Is IVF Painful? Myths and Facts about IVF by Dr. Neeraj Pahlajani

With the advancement of technology in medical science, people are turning to advanced technology for reproduction. One such technology is IVF. But for this process one needs to be educated, there are way too many myths about IVF.  In this article, we will discuss some of the myths and facts associated with IVF. Raipur’s renowned gynecologist Dr. Neeraj Pahlajani has simplified it for us. Firstly let us familiarize ourselves with the myths related to IVF. 

MYTHS

·         One of the common myths about IVF is that it gives a 100% guarantee in the first attempt.

·         Another common myth is that IVF does not require hospitalization.

·         It is often assumed that the entire burden falls upon the woman.

·         If once Conceived naturally the further pregnancy won’t require IVF.

·         Often considered as the last resort treatment.

·         IVF is still considered taboo in modern society.

·         Often taken as a difficult treatment of conception.

·         IVF can affect the immunity of the mother. 

·         Beta HCG report is the final call for pregnancy.

·         IVF is unaffordable and expensive.

·         Cesarean is the only option for delivery.

Now let us educate ourselves with the FACTS about IVF in correlation with the MYTHS mentioned above. 

IVF is not a guaranteed treatment; one does not get the result in the first attempt. With multiple IVF attempts, the cumulative pregnancy rate is very high. Cumulative pregnancy rates can vary from 70-80% to almost guarantee. One must not get depressed after the failure of their first IVF attempt.  One needs to attempt IVF 2-3 times before claiming it to be a failure.

It’s true that IVF doesn’t require hospitalization or surgery, but one needs to be mentally prepared that it takes a lot many frequent visits to the hospital. One needs to be mentally prepared as IVF is a time-consuming process. One needs to adjust their work accordingly, nothing important should fall during this period to avoid unnecessary stress. 

IVF can be stressful not only for the woman but also for the man. The would-be dads are equally involved in the process emotionally and financially. It is suggested that the couple should engage themselves in hobbies of their choice to stay relaxed and comfortable throughout the journey.

We often feel that if our first pregnancy has been natural, the upcoming will be of the same. But in case the tubes have been blocked or because of the acquired diseases the male semen has gone down or due to the advancing age the ovarian reserves have gone down, IVF can prove to be a better treatment in conditions like these. 

During the treatment, due to frequent visits and changes in hormones induced by gonadotropins one may feel emotionally challenged, irritable and sexually charged up. So it shouldn’t surprise you or disturb you if you feel all of this during your IVF treatment.

IVF success is directly related to age especially with the female party. With the increasing age of the female, the ovarian reserves tend to fall short. So the chances of getting pregnant with one’s own egg will keep declining with the advancing age. So one should not think that IVF is the last resort treatment. The success rate depends on many factors. With IVF the chances of multiple pregnancies can be high, however, it can be minimized after consulting your doctor. The success rate with a single embryo can be very less.

IVF is as common as natural pregnancies but is still considered as a taboo. Not everyone wants to tell people that they conceived through IVF or are going through IVF treatment. It is a simple process and one must be acceptable towards it. 

IVF doesn’t affect the health of the mother or the fetus significantly. The only complication involving IVF is ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome that too in the present-day world with the use of technology and advanced drugs and flexible treatment can be rectified. The other complications are similar to what we face during our natural pregnancy.

One should be happy with the positive HCG result but should also prepare themselves mentally for the upcoming pregnancy-related challenges which can be stressful for the couple. 

IVF is pretty affordable in today’s scenario. As far as the finances are concerned most people do not drop the IVF treatment because it is expensive but they get stressed out because of the whole time-consuming process.

IVF pregnancies can deliver vaginally as well. It is often considered that Cesarean delivery is the only option with IVF conception. The delivery of the baby depends on many factors and these factors remain the same for vaginal delivery as well as the Cesarean delivery.

Hope that this article answers most of your IVF related queries. 

