult too - especially when you know that for most treatments, it is impossible to predict what the outcome is going to be. Also, with nature''s imperfection and today''s technology, the chance of your not getting pregnant in any cycle will always be more than the chance of your conceiving. Often the key to success may be to repeat the treatment several times but this can be pure torture! You need to be realistic about your chances of conceiving - this level headedness can help to buffer the disappointments and tribulations of failure. Some women feel that they must maintain a "positive" attitude, no matter what and put up a brave front to the world - but pretending to be hopeful when you are broken inside increases your burden.

How can you regain control ?

Regaining Control

In order to decrease your feelings of helplessness and to regain control of your emotions, there are several things you can do. First of all, take the time to learn about your infertility. By doing this, you will feel more in control at your doctor''s office and you''ll be better able to understand the tests and procedures that you''re undergoing. Read about infertility treatment, and discuss your ideas and opinions with your physician. It''s also important to talk with all of your health care providers. For example, your nurses may be able to help you with troublesome emotions as well as medical questions, or a technician could explain test procedures and results.

You need to make an "action plan" outlining possible courses of action as regards your medical treatment. For each treatment cycle, hope for the best and prepare for the worst. If you get pregnant, that''s fine; but you should know what do next if you do not so that you are not shattered when it doesn''t work. Many couples refuse to think about the possibility of failure and plan treatment on an ad-hoc single cycle basis. This is unrealistic and you are only fooling yourself. Being realistic allows you to cope with the ups and downs of treatment - and you need to have a time perspective which includes 4 to 6 treatment cycles, so as to give yourself a reasonable chance of success.

During treatment, you need to set your own limits. Sometimes, treatment becomes a merry-go-round, which never stops and you find that you just can''t get off. Some patients get "hooked" onto treatment and never give up - at great pain and expense to themselves. Decide when you will stop treatment and which treatments you will try. This is a decision only you can make and it should satisfy you that you have done all that you want to - so that you do not have any residual feelings of regret later! If medical therapy becomes too stressful, consider taking a break. When necessary, make it a point to remind friends and family that these are your decisions and that you know what''s best for you.

Little things that you do for yourself can make a big difference in how you handle your infertility. Write down positive things you have done or good things that have happened, and read them often. Plan a special evening, and share your thoughts and feelings with your partner. You and your partner may want to join a support group so that you can meet people who are experiencing infertility. It is also important to become more informed about infertility, so that you can share this information with friends and family who do not seem to understand the stress and pressure surrounding this disorder.

Many patients find religious support at this time is very helpful - and a deep belief and abiding faith in God can help you immensely in tiding over this crisis in your life. Others use meditation to help themselves.

How does infertility affect your marriage ?

How Infertility Affects Couples

Infertility is a medical problem that involves two people - and both of you remain involved even if only one person needs medical treatment. Attend medical appointments together if possible - it is very lonely and frightening sitting alone in the doctor''s office, and the support you give by your presence is very helpful. Sometimes the partner who is undergoing all the tests and treatment ( usually the woman!) may feel resentful and angry at all the poking and prodding. Blow off your feelings - but not at your partner - rage at fate instead. Chances are your spouse would do anything to take this burden from you. If you are the partner who is not being treated, you may feel strangely guilty that you are getting off "free". You may also be upset and blame your partner for the infertility problems - but being upset and giving needless blame are two different things. Some husbands are very upset about all the procedures that their wives have to undergo - and often cannot bear to see the pain they have to go through.

Men and women generally respond to infertility differently. Generally, while men are concerned about infertility, it may be less crucial to their self-esteem and identity. Also, handling the emotional impact of infertility may be more difficult for them because they are not used to voicing and sharing these types of concerns - they are taught to bottle up their feelings. On the other hand, women frequently accept the label of infertile as a key aspect of themselves and who they are. In Indian society, the pressure to conceive is directed towards the woman, and it is often she who has to bear the brunt of its impact.

