Do they do eco if. Is it possible to do IVF without a husband? Positive aspects of IVF

Being a parent is a great happiness. But not every person is given to know it. Stress, poor ecology, chronic diseases, incompatibility - all this causes infertility. In such difficult life situations, a special medical program for artificial insemination - IVF - comes to the aid of families who want to give birth to their own baby. How free to do IVF, find out below.

When it comes to in vitro fertilization, many people think that this program is some kind of magical and extraordinary actions of doctors. IVF is often confused with insemination and surrogacy.

Classical in vitro fertilization is the fertilization of the mother's egg outside the mother's uterus by the father's sperm. The entire multi-stage procedure is carried out in a special medical container under certain conditions. Subsequently, the fertilized embryo is grown for a certain period in a special environment. As a rule, married couples are the father and mother of the future baby.

In exceptional cases, when there is a pathology and a clear impossibility to give birth to a child from both spouses, doctors offer donor material. Both donor sperm and a female egg serve as such material. In some exceptional cases, in case of miscarriage, surrogate motherhood is possible. For many, such options are unacceptable on ethical and moral principles.

This procedure gives a long-awaited result even in cases where women have no fallopian tubes, there is polycystosis, there are multiple problems with the reproductive function of the body. In 60% of cases, IVF helps infertile women become mothers.

The method itself with a positive result was first used in the UK back in 1977. And in Russia, with the help of the IVF program, the first child was born in 1986.

At the present stage of human development, more than a hundred thousand women have found the joy of motherhood.

Only after a complete examination and preliminary preparation for the fertilization program is it possible to start the process itself. IVF is one of the highest achievements in world medical practice.

The in vitro fertilization procedure is a method that gives infertile couples the chance to conceive and bear a child. Unfortunately, this method is quite expensive, moreover, to achieve results, it is often necessary to make several attempts to transfer embryos.

Learn more about this procedure from the proposed video.

I do not think that I will surprise anyone if I say that the most valuable resource on the planet is time. This statement is also true in the case of infertility treatment.

You can never say exactly how long it will take to achieve a result, how much time do I still have to wait? Is it time to stop?

Time is one factor that we cannot do anything about. You can't turn back time, or even stop it. Although you can stop in IVF, but more on that below.

The age of a woman is a factor that we are not able to influence, despite all the achievements of medicine. The biological clock is ticking no matter what. We can speed them up, but it's almost impossible to slow them down.

Why does time have such an effect on childbearing?

I think it's a matter of biology. I don’t know what exactly the idea was, but I suppose that nature thought not only about the issue of conceiving and giving birth to a child, but also about its upbringing. Man, unlike other living beings, is helpless in the first years of his life, requires care for a long time. If the mother of the child cannot do this, then the child, and therefore our species, will die out. Nature did not expect that there would be hospitals, orphanages, special services, someone who would take care of the child.

Apparently, this is the reason for the extinction of the reproductive function for many years, decades before the extinction of other body systems. Nature gives a lot of time to raise a child.

Evolutionarily, this is a very deep mechanism, it is extremely difficult to change it. So over the past 100 years, life expectancy has almost doubled, and menopause and the age of birth of the last child have not changed much.

And nature decided to put the “stopper” on the ovaries, arguing where the pregnancy without eggs would come from. And practically did not touch the uterus. Therefore, using donor eggs, you can get pregnant at the age of 70, and from a technical point of view, this will not be something surprising. At this age, there are other problems associated with pregnancy, but again, it is technically possible to get a pregnancy.

With men, everything is much easier.

With age, fading also occurs, but much more slowly. Apparently, the role of a man in raising a child, from the point of view of nature, is not entirely important.

Is it time to do something or not? Is it time for IVF or not?

When communicating with patients for the first time, the question of time comes up when we discuss the very existence of the problem of infertility. Is there or not? Should we talk about it or is it too early? Everything is individual.

If I am approached by an extremely anxious young couple in their 25s who have been trying to conceive for 3 months, chances are all they need are reassuring words of encouragement. They will succeed without medical intervention. and, it is unlikely that they will return. If it takes more than 12 months, then of course an examination is required.

Another situation, the same age, but during the conversation it turns out the presence of early ovarian exhaustion, which arose for one reason or another. In this case, time does not wait at all, something needs to be done now, and most likely this is IVF.