Surrogacy Regularization in India

Couples across the world, be it India or Australia, wish to expand their progeny. If infertile, they would consider In Vitro Fertilisation, Surrogacy or Adoption as the three options have a child. While thousands of couple journey miles and miles to find the most apt surrogacy clinic that matches their criteria, the surrogacy industry bloats with both right and wrong constraints. My opinion is not contrary to those who criticise the unregulated surrogacy sector in India. Anything unregulated is dangerous. Voids in surrogacy laws are filled with exploitation of surrogate mothers, reaping wrongful advantage of commercialized sector and compromising quality of medical procedure. Such voids are harmful even for the doctors who are genuinely helping couples with infertility are suspected of bending the laws. These reputed doctors have repeatedly become the victims to calumny.

Recently, Union Minister for Health, Dr Harsh Vardhan's wrote an editorial, published on The Hindustan Times, about surrogacy titled 'Right to motherhood, right to a mother'. In his article, he discusses how the unregulated surrogacy industry in India poses a great threat to the country's poor, disenfranchised women, who are compelled to become surrogate mothers to battle poverty. He writes: 

"A woman’s body goes hormonal change as she is prepared for intrauterine insemination or intra-cervical insemination or, less commonly, intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection or in-vitro fertilisation. She is also put through many other risks. For instance, under the jungle raj that prevails in this trade, the testing of the donor for various diseases is mostly absent. Also, there is wide ignorance of the fact that the chances of conception through artificial insemination are at best 35% and that too for women under 30."

My thoughts echo with Dr Vardhan’s on surrogacy. There are human rights activists, who have spontaneously displayed their rage over the issue. We, at Pahlajani Surrogacy Care, not only obey the rules but ensure that every surrogate mother gets the best care.

Surrogacy Regularization in India

Surrogacy homes ensure monitored care of surrogate mothers throughout the pregnancy, for them to incubate the fertilized eggs of infertile couples. The day surrogacy care opened the doors of commercialization in India that added gross benefit to countries exchequer. However, the lucrative trend bought addition responsibilities for doctors to ensure finest services to both medical tourists and surrogate mothers. Unlike other clinics, which were brought under the legal scanner for scrimping on surrogate pay,Pahlajani IVF Clinic ascended towards safeguarding the rights of surrogate under the legal norms of the country.  

Sizable surrogacy programmes in Pahlajani IVF Clinic recruits women suitable to become a carrier for infertile couples. The clinic ensures legitimate incentive to surrogates against a yearlong benevolence of a surrogate. In the latest crafted legislation of Ministry of Home Affairs, New Delhi ensures notarized agreement between prospective surrogate and applicant couple to ensure the safeguard of interests of both. With monitored nurturing to assure smooth pregnancy, Pahlajani Test Tube Baby Center ensures after pregnancy checkups for healthy living of a surrogate.

We wait for the surrogacy bill to be tabled this winner session of parliament.

Dr Neeraj Pahlajani

Obstetrician & IVF Specialist

(MS, DNB, FMAS, DRM - Germany)

MBBS - Lady Harding Medical College - New Delhi

MS - Obstetrics and Gynecology (PGI - Rohtak)

DNB - Obstetrics and Gynecology

FMAS - World Association of Laparoscopic Surgeons

DRM - Diploma in Reproductive Medicine (Germany)

Fellow in IVF & Embryology – (USA)

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Pahlajani Test Tube Baby Centre

(Mata Laxmi Nursing Home)

Anupam Nagar, Near T.V. Tower, Raipur (Chhattisgarh) India

Phone:  +91- 771- 4052967, +91- 771- 4053285 Mobile:  +91- 9873083334, +91- 9329630455

Email - contact@raipurivf.com

Visit Our Websites

Pahlajani Test Tube Baby Centre - Raipur

Low Cost IVF India - Pahlajani Test Tube Baby Centre

Pahlajani Critical Pregnancy Care Centre - Raipur

Surrogacy Process Overview

IVF in Raipur at Pahlajani Pregnancy Care offers two types of surrogacy — traditional surrogacy and gestational surrogacy.

In traditional surrogacy, a surrogate mother is artificially inseminated, either by the intended father or an anonymous donor, and carries the baby to term. The child is thereby genetically related to both the surrogate mother, who provides the egg, and the intended father or anonymous donor.

