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

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)

Why every 1 in 5 Women in India suffers from PCOS? (And what they need to know)

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a medical condition related to a woman’s endocrine system. Generally, this disorder is characterised by an imbalance of the sex hormones (oestrogen and progesterone), which leads to the development of multiple small cysts in the ovaries. Symptoms of PCOS include acne, irregular menstrual cycle and depression to name a few.
The causes of PCOS have not been accurately identified so far, but researchers suggest that the following factors might contribute to the onset of the condition.

1. Increased amount of insulin secretion- Women suffering from insulin resistance may get PCOS as their body is not able to effectively use this insulin, which results in increased insulin secretion by the pancreas. This, in turn, triggers more androgen (male sex hormone) production in the ovaries, making it difficult for the ovaries to ovulate.

2. Lower inflammation levels- The white blood cells present in your body form resistance against infections through a response termed as inflammation. Women with lower inflammation levels are likelier to get PCOS as the decreased levels stimulate polycystic ovaries, thereby producing more androgens.

3. Genetic factor-  If you have a family history of PCOS, it’s highly probable that you may also get it as the disease is linked with your genes.

How To  Live with PCOS

PCOS comes with numerous side effects like acne, obesity, infertility, excessive facial or body hair among others. There are certain lifestyle changes, which you may consider to manage PCOS and minimise its side effects.

1. Change your diet - Opt for a low carbohydrate, low sugar diet to keep your insulin levels in control, as insulin is responsible for increasing the severity of PCOS symptoms. 

2. Try to maintain an ideal body weight - Obesity is known for worsening insulin resistance, and you can prevent this by regularly keeping your weight in check. You can practice some easy at-home exercise to reduce weight besides having a balanced diet.

3. Get yourself checked regularly - Visit a doctor and get yourself checked regularly for potential health risks as PCOS is often associated with increased chances of diabetes, heart diseases, certain forms of cancer, hypertension, and high LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.

4. Join a support group - Joining a PCOS support group will help you cope with your emotional difficulties, while helping you to live a better life by cultivating an optimistic outlook.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'Consult'.

Every 1 in 5 Women in India suffers from PCOS! Why? (And what they need to know)

PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) is a common disease of the endocrine system among women who have attained the reproductive age. Women with this condition generally have ovaries larger in size than the usual, containing small pockets of fluids, also termed follicles. These 'follicles' develop in each of the ovaries as diagnosed with the help of an ultrasound exam. Abnormal or extended menstrual cycles, unusual growth of hair and obesity are some of the common accompanying conditions associated with PCOS. This disorder can interfere with a woman's menstrual cycles, thus making pregnancy difficult. More so, this condition can also impact the way you look and if left untreated for long, can lead to underlying disorders such as diabetes and other cardio vascular diseases.

Causes of PCOS
1. Excessive Insulin secretion: Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas, which allows the body cells to utilize the sugar; the most important energy store of your body. If you suffer from insulin resistance, your body's ability to utilize the insulin gets affected adversely. This forces the pancreas to secrete more insulin in order to keep up with the body's energy supply. This excess insulin might result in an increase in the production of androgen, which in turn, might interfere with the ovulation ability of the ovaries.
2. Low- level inflammation: Inflammation is the process by which your body's white blood cells fight infections. Studies reveal that women suffering from PCOS have a low level inflammation which acts as a catalyst in the production of androgens.
3. Can be hereditary: If you have someone in your family suffering from this syndrome, you might automatically be at a higher risk of developing this disorder.

Symptoms accompanying PCOS
1. Abnormal menstrual is the most commonly observed symptom. Women suffering from PCOS may have less than nine periods in an entire year and in some cases, even none. 
2. Excess secretion of male hormone, which is related to excess androgen production may result in symptoms, such as abnormal body and facial hair, acne and baldness, which is identical to that in men.
3. Unexplained increase in weight and difficulty losing it as well.
4. Another fairly noticeable symptom is depression.
5. Infertility

PCOS- Causes and Symptoms

Recurrent pregnancy loss can be defined as the consecutive loss of three of more pregnancy. Recurrent Pregnancy loss is a medical condition in which the pregnancy loss occurs before completing 20 weeks in an involuntary manner. Pregnancy loss can be visualized using ultrasound technique.