The third situation, a couple of 30 years old, a woman has ovarian endometriosis, which has already been operated on and part of the ovary is damaged. Now everything seems to be fine, except for the reduction of follicles in the operated ovary. There are no other health problems. Is it possible to wait, and if so, how long, like there are no plans for the birth of a child yet. Formally, you can wait, but if endometriosis also affects the second ovary, and this usually happens sooner or later, then the ovarian reserve may not be enough to get pregnant. Therefore, I would already talk about IVF, obtaining embryos and transferring them to the uterine cavity (as an option for cryopreservation of embryos, if pregnancy is not needed yet).

The fourth situation, a couple of 32 years old, revealed a violation of the patency of the fallopian tubes. But it is possible to quickly restore patency. There are two options, both have pros and cons. The first is laparoscopy, restoration of patency, attempts to conceive a child within 6 months (then the effect of the operation is lost) if IVF fails. The second option is IVF.

Fifth situation, a 37-year-old couple, the patency of the tubes is broken, but an operation can be performed to restore the patency of the tubes. Usually I am against the operation in this case, and the main reason is the lost time. Better to go straight to IVF.

How much time do I have to wait with the birth of a child?

The question comes up quite often. The answer depends on a number of circumstances. BUT the main factor will be age. You need to give birth to a child before the age of 35. Further difficulties with conception will increase sharply.

If there are any factors that reduce ovarian reserve, it is better not to postpone at all.

Is it possible to stop time in terms of procreation?

What to do if the years go by, and the woman has not found a man worthy of becoming the father of her children. Is it possible to stop time in terms of reproduction. The answer is yes. With the help of IVF, you can get eggs and freeze them. Okay, then at what age? A study was conducted on this subject, it turned out that this should be done at the age of 34, up to 35 years. It does not make much sense to do it earlier, because if a woman meets a worthy person and there are difficulties with conception, then they can be solved before the age of 35, if cryopreservation of oocytes is carried out later than 35 years, then their quality will be significantly worse than before 35 years, Accordingly, they will need about 2 times more.

The cost of egg cryopreservation is comparable to the IVF program (150-200 thousand). The choice of clinic is especially important. Not all clinics are able to “freeze” eggs well.

How long will the treatment last?

There are two answers to this question. If you ask a doctor, you will find out how long the treatment that will be carried out now will last. For example, a standard IVF program is approximately 33-35 days. But you are more interested in when the treatment is over and pregnancy occurs. With this, everything is much more complicated. It depends on a number of factors: age, ovarian reserve, the choice between health risks and money, willingness to donate oocytes, surrogacy.

For example, a couple under 35, tubal factor, good ovarian reserve. In 70% the issue will be resolved within two months. In 95% of cases, the issue will be resolved within 6 months.

The second option, 41 years old, reduced ovarian reserve. With your cells, you most likely will not get a pregnancy. With donor oocytes, we return to the first option (In 70% of cases, the issue will be resolved within two months. In 95% of cases, the issue will be resolved within 6 months).

Each case, each situation is individual and the prognosis depends on these specific circumstances.

But whatever decision you make, remember the time.

Being a new breakthrough in the field of medicine, which now allows even those couples who nature has denied this happiness to have a child, in vitro fertilization has firmly entered our lives for several decades, becoming one of the most urgent and already understandable procedures.

But is IVF really necessary in the treatment of infertility, or are there any alternatives to it?

Let's try to understand this issue.

In vitro fertilization is the most effective method of infertility treatment

No one doubts the great importance of in vitro fertilization in the treatment of infertility in married couples today. IVF treats many forms of female and male infertility being sometimes the only option for spouses to have healthy children.

Since 1978, when this method was applied in medical practice for the first time, in one of the clinics in England, IVF has come a long way in development, and now these methods have been perfected, guaranteeing a very high percentage of success with each procedure, with any diagnosis of the spouses.

The essence of the IVF procedure is to arrange a "meeting" eggs and sperm outside the woman's body , and then implant an already fertilized and developing embryo into her uterus . As a rule, for such a procedure, several eggs are grown in each woman and fertilized.

The strongest embryos are planted in the uterus - very often after IVF a woman gives birth to twins, and if there is a threat of miscarriage of these children, then at her request they can remove "extra" embryos already from the uterus - however, this sometimes threatens with complications for a future pregnancy and the death of the remaining in the uterus of the embryos.

IVF is successful in about 35% of procedures - this is a very high result, given the great complexity of the methods performed.

IVF - pros and cons

A few years earlier, the in vitro fertilization procedure was not widely available, especially to residents of the Russian outback. In addition, this procedure was and remains paid, and this is quite a lot of money.