In gestational surrogacy, an egg is removed from the intended mother or an anonymous donor and fertilized with the sperm of the intended father or anonymous donor. The fertilized egg, or embryo, is then transferred to a surrogate who carries the baby to term. The child is thereby genetically related to the woman who donated the egg and the intended father or sperm donor, but not the surrogate.

Traditional surrogacy is more controversial than gestational surrogacy, in large part because the biological relationship between the surrogate and the child often complicates the facts of the case if parental rights or the validity of the surrogacy agreement are challenged. As a result, most states prohibit traditional surrogacy agreements. Additionally, many states that permit surrogacy agreements prohibit compensation beyond the payment of medical and legal expenses incurred as a result of the surrogacy agreement.

Basic Surrogacy Qualifications

There are a few basic qualifications required for a woman for becoming a surrogate mother.

• Should have carried and delivered at least one child
• Should have had pregnancies that were all free of complications and were full-term
• She should be in good physical and mental health
• She should be between 21 and 35 years of age
• She should not be a habituated smoker or drinker

At Pahlajani Surrogacy Care, the surrogates are kept under best medical care. They live in an environment of peace and sisterhood under the roof of Pahlajani Surrogacy Home, where they are given best medical assistance.

Indian surrogacy is often targeted about the authenticity of contract signed between commissioning parents and surrogates. The fact cannot be denied that there are several clinics which do not adhere to the provisions of remunerations. However, Pahlajani Surrogacy Care ensures that the rights of a surrogate, who is assisting a childless couple to complete their family.

Pahlajani Test Tube Baby Center is the only center in Chhattisgarh having an in-house embryologist and does not conduct IVF/ICSI in batches. With the number of successes in helping the childless couples in having their babies by providing best medical assistance to both surrogate and commissioning couple, we have climbed another step in the ladder of human connection. Knowing that giving birth for someone else is a job only a selfless human being with most giving heart can perform, Pahlajani Surrogacy Care derives its confidence from surrogates for showing their faith and performing commendable jobs for couples.

Dr Neeraj Pahlajani

Obstetrician & IVF Specialist

(MS, DNB, FMAS, DRM - Germany)

MBBS - Lady Harding Medical College - New Delhi

MS - Obstetrics and Gynecology (PGI - Rohtak)

DNB - Obstetrics and Gynecology

FMAS - World Association of Laparoscopic Surgeons

DRM - Diploma in Reproductive Medicine (Germany)

Fellow in IVF & Embryology – (USA)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pahlajani Test Tube Baby Centre

(Mata Laxmi Nursing Home)

Anupam Nagar, Near T.V. Tower, Raipur (Chhattisgarh) India

Phone:  +91- 771- 4052967, +91- 771- 4053285 Mobile:  +91- 9770997645, +91- 9329630455

Email - contact@raipurivf.com

Visit Our Websites

Pahlajani Test Tube Baby Centre - Raipur

Low Cost IVF India - Pahlajani Test Tube Baby Centre

Pahlajani Critical Pregnancy Care Centre - Raipur

Why Surrogacy in India?

Infertility is one of the biggest health issues faced by people today. Around 20-25 per cent women of child bearing age in India are obese. This increases the chances of them suffering from PCOS. There are multiple interventions available to treat infertility, IVF being the most advanced. In Indian, the medical equipment industry has also spurred growth. Low cost surrogacy in Raipur and IVF in Raipur has become an option for lot of couples in India and in abroad to have their children through surrogacy.

In India, modernity has trampled over traditional taboos. It is proven by the fact that none of the family members, even in-laws, of the surrogates interviewed in Hyderabad objected to their decision as long as it brought returns.

Surrogacy involves the carrying of an embryo and the subsequent birthing of a baby by one woman, referred to as the surrogate, for another individual or couple. There are two primary types of surrogacy - traditional and gestational. 

With gestational surrogacy, because the sperm and the egg both come from the intended child's biological parents, the surrogate will not be biologically related to the child and is only used for carrying purposes. This can be of extreme importance to many parents.

Using In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), it typically takes between three and five days before the embryo develops in the lab before it can be implanted into the uterus of the surrogate. Once the surrogate has been impregnated, she will then carry the embryo until the time of the child's birth. Low cost surrogacy  has given a chance to many couples for starting their families.

