Overcome Infertility With IVF Treatment

January 12, 2010 by Phil Neville  
Filed under pregnancy

In vitro fertilization (commonly referred to as simply IVF) is a method of assisted reproduction that offers infertile couples a chance to have a baby that is biologically related to them. More than 200,000 babies have been born using IVF and it is now recognized worldwide as an established treatment for infertility.

With IVF, a man’s sperm and the woman’s egg are combined in a laboratory dish. The embryo which forms is then put into the woman’s uterus (womb) to develop naturally. Usually, 3 or 4 embryos are put in the uterus each time. Each attempt is referred to as a cycle, with the cost of each cycle being around $12,000.

So, what exactly is involved in each cycle? Here is a more detailed explanation…

The woman will be administered certain drugs (hormones) to induce her ovaries to create a number (5+) eggs. A surgeon then inserts a needle through the vagina into the woman’s ovary to remove the eggs. General anesthesia is not required when the surgeon does this, but the woman is sometimes administered some sedating medication. At the same time, a semen sample is taken from the man. He is asked not to have sex for half a week before the eggs are taken from his partner. The sperm are separated from the semen in a laboratory procedure.

Following this, the sperm will be mixed in a laboratory dish with the eggs taken from the woman. About 18 hours after this fertilization procedure, the laboratory dish is examined to determine if the egg or eggs have fertilized and if embryos have grown as a result. Should this have happened, they will be incubated over the next 2-7 days. The doctor then transfers the embryos into the woman’s uterus using a catheter (a long slender tube). She is then given a course of hormones to take for the following 10-14 days.

The success rate of this procedure is 36% among women younger than 35 years, 27% for those between 36-39 years, and 13% in those older than 40 years. Therefore, the total cost of IVF is normally more than $20,000, as the odds are against a couple suceeding first time around.

Find Out More : IVF Procedure

Ever Thought About Surrogacy?

November 16, 2009 by Calli Kuzon  
Filed under pregnancy

Many couples are unable to conceive a child naturally. If you have ruled out adoption there is another method available to you, surrogate parenting. This is a legally binding document which represents an agreement between 2 or more parties. It involves a woman will become pregnant with another woman’s baby after she undertakes the procedure of in-vitro fertilization. She will the not have any legal rights to the child at birth. It depends on the specific legal agreement that was signed, whether or not the surrogate can be involved in the child’s upbringing.

If you are considering becoming a surrogate, or if you want to hire a surrogate mom, you should give the matter some serious thought. A surrogate mom is paid for her services and any bills relating to the pregnancy and birth of the child will also be paid for.

The surrogate mom goes through the pregnancy and childbirth then gives her child away to the other “mom”. Sometimes the surrogate maybe a best friend or a family member. And other times the person can be anonymous and they may be doing it for good will or financial purposes.

In short if you are considering being a surrogate, it is vitally important that you understand the legalities and specifics of what you are agreeing to. It is agreed that the ideal circumstances a woman should become a surrogate in, is if she already has children, and does not want any more of her own. This is why the complex legal document has to be set up in the first place.

If you want to undertake the surrogacy route you should research the following. Have a look at surrogate parenting websites. Try and find some in your own state, as the laws vary in different counties. Try and find some surrogacy forums as you may find people who have went through the procedure before. There are also many books on the subject that can help you make up your mind on whether to proceed.

Hopefully this factual report concerning surrogate parenting by Calli Kuzon can also be of good value to you. You can find info concerning finding a surrogate mom as well.

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