In addition to the fee for the procedure itself, the high cost must be taken into account. Currently, the majority of infertile couples of childbearing age are allocated state quotas for the IVF procedure, this method of infertility treatment is available to everyone who needs it.

Of course, those couples who have the hope of becoming parents only in the case of IVF, strongly support this method of infertility treatment. The same opinion is shared by doctors - gynecologists, as well as geneticists - in the process of IVF, the entire biological material undergoes a very thorough medical examination , and the birth of babies with genetic abnormalities, hereditary diseases or other pathologies is excluded.

Pregnancy and childbirth of a woman who became pregnant as a result of the IVF procedure, are no different from the pregnancy of a woman who conceived naturally.

However, the progressive direction of medicine - in vitro fertilization - has opponents. For the most part, IVF procedures are opposed by religious representatives of different faiths , including Orthodox activists. They consider this method of conception barbaric, unnatural.

In addition, as a result of growing embryos, some of them subsequently die - and this is unacceptable, in the opinion of church representatives, because it is the murder of already conceived children.

Whatever it was, and the truth is always somewhere in the middle. To date IVF is necessary for the treatment of complex types of infertility . Medical science is developing, and even now, in the IVF process, doctors can use only one egg, growing only one single embryo , which does not contradict ethical principles, and does not offend the feelings of opponents of IVF.

Currently, a special method is being widely developed - "Modified Natural Cycle"(MNC), which consists in medical (hormonal) support for the growth of one follicle with the help of small doses of follicle-stimulating hormone, and then maintaining its stability and preventing premature another group of hormones - GnRH antagonists.

This is a more complicated technique, but it justifies itself in every possible way in practice.

When is IVF not the only option?

Is there an alternative to in vitro fertilization?

In some cases, the usual IVF procedure cannot bring the couple the desired result in the form of a long-awaited pregnancy. This is, for the most part, in couples where a woman has both fallopian tubes missing, or several IVF attempts have not brought the desired result.

What is the alternative to in vitro fertilization in this case, and what are the chances for a couple to get a long-awaited child?

Consider the most discussed and famous options .

Change of sexual partner

It is no secret that sometimes a man and a woman are well suited to each other spiritually and physically, but their sex cells can be each other's antagonists , not allowing to conceive a child. In such cases, there is one advice among the people - to change the sexual partner, to conceive a child from another man. Let's keep silent about the moral side of this "alternative", we only note that changing a sexual partner may not lead to the desired result, but very often it leads to problems in the family.

Egg donation.
If for one reason or another it is impossible to take an egg from a woman for the IVF procedure, then this procedure is performed using donor egg taken, for example, from a close relative - a sister, mother, daughter, or frozen material.

Otherwise, the fertilization procedure with a donor egg is no different from the standard IVF procedure - they just appear in it additional steps for taking eggs from a donor .

Intrauterine insemination of sperm

This method of infertility treatment is as close as possible to natural fertilization, with the only difference being that not embryos grown outside of her body are introduced into the uterus, but purified and specially prepared sperm husband.

Exactly the same procedure is performed on a single woman who wants to have a child by injecting her with donor sperm. As a rule, the method is applied if a woman has natural ovulation and there is confirmation in.

The onset of pregnancy in a woman as a result of the method of intrauterine insemination occurs in about 12% of cases.

GIFT method (intratubar gamete transfer)

This is newer than IVF, but already proven to be a more effective method of in vitro fertilization, which serves as an excellent alternative that has the right to further development and use in medicine.

With this method sexual gametes of partners, namely eggs and spermatozoa, are introduced not into the uterine cavity, but into the fallopian tubes women. Fertilization, which occurs as a result of this process, is as close as possible to natural.

Moreover, this method has certain advantages over the classic IVF option, because the uterus, while the fertilized egg moves towards it through the fallopian tubes, has the ability to prepare as much as possible for the adoption of the embryo , gain the ability to best implant it into your wall.

This method is the most efficient for women over the age of 40 with secondary infertility.

ZIFT method (intratubar zygote transfer)
The intratubal zygote transfer method has been known since the same time as the GIFT method. At its core, ZIFT is transfer of eggs already fertilized outside the woman's body, which are at the earliest stages of division, not into the uterine cavity, but into the fallopian tubes.

This method is also close to natural fertilization, it allows the uterus fully prepare for the upcoming pregnancy and accept the fertilized egg on your wall.

ZIFT and GIFT methods are suitable only for those women who have preserved fallopian tubes, or at least one fallopian tube that has retained its functionality. This method is more efficient for young women with secondary infertility.