Because many women are capable of producing healthy eggs, yet are not able to become pregnant, they are ideal candidates to choose a gestational surrogate, as are those who may be able to become pregnant but have a history of miscarriage. 

What is Egg Donation?

A woman desiring to be an egg donor provides several eggs during one cycle to the intended parents to help them create their child. Egg donation is highly desirable for intended parents, regardless of whether the intended mother or a gestational surrogate will ultimately carry the pregnancy because the donated eggs belong solely to the intended parents immediately when the doctor harvests them from the egg donor’s ovaries. The egg donor has no claim or control over the eggs or resulting embryos, regardless of whether they will be fertilized with the sperm of the intended father or donor sperm, and regardless of whether the resulting embryos will be transferred to the uterus of the intended mother or a gestational surrogate.

Dr Neeraj Pahlajani

Obstetrician & IVF Specialist

(MS, DNB, FMAS, DRM - Germany)

MBBS - Lady Harding Medical College - New Delhi

MS - Obstetrics and Gynecology (PGI - Rohtak)

DNB - Obstetrics and Gynecology

FMAS - World Association of Laparoscopic Surgeons

DRM - Diploma in Reproductive Medicine (Germany)

Fellow in IVF & Embryology – (USA)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pahlajani Test Tube Baby Centre

(Mata Laxmi Nursing Home)

Anupam Nagar, Near T.V. Tower, Raipur (Chhattisgarh) India

Phone:  +91- 771- 4052967, +91- 771- 4053285 Mobile:  +91- 9873083334, +91- 9329630455

Email - contact@raipurivf.com

Visit Our Websites

Pahlajani Test Tube Baby Centre - Raipur

Low Cost IVF India - Pahlajani Test Tube Baby Centre

Pahlajani Critical Pregnancy Care Centre - Raipur

India versus Thailand on Surrogacy

A slew of surrogacy scandals have lifted a lid on Thailand’s largely unregulated commercial surrogacy industry, which has been around for over a decade. Below are the few controversial cases that drew a large amount of flak and also led to Thai military government’s decision to draft a new law that is expected to outlaw the business of surrogacy.

Below are the three scandals that brought unregulated surrogacy sector of Thailand under scanner –

An Australian couple, who had hired a Thai surrogate to their twins, returned home with a healthy baby girl but left behind her twin brother with Down syndrome, in late July.

Shortly after, a new case of 24-year-old Japanese man who fathered at least 16 babies via Thai surrogates emerged.

A third case emerged when an Australian man charged with sexually abusing twin girls he fathered several years ago with a Thai surrogate. The man was charged in an Australian court last year for committing indecent acts with a child.

Surrogacy Laws in Thailand

Thailand has become a favorite destination for couples from Australia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, and a low-cost alternative to the United States. However, Thailand is one of the few countries in Asia where commercial surrogacy is not specifically banned by law. Previously, the Medical Council of Thailand had a regulation stating that doctors cannot perform surrogacy for pay or risk losing their license. But that penalty has rarely been enforced and there are no rules covering surrogacy agencies or surrogate mothers, leaving room for commercial surrogacy to occur without oversight.

Thailand's New Draft Law on Surrogacy

In response to the recent global attention, Thailand’s military government has vowed to shut down the commercial surrogacy industry. A draft law expected to pass the junta-appointed legislature sometime this year prohibits commercial surrogacy and would penalize offenders with up to 10 years in prison. Agencies, advertisers, or recruiters of surrogate mothers will face up to five years in jail and a fine of up to 100,000 baht ($3,000). Experts say they fear the law will not end commercial surrogacy in Thailand and instead push it underground.

Surrogacy Laws in India

Indian Surrogacy Laws remained lose for years, while the medical council continued its attempt to regulate surrogacy sector for years. After 2002, Surrogacy Laws in India have undergone an immense change. The Union of India is taking steps to for legalizing surrogacy and making India a risk-free destination when it comes to international surrogacy arrangements. The Indian Government is implementing legal mechanisms to ensure that the child born out of surrogacy arrangement in India would have a safe passage back home. Though such measures have affected few nationals, it could be considered legally safe in the long run for surrogacy in India.

