Daljindar Kaur's inspiring story of motherhood: How IVF became her savior

The success of In vitro fertilization continues in India as a septuagenarian woman gives birth to a baby boy. Even after 46 years of marriage, the couple from Amritsar was childless. Daljinder Kaur, along with her 79-year-old husband, Mohinder Singh Gill, had been visiting National fertility and the Test Tube Baby Centre in Hisar since 2013 and did not give up even after two failed IVF cycles. They had faced ridicule for their inability to have a baby and yet they kept their hopes up.
On the 19th of April, the couple was blessed with a baby boy who is nothing less than a miracle. The groundbreaking achievement of the embryologists from Hisar has been an inspiration and a beacon of hope for couples all across the country. Once again, IVF has proved to be one of the most successful procedures to have babies for couples with fertility issues. Following are some of the advantages of In vitro fertilization, which you should know about-
1. It can be used by anybody
In-vitro fertilization is not necessarily used by the going to be a mother. It can be used by gestational carriers or by a surrogate as well. So it depends on whether the parents want to take the help of a surrogate or themselves want to be involved in the pregnancy. IVF gives an opportunity to single women and same-sex couples to become parents.
2. Use of donated eggs and sperms
There might be circumstances when the doctor can recommend using donated sperms or eggs. In that case, the eggs can be fertilized manually in the lab and the fetus developed can be used for in vitro fertilization. This increases the chance of pregnancy by a fair amount.
3. Control over timing
In vitro fertilization is a solution for couples who have a very engaging professional life, and can be an option for people who want to have babies after a certain point of time. Eggs and embryos can be preserved for future use. It is also helpful for couples who already have a child and plan to have another later.
4. Decreases chances of miscarriage
Genetic abnormality is one of the primary causes of miscarriage. The technique of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is used to ensure the viability of the embryo much ahead of time so that the mother can have an uncomplicated pregnancy and carry her baby full term.



Daljindar Kaur's inspiring story of motherhood: How IVF became her savior

It is as important for the man as it is for the woman to undergo certain tests before the IVF cycle is started. Fertility is not only an issue for a woman, but it also might be for the man in question. There are certain tests that need to be conducted on men before they can gear up for IVF:

1. Semen Analysis: One of the most important tests for male infertility is semen analysis. Sometimes, a man may be completely healthy, but his sperm production could be of poor quality. Semen analysis is done to provide an accurate evaluation of sperm number, the ability to move (motility), size and shape (morphology), as well as the consistency and volume of the sample collected.

2. Binding Test: Sometimes agglutination occurs where the sperms might stick to each other by their heads or tails. Sperm antibodies might cause this problem. The IVF treatment's success might be compromised if this happens. A simple binding test is done to determine this.

3. Trial Wash: This is also known as sperm wash. It is mostly done to remove chemicals from the sperm. Not doing a sperm wash might end up affecting the later stages of the IVF treatment. In this process, the misshapen and immotile sperm is separated so a clean sample of motile and healthy sperm can be collected.

4. TUNEL Assay: Since sperms build up about half of a child's genetic makeup, a TUNEL Assay or 'sperm DNA test' is required. This test is done to measure the sperm population that have fragmented DNA. Negative impacts on genetics can hamper the success of the fertility treatment.

TUNEL Assay is usually recommended to men with:
a) Leukocytes detected by the sperm analysis
b) Age approaching 50
c) A history of diabetes II type or prostatitis
d) Exposure to chemicals or prolonged heat at workplaces

5. Screening for Infectious Diseases: This test is done for both the partners to check for diseases like AIDS, Hepatitis C, and so on.

Tests Suggested for Men Before IVF

Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection i.e. ICSI is different from conventional IVF i.e. In Vitro Fertilization because a single sperm is selected by the embryologist to be injected by a needle into the egg rather than a dish with many sperms placed near the egg so that the fastest swimming sperm enters it. Once the sperm is injected directly into the egg, it fertilizes, after which the embryo is transferred into the womb or uterus. 