It is common among infertile couples for the woman to be the much more verbal and emotional partner. This often leads to the wife thinking and talking incessantly about infertility, and her whole world now revolves around how to have a baby. She talks ( or complains or screams or cries ) about it and wishes her husband could feel the intensity of her pain. He tries to be supportive, but never seems to be able to do or say the right thing, so he gets "put off and shut off" and refuses to talk about it - exacerbating the tension even more. In order to help keep infertility from becoming an all-consuming event and to break this vicious cycle of one-sided conversation in which no productive communication occurs, the "20-minute rule" recommended by Merle Bombardieri of Resolve, is very useful. You need to set aside a period of time each evening to talk about infertility. Use a timer to limit each person to 20 minutes and let one speak and then the other. The person not speaking needs to listen intently.

This technique is useful in achieving the following outcomes:

• The wife will talk less about infertility and will present her feelings more succinctly.
• The husband is more willing to listen because he is assured of an end point.
• The wife feels she has an interested listener and is supported.
• The rest of the evening may be spent in more pleasant pursuits.
• You may both feel relieved to see the other feeling better.
• In all likelihood, as the wife feels she has less need to talk about infertility, the husband will begin to be more expressive - so that the wife no longer needs to "grieve for two".

Communication in your relationship may change as you and your partner deal with infertility and its treatment. Sometimes, you may keep emotions to yourselves as you try to protect one another from painful feelings. This may create especially difficult feelings such as anger, blame, and guilt, and you may find that there is even more pressure in your relationship. You have the right to feel differently about infertility treatments and choices - after all, even though you are a couple, you are still individuals with your own separate identities. Individual responses depend on personality, coping mechanisms, who has the fertility problem, and your relationship with your partner. You may feel hopeful and optimistic, while your partner feels hopeless and despondent - and you may find that you are balancing on opposite sides of an emotional seesaw. You can agree to disagree - but keep your heads and fight fairly, and honestly.

Acknowledge the fact that infertility does put a lot of stress on the marriage. In fact, it is not uncommon for some marriages to break down because of the pressure which infertility subjects them to. However, if you have the maturity to deal with this crisis in your life together, you will find that learning to cope with infertility allows you and your partner to grow and become closer as you share your feelings throughout this difficult time - and your marriage will become much stronger than most marriages because you have weathered a difficult time together successfully.

A sense of humour will help you cope much better with the stresses of infertility. I recommend that all my patients watch the film,

This is based on a true life story. Not only is it very funny, it will also help you cope better with your spouse !

What is the relationship between stress and infertility ?

Stress and Infertility

Most infertile couples are under considerable stress. Personal, social, family, financial. Hardly surprising - when you want to get something and you cannot, this is a perfectly normal and natural response. Thus, it's obvious that infertility causes stress.

However, what about the converse - can stress cause infertility?

Stress is ubiquitous, and- and in today's world, stress is something we are all exposed to. It has now become fashionable to blame the "stress of modern life" for all ills - including infertility, and many elders feel that it is the stress which the modern generation is exposed to, which is responsible for the increase in the incidence of infertility. Stress can cause disruption of the body's equilibrium, and excessive stress can interfere with ovulation, so that women may not produce eggs. While this is a biologic explanation for how stress can cause infertility, it is unfortunately become all too common to blame stress for everything. Often a form of victim-blaming - "You are too stressed out to get pregnant. Just relax and go for a holiday, and you'll get pregnant".

However, while stress can decrease fertility, it is obviously too simplistic to blame the couple for being stressed out. Thus, if a woman has blocked tubes, then this is going to cause her stress - and it's obvious that in this case it's the blocked tubes causing the stress, rather than the stress causing the tubes to get blocked! However, for some couples, specially those with unexplained infertility, this relationship can be a complex chicken and egg problem.

It is useful to develop constructive ways of coping with the stress of infertility. Many programs have focused on the mind-body relationship for the infertile couple, and have reported gratifying successes. While this is useful as a sole mode of treatment; it is perhaps even more useful in teaching couples to cope with the stress of taking treatment.

We too encourage our patients to be optimistic - to hope for the best, while preparing for the worst. However, since many patients blame themselves when they do not get pregnant, the backlash of this is that then the wife does not conceive, the husband often blames her further by saying she was too stressed out, which is why she didn't conceive. This is simply adding insult to injury, and is very unfair!

When should you seek professional help to cope with your stress ?

When Professional Help May be Necessary

If you remain depressed, rather than having "ups and downs" that seem to be related to your treatment, you may need to seek professional therapy. Counseling can help you honestly examine your feelings, determine your priorities, and improve your coping skills.

