Wednesday 31 October 2012

Facts About Egg Donation



5 interesting facts about egg donation


Egg donation is one of the various types of infertility treatment for the couples that are trying hard to conceive. The clinics like International Fertility Centre get thousands of cases every year with this problem and many cases; the pregnancy is not possible due to ovulation related problems. Dr. Rita Bakshi and her expert team analyse the case and then suggest appropriate solution. There are various myths and contradictions regarding eggdonation process that keep the people confused. There are some interesting facts about this incredible process that might amuse you!

  1. Open egg donation is an overwhelming experience to have: There are three options of egg donation. Closed donation where intended parents and the donor woman do not have any interaction. In the option of semi open egg donation, they can have an interaction without knowing the personal details. The profile details of both parties would be known to each other, but personal information like name, contact details and face would be still unknown. The third option of open egg donation provides complete interaction with each other. Generally this option is preferred when egg donor is known to the intended couple, but there are cases when unknown donors also ready to do egg donation with open process. The experience is simply overwhelming if both parties go for. The feeling of bringing happiness in the life of childless couple for the donor and the feeling of gratitude and thankfulness in the intended couple is incredible to experience.
  2. Egg donation does not require hospitalization: Although the process of egg donation seems to be extremely complicated and it is certainly for doctors at infertility clinic like International Fertility Centre. They have to work very closely and carefully to decide the steps and landmark of the entire process. However, for you as an egg donor it is surely a simple process and believe it or not, it does not require hospitalization as well. Doctors would definitely call you multiple times for different tests and investigation, but these will not take more than half a day. The main process of extracting the eggs will take maximum one day, from morning to evening. In very rare scenario, donor woman has to stay in the hospital in case anything abnormal is observed during the process.
  3. One egg donation might result in multiple babies: It is perhaps the most astonishing fact about egg donation, but it is 100% correct. There is a fundamental reason for it. In the natural process of ovulation, there is only one egg that gets released every month. Since egg donation is a complicated medical procedure that works on the artificial extraction of eggs, expert doctors try to get multiple eggs released so that they can be retrieved in one round. Assisted Reproduction Treatment might require multiple iterations since success may not get achieved in the first attempt. It is not feasible to call the egg donor every time since extraction of egg is not an easy task. Therefore, multiple eggs are taken in one attempt and kept preserved. Also, while fertilization doctors will prepare multiple embryos and the best two or three are implanted. There are cases where all these implants survive and multiple babies are possible from one egg donation. There are cases where the implants are not able to survive and doctors have to terminate the pregnancy. There is no need to repeat the entire process again since the eggs are readily available for fertilization. Donor woman is completely aware of this and she provides consent for the same.
  4. Intended parents are the legitimate parents of the baby: ART process involves the fertilization of the eggs taken from a donor woman and sperms provided by the legitimate father. Of course the fertilization takes place in the laboratory and no physical connection takes place. On all theoretical grounds, the donor and intended father are genetic parents of the baby. However, practically and as decided earlier in the form of a legal contract the intended couple have all the rights towards the baby and they are the legitimate parents. Donor mother can't produce any claim regarding the possession in future and the egg donation is a purely compensation based transaction. Most couples therefore choose to go for close egg donation process where there is no interaction with the egg donor at all. This saves from unpleasant situation in the future. Legal formalities are taken care of the infertility clinics with the help of legal advisors.
  5. Egg donors are picked with a selection procedure: There are various infertility clinics like International Fertility Centre are working towards the treatment and solution of infertility problem. Egg donation is one of the various alternatives that can help for childless couples in achieving pregnancy. There are various women that want to help by donating their eggs for such couples that can't become parents due to ovulation problems. For this donor woman has to register with a certified infertility clinic. Clinics have very stringent norms like age, physical and mental health, clean history of drug abuse, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV, etc. The screening and checking process will filter the invalid candidates and only the best fit are selected. When a couple is suggested for egg donation, clinics match the characteristics of both parties and then select a donor woman that matches perfectly. The obvious logic behind is the genetic connection of the donor woman and the baby. However, the baby should match with the intended parents as well and therefore the match plays a critical step in the whole process. It is not a random process where any woman can be selected.


