The Road to Fertility

"Treat a Person, not a symptom or a body part" a wise physician would say! But even in our daily lives, do we really follow the exclusivity of choices, or do we just succumb to the over hyped retail chains of goods that are off the shelves? What would you do when choosing some thing optional, not an essential? Fertility treatment falls in the exclusive domain of optional rather than an essential, unlike say a Cesarean Section or a Bypass surgery. It cannot be and should not be an option one chooses off the shelf. First thing that drives a fertility treatment is the wish of the patient. What they want and how soon is the prime concern here. Then comes the clinical opinion on whether what they wish for is realistic and medically sound for the given situation. Associated is the evaluation of the expectations and concerns of the couple. Hence fertility treatment ideally should be tailor made for the clinical diagnosis, wishes of the patient and cater to them as a special couple,

It is an invariable question that the fertility couple is bound to pose after the final leg of treatment. The hectic activity is over and now is the time to wait for the results and believe me, it can be very stressful. There is definitely the usual about medication and diet and rest, but the most important culprit that has to be tackled is STRESS!! Women should be advised to do whatever keeps their mind off the outcome of pregnancy. this slow de-petalling with "Will it..wont it" causes a lot of problems. Research has shown there are highest level of stress is documented on the day the final test for pregnancy confirmation is made. The Doctor's advice to the couple has to take care of the waiting period as well as the DAY! One way to look at things is to say to one self, I have given my best as has my doctor, ther's only so much i can do, and quoting Scarlett'O Hara's famous words in Gone with the Wind " 'll think about this tomorrow"! It's a

Doctors will soon encounter this question more and more! Really, in the kind of highly sensitive medical environment that exists in the Fertility clnic, every little bit we do to ease the stress of these couples is less. Then how can we let our fertility seekin couples undergo the multiple heirarchial approch to clinical treatment? The couple would come for initial consult, laboratory workup, ultrasounds, injections, etc. etc. For each appointment they see a new face, who askes the same uncomfortable questions, makes some inelligible notes and hurries upto another couple without properly satisfying either of them! None of them are open with answering queries, solving problems,addressing the doubts. Some of them are unaware of what the previous doctors instructions were. The couple are left confused, intimidated and stressed out with the entire scenario. The picture reminds me of an Assembly line in a factory of say an automobile company. There are metal frameworks on an assembly line c

That would be any sane self respecting person's first response to an offer of counseling. As mature adults we would like to believe we are totally capable of managing our lives! It's true to an extent. But when the issue is a highly intricate specialised one like an ART treatment, the parameters change. ART counseling is not all about the treatment and clinical jargon, rather it focuses on one to one interaction of the counselor and the couple, their expectations, their understanding and their comfort. Its a known fact that what you understand thoroughly does not scare or stress you. So when a couple steps in to the seemingly confusing and intimidating realm of fertility treatment, they are in for a whole baggage of doubts, conflicts, half baked information received from the Internet and their own interpersonal issues and insecurities. The stage is set for a highly stressed out one and a half month of treatment process until it reaches a peak at the time of final results of the

Patience is a good quality to have , we all agree. One should imbibe it and cultivate it while tackling problems of life. But do we realy need to apply it to problems of subfertility as well? Opinions may differ, but i would still say no. When one is adviced to " Take it easy" , especially when the couple has been trying for pregnancy for more than a year, I would rather say, take it easy , but do seek professional advice. It we see the scientific basis for this, its very clear how the decision is to be made. All women are born with a limited number of years of fertility , unlike men where the fertility is not time bound. As she approaches her mid thirties the fertiliy potential had already started declining , which will reach a pit bottom around forty years. Precious few self pregnancies are reported beyond the early forties. So make up your mind and go for the step wise scientific approach. Wishes work well but Efforts work better ! Best would be a combination of both!

When a couple approach a fertility center, they have come with hope and disappointments both. It will depend upon the consultant which of these sentiments they can tap into and cultivate further. Fertility treatment is a very elective and personal process and it should remain as such even at a fertility clinic. The couple seeks understanding, not sympathy and facts not promises. They also have the baggage of numerous doubts and queries. If a consultant thinks they can handle all this and the scientific excahnge in fifteen minutes, they need to think again. Time is one essential requisite that the doctor has to offer the couple approaching them. It is then the rapport is built up and leads to confidence building in the services offered.

Time and Knowledge is of vital importance in this field . Both from the couple's and the doctor's perspective. The couple should know the clock is ticking as far as the woman's age is concerned. They should also be well acquainted with the basic knowledge of the fertility management. For the doctor, its important, rather vital, to be able to spend some time with the couple, to understand their dilemma , their concerns and of course their problems. The knowledge of the doctor is not only in diagnosing and advising , but also in selecting the tailor made scientific approach for the couple, which helps them to maximise their chances of conception.

The word infertility, I think is inappropriate for the majority of couples. It would be better reffered as subfertility. And the hurdles of subfertility can from either partner. What is important is to recognise them early, so you can efficiently tackle them.

We embark on a journey of life, full of hope and smiles. Sometimes we stumble. The important thing is to get up and take on life with twice the resolve, having learnt from the experience. The road to attaining motherhood is somewhat similar. You need some one to assure you and encourage you. I hope I can help in someway.