There are several signs that indicate serious depression. If you find yourself constantly feeling sad, desperate, worthless, or inadequate, professional counseling may help you better understand your situation. Other signs that indicate a need for professional counseling are lack of motivation, withdrawal from social activities, feeling overly sensitive, vulnerable, or guilty, and having suicidal thoughts.

In addition to the emotional signs of depression, there are several biological and physical signs that you should look for. For example, if you''re having difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep or if you find yourself waking up early and being unable to go back to sleep, this could signal depression. Other signs are excessive increase in or loss of appetite, loss of sexual desire, and fatigue.

You might also want to seek help if you and your partner are unable to communicate with each other about your infertility and its treatment, and if you''re having difficulty coping with extreme anger or resentment.

It is important to select a therapist who has experience in infertility treatment and the difficulties and emotions that go long with it. Remember, you are choosing the therapist. It is acceptable to interview a number of professionals in order to select someone who is familiar with your situation and who makes you feel comfortable.

The development of specialized Mind-Body programs which are specifically designed for infertile couples. These teach couples useful tools, such as yoga and meditation, to help them to elicit the relaxation response which improves their physical and emotional responses to stress; and also behavioral strategies to enhance coping skills. The goals of these programs are to increase sense of control and well-being; and develop skills to ease the infertility treatment process, and has been shown to help many patients.

To know more Infertility Treatment visit:

http://www.fertilityfirst.in/

Contact us at:

PARAKH HOSPITAL
Khokhani Lane, Opp. Ghatkopar Rly. Stn.,
Ghatkopar (E), Mumbai - 400 077
Phone: 022 - 67827000 / 7004 / 7005
Fax: 022 - 6782 7007
Emergency: 9821125519/9821237708
Email: info@fertilityfirst.in

How to make the right decision?

Infertile couples have to make many decisions. Should they do IVF ? How do they select the right clinic ? How many IVF cycles should they do ? Should they consider using donor eggs ? or adoption ? When should they call it a day ?

These can be difficult decisions to make, partly because they have incomplete information ; the outcome is always uncertain; and because they are very emotionally charged issues.

Here are 7 strategies, developed by neurobioogists, to help you make the right decision

1. Decide on a research strategy - and then set boundaries. For example, let's say you want to find the best IVF clinic. You can use the internet ; or ask your friends ; or trust your doctor to refer you to the right clinic. Please remember that these are not mutually exclusive options. They can be complementary, and you can use them together to create a short list of doctors to interview.
   
2. Limit your options . The paradox of choice goes like this : we think that the bigger the choice the better our decision. In fact, with too many choices, we spend too much time weighing up the options, so that at the end we may not reach a decision at all. Make sure you do not get trapped in the phenomenon of "paralysis by analysis".
   
3. Accept good enough. This is called satisficing. Decide on something that meets your basic requirements, instead of searching for " the best ". For example, if you're looking for an egg donor, and you find one who meets your requirements, don't waste time trying to shop around, looking for someone who is better. This only leads to unhappiness.
   
4. Don't fear the consequences. The consequences of most decisions are not as long-lasting as we think, says Dr. Daniel Gilbert. In the scheme of things, every decision loses its importance, with the passage of time. The wisest words known to man are - "This too will pass".
   
5. Go with your gut instinct. Research has shown that there seems to be a part of us that knows more than we think we know; and we do tend to be more forgiving of wrong decisions made intuitively, rather than once we spent a long time thinking about. It's easier to forgive our heart as compared to our head.
   
6. Have someone else choose. We tend to think that we are happy if we take things into our own hands . However, sometimes the opposite is true ! When we are forced to make our own decisions, we suffer nagging doubts that we didn't make the best choice. However if you trust your doctor, you can allow him to decide for you. You will be happy if the outcome is good; and if the outcome is bad, you then have someone else to blame !
   
7. Once you have decided, then don't question your decision anymore.
   

If you follow these steps, the chances of your making the right decision improve considerably.