The process of egg donation is one of the key elements in the field of infertility and every year there is an increase in the number of cases selecting this option for pregnancy. Although it is not a generic solution and it is suggested in a particular type ofinfertility, but surely the popularity is increasing. Dr. Rita Bakshi of International Fertility Clinic refers it as a 'great solution for childless couple and a wonderful example of mutual coordination and basic instinct of helping others'. According to her, the contribution of donor is more creditable since she comes forward with a willingness and sympathetic attitude towards people that are not able to conceive.

Women with a great sense of social responsibility, willingness, strong mental and physical ability and positive attitude can become egg donor and actually help the society. They can become instrumental in resolving the problem of infertility to a great extent.  It is not very complicated process, but due to less awareness people are not ready to come forward for this noble cause.

Tuesday 30 October 2012

Male infertility - Issues and Treatment



Male infertility: Issues and treatment


A couple that is trying desperately for conception, but not able to hit the bull's-eye in spite of consistent efforts ultimately gets frustrated and disappointed. In maximum cases, the doubt goes towards the female partner because of the strong and direct association of baby and mother. Surprisingly, almost half of the infertility cases are contributed by the male partners. An expert like Dr. Rita Bakshi states it as a 'hidden problem'. There is good number of cases where couple is not able to enjoy parenthood because the male partner is unable to fertilize eggs of a perfectly healthy female. Infertility clinics like International Fertility Centre, New Delhi handles big number of cases every year with a variety of male infertilitycases. Opposite to female infertility, identification of the exact cause of male infertility is much complex. Expertise and experience of the team of doctors play a major role in treating it effectively.

Issues

The cases reported to clinics with infertility are diagnosed thoroughly using diagnostic tests. In case it is clearly visible that the problem is associated with male infertility, doctors concentrate on identifying of the exact variant.

  • Less production of sperms: There are cases where male has very less production of sperms and therefore chances of pregnancy are diminished. In a healthy scenario, there are around 20 to 40 million sperms per ml, of semen. Anything less than that is considered as less production. There are no exact known causes of the same; however hormonal treatment helps a lot to increase it.
  • Sperm transportation abnormality: Doctors at IFC encounter many such cases where the sperm count is adequate and lies in the normal range, but still the couple is unable to conceive. Detailed investigation reveals that the problem is there with sperm transportation. Usually it is due to blockage in the passage that carries the sperms from the testis to the penis. Surgical methods are used to remove the blockage and the passage is made clear.
  • Sperm destruction: Although the number is very less, but still there are cases found where male body produces special antibodies that destroy the sperms considering it as foreign body. These types of cases are extremely difficult to identify. These antibodies restrict the sperm movement, affect the ability to get attached with female egg or sometimes even destroy the sperm at all. Special medication is provided to stop production of antibodies.
  • Physiological problems: There are sometimes problems with erection or other physical deformities in the male reproduction system. Corrective surgeries like cosmetic surgery are required to resolve the problem. This cause is usually easier to identify and cure.
  • Hormonal imbalance: There are cases where hormonal problems cause sperm mobility issues. The sperm count appears to be adequate, but they do not have enough speed and penetration to reach up to female egg and fertilize. Patients need to seek medical advice and medication may help increasing the mobility.


Treatment

Male infertility has very limited options of treatment. Doctors try to correct the problem with medication or surgery according to the case. There are cases where IVF is the only option left. Sperms are taken from the male partners and female egg is fertilized in the laboratory. The embryo is implanted in the uterus of female to achieve pregnancy.

