Research and Facts on Dealing with Infertility

If you're having a hard time coping with infertility, you're not alone. Research has shown that the psychological stress experienced by women with infertility is similar to that of women coping with illnesses like cancer, HIV, and chronic pain. Yes there is lots of Infertility treatment center but it's not an easy disease to cope with.

To make things worse, you may hear from friends or family that your anxiety is causing the infertility. But this is not true. While researchers once thought that stress caused infertility, more recent studies do not make this connection.

Emotional Impact of Infertility

The whirlwind of emotions that infertility brings can feel overwhelming. Sometimes knowing that your feelings are normal can help.


Some of the feelings you may experience include:

Loss: You may feel a sense of loss for the child or children you imagined having one day. You may also feel that you're missing out on the experience of parenthood or the act of having a biological child.

• Anger and jealousy: You may feel angry at life in general. You may also feel angry or jealous that parenthood seems to come easily to others.
• Denial: You might tell yourself that you just know next month will bring a positive pregnancy test, and then, when it doesn't, feel a huge sense of sadness and shock.
• Shame: Women may feel that a diagnosis of infertility makes them less feminine, while men may feel that a diagnosis makes them less masculine. You may also feel that you are somehow less of a person if you can't have a child on your own.
• Lack of Control: You may feel a lack of control, knowing that there is nothing you can do to guarantee or know if treatments will work.

Marital or Relationship Stress

Infertility can also put stress on your relationship, with studies showing that couples dealing with infertility are more likely to feel unhappy with themselves and their marriages.

Infertility may affect your relationship in a number of ways, including:

• Sexual tension: Especially around ovulation, sex may feel more like a chore than an enjoyable way to express love for each other. Men may experience performance anxiety, leading to feelings of guilt or shame.
• Financial stress: Fertility treatment costs can quickly add up. Everything from deciding how much you're willing to pay, to coping with the financial strain or debt, can create a great deal of stress between couples.
• Fear of abandonment: Especially for the partner with the infertility diagnosis, he or she may be afraid that their partner will want to leave them to have children with someone else.
• Arguments about treatments: Deciding which treatments or options to try, when to stop seeking treatment, or when to take a break can put tremendous strain on a couple.

Ways to Cope

With the myriad of feelings surrounding infertility, good coping skills are essential. Here are a few tips to help manage and lower the stress of infertility:

• Acknowledge your feelings: Holding everything inside does not help. It actually takes more mental energy to hold your feelings back than to express them. Allow yourself time to feel the sadness, anger, and frustration
• Seek support: Whether through friends, professional counselling, groups, or online forums, finding somewhere to talk with people who understand can help you feel less alone.
• Practice relaxation: Learning how to relax and calm yourself can help when feelings get intense and during treatments. Acupuncture, yoga, and relaxation techniques are all possible ways to cope.
• Talk to your partner: Talk about your feelings together. Keep in mind, though, that men and women cope with stress in different ways. Women are more likely to express their sadness, while men tend to hold things inside. Neither way is wrong, just different.
• Learn as much as you can: The more you know about infertility, including alternatives like adoption or living child-free, the more in control you will feel.
• Don't let infertility take over your life: Make sure you fill your life and your relationship with other things. If it seems like infertility is all you talk about together, set a specified time each day for the topic, and use the rest of the day to talk about other things.
• Keep sex fun: As mentioned above, sex can quickly become more like a chore, than a fun way to express love for each other. Try to keep things loving and exciting. Light candles, play fun music, or watch romantic movies, whatever makes you both feel good.
• Consider professional help: Many couples find that professional individual or couples counselling can help them cope with the emotional stress of infertility, and some fertility clinics insist that their patients seek counselling before and during treatment. 

How to Choose a Fertility Clinic - Eterna IVF and Fertility Clinic

Choosing a fertility clinic is a very important decision that should not be taken lightly and should be given much thought. It can be very overwhelming when couples are faced with trying to make a decision that will have such an important impact on their life. There is such an abundance of fertility clinics to choose from that the options can seem endless. To compete with other fertility clinics, clinics will often advertise and boast about their positive attributes and high success rates. Couples reading through clinic literature often feel bombarded by all of the material and may have a difficult time deciphering what is truth and what is fluff. Although statistical data about high success rates is important, it is not the only factor that should be looked at when choosing a fertility clinic. There are many other reasons for selecting a clinic that may be the right choice for you. There are a few easy steps that any couple can take to help them find the fertility clinic that is right for them.

