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What is infertility?
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Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive after a year of regular unprotected intercourse, or the inability to carry pregnancies to a live birth.
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What affect does diet and lifestyle have on fertility?
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- A well balanced nutritional diet 3-4 months prior to conception maximises the chance of conception and live birth;
- Folic acid taken daily reduces neural tube defects;
- Reducing stress improves ovulation and the chance of spontaneous conception;
- High caffeine intake decreases fertility;
- Smoking
- increases the incidence of infertility X 3 times;
- reduces the response to fertility drugs;
- increases the risk of ectopic pregnancy;
- increases the miscarriage rate;
- increases congenital abnormalities.
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What effect does being overweight or underweight have on the chance of conception?
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- Ovulation becomes infrequent or stops;
- Periods are irregular and/or heavy;
- Natural conception is reduced;
- Therapies to help ovulation are not as successful;
- There is a higher chance of miscarriage.
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Stress and the pressure of trying to become pregnant
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Maintaining a positive state of mind improves your health and well-being and your chances of a successful pregnancy.
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Why should I have a laparoscopy rather than a Hysterosalpingogram (HSG) or X-ray of the fallopian tubes?
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The HSG or X-ray of the uterus and tubes only tells whether the tubes are open or closed and gives no information about the outside of the tubes, whether they are stuck down in the pelvis, whether there is any endometriosis or evidence of previous infection (both causes of infertility) or disorders of the ovaries, uterus or bowel. A laparoscopy does all these things. Therefore the HSG or X-ray gives some information but can be misleading. The main disadvantage of the laparoscopy is the fact that it involves general anaesthesia and is a surgical procedure.
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How long does an ivf treatment cycle take?
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2-3 weeks. During this time, the ovaries are stimulated to increase egg production so that more than one egg is produced.
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How many times do i have to visit the clinic during one treatment cycle?
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approximately four visits are necessary followed by two visits to the hospital for the procedure itself.
- initial consultation with a doctor and start of medications.
- ultrasound examinations (3-4)
- the day of egg collection (hospital visit).
- the day of embryo transfer (hospital visit)
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Will i need to arrange leave in connection with the treatment?
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Not usually, but a few days medical leave will be given after the egg collection and the embryo transfer.
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What are my chances of becoming pregnant?
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- it depends on your age
- the cause of infertility
- the number of eggs that are produced following drug induction
- the quality of the male partner's semen
- the number and quality of embryos resulting from IVF/ICSI
- the number & quality of embryos transferred
At our centre, for women under 40 years of age, pregnancy rates range from 40 - 60%.
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How does age affect fertility?
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- As a woman gets older, her fertility reduces.
- This is more apparent once she crosses the age of 35.
- The risk of miscarriage also increases with age e.g.:
- below 25 years, the miscarriage rate is 7%.
- above 40 years, the risk rises sharply to between 30% and 50%.
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Age
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< 25
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25 - 35
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36 - 40
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>40
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Miscarriage Rate
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7%
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10% - 15%
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20% - 25%
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30% - 50%
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Are there any risks with IVF treatment?
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Overall IVF is a safe treatment.
A condition known as ovarian hyperstimulation may occur whereby a woman's ovaries respond unpredictably and can become enlarged. At the same time fluid accumulates in her abdomen.
Question:
Will the IVF technique damage my ovaries?
Answer:
There is no evidence to suggest that ultrasound egg retrieval damages the ovaries
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What happens to extra embryos following the IVF treatment?
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A maximum of three embryos will be transferred to the uterus for possible implantation. Any excess good embryos will be frozen and can be used for a future ivf cycle. They can be kept for up to 5 yrs.
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How will I feel during the IVF treatment cycle?
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The drugs you have to take in order to stimulate your ovaries may make you feel tired as your estrogen levels increase due to extra eggs being produced. Some people may also experience mild mood swings or bloating. You can carry on with all your usual daily work but heavy exercise is to be avoided.
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