Fertility Treatments – Which one is right for you?

Natural pregnancy results from sexual interaction in which the man’s sperm is ejaculated into the vagina, where it travels to and fertilizes her egg, resulting in the formation of an embryo that implants in the womb. But at times, due various environmental, lifestyle as well as male and female fertility factors, the process of natural pregnancy gets hindered and a couple fails to naturally conceive. So what to do when you really want a baby but are not being able to get pregnant due to these factors? Let’s find out. 

What is infertility?

The first step to take when you are not being able to get pregnant naturally is to find out whether you are suffering from infertility. Infertility is the inability to become pregnant throughout a year (or more) of unprotected intercourse. Infertility can also be the reason for being unable to maintain a pregnancy and having recurrent miscarriages. 

Infertility can be heartbreaking for couples and individuals who are looking forward to having a baby. But don’t lose hope, for there is a way. 

Fertility Treatments:

Failures in getting pregnant naturally is where fertility treatments come into the picture. Infertility is a disease to which fertility treatments are the cure. With the help of expert guidance from fertility specialists, these treatments ensure the possibility for every couple to have a family of their own. But to ensure that the fertility treatment works, it is important to follow a few steps first.

What steps must I take before my fertility treatment?  

These are the steps and tests you must take before beginning any fertility treatment

• Consultation with a specialist
• Diagnosis of the underlying issue
• A blood test to determine if you are ovulating
• Test for chlamydia 
• Ultrasound test to examine your fallopian tubes, uterus, and ovaries
• Hysterosalpingogram: An X-ray of your fallopian tubes and womb
• Laparoscopy
• Semen analysis

Post following these steps, your fertility expert will get a clear view on what is stopping you from getting pregnant. It might be one of the following factors:

	Male Factors	Female Factors
1	Untreated STDs	Untreated STDs
2	A low sperm count	Not ovulating
3	Inability of sperm to swim effectively	Blocked  fallopian tubes
4	Incorrectly shaped sperm	Low-quality eggs
5	Thick sperm that can’t swim in the semen	Having a bulky uterus
6	Your semen containing no sperm	Endometriosis
7	Problem with ejaculation due to blocked tubes	Uterine tumors

	Lifestyle Factors	Environmental Factors
1	Eating disorders	Exposure to environmental toxins, such as lead and pesticides
2	Unhealthy eating habits	Exposure to radiation
3	Excessive stress, anxiety and depression	Frequent exposure to heat
4	Being overweight or underweight
5	Not getting proper sleep
6	Excessive workouts
7	Smoking
8	Drinking alcohol

Understanding your fertility treatment options

Fertility specialists will suggest one of these three methods of conception based on your condition

• Natural pregnancy
• IUI
• IVF

1. Natural Pregnancy: Your fertility expert will suggest you to naturally conceive by performing intercourse 11-18 days after your periods. It is the time of ovulation when a woman’s fertile window is wide open. You may be given some ovulation inducing medicines or some medications for your hormones to better your chances at getting pregnant. You will be suggested natural conception in the following cases
   • Your ovum or egg is healthy
   • Your Sperm is healthy
   • There’s no blockage in your tubes
2. IUI: Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is a simple treatment that places sperm directly within your uterus during ovulation, allowing healthy sperm to reach closer to your egg. It is a fertility treatment that improves the chances of sperm fertilizing an egg. It might be advised to use intrauterine insemination (IUI) if,
   • The sperm of your partner is not strong enough to survive.
   • The thickness of your cervical mucus prevents the entry of sperm. 
   • The cause of your infertility is unknown 
   • You’ve been diagnosed with endometriosis
   • You wish to use sperm from donors
3. IVF: In vitro fertilization (IVF) is the process of extracting eggs from ovaries and manually mixing them with sperm in a laboratory for fertilization. The fertilized egg (now called an embryo) is implanted inside a uterus several days after fertilization. When this embryo inserts itself into the uterine wall, pregnancy takes place. IVF, as it has a better success rate, is typically advised for people who have,
   • Severe infertility issues
   • Fallopian tube blockage 
   • IUI failure
   • Belief that certain genetic conditions could be passed on