However, if you are still not sure what to do, inspite of agonising for weeks on end, here's a very simple method, discovered by Ignatius Loyola, for making the right decision. For example, suppose you've failed 3 IVF cycles and you then need to decide if you should do a fourth IVF cycle, or just call it quits and live child-free. Both these are difficult options, and it can be hard to decide which one is right. First, spend three days as if you had made a decision to go for another cycle. During these three days, make a note of all your thoughts, feelings and dreams. Then, go through the same process, with the alternative decision - that of living child-free. Compare notes at the end of this time - and then decide. This way, you'll be able to listen clearly to what your heart desires !

Need more information Visit In Vitro Fertilization in Mumbai


Contact us at:
PARAKH HOSPITAL
Khokhani Lane, Opp. Ghatkopar Rly. Stn.,
Ghatkopar (E), Mumbai - 400 077
Phone: 022 - 67827000 / 7004 / 7005
Fax: 022 - 6782 7007
Emergency: 9821125519/9821237708
Email: info@fertilityfirst.in
web : http://www.fertilityfirst.in

Male Infertility - Can it be a reason that a couple cannot conceive?

Infertility in Men - It is equally important for a male fertility test to be done early

Infertility is fundamentally the inability to conceive offspring. There are many biological causes of infertility, including some that medical intervention can treat. But usually it is considered only as a woman's problem but infertility in a man can also be the sole reason that a couple cannot conceive.

About 40 percent of the issues involved with infertility are due to the man, another 40 percent due to the woman, and 20 percent result from complications with both partners.

Psychologically men and women differ in their responses to to infertility.When men face personal infertility the battles that they undergo are usually anxiety concerning potency, masculinity and sexual adequacy.

So it's crucial that men get tested for fertility as well as women. It's also important that men do it early.

Causes of male infertility can be many:

Pre-testicular causes:
This refers to conditions that impede adequate support of the testes and include situations of poor hormonal support and poor general health.

Tobacco smoking:
Male smokers also have approximately 30% higher odds of infertility. There is increasing evidence that the harmful products of tobacco smoking kill sperm cells.

DNA damage:
Common inherited variants in genes that encode enzymes employed in DNA mismatch repair are associated with increased risk of sperm DNA damage and male infertility

Testicular factors:
Testicular factors refer to conditions where the testes produce semen of low quantity and/or poor quality despite adequate hormonal support.

Post-testicular causes:
Post-testicular factors decrease male fertility due to conditions that affect the male genital system after testicular sperm production and include defects of the genital tract as well as problems in ejaculation.

To avoid stress get the tests done - advisable or not

Though some guys may want to put off being tested -- possibly to avoid embarrassment -- early testing can spare their partners a great deal of unnecessary discomfort and expense. It's also a good way to quickly narrow down potential problems.

The first thing to do for fertility issues is to go to the doctor, typically a urologist. After a physical exam, your doctor will probably order a semen analysis, which will check the quality and quantity of the sperm in the semen. And yes, your doctor will want you to give the sample there, or at least someplace nearby, because it's important that the analysis take place quickly.

If the first semen analysis is normal, your doctor may order a second test to confirm the results. Two normal tests usually are interpreted to mean that the man doesn't have any significant infertility problems. If something in the results looks irregular, your doctor might order further tests to pinpoint the problem. At this point, if you aren't already seeing a urologist, you should consider seeing a specialist.

What a Semen Analysis Can Detect

The volume of the semen sample, approximate number of total sperm cells, sperm motility/forward progression, and % of sperm with normal morphology are measured.
Azoospermia. the sperm cells aren't appearing in the semen.
Oligospermia. Few sperm are produced.
Aspermia : complete lack of semen
hypospermia : Reduction in sperminal volume
Teratospermia : Sperm increment with abnormal morphology
Problems with sperm motility. If sperm aren't moving normally, they are less likely to be capable of fertilizing an egg.
But while these conditions may be the direct reason that a man can't conceive, they themselves may be caused by an underlying medical condition. The doctor will probably want to investigate the issue further by ordering blood and urine tests or other procedures.

Some people may opt for the following as well:

At-home conception kitIn 2007 the FDA cleared the first at home tier one medical conception device to aid in conception. The key to the kit are cervical caps for conception. This at home insemination method allows all the semen to be placed up against the cervical os for six hours allowing all available sperm to be placed directly on the cervical os. For low sperm count, low sperm motility, or a tilted cervix using a cervical cap aids conception. This is a prescriptive medical device, but not commonly prescribed by physicians.

