ASKED QUESTIONS
Frequently asked questions: Infertility:
We hope to inform you by answering the most frequently asked questions about infertility below:-
1. When should you ask about possible infertility?
Advice should be sort after having had sexual relations without contraception for a whole year without conceivingt.
2. How many couples have problems with fertility?
Statistics show that between 15 and 17% of couples have problems with conceiving a child.
3. Who in the relationship should ask about treatment?
Both partners should go to the appointment. Looking into the causes of infertility in couples shows that a third of the problems are due to the woman, a third due to the man and third due to both of them.
4. How important is age in a couple's fertility?
The woman's age plays a more important role than the man's. In women’s age negative effects on becoming pregnant are first noted after the age of 35 and accelerate after the age of 40.
5. How important is having had previous abortions in the couples reproductive history?
Spontaneous abortions are common in fertile women in general, so it does not have to be related to future problems. However, when a woman has three spontaneous abortions she may be considered as having habitual abortions and the causes should be investigated.
6. What are the most common studies for diagnosing sterility?
Currently sterility studies have been simplified considerably. For women, in general, hormone testing and tube x-rays are performed. For men semen samples are tested through a semen analysis. These tests can be expanded on for specific conditions.
7. What are the most common treatments of infertility?
One is ovulation induction for artificial insemination with the partner's semen (IAC) or donor's semen (IAD). In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF-ICSI) and ovum donations are also common.
8. What risks are involved with these treatments?
Currently these treatments are very standard and the medication and dosage is specifically adjusted to each case. Therefore, these treatments are performed with a minimal risk.
9. Are treatments painful?
In general they are not painful. Steps in treatment that may be bothersome or painful are done with anesthetic (excluding obtaining ovum). It is also dependent upon each woman's threshold for pain.
10. What risks are there of multiple pregnancies?
For artificial insemination rates oscillate around 15% with the majority being twins. For In Vitro Fertilisation it depends on the number of embryos transferred. In general more than two are not usually transferred, and sometimes there are three. Approximately 70-80% of pregnancies with IVF techniques are single, while 20% of the cases result in twins and 1-3% with triplets. Currently the general tendency is to reduce the number of embryos transferred, adjusting it to each case and the patient's decision.
11. What can we do when the man has no sperm?
The lack of sperm in the ejaculation is known as azoospermia. First one should check if it is caused by an obstruction. That is, the man generates sperm but it does not appear in the ejaculation. If not, an alternative cause is possible. In the majority of the cases, sperm can be directly obtained from the testicle through a simple intervention with anesthetic.
12. Does chemotherapy affect a man's reproductive future?
Yes, it does. In many cases it is irreversible even though there are exceptions. There is the possibility of freezing sperm samples in our sperm bank in order to use them after the chemotherapy treatment.
13. Can the child's sex be selected?
Spanish legislation only allows for this if a hereditary disease is linked to the sex of the newborn.
14. Can a single woman, or one without a male partner, use assisted fertility techniques?
Single women with or without a male partner may use these techniques with a semen donor.
15. Can we have a healthy child if my partner is HIV positive or is a carrier of the hepatitis C?
Yes, there are semen treatment techniques that eliminate the virus from the sample to then be used in assisted reproduction. In this way we can avoid passing the virus to the future child and mother.
16. When is ovum donation recommended?
In women with non-functioning ovaries or who have repeatedly failed with other treatments. This treatment is growing in use due to women's increase in age for becoming pregnant.
17. How long is the waiting list for ovum or sperm donation?
Due to the success of our donation programme we do not have a waiting list for either treatment.
Frequently asked questions during pregnancy:
What should I do if I want to get pregnant?
You must follow a balanced diet, try to lose excess weight if any, exercise, stop or reduce tobacco and alcohol intake, not take medications if you have delayed menstruation and visit your doctor for a pre-gestation check-up.
When should I take a pregnancy test?
When your menstruation is delayed. If the test is negative and you still do not get your period, it should be repeated in a week to 10 days, and go visit your gynaecologist. If positive, make an appointment with your gynaecologist after 4 to 6 weeks of the delayed menstruation.
What is the ideal weight gain during pregnancy?
It should be within 9 and 12 kg over the mother's ideal weight. During pregnancy it is recommended that the mother eat more vegetables and drink more water, along with eating more whole wheat cereals and legumes. Water helps eliminate residues through the kidneys and alleviates constipation. For gestation not immunised from Toxoplasmosis we recommend not eating raw meat (tartar, carpaccio or raw cold cuts). We also recommend avoiding eating Brie type cheeses due to a risk of listeriosis.
Should sport activities cease during pregnancy.
In general exercise improves cardiovascular and muscular conditioning which favours proper posture and limits excessive weight gain. We recommend regular, low impact physical activity not lasting longer than 45 minutes per session. Sports with vibrations and overloading in the abdominal area should be avoided, along with those that include the chance of falling and bruising (horseback riding, skiing, skating, scuba-diving, mountain climbing, boxing,…)
What hygienic measures should be taking during pregnancy?
Body hygiene should be specially looked after. We recommend at least one bath or shower a day. Teeth cleaning should be done regularly with at least one visit to the dentist. Nipples and breasts should be carefully washed and hydrated. Hygiene around the genitals should be done carefully, while we do not recommend vaginal douches.
Is sexually activity allowed during pregnancy?
If the pregnancy is normal, sexual relations are accepted in the normal frequency. Sexual relations should be stopped in the case of possible abortions, membrane rupture or genital haemorrhaging at any time during pregnancy, with genital infections, risk of premature birth and whenever the gynaecologist stands against it.
Can you travel during pregnancy?
As long as the patient is not suppose to stay resting, travelling and driving is allowed, always trying to avoid long trips. We recommend frequent rest stops to walk and wearing your safety belt below the abdomen. The same goes for trips by boat and flights. |
|