IVF can be of three types 

1. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI): For men with infertility, ICSI is a suggested treatment option. In this treatment, the sperm is directly inserted into the egg. A surgical sperm extraction may be required for some men. It is possible to receive treatment using either one’s own sperm or a donor’s.
2. Oocyte Donation (OD): The female partner can bear and give birth to a child using her husband’s genetic material thanks to oocyte donation. The donor’s age, who should ideally be under 35, is the key factor that affects the success of oocyte donation.
3. Embryo donation (ED): Donating embryos is a type of third-party donation. The embryos are produced during the donation process utilizing a donor egg and sperm. An embryo is produced with IVF techniques using donor sperm and donor eggs.

Other fertility treatments

Surgical procedures:

• Laparoscopy: With the help of the surgical technique laparoscopy, a surgeon can access the abdomen and pelvis’ interior without having to create a significant skin incision. Laparoscopy offers a wide range of uses, including the detection and treatment of ovarian cysts, endometriosis, fibroid tumors, infertility, and ongoing pelvic pain. 
• Hysteroscopy: A hysteroscopy is a procedure used to look inside the uterus (womb). A hysteroscope—a small telescope with a light and camera at the end—is used for the procedure. The hysteroscope is inserted inside the uterus and images of the interior of your womb are transferred to a monitor so your doctor or specialized nurse can view it.
• Laparotomy/Open Surgery: An abdominal cavity incision (cut) is known as a laparotomy. To inspect the abdominal organs and assist in the diagnosis of any issues, including abdominal pain, this procedure is performed. Once the issue has been identified, it is often resolved during the laparotomy.
• Varicocelectomy: A varicocele can be treated surgically with a varicocelectomy. It can boost male fertility and lessen testicular pain.
• Vasectomy Reversal: Men who want to avoid getting pregnant get a vasectomy. It entails closing the vas deferens, which are the channels via which sperm cells enter the semen. A vasectomy reversal (vasovasostomy) is a surgical treatment that undoes the effects of a vasectomy. 

Advanced Treatments

• PGS\ PGD: Preimplantation Genetic Screening (PGS) and Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD). Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) as well as preimplantation genetic screening (PGS). When there are no recognized illnesses that may be inherited, PGS examines biopsyed cells from the embryo to check for any potential genetic abnormalities. The same approach is used in PGD to identify a particular illness that has a high likelihood of getting passed on from parents to their children.
• LAH: Before implanting the embryo in your uterus, a tiny crack is made in the embryo’s outer layer using a laser in the hopes that this hatching will aid in the embryo’s implantation. This process enables a successful implantation that results in pregnancy.
• Blastocyst transfer: A blastocyst refers to an embryo that has grown to a phase where it starts to build a core in liquid. This usually happens after 5-8 days of ovulation and is considered a major part of embryo development. A blastocyst transfer is the transfer of one or more of that embryo from the laboratory to the uterus of a woman.
• PRP: In order to increase the uterine lining’s endometrial receptivity before an embryo transfer, PRP may be utilized. This is normally carried out 48 hours before the scheduled embryo transfer. During the process, an IUI catheter is used to inject 3 to 5 ml into the uterus.
• Sequential embryo transfer: Sequential Embryo Transfer, also known as SET, is a process that involves transferring two sets of embryos to a woman’s womb on different days of her menstrual cycle to increase the chances of conception.

Benefits of fertility treatments

• Pregnancy success rate is high.
• Helps both men and women overcome infertility.
• There is a lower risk of miscarriage.
• Anyone can avail the treatments.
• Donated eggs/sperms can be used.
• Increases the chances of having a healthy baby.
• You can choose the appropriate time for having your baby.

FAQs