Method 1 of 3: Know the Signs of a Bad Fertility Clinic

Before you can identify the steps needed to locate a good IVF treatment clinic, you need to know and watch out for the warning signs of a bad clinic.

1. Watch out for fertility clinics whose physician is only available part time. Many doctors that work at a fertility clinic also have a full time job working in a hospital performing deliveries or other types of gynecological work.

The problem with a doctor who is available only part time is that he may not be able to provide you with the time and service that is needed to ensure that you have the best care possible and to give you a higher chance of conceiving. Part time clinic doctors are most likely to be burdened with busy schedules and preoccupied with their other full time job.

Some clinics have been known to only bring in a part time embryologist once or twice per month to perform fertility procedures. These doctors will usually make all of their patients come into the office on this same day to perform fertility procedures. This method can lower your chances of conceiving because you may not produce eggs at the same rate as someone else, but you will be forced to receive your treatment only on those days when the embryologist can be there.

2. Be on the lookout for a fertility clinic that does not offer the wide range of services that better clinics offer. Especially important to watch out for is a clinic that does not include embryo freezing facilities, which are essential to a good clinic. If a clinic does not have a freezing facility, it should immediately be taken off your list of potential clinics, as many facilities like this have been known to donate your eggs to someone else without your consent.

3. Be leery of fertility clinics that refuse to show you their fertility equipment or facilities.

Some fertility clinics purchase second-hand, poor or older equipment that is out of date. These types of clinics increase your risk for infection because they cannot service their equipment properly and they often reuse fertility devices.

Method 2 of 3: It is Important to Check a Facility’s Credentials

There are several credentials and facts to check when looking into a fertility clinic.

1. Find out how long the program has been established. The level of experience that a fertility clinic has is very important. The longer a clinic has been in business, the better the facility likely is because it has been around long enough to have been proven credible.

2. Find out the clinic’s pregnancy rates. Check the published pregnancy rates for a facility. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publish pregnancy rates for most fertility clinics.

Be careful when checking these rates. Some clinics will turn away patients who have a very poor chance of becoming pregnant just to keep their rates high. Rather than looking just at the numbers, inquire about specific clinic policies and turndown rates as well.

3. Check to see if the clinic is a member of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology or SART. SART requires all members to follow ethical guidelines in order to be considered for and maintain membership. They will also do spot checks of the clinic to ensure that all guidelines and rules are being upheld.

4. Check to make sure that all of the physicians are board certified. It is important for them to be board certified specifically in Reproductive procedures such as embryology.

Make sure that all of the physicians at the clinic work on site. You will receive better medical care if the physician is available to assist you when you need him.

Method 3 of 3: Familiarize Yourself With the Different Services That a Clinic May Offer

When you inquire about all of the services that a clinic offers, it becomes easier to see if that particular clinic offers the specific service or fertility treatment that you need or want.

1. Check to see if the clinic offers in vitro fertilization as a therapy for women with all types of fertility issues.

Some clinics will only offer this fertility treatment as a last resort, when all other fertility methods have failed. Some fertility clinics do this to boost their pregnancy rates. You want to find a clinic that offers a wide range of services to help you conceive.

2. Check to see if the clinic offers treatment for male infertility programs as well. This could be something you may need if the male in the relationship has already been tested and proven to have the fertility issue. Additionally, there are many instances in which male infertility is discovered after the woman has been receiving fertility treatments. Starting out at a clinic that offers male infertility services will prevent you from having to switch doctors if a problem is discovered later on.

3. Check the costs. Each clinic should disclose in writing the costs of treatment. It is important to pick a clinic that is affordable to you, but you should not skimp on the quality of care just because one place is more affordable than the other. Inquire about payment plans, insurance carriers that are accepted and partial payments for failed pregnancy attempts.

4. Check to see if the clinic offers psychological counseling. Fertility treatments can be extremely stressful for couples. It can be very helpful if a clinic has on site psychological counseling to help you find some good stress coping techniques during this difficult time.