Sperm booster - dietary supplement
Some men are gritting their teeth and gulping down a few ounces of a citrus-flavored dietary supplement which is specifically designed to optimize sperm quality.The supplement called proXeed main constituents are -- levocarnitine and acetyl-L-carnitine of which levocarnitine is responsible for carrying fats into cells and also is a source of fuel, according to proXeed's manufacturer. Fats are the major source of energy for sperm movement. Acetyl-L-carnitine, the firm says, is important for the development of cell membranes, another important component of sperm that allows them to fertilize the egg. ProXeed also contains fructose, a major energy-yielding substance in semen, and citric acid, a key intermediary in energy production, according to the company.

Assisted Natural Conception
For some causes of infertility, assisted natural conception can provide couples with a pregnancy rate at least as high as the one provided by fertility treatment.This is typically for couples with unexplained infertility, sperm count above 5M/ml, one tube blocked, or other mild infertility causes.

To know more about Male infertility visit our website www.fertilityfirst.in

About Us:-

Fertility First is Fertility Clinic in Mumbai, India. Fertility First provides affordable male, female ivf treatments, surrogacy, embryo transfer, egg, sperm donation services.

　

Contact Us:-
Parakh Hospital
Khokhani Lane,
Opp. Ghatkopar Rly. Stn.,
Ghatkopar (E), Mumbai - 400 077
Phone: 022 - 67827000 / 7004 / 7005
Fax: 022 - 6782 7007
Emergency:9821125519/9821237708
Email: info@fertilityfirst.in 

All about surrogacy, how to decide on surrogacy in India?

Wombs on Rent? What Is this term?

Surrogacy is an arrangement between a woman and a couple or individual to carry and deliver a baby. Many couples have pursued surrogacy in india and have been able to have a child with the parents own genetic material or with the assistance of a donor egg.Many couples have pursued surrogacy in India and have been able to have a child with the parents own genetic material, or with the assistance of a donor egg, and the help of an Indian surrogate Many couples have pursued surrogacy in India and have been able to have a child with the parents own genetic material, or with the assistance of a donor egg, and the help of an Indian surrogate Many couples have pursued surrogacy in India and have been able to have a child with the parents own genetic material, or with the assistance of a donor egg, and the help of an Indian surrogate

Generally there are two types of surrogates.

Traditional surrogates. A traditional surrogate is a woman who is artificially inseminated with the father's sperm and she is the baby’s biological mother as it was her egg that was fertilized by the father’s sperm. She then carries the baby and delivers it for the parents to raise. Donor sperm can also be used for a traditional surrogacy.

Gestational surrogates. With IVF treatment it is now possible to harvest eggs from the mother, fertilize them with father’s sperm, and place the embryo into the uterus of a gestational surrogate. The surrogate then carries the baby until birth. Here the gestational surrogate has no genetic ties to the child as it was not her egg that was used. The biological mother, though, is still the woman whose egg was fertilized.

Who can use Surrogates?

•  Women who have medical problems with their uterus or have got their uterus removed with the hysterectomy procedure.
• Women who have been unsuccessful to become pregnant with various ART techniques such as IVF
•  For those who have been declared medically risky pregnancy such as severe heart issues.
• For people who might not be able to adopt a child due to their age, marital status or sexual orientation.

To find a surrogate who can help you?

Friends or family – A friend or relative can be a surrogate if willing though there are chances of same genes between first-degree relatives. But a tried and tested family relationship is easier to manage provided the high cost of surrogacy and the legal issues complexity.

A surrogacy agency - Helps would-be parents find a suitable surrogate, makes arrangements, and collects any fees passed between parents and the surrogate, such as reimbursement for her medical expenses

You should choose a surrogate who:

• Is at least 21 years old.
• Has already given birth to at least one healthy baby so she understands the medical risks of pregnancy and childbirth and the emotional issues of bonding.
• Has passed a psychological screening
• Willingly signs a contract agreeing to her role and responsibilities in the pregnancy, such as steps she'll take to ensure prenatal care and to relinquish the baby after birth.
• Surrogates also need screening for immunity to measles, rubella (German measles), and chickenpox. Medically the normal structures of the uterus is observed to evaluate the potential to carry a pregnancy.