Your doctor might recommend ICSI treatment for you if you have an extremely low sperm count resulting in infertility or other medical sperm conditions such as poor motility or poor morphology. It may also be suggested if prior attempts at IVF procedures have failed in fertilizing the egg or the fertilization rate is extremely low. You must also consider ICSI treatment if you resort to embryo testing or if the sperm needs to be collected from the epididymis or testicles surgically. 

However, you must keep in mind that if your partner has a genetic problem resulting in low sperm count, it could be passed on to your child, if you decide to use your husband's sperm for this process.

Success Rates of ICSI:
The success rate of ICSI treatment depends on your age and your fertility problem. Your eggs are healthier when you are young and as you age, chances are that they will become less healthy.
1. 35 per cent if you are under 35 years of age
2. 29 per cent if you are between 35 to 37 years of age
3. 21 per cent if you are between 38 to 39 years of age
4. 14 per cent if you are between 40 to 42 years of age
5. 6 per cent if you are between 43 to 44 years of age
6. 5 per cent if you are above 44 years of age

Advantages of ICSI Treatment:
Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection gives you a chance to conceive a child genetically when most other options are exhausted. Males may be unable to ejaculate on the day the eggs are collected due to anxiety. ICSI proves to be advantageous because sperm may also be surgically extracted for this process. It is extremely helpful for those couples who suffer from unexplained infertility. However, one of the most important factors is that ICSI treatment does not affect your child's physical or mental health.

Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)

In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a medical procedure followed for those women or couples suffering from infertility or for certain specific genetic problem. In the normal course, women or couples experience positive results within a few IVF cycles. However, in spite of reasonable pregnancy rates, some women may require few more cycles to achieve pregnancy. In such cases, in order to ensure a healthy pregnancy, the gynecologist may suggest the women undergo Endometrial Scratching before IVF. 

Endometrium explained in brief: 

The uterus is located in the pelvic region and it is in the size and shape of a pear. The inner cavity of the womb or uterus is protected by the tissue lining called endometrium, also called endometrial. The endometrium plays a significant role in supporting the pregnancy. 

The enhanced success of achieving pregnancy: 

The endometrial scratching procedure is a very simple one, which is resorted, so as to improve the results of IVF procedure. In this procedure, the gynecologist uses a very fine catheter and makes a small scratch on the endometrial lining. In fact, the scratch causes a kind of inflammatory reaction in the uterus. This inflammatory reaction induces the endometrium to be highly receptive to embryos during the successive menstrual cycle. This added receptivity enhances the success of pregnancy during the next menstrual cycle. 

Considering the higher level of success in achieving pregnancy, the endometrial scratching procedure has gained popularity in the IVF procedure. However, some of the other issues related to endometrial scratching may be as follows: 

Endometrial scratching optimises the uterine lining and thereby, makes it easier to continue the embryo implanting procedure. Normally, before the endometrial scratching procedure, the gynecologist may suggest endometrial biopsy. 
The endometrial procedure is usually suggested for those women who had two or more unsuccessful IVF procedures, despite having good quality embryos. However, in some cases, depending on the health of the patient and various other factors, the gynecologist may suggest this endometrial scratching at the very first IVF procedure. This procedure can be availed either for fresh embryos of the couple or frozen embryos or for the donor egg. 
Although this is a part of a surgical procedure; endometrial scratching is very simple and painless and it is done without administering anesthesia. The procedure does not require any hospitalisation. In fact, the patient can go home soon after the procedure. Except for a few pain killers, this procedure does not require any extensive medication. 
This is a safe and easy procedure. Neither does it lead to any side effects, nor is the procedure burdensome for your wallet. Many couples have been benefited by this endometrial scratching procedure.

Endometrial Scratching and IVF - Can it Help You Get Pregnant?

When a childless couple is not able to conceive, there are myriad paths that the couple may follow to obtain a solution. If IVF does not help the couple, then they can go in for surrogacy. In this method, another lady conceives, carries and gives birth to the baby created by the sperm and eggs of the intended parents. Let us find out more about surrogacy today.