What are the causes of recurrent pregnancy loss?
Most of the pregnancy losses occur due to various abnormalities in the genetic makeup of an organism or any chromosomal abberities. The abnormality can be present during the formation of an egg or sperm or the embryo. However it is well said that the miscarriage usually happens within first 12 weeks of conception. Almost half of the times, women even don t realize that she is pregnant during first three months. The risk of recurrent pregnancy loss increases with the increase in previous miscarriages.

Recurrent pregnancy loss is more common in the women who conceive late according to their age. It is because the quality of egg formation decreases and this may lead to abnormalities in chromosome formation or division. Sometimes, it may happen that father and mother, both suffer from slight abnormality in their genes and hence, the fetus can be more severely affected and hence causes recurrent pregnancy loss in the uterus.

The weakening of immune system can also lead to recurrent miscarriages. Abnormality in the functioning or secretion of hormones can cause severe diseases such as diabetes and thyroid which can cause an impact. Also, blood clotting issues may also play an important role.

The gynecologists may help in the treatment of this medical condition but their treatment option depends upon the underlying cause of recurrent pregnancy loss.

The gynecologist recommends genetic counseling to those patients who have any chromosomal abnormality in their genetic makeup. Some of the couples can opt for prenatal genetic studies while expecting a child so as to keep a check on whether the child has normal genetic makeup. Some of the techniques used by the medical health providers are chorionic villi sampling, or amniocentesis. 

For genetic diagnosis, in vitro fertilization can also be done along with pre implantation. If there is any abnormality in the uterus or the tract in the female then surgery can be done so as to cure the defect. If there is a syndrome such as anti-phospholipids syndrome, then medications are provided in order to decrease the formation of blood clot.

Therefore, gynecologists are assisting in the treatment of recurrent pregnancy loss in females.
 


Recurrent Pregnancy Loss - Know More About It!

Menopause is the time in a woman s life at which she cannot procreate anymore. Side effects of pre-menopause, menopause and post menopause, shift incredibly from woman to woman. Nonetheless, normal side effects of menopause incorporate:

Hot flashes
Changes in eating habits
Weakness
Stress
Tiredness
Vaginal dryness and itching
The majority of the side effects connected with menopause really occur during the pre-menopause stage. A few women experience menopause with no complications or disagreeable symptoms. However, others find menopausal side effects crippling and they usually happen during pre-menopause and go on for quite a long time. The symptoms that women experience are basically identified with decreased levels of the female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone. Side effects change generally due to the many impacts that these hormones have on the female body.

Your period may not be as regularly as it used to be. You may bleed heavier or lighter than usual, and at times experience spotting. Additionally, your period might be shorter or longer in time length. In case that you do miss your period, try to rule out pregnancy. In case you are not pregnant, a missed period could show the beginning of menopause. In case you start spotting after not having your period for twelve continuous months, try to converse with your specialist to discount any genuine conditions, for example, cancer.

Symptoms of untimely menopause are frequently the same as those seen by women experiencing common menopause and may include:

Unpredictable or missed periods
Periods that are heavier or lighter than normal
Hot flashes (a sudden warmth that spreads over the abdominal area)
These symptoms are an indication that the ovaries are delivering less estrogen.
Vaginal dryness (the vagina may likewise get to be distinctly more dry and less adaptable)
Bladder fractiousness and increased of loss of bladder control (incontinence)
Emotional changes (crabbiness, mood swings, mellow stress)
Dry skin, eyes, or mouth
Restlessness
Diminished sex drive
Keeping in mind the symptoms recorded above, in case that you are less than forty years old and experience any of the accompanying conditions, you need to see your specialist to figure out if you are experiencing untimely menopause:

You have experienced chemotherapy or radiation
You or a relative has an immune system issue, for example, hypothyroidism, Graves' infection, or lupus
You have unsuccessfully attempted to wind up distinctly pregnant for over a year
Your mom or sister experienced untimely menopause
To analyze untimely menopause, your specialist will in all likelihood carry out a physical exam and extract blood to diagnose different conditions, for example, pregnancy and thyroid illness. He or she may likewise arrange a test to quantify your estradiol levels. Low levels of estradiol, a type of estrogen, can demonstrate that your ovaries are beginning to fall flat. At the point when estradiol levels are beneath thirty, it might show that you have early menopause.

Menopause - Spot the Early Signs!

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