Pregnancy rates as a result of the last two alternative IVF methods - ZIFT and GIFT - are more frequent than with conventional IVF procedure.

These methods are also good because when using them, ectopic pregnancy is almost completely excluded.

Accurate measurement of a woman's body temperature to determine the moment of ovulation

In recent years, a method has become known for accurately determining the moment of ovulation in a woman, and therefore the best time to conceive a child naturally. This method was developed by New Zealand chemist Shamus Hashir. This new method is based on one technical invention - a special electronic device that is in the body of a woman and gives signals about changes in her body temperature even half a degree.

As you know, the moment of ovulation is accompanied by a certain increase in the body temperature of a woman, and this can accurately tell spouses who want to have children when it is necessary to perform sexual intercourse for conception. The device for measuring the temperature in the body of a woman is inexpensive - about 500 pounds, which is much cheaper than the usual IVF procedure.

Couples who want to have a baby should be guided by the signal that the device gives in the event of ovulation.

This method guarantees a high percentage of pregnancy in couples where the woman has irregular cycles, or anovulatory cycles - but, unfortunately, it has not yet become widespread, is currently under study and is promising as alternative to in vitro fertilization .

Since for many couples this is the only way to have their own child. This method has been practiced for several decades, it is well studied and as a result of it more than 5 million children were born. The doctor considers it a myth that weak and sick children are born as a result of IVF. Numerous studies show that the health of children born as a result of IVF is no different from the health of children conceived naturally. Since doctors sometimes practice transferring several embryos into the uterus during IVF, multiple pregnancy often occurs. Weaker children may not be born as a result of IVF itself, but as a result of multiple pregnancy, which, of course, increases the risk of miscarriage and premature birth.

The second expert, obstetrician-gynecologist Ekaterina Bolshakova, believes that some people resort to IVF too early. Very often, the inability to get pregnant is not associated with infertility, but simply with the level of a woman's health. Before turning to such a serious procedure as IVF, you need to restore your strength. If the general health problems of a woman are not resolved, then the IVF program will not succeed in one attempt. In addition, now there is a huge percentage of the so-called infertility of unknown origin, when the parents are in good health, but they cannot conceive. This is often found in people with a high level of control, including control in the body, which interferes with natural fertilization.

There is one story in my inner circle that is connected with IVF. One of my girlfriends could not get pregnant for a very long time. As a result, she and her husband decided on IVF and gave birth to a wonderful girl. When the baby was 4 years old, the couple decided to have a second child. Since the doctors convinced them that they would never be able to get pregnant on their own, they began to prepare for a new IVF procedure. We went to the doctor - and it turned out that the woman was already pregnant! It turns out that infertility happens not only in the body, but also in the head. And as soon as a woman relaxes, accepts her nature or is convinced that she can give birth, then natural conception occurs.

We encourage all parents to share their opinions and experiences on this topic. Maybe you faced a problem of conception or with the IVF procedure? How did it happen for you, and what do you think about it?

Watch the full episode of the program, where our experts answer in detail all questions related to IVF and natural conception:

– What factors affect the health of the unborn child conceived through IVF?
– How is the IVF procedure carried out, how much does it cost and can it be done for free?
- What are the statistics of pregnancy with IVF?
– Is there a psychological factor of infertility?

IVF is a method of assisted reproductive technology, which consists in the fertilization of an egg with sperm outside the woman's body. Often the technique is the only chance for a couple to have their own child, which is why it is so relevant in our time. But the birth of a new life is a complex process that cannot be explained only from a scientific point of view, therefore it is impossible to give a 100% positive result. According to statistics, the procedure is successful in 40-60% of cases.

If an infertile couple decided on the procedure, then before it is carried out, it is worth finding out if there are any contraindications and whether it is possible for spouses to do IVF. Like any other medical procedure, IVF is performed according to indications and in the absence of contraindications.

Indications for the procedure are any form of infertility that is not amenable to treatment, in which the likelihood of pregnancy is higher than with alternative procedures:

• Tubal pathology and their absence (tubal infertility);
• Male infertility (low spermogram parameters);
• endometriosis;
• Age-related infertility (patients over 40 years old);
• anovulation;
• Immunological incompatibility of spouses;
• High risk of transmission of genetic abnormalities.

But is it possible to do IVF in the presence of somatic pathology or other general disorders? It should be noted that all contraindications are divided into absolute and relative.

