4 Things you need to know before considering IVF
When you’re trying to conceive, in vitro fertilization can bring you one step closer to getting pregnant. Getting an IVF done is not the first or natural choice for any couple desiring to have a baby. Before you take up an expensive treatment like IVF, it is important to be well-informed. IVF involves combining eggs and sperm outside the body in a laboratory. Once the embryo or embryos form, they are placed in the uterus. IVF can help you get pregnant in case you have been diagnosed with endometriosis, low sperm count, poor egg quality, unexplained fertility problem, genetic disease of mother of father, problems with fallopian tubes, problems with ovulation and inability of sperm to penetrate or survive in cervical mucus.
It is a decision or a choice that is taken when all other modes of attaining pregnancy have been ruled out by your doctor, after detailed history taking and investigations. It is a conclusion that is arrived at, after taking into consideration, various parameters such as:
- Your age
- Past and present medical condition
- Duration of infertility
- Social and economic factor etc.
Things to consider before going ahead with IVF:
1. Do proper research about it:
An IVF treatment should not be considered as a poor alternative. Sometimes it is not even a choice but is the only option and it may be the best option for you. Your doctor will discuss with you, your reports and explain to you why any other form of treatment is unlikely to get you pregnant and why the other modes of fertility treatment are not suitable for you. Proper discussions and detailed counseling by the entire IVF team involving you and your partner in joint decision making is a very crucial step in helping you. Prepare yourself for IVF TREATMENT by gathering as much information as you can get from reliable sources.
2. Prepare Yourself:
It is important to get maximum information regarding the IVF process, read blogs, connect with patients who have undergone similar treatment, internalise and process all the wealth of information provided and address any deep-rooted beliefs, myths and misconceptions related to the procedure with the help of dedicated fertility counsellors.
Arrange all your treatment history and reports in the latest first order. Make a flow chart to help you track your history and write down any questions that you may come across. If you have undergone any tests to assess fertility treatment, write them down date wise and check if you understand the results and what they may indicate. You will also have to repeat some of the tests again. It’s important to know which need repeating and why and which don’t.
Similarly, if you have already undergone some form of treatment in the form of oral medications or IUI, include them chronologically in your flow chart and make sure to document the outcome. This will help clear your mind of what way you treatment so far and what you need to ask the doctor next.
- Choosing Right Clinic
Choosing the right Fertility clinic is essential for a smooth IVF treatment. You will be spending a lot of time at the clinic during your treatment. Select a clinic that has counselors and compassionate support staff to patiently address all your queries and concerns during the treatment. This is very important as you will need a patient ear to handle all the queries that you may have during the treatment.
IVF process is lengthy and stressful. Stress due to and during IVF treatment can affect the IVF outcome. The quality of fertility counseling should be an important fact to consider before deciding a clinic.
- How to find an IVF doctor
Your doctor can refer you to a fertility specialist, IVF clinic or special hospital unit for treatment. Some public hospital units work in partnership with private clinics. You should discuss treatment options with your doctor or fertility specialist. Look for a clinic that is open to providing information and has a support infrastructure for you. The vital questions of why, why not, when, how etc. etc., can be satisfactorily answered when the choice of the IVF centre is optimum. This too has to be done with careful consideration, other patient reviews of good IVF clinics, Google reviews, etc. to help reassure you that you have made a correct choice.
Finally:
A faith and trust-based relationship with your fertility doctor and the IVF team are essential for you to maximize the benefit from this hugely accepted yet, insecurity ridden mode of treatment. Assess the quality of your consult. Did you get the answers to your queries? Do you feel confident and clear about what should be done next after meeting your doctor? If not, go back for another consult and ask more queries. Check if the Clinic staff and Doctor are patiently listening to and providing the feedback to your queries. If the clinic freely provides online as well as offline information in the form of blogs articles, brochures and videos on fertility queries it is a big Plus. Once the facts and supportive statistics are in place, hopefully, your questions will have been addressed and resolved fruitfully.
Aaradhya fertility Clinic actively supports transparency and provided accurate information regarding fertility treatment.
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