Continue reading below...

Legalities With Surrogates in India

Commercial surrogacy in India is legal since 2002. This industry has grown fast due to the availability of medical infrastructure and potential surrogates, combined with international demand.

Currently to undertake surrogacy in India you must apply for travel on medical visa. If donor eggs are used or you are sending embryos from your home country only 3 to5 days need to be spent in India. 5 to 15 days need to be spent in india if own eggs are used.

To Know More Surrogacy in India Contact Us Now...

About Us:-
Fertility First is Fertility Clinic in Mumbai, India. Fertility First provides affordable male, female ivf treatments, surrogacy, embryo transfer, egg, sperm donation services.

Contact Us:-

Parakh Hospital
Khokhani Lane,
Opp. Ghatkopar Rly. Stn.,
Ghatkopar (E), Mumbai - 400 077
Phone: 022 - 67827000 / 7004 / 7005
Fax: 022 - 6782 7007
Emergency:9821125519/9821237708
Email: info@fertilityfirst.in

 

Due for delivery ! Looking for painless childbirth, it is possible with epidural analgesia.

Why painless childbirth?

Normally childbirth is a process where there are intense contractions of the uterus and that causes pain. The incidence of normal delivery in women of rural areas is more compared to urban women as they are generally active throughout the 9 months of pregnancy and their pain bearing capacity tends to be more than women in the cities.

Biologically every woman is different because of that, each of them experiences childbirth differently and will feel different amounts of pressure and pain. Some women's bodies are simply better designed for fast, mostly painless childbirth. Others have a stronger level of mental control and can easily 'tune out' the pain. But even for those who aren't naturally designed for an easier birth experience, there are still plenty of ways to help reduce and alleviate the pain. One of the options for Painless Delivery with an epidural anesthesia in medical terms it is called the “Epidural Block.” A woman whose pelvic passage is adequate, and who wishes to opt for a normal delivery but is afraid of the pain can choose this option.

What Is an Epidural Analgesia procedure ?

Epidural anesthesia or analgesia refers to total or partial loss of sensation in the trunk between the fundus and the pubis or lower. It is the introduction of small doses of medicines into the lower back spine through a fine plastic tube. The back is cleaned with an antiseptic and the area where the catheter is to be introduced is numbed with a local anesthetic. The needle is then passed into the epidural space and one does not have to enter the spinal canal as feared by some. The tubing is then strapped to the back with tape and kept in place. Other than the prick of the local Anaesthesia there is generally no other discomfort. Once the tube is in place medicines are introduced into the catheter, which are enough to block your pain, but you will be able to push the baby.

Advantages of epidural block

Reduction in labor pain without affecting the mother's mental state.

The exhausted mother can sleep during the labor without being anxious.

Additional medication can be easily administered if needed once the catheter is in place.

• Epidurals often lower blood pressure, this may benefit some women with pregnancy induced hypertension.
• Epidurals reduce pain without reducing other sensations or muscle function, hence the women can change positions more easily than with anesthetics.
• The women remains aware of her contractions and often continues to participate; using breathing patterns and other comfort measures.

Disadvantages of epidural block

Epidural blocks carry some risks to the mother, fetus and newborn. Unwanted effects tend to be greater

On the mother like:

Inadequate pain relief (up to 10%)

Drop in the mother’s blood pressure

 Short or long-term backache from bruising caused by the injection or from ligament strain caused by prolonged time spent in a damaging position or inappropriate movement

Long-term backache is almost twice as likely to occur with an epidural than without.

Possible unintentional spinal block and resulting spinal headache requiring days of bed rest.

Mild to severe itching of the skin

Retention of urine, requiring a bladder catheter.

Problems caused by human error or maternal structural anomaly, such as inability to place catheter properly; inadvertent injection of anesthetic into a blood vessel; or too much anesthesia, affecting respiration and swallowing (rates vary with skill of the practitioner and anatomy of the mother).

Rare complications, such as residual numbness or weakness from needle injury to nerves

Delayed respiratory depression with epidural narcotics

Undesired effects on the fetus:

Abnormal heart rate patterns,

If the mother develops post epidural fever, it can affect the baby by passing on the infection thus leading to need of antibiotics etc for the baby.