Is it possible to do IVF with absolute contraindications? The answer is that it is impossible, since pregnancy or childbirth is impossible, and they also threaten the life and health of a woman. Absolute contraindications:

• Pathology and anomalies in the development of the uterus;
• Malignant neoplasms of any localization;
• mental illness;
• Severe somatic pathology;
• Conditions of the mother in which pregnancy and childbirth are contraindicated.

Is it possible to do IVF with relative contraindications? The procedure is possible, but only after the elimination of these pathological conditions:

• Benign tumors of the uterus;
• Hepatitis in the acute stage;
• Inflammatory and infectious diseases;
• Feverish conditions;
• Exacerbation of chronic pathology.

Only after a preliminary examination, the specialists will give an answer whether it is possible to do IVF in your case. That is why spouses are assigned a large number of various diagnostic procedures and manipulations.

Embryo transfer stage: how the procedure is done

After receiving germ cells, they are pre-treated and then placed in a special environment for successful fertilization. A day later, specialists select the resulting zygotes and transfer them to a certain environment, observing the division process. In most cases, embryo transfer is done 5-6 days after egg collection (at the blastocyst stage), but some variations are possible.

Most often, embryo transfer is done at the blastocyst stage, since during this period there is a high probability of its implantation and further development. But it is worth noting that experts do the transfer of embryos in the morula stage (three-day embryos). This is due to the fact that not all embryos live up to 5-6 days, therefore, if a patient has received a small number of eggs, then three-day embryos are implanted in her. But there are some types of reproductive technologies that involve the transfer of fertilized eggs at other stages: ZIPT - transfer of zygotes into the fallopian tubes of patients, GIFT - transfer of gametes into the fallopian tubes (fertilization occurs naturally). These methods are closest to the natural process of conception and allow the endometrium to prepare for a future pregnancy.

Do not forget that during the fertilization process, specialists can obtain a large number of high quality embryos. Doing the transfer of 1-2 embryos or all of them is a question that is decided before the replanting procedure. Do not forget that there is a possibility of developing multiple pregnancy, which threatens the life and health of the mother and future children. In this case, the woman is offered to reduce part of the embryos, but this procedure is associated with a risk of complications and adverse effects.

This issue is resolved directly on the day of embryo transfer. After making a decision, the woman is placed on a gynecological chair, the doctor fixes and expands the cervix. At this time, the embryologist takes the embryos with a special catheter that resembles a syringe with a thin plastic tube. Then the embryologist transfers the received material, the doctor inserts a tube into the uterine cavity and transfers the embryos. The whole manipulation takes no more than 5-10 minutes.

To make embryo transfer successful, a woman needs to relax, tune in to a positive result. After completion of the procedure, you must be in a horizontal position for at least 20-30 minutes. Some women are advised to stay for a day in a hospital under supervision, but this is according to the indications or the patient's desire.

After the specialists have done the embryo transfer, it is recommended to limit physical activity, exclude sports and sexual intercourse, follow the doctor's instructions, including taking progesterone-based hormonal maintenance drugs. Also, the patient should rest more, eat well and adjust herself psychologically, protecting herself from stress and tension. The results of the procedure are checked after 10-14 days by determining hCG and after 3 weeks by ultrasound.

Whether to do IVF: pros and cons

Previously, IVF was available only to a limited number of people, since the manipulation is quite costly in material terms: tests and diagnostic procedures, and the intervention itself. But today, many infertile couples are given IVF quotas, so the availability of the procedure is growing every year and more and more people are deciding whether IVF is possible.

Of course, there are supporters and opponents of this treatment method, so whether to do IVF or refuse it is your personal right. It is necessary to make a decision after weighing all the pros and cons of the procedure.

Positive aspects of IVF:

• The probability of pregnancy is 40-60%;
• Relative accessibility of the procedure;
• Selection of high quality embryos to exclude intrauterine malformations.

Negative aspects of manipulation:

• Hormonal stimulation of a woman, violating the general condition and hormonal background;
• Risk of developing ovarian hyperstimulation and depletion of the ovarian reserve;
• Mental instability of the patient against the background of the use of drugs;
• Failure can be a severe psychological trauma for the couple and an obstacle to further therapy;
• The risk of developing ectopic, frozen and multiple pregnancy;
• Age restrictions;
• The need for long-term maintenance hormone therapy up to the 20th week of pregnancy.

Of course, whether it is worth doing the transfer of embryos fertilized outside the body of a woman is not only a material, but also a moral issue. Religious representatives of confessions have different attitudes towards IVF.

Whether you want to do an embryo transfer or consider other treatments should be a thoughtful and balanced decision made by both spouses. Approach the discussion of the issue with all responsibility.