Monday 29 October 2012

Why egg donation



What, Why and How of egg donation


Egg donation is an option suggested during the treatment of infertility. It is used as a method to achieve partial genetic association with the baby and mental comfort to the intended couple. Although the process is not very easy and simple, but expert doctors like Dr. Rita Bakshi and good clinics like International Fertility Centre can make it much easy and efficient.

What?

The term egg donation itself is self-explanatory where fertilization process gets completed by egg received from somebody else, other than the intended mother. The donor woman might be a known person to the family, or she might be somebody that is ready to help the childless couple by providing eggs and the identity is not revealed. This decision fully depends on the intended parents whether they want to have a communication with the donor or not. The process of egg donation is performed in infertility clinic and requires maximum one day of hospitalization. Donor woman has to undergo various tests and the process up to extraction of eggs is the same as IVF treatment for genetic mother. Donated eggs will transfer the genetic properties of donor mother to the baby and therefore medical history, general health condition, education and cultural background, addiction to drugs and alcohol and genetic disorders are thoroughly checked by the doctor. If egg donation is taking place at clinics like International Fertility Centre and the egg donor is selected from the registered database of the clinic, then all these pre-checks are already done before the registration of donor woman.

Why?

The problem of infertility has many aspects with different treatment strategy. There are certain cases where intended mother is incapable of producing eggs. A woman is termed as facing problem of ovulation, if she has issues of releasing a matured egg from the ovaries every month. This can happen due to blocked tubes, polycystic syndrome, poor quality eggs, uterus and cervix problems, etc. The female partner is unable to contribute in the pregnancy and therefore no other option is left than taking help of donor mother. There will be obviously no genetic connection of the mother with the baby, but father will have one by providing sperm for fertilization. Convincing the intended mother becomes a challenging task sometimes, but clinics like International Fertility Centre are well equipped with counselling facilities and orientation lectures make the task easier.

How?

Process of egg donation is a complex one because there are two women involved in the process. Doctors need to plan and work-out a date wise schedule in order to make the things happen smoothly and swiftly. Any slippage would delay the whole process. Dr. Rita Bakshi monitors each and every step closely at IFC to ensure they are carried out in time and properly.
  1. Match the menstruation cycles: The most critical part of egg donation is matching the menstruation cycles of the donor woman and intended woman. Hormones play a major role in doing this. Birth control pills and hormone injections are used to stop the ovulation process. Blood tests, ultrasound tests and physical examination like measuring the body temperature is done to determine the exact time of ovulation.
  2. Preparation of intended mother's womb: As the cycles match, two days prior to ovulation of donor woman, special hormones are injected to the intended mother so that internal lining of the uterus gets ready. It is extremely important because implantation of fertilized embryo would attach to this lining. If the lining is not adequately thick, the survival chances of pregnancy would be very less.
  3. Extraction of eggs: Donor woman is under observation to determine the maturity of eggs. As the eggs get matured, they are extracted and preserved in the laboratory. The process takes almost one day and the patient is under mild anaesthesia. It is usually not very painful procedure.
  4. Getting semen sample: Semen sample is taken from the intended father for external fertilization. The activity is performed in the laboratory and sperm quantity and quality is checked. Only few healthy sperms are selected and preserved for fertilization.
  5. Fertilization: Actual fertilization occurs in the lab. Healthy sperms and donors eggs are mixed in a plate and observed. As fertilization takes place, few healthy embryos are selected for implantation. Usually two or three embryos are taken. If there are more embryos available, they are kept under extremely low temperature for subsequent cycles. Intended mother's age plays a critical role in deciding the number of embryos for implantation. In case of younger mothers (less than 40), only two embryos are implanted. For elderly mothers more than 40, three are taken because there is reduced probability of embryos getting survived.
  6. Implantation of embryo: The embryos are implanted in the uterus through a very thin needle. The process is not painful and takes less than a day. Intended mother is kept under observation for few hours and then discharged. Intended mother has to spend maximum one day in the hospital.
  7. Post implant observation: Usually the embryo is observed for few weeks and then a pregnancy test is done. Many rounds to the hospital are required to have regular monitoring. Doctors would observe each and every stage of development to ensure all is well.
  8. Repetition of the cycle: There are chances of implants not able to survive or growth related problems are detected. The doctors take decision of termination of the pregnancy. There is no need to repeat the complete cycle, but preparation of the intended mother's womb is required for one more round of implantation.