Undesired effects on the newborn:

Some babies may show subtle neurobehavioral effects, such as irritability and inconsolability and decreased ability to track an object visually or to shut out noise, bright light.

It is reported that there are more difficulties in feeding babies whose mothers had an epidural when compared to unmedicated babies.

Decreased infant responsiveness may lead to long-term consequences for the parent-infant relationship.
Parents need to be counseled to give their babies time to recover from the birth and medication

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About Us:-
Fertility First is Fertility Clinic in Mumbai, India. Fertility First provides affordable male, female ivf treatments, surrogacy, embryo transfer, egg, sperm donation services.

Contact Us:-

Parakh Hospital
Khokhani Lane,
Opp. Ghatkopar Rly. Stn.,
Ghatkopar (E), Mumbai - 400 077
Phone: 022 - 67827000 / 7004 / 7005
Fax: 022 - 6782 7007
Emergency:9821125519/9821237708
Email: info@fertilityfirst.in

 

InFertility Problems – Treatment Overview

What are Infertility problems?

You may have infertility problems if you haven't been able to get pregnant after trying for at least 1 year. It doesn't necessarily mean you will never get pregnant. Often, couples conceive without help in their second year of trying. Some don't succeed. But medical treatments do help many couples.

Age is an important factor if you are trying to decide whether to get testing and treatment for infertility problems. A woman is most fertile in her late 20s. After age 35, fertility decreases and the risk of miscarriage goes up.

• If you are younger than 35, you may want to give yourself more time to get pregnant.
• If you are 35 or older, you may want to get help soon.

What causes fertility problems?

In cases of fertility problems:

• About 50 out of 100 are caused by a problem with the woman’s reproductive system. These may be problems with her fallopian tubes or uterus or her ability to ovulate (release an egg).
• About 35 out of 100 are caused by a problem with the man's reproductive system . The most common is low sperm count.
• In about 10 out of 100, no cause can be found in spite of testing.
• About 5 out of 100 are caused by an uncommon problem, such as the man or woman having been exposed to a medicine called DES before birth.

Should you be tested for infertility problems?

Before you have fertility tests, try fertility awareness. A woman can learn when she is likely to ovulate and be fertile by charting her basal body temperature and using home tests. Some couples find that they simply have been missing their most fertile days when trying to conceive.

How are infertility problems treated?

A wide range of treatments is available. Depending on what is causing the problem, a couple may be able to:

• Take a medicine that helps the woman ovulate.
• Have a procedure that puts sperm directly inside the woman (insemination).
• Have a surgery that corrects a problem caused by endometriosis or blocked fallopian tubes.
• Have a procedure that might increase the man?s sperm count.

Which Infertility Treatment should you opt for?

Some infertility problems are more easily treated than others. In general, as a woman ages, especially after age 35, her chances of getting pregnant go down. But her risk of miscarriage goes up.

If you are 35 or older, your doctor may recommend that you skip some of the steps younger couples usually take. That's because your chances of having a baby decrease with each passing year.

It's important to understand that even if you are able to get pregnant, no treatment can guarantee a healthy baby. On the other hand, scientists in this field have made many advances that have helped millions of couples have babies.

Take time to plan

Before you and your partner start the infertility treatment, talk about how far you want to go with treatment. For example, you may want to try medicine but don't want to have surgery. While you may change your mind during your treatment, it’s good to have an idea where you want to draw the line.

Treatment for infertility can also cost a lot. And insurance often doesn't cover these expenses. If cost is a concern for you, ask how much the medicine and procedures cost. Then find out if your insurance covers any costs. Talk with your partner about what you can afford.

Thinking about this ahead of time may help keep you from becoming emotionally and financially drained from trying a series of treatments you hadn't planned for.

Types of Infertility treatment

- Treatment for the woman

Treatments for fertility problems in women depend on what may be keeping the woman from getting pregnant. Sometimes the cause isn't known.

• Problems with ovulating. Treatment may include taking medicine, such as:
  • Clomiphene. It stimulates your ovaries to release eggs.
  • Metformin. It's used to treat polycystic ovary syndrome.