A Lifelong Gift: 5 Benefits of Becoming a Surrogate

As a gestational surrogate, you have no genetic link to the child you carry. Your body becomes a home to your intended parents’ (IPs) child. And through your nine-months of gestation brings a lifetime of happiness for a family that may not have been created without your generosity and help.

With that in mind, we compiled a list of the top five benefits of becoming a surrogate.

1. Enriching the lives of your IPs as well as bringing one into the world. IPs pursue surrogacy for many reasons— some are same-sex couples, some are heterosexual couples who struggle with infertility, and others are single parents who want to start a family. Your act of becoming a surrogate gives the gift of life to you IPs.

2. Developing a bond with your IPs. At Circle, we believe that the relationship between a surrogate and her IPs is of the utmost importance for both parties involved and for the child’s future. By carefully matching surrogates with IPs who have similar expectations on the type of relationship they’re willing to build, we can help create a heart-warming and fulfilling experience. The relationship is a reciprocal one, and Circle works with you and your IPs to ensure that both parties are comfortable and excited to work together.

3. Receiving top-notch care. As a surrogate with Eterna Surrogacy, you are closely monitored by some of the best healthcare professionals in the country, ensuring that you receive the best possible care.

4. Earning financial compensation. In addition to the altruistic reasons for becoming a surrogate, you are compensated for your time and dedication. Eterna’s surrogates earn between Rs. 50000 and Rs. 100000 with the potential to earn up to Rs 80000 in additional reimbursements. IPs view payment as a small gift in return for your immeasurable blessing that you’ve given them.

5. Experiencing complete support. Not only will you have support and care from your intended parents, but you will also have a team here at Eterna Surrogacy who will be with you every step of the way. You will move through your surrogacy journey with a group of people who will make sure that you are happy, healthy, and safe at all times.

Every woman’s experience as a gestational carrier is different. However, there is a common sentiment Rani Gupta (a former Eterna surrogate!) captures in her Youtube video about her experience. She notes, “This was their pregnancy- they just didn’t have the stretch marks to show it.”

IVF for Surrogacy and Egg Donation: An overview for intended parents

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is the medical procedure behind gestational surrogacy and egg donation. In the process, eggs are removed from an egg donor or from the intended mother and fertilized with sperm in a lab to create embryos. The resulting embryos are grown in laboratory conditions for 3-5 days. In a surrogacy arrangement, these embryos are then implanted into the uterus of a gestational surrogate. In an egg donation arrangement, they are transferred into the intended mother.

In preparation for the IVF procedure, surrogates and egg donors undergo medical treatments. An egg donor will self-administer injectible medications to stimulate the production of eggs. A surrogate takes medications to prepare her body for the embryo implantation.

Intended parents need to make a variety of choices in conjunction with the medical team at your IVF clinic. These decisions directly affect not only the success of the procedure, but also the number, health, and the biological makeup of the prospective children. The quality of the resulting embryos may affect the number that is recommended to be implanted. You may also have legal agreements in place that stipulate the number of embryos that can be transferred. You will also need to determine what to do with any remaining frozen embryos following the procedure.

The egg retrieval and IVF procedures are brief. Following the embryo transfer, your surrogate will require a period of bed rest. At any point in the process, you should feel free to reach out to your IVF clinic for any medical questions or to Circle with any questions about your contract, travel, or any other related issues.

Dream of motherhood finally real after surrogacy - Eterna IVF and Fertility Clinic

AFTER 17 years, 15 failed IVF attempts and the death of a premature baby, Merri Anderson refused to give up hope that one day she would become a mother.

That courage and unwavering faith will see Merri and partner Peter welcome not one but two little miracles into the world any day now - but not without a little bit of help.

Merri and Peter began their journey to parenthood many years ago and after trying for years to conceive naturally were forced to turn to IVF when they found out one of Merri's tubes was blocked.

That also proved to be a dead end street paved with heartache with four cancelled cycles and 10 unsuccessful cycles before the 11th go when they finally fell pregnant but lost their little girl after she was born premature and lived for just three hours.

"They said I could either adopt or try surrogacy, but the adoption agencies wouldn't approve us because of my lung problem and surrogacy was still illegal," Ms Anderson said.

Their options were dwindling but all that changed when they came for surrogacy in India in Eterna-IVF, the Rockhampton pair was given an email address for Indian woman Usha who had been considering becoming a surrogate for some time.