Benefits of egg donation
  1. The first and foremost benefit of egg donation is partial genetic relation of the intended parents and the baby. In case of other options like adoption, there is no chance of genetic connection at all.
  2. Egg donation has become a blessing to the couples that are not able to conceive due to ovulation problems. In case the donor is a known person or somebody from the close relation, there is an assurance of genetic characteristics as well.
  3. The direct linkage of the father creates an emotional bond with the baby. The intended mother can experience the pregnancy and childbirth to attach emotionally with the baby.
  4. The process is usually safe and there are rarely any side-effects or critical issues barring some physical discomfort due to hormonal drugs. Very rarely there are chances of ectopic pregnancy that is embryo gets attached to the fallopian tube, instead of uterus.


The process of egg donation is very crucial in the treatment of infertility and doctors would suggest it only when there is no other alternative. Couple has to be mentally and physically ready and must 'accept' it as an inevitable step in order to enjoy parenthood. Once the pregnancy gets completed successfully, nothing can be more rewarding than the little angel in their lap!


Friday 26 October 2012

Infertility Specialists


When to see Infertility specialists?


Couples that do not want any pregnancy adopt some or the other protective method to avoid pregnancy. If there are at all any issues related to infertility, they get hidden under the carpet. The couple decides to go for pregnancy and start efforts by unprotected sexual relations. If the success not achieved after few months, then there is surely a need to consult doctors. According to the famous infertility expert Dr. Rita Bakshi, any case of more than six to nine months of unprotected sex not resulting in pregnancy must be reported to the experts. There are fair chances that the couple is victim of some or the other problem of infertility that is causing hurdle in conception.

Why there is a need to consult experts?


Pregnancy is certainly one of the biggest life-changing experiences and therefore couples are eager to achieve it as early as possible. If breakthrough doesn't come even after few months, the level of frustration, anxiety and discomfort starts. There are various social and emotional problems start emerging. There is no point in waiting infinite time in the anticipation of success. The need of the hour is to consult an experienced doctor like Dr. Rita Bakshi of International Fertility Centre. With the thorough knowledge of the subject, experience of handling wide variety of cases and command over various modern reproductive technique doctors would treat the exact cause. Clinics also play a critical role because technology has a great involvement in the treatment. Clinics like IFC are well equipped with laboratory, pathology, operation theatre and other facilities to bring everything at one place.

What is the right time to see the expert?


As stated earlier, couples should not try to avoid or deny the problem of infertility. If they really feel a strong need to extend the family and not getting success after repeated efforts, better consult a doctor. Sometimes there is no problem at all, just pregnancy is taking its own sweet time. However, one should not always assume that because the real situation can be known after investigation by specialists. Any abnormal situation like change or irregularity of menstrual cycle, abnormal increase or decrease in bleeding, sudden increase or reduction in weight are clear symptoms of problem and need immediate consultation.

Male infertility is further intricate and difficult to identify. Except known problems like deformity in reproductive organs, it is impossible to detect without medical investigation. Visit some infertility clinic like International Fertility Centre to assess the problem most accurately and thoroughly. Remember, early detection of the problem would always increase the chances of pregnancy. Infertility treatments usually go very long, sometimes few years and therefore, age of the patients plays a crucial role.

How specialists help?


Doctors that treat infertility have experience and knowledge base of handling similar cases in the past. Going to the root cause becomes extremely easy for them on the basis of symptoms. The modern technology and machines have an added help to diagnose the problem. They plan, discuss and suggest the best possible treatment to resolve the problem of infertility.