Who can use it?
Surrogacy can be availed by couples who are not able to conceive due to many conclusive reasons including the absence of a womb or the malfunctioning of the same. Also, recurrent miscarriages can be one of the reasons. Further, a couple who has been through IVF or In Vitro Fertilisation implantation failure a number of times can opt for surrogacy.

How does it Work?
Full surrogacy, as it is known, is a process of implanting an embryo in a host body. This embryo is usually created using the egg and the sperm of the parents, or even a fertilised egg that has been donated by a donor, which is then fertilised using the sperm from the intended father. Also, this embryo may be created by using donor eggs and donor sperms. Partial surrogacy is also a method that may be used. When artificial insemination or intrauterine insemination (IUI) is used to create an embryo with the sperm from the intended father and the egg from the surrogate mother, then the process is known as partial surrogacy.

Chance of having a baby with surrogacy
The chance of having a baby with surrogacy depend on various factors. It depends on the ability of the surrogate to get pregnant, as well as her overall health. Before choosing a surrogate, it is important to put her through all the necessary tests to ascertain a good state of health. Further, the age of the egg donor is also a factor in such cases. The success of related procedures like IVF or IUI will also determine the chances of conception through this method. Furthermore, the quality of the elements used by the couple or the intended parents will also make a difference to the process and its efficacy. Yet, the most important factor includes the age of the woman whose egg is being used.

Difference between IVF and Surrogacy
In IVF, the eggs are gathered from the woman and the sperm is taken from her partner before an embryo is created and affixed in the uterus of the intended mother. In surrogacy, it is actually another woman who carries this lab-created embryo through methods like artificial insemination. The sperm may come from the father and the egg may be donated by someone else, in many cases involving full or partial surrogacy.

What is Surrogacy and how it is different from IVF

As we all know that IVF stands for In vitro fertilisation. It is a method of stimulating the ovaries in a female body, to release an ovum (egg), which is taken out of the body and fertilised artificially in the laboratory with the help of a sperm. After this, the embryo is transferred back to the uterus where it grows and develops naturally.

Understanding the Procedure

The doctor attempts to have complete control over your menstrual and ovulation cycles, so as to know the correct time of the month when you ovulate. This includes, charting basal body temperatures, hormonal therapy drugs etc.
Frequent blood tests, ultrasound will be required to map the progress of ovulation.
Injections, drugs will be prescribed in required dosage to stimulate the ovaries.
During this time, the doctors will monitor the growth of oocytes (eggs).
After a suitable growth of the oocytes follicles, the eggs are retrieved for artificial insemination. (Fertilisation with the use of sperm cells in the laboratory).
After the successful fertilisation, the embryo is transferred back to the uterus.
Can IVF have side effects?

As a side effect it has a major chance of multiple pregnancies. People intending to have just one child, may not be mentally or economically prepared to take the responsibility of more than one child.
The drugs and medicines used throughout the IVF procedure may create hormonal complications in the long run. It bears a risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, if the mother has to go through the cycle multiple times.
But it offers a number of benefits too...

IVF increases the chance of pregnancy by a large percentage. It is one of the most successful methods of boosting fertility and pregnancy.
Couples, who have repeatedly failed to bear children naturally, can opt for this treatment to produce their own offspring.
In case the couples are completely infertile, donor eggs or sperms may be used in the process. However, in that case, the offspring will not bear the DNA of both parents.
IVF can greatly reduce the chance of surgery on the fallopian tubes.
IVF also provides an opportunity to choose the healthiest embryos before implanting it back in the uterus. A procedure, known as the pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, determines the presence of any abnormal genes or other chromosomal absurdity.
The procedure of IVF has a very high success rate and with technological advancements in the field of medicine, it has also become much safer.
IVF allows women, who go into premature menopause, to be able to bear a child. This treatment is mostly for women who decide to experience motherhood at a slightly older age.
IVF allows same sex partners and single women to bear an offspring.
It is extremely helpful for women who have their fallopian tubes damaged, blocked or surgically removed.

IVF - 9 Benefits You Must Know!

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