"We emailed back and forth for a few months getting to know each other," Usha said.

"It was the most nerve-racking day meeting each other after six months," Ms Anderson said.

Usha and her husband Raju have two children, Rani, 16, and Rahul, 13, and said nine months was a small price to pay to make dreams come true.

"Nine months of my life will give them a lifetime of happiness," Usha said.

When the four finally agreed to go ahead with the surrogacy, one attempt failed, the second resulted in a miscarriage and the third resulted in something none of them imagined in their wildest dreams - twins.

Usha is due to give birth to twins, a boy and girl, any day now and says the whole process has forged an incredible bond between the two families.

"They will know that I was the birth mother," she said.

"We'll be aunty and uncle to the twins and see them all the time and they will be like cousins to Rahul and Rani."

Mrs Anderson said she did not know what she would do without the incredible generosity of the whole Raju family.

"She's my life saver," Mrs Anderson said. "I don't know how I was ever going to get through life without kids.

"I've wanted them since I was little and I never ever gave up and I knew one day I would be a mum somehow."

One day is now just around the corner with the twins due on March 27 but doctors have said if they haven't arrived by March 11, they will induce labour.

"She's been so patient the past 17 years but this last two weeks has been crazy for her," Usha said of the mother-to-be.

"She's getting impatient."

Usha said her

family, especially husband Raju, had been incredibly supportive but both exten

ded families had been sceptical when they first told them about the surrogacy plans.

"Both our families were a bit strange at first but they have all gotten used to it," Ms Anderson said. "My family was terrified that she would keep them even though they're biologically ours.

"It's very scary. I had to put all my trust in her."

The surrogacy has cost approximate 9700 GBP but that's only a portion of what the pair have spent on IVF and related

expenses over the years.

Things to Consider Before Getting An IVF Treatment

IVF Treatment

In Vitro Fertilization or IVF is being practiced like never before as an alternative resort to  conceiving a child by couple and singles who cannot conceive naturally despite of unprotected intercourse due to some reproductive defect. It is the most sought after technique in the list of Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) because of its ease and high success rate. It is a technique by which fertilization is achieved in vitro after taking out the sperm and egg from the desired parents and the formed zygote/blastocyst/embryo is transferred into the mother. The technique is popularly known as ‘Test Tube Baby’. The success rates of IVF are very high owing to advancement and precision in technology and interventions by experienced medical professionals. Knowledge about the pros and cons of the technique is a must before getting an IVF treatment so that the patient prepares himself/herself psychologically. The following parameters must be kept in mind before approaching a fertility center.

Medical Professionals

1. Qualified and Experienced Medical Professionals

The fertility center which you ought to get treated from must have an excellent quality of doctors who have a rich experience and a dedicated service. Make sure the doctors keep everything transparent and provide you the required information whenever needed. The center must follow medical and legal ethics sincerely. Research about the success rates and precision of procedure must be looked into.

IVF Service

2. Easy Approach

The top fertility clinics Delhi must be ready at your service at any hour of the day and should fulfill your every need responsibly. IVF treatment requires a large amount of pre and post care. Therefore, negligence in treatment should not be overlooked. Choose a center which is close to your home. If your city doesn't have clinic, approach that center which lies closest and that offers home service in emergency.

Paramedical Staff

3. Contemporary Technology and Efficient Paramedical Staff

The center must be up-to-date with the latest advancements in the concerned field and have the latest equipment which are maintained properly. A good center would provide a wide range of services under one roof. The nurses and the paramedical staff should be highly trained. They should be sensitive to the needs of the patient. A high level of hygiene should be maintained during and after the surgical procedures.

Reasonable Price

4. Reasonable Price

The center should be ready to negotiate the cost according to your economical background and offer a discount accordingly. Research about the prices offered by various centers shall definitely be helpful in choosing the appropriate center.

Doctor And Patient

5. Mutual Understanding Between the Doctor And the Patient

The relationship between the doctor and the patient should be such that the latter is able to describe his/her needs to the former without any hesitation. The doctor must be sensitive to the needs of the patient and keep the procedure as transparent as possible keeping in mind the work ethics.

A center which qualifies all the above listed parameters will surely help to have your genetic child and bring normalcy into your life.