After rounds of discussion with various ministries, the Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Bill, 2013 has been cleared and will be presented before Union Cabinet during winter session of 2014, confirmed a senior health ministry official on September 22. The decision comes closely after the regularisation and legal framework of Surrogacy in India was debated. The undeniable fact about several illegal ART units cropping up across the country to shortchange the infertile couples gives a reason for the urgent need of passing the bill.

Indian Government has also chalked out certain guidelines on surrogacy to make the whole process transparent and allow to hitches. The Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Bill, 2013 seeks to address issues like number of pregnancies allowed to a surrogate mother, age limit and due compensation paid to the surrogates. A framework would be designed for foreigners to seek surrogacy help from India surrogate mothers. With this, the issues of consent and health of surrogate mother would also be resolved.

The Health Ministry has considered the fact that commercial surrogacy changes to biological ability of a woman to reproduce into a commercial activity when money transaction is involved and lack of proper legal framework further complicated the whole process. 

Therefore, an immediate need of strong legal provisions to safeguard the interest of the surrogate mother, commissioning parents and the child born through surrogacy process has been considered.

Dr Neeraj Pahlajani

Obstetrician & IVF Specialist

(MS, DNB, FMAS, DRM - Germany)

MBBS - Lady Harding Medical College - New Delhi

MS - Obstetrics and Gynecology (PGI - Rohtak)

DNB - Obstetrics and Gynecology

FMAS - World Association of Laparoscopic Surgeons

DRM - Diploma in Reproductive Medicine (Germany)

Fellow in IVF & Embryology – (USA)

For Low Cost IVF India, Raipur (Chhattisgarh - India),

Pahlajani Test Tube Baby Centre

(Mata Laxmi Nursing Home)

Anupam Nagar, Near T.V. Tower, Raipur (Chhattisgarh) India

Phone:  +91- 771- 4052967, +91- 771- 4053285 Mobile:  +91- 9770997645, +91- 9329630455

Email - contact@raipurivf.com

Visit Our Websites

Pahlajani Test Tube Baby Centre - Raipur

Low Cost IVF India - Pahlajani Test Tube Baby Centre

Pahlajani Critical Pregnancy Care Centre - Raipur

How to deal with failed IVF

How to deal with failed IVF

The introduction of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) more than 30 years ago has made parenthood possible for millions who otherwise would never have been able to conceive. When your body says no to in vitro, you at least have options like surrogacy to discover and still have child with your own genes.

It is understandable that an IVF procedure requires an enormous emotional commitment at each level of the program, whether or not IVF is successful. From a personal experience, it was observed when the couples were undergoing IVF in Raipur, failed IVF leaves broken heart.

What if experiencing the failure of your last IVF is the key that begins to end the misconceptions? What if spending time with your tender broken heart can not only help balance your hormones, but can help you heal every other failure you have yet to heal? 

Technical Truths

IVF patients need to be prepared for the fact that about 15-20% of pregnancies miscarry, and the risk of miscarriage after in vitro fertilization is probably the same as for natural conception. The reason the IVF miscarriage rate sometimes appears to be higher is that an IVF pregnancy is diagnosed long before it normally would be in the case of a natural pregnancy.

Most women who conceive on their own do not test themselves for pregnancy until they have missed their period, whereas with IVF the diagnosis of pregnancy is made before the woman misses a period. One should remember, however, that a pregnancy is not confirmed until the presence of a gestational sac has been diagnosed by ultrasound. If this criterion is used to verify pregnancy, then the miscarriage rate with IVF is no greater than that of the population at large.

Ask yourself. You are not a quitter right?

But miscarriage can have a positive side, however. Painful as it is to the couple, the very fact that they conceived at all indicates they are likely to be able to do so again. It is reasonable to expect that although a successful pregnancy was not achieved on the first try, the fact that they could initiate a pregnancy means that their overall chances of having a baby will increase on subsequent IVF attempts.

A failed IVF or a canceled in vitro cycle can be the first step of real healing. Don’t blame it on assisted reproduction for the rest of your fertility journey.