• Unexplained fertility. If your doctor can't find out why you and your partner haven't been able to get pregnant, treatment may include:
  • Clomiphene.
  • Hormone injections.
  Insemination.
• Blocked or damaged tubes. If your fallopian tubes are blocked, treatment may include tubal surgery.

- Treatment for the man

Your doctor might recommend that you try insemination first. The sperm are collected and then concentrated to increase the number of healthy sperm for insemination.

When initial treatments don't work

Many couples who have problems getting pregnant arrive at a common point: They must decide whether they want to try assisted reproductive technology (ART).

• In vitro fertilization (IVF) is the most common type of ART.
• Intracytoplasmic sperm injection, or ICSI (say "ICK-see"). In a lab, your doctor injects one sperm into one egg. If fertilization occurs, the doctor puts the embryo into the woman's uterus.

To Know More About Infertility Treatment Clinics Mumbai Contact Us Now...

Fertility First
Khokhani Lane,
Opp. Ghatkopar Rly. Stn.,
Ghatkopar (E), Mumbai - 400 077
Phone: 022 - 67827000 / 7004 / 7005
Fax: 022 - 6782 7007
Emergency:9821125519/9821237708
Email: info@fertilityfirst.in

Sperm Donation in Mumbai

Sperm donation is the provision (or ‘donation’) by a man (known as a sperm donor) of his  (known as donor sperm) for the purpose of  or impregnating a woman who is not necessarily his sexual partner. The woman may be inseminated by either natural or artificial insemination methods. Sperm may be donated privately and directly to the intended recipient, or through a  or fertility clinic. The primary recipients of donor sperm are heterosexual couples suffering from , lesbian couples and single women.

When going through a sperm bank, the recipient may select donor sperm on the basis of the donor's looks, personality, academic ability, race, and many other factors. Sperm banks or clinics are subject to varying state regulations, including restrictions on donor anonymity and number of offspring, and there may be other legal protections of the rights and responsibilities of both recipient and donor. Some sperm banks, either by choice or regulation, limit the amount of information available to potential recipients; a desire to obtain more information on donors is one reason why recipients may choose to use a known donor and/or private donation .

While a sperm donor is regarded as the natural or biological  of every child produced as a result of his donation, he is generally not intended to be the legal or de jure father. Depending on the jurisdiction and its laws, he may or may not later be eligible to seek parental rights or be held responsible for parental obligations.

The general process of sperm donation is described as . Pregnancies are usually achieved using donor sperm by  (ART). Techniques include  (either by  (ISI) or  (IUI) in a clinic, or intra vaginal insemination at home) and less commonly in vitro fertilization (). Insemination may also be achieved by a donor having  with a woman for the sole purpose of initiating conception. This method is known as .

Uses:-

Donor sperm may be prepared for use by artificial insemination in intrauterine insemination (IUI) or intra-cervical insemination (ICI), or, less commonly, it may be prepared for use in other assisted reproductive techniques such as IVF and ICSI. Donor sperm may also be used in surrogacy arrangements either by artificially inseminating the surrogate (known as traditional surrogacy) or by implanting in a surrogate embryos which have been created by using donor sperm together with eggs from a donor or from the 'commissioning woman' (known as gestational surrogacy). Spare embryos from this process may be donated to other women or surrogates. Donor sperm may also be used for producing embryos with donor eggs which are then donated to a woman who is not genetically related to the child she produces.

In medical terms, using donor sperm to achieve a pregnancy in IVF or ICSI is no different from using sperm from a woman's partner.

Procedures of any kind e.g. artificial insemination or IVF, using donor sperm to impregnate a woman who is not the partner of, nor related to the man who provided the sperm, may be referred to as 'donor treatments'.


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About Us:-
Fertility First is Fertility Clinic in Mumbai, India. Fertility First provides affordable male, female ivf treatments, surrogacy, embryo transfer, egg, sperm donation services.

Contact Us:-

Parakh Hospital
Khokhani Lane,
Opp. Ghatkopar Rly. Stn.,
Ghatkopar (E), Mumbai - 400 077
Phone: 022 - 67827000 / 7004 / 7005
Fax: 022 - 6782 7007
Emergency:9821125519/9821237708
Email: info@fertilityfirst.in