The physical demands of IVF ranging from the annoyance of hormone shots and blood tests to the discomfort of egg retrieval for the woman and the need for the man to produce a semen specimen on demand, all add to the emotional stress associated with the process. 

So, be emotionally prepared and call for support from your family throughout the treatment cycle. It will help both partners cope more effectively with the physical demands on the woman.

Dr Neeraj Pahlajani

Website

http://www.raipurivf.com/

http://www.pahlajanipregnancycare.com/

http://lowcostivfindia.com/

Email

drpahlajaniraipur@gmail.com

How to Communicate with Your Surrogate

For fostering a good relationship with a surrogate, communication needs to be strong. It can be through emails, phone calls, even video calling, but you need to be in regular touch with the surrogate. Communication would ease the tension and also help both surrogate and intended parents to understand each other’s concerns. For establishing a good communication, you need to be direct and allow each other to open up.

Intended parents should encourage weekly exchange of emails or texts to know about each other’s well being. Regardless of how often you and your surrogate talk during the pregnancy, it is suggested that intended parents should increase communication before the birth of child. It is recommended that during the surrogate’s pregnancy, talking and exchange of ideas should be ensured. It will help to safeguard everyone’s expectations.

What Should the Intended Parents Talk?

1. Ask about surrogate’s well being

2. Ask if she needs anything

3. Ask if she is willing to pump breast milk

4. Talk about your relationship with surrogate after birth of child

Staying connected after the baby is born is also an important part of the surrogacy journey. At Pahlajani Surrogacy Care, we ensure that intended parents and their surrogates develop strong ties. The friendship between the recipient mother and surrogate even continues after she delivers your baby. 

We encourage intended parents and surrogates to discuss about the baby to eliminate confusion and the potential for disappointment. Communication helps the surrogate to keep that strength and helps intended parents to know about the journey of their child inside surrogate’s womb. A lack of effective communication can often lead to misunderstandings, in turn leading to feelings of dishonesty or distrust. 

Maintaining open and steady communication between the agency and the intended parents enables each party to feel more comfortable and at ease 

during the process.

It is important for the intended parents to identify how involved they want to be during and after the pregnancy.  With that in mind, it is essential that the needs of the intended parents be matched with those of the surrogate.  Most couples prefer an open relationship with their surrogate

Dr Neeraj Pahlajani

Tips for Surrogates to Keep themselves Healthy during Pregnancy

For many gestational surrogates, finding the time and energy to eat right and exercise throughout this exciting journey can be much easier said than done. It is suggested that surrogates should form a routine and keep themselves active. There are certain light exercises, and other simpler ways to keep surrogates healthy, few are as below -

1. Walk

Surrogates do not need to stick to rigorous workout routine to stay fit but should prefer to walk at least 30 to 60 minutes a day to keep themselves healthy. This would give you energy and also fresh.

2. Eat healthy

Eating habits would also keep the baby happy. Stick with your fitness and nutrition goals is to write everything down. Not only is this a great way to keep track of your eating and exercise during your pregnancy, it could also turn into a journal or log of your surrogacy experience.

3. Exercise

Surrogates should to avoid traditional crunches and only run with doctor’s approval, low impact cardio, using the elliptical machine or treadmill, and Pilates are great for targeting your core muscles without much discomfort.

4. Bond with Intended Mother 

She might be your email friend or even workout partner, surrogates should try to use the company of intended mothers to give her assurance that her baby is fine and how much you are carrying for it. Consider attending a weekly Pilates or yoga class, or simply going for walks and cooking a healthy a meal together.

5. Home remedies

Keep some prenatal workout videos on hand to do in the comfort of your own home. There are certain routines designed with modifications to suit pregnant mothers who need different energy levels to keep them active.

6. Drink water

Be sure to always keep water nearby and drink plenty of it. As your surrogacy progresses, your workouts will begin to feel more difficult. This is normal, so listen to what your body says and reduce the pace when it asks you to slow down.

Always be sure to your doctor regarding exercise you should be doing while pregnant. It is important for you and baby to be health. So, stay calm, workout and never allow stress to invade your life. Even the simplest daily activities can make a world of difference when it comes to keeping you active and feeling great.

Dr Neeraj Pahlajani