Bayi Tabung / in vitro fertilization

IVF Clinics – Avoid the common traps and increase your chance of getting pregnant!
There are so many fertility clinics licensed to practice assisted reproductive technologies and help couples achieve their dream of a baby. With plenty to choose from it is apparent they are not all created equal and the playing field is by no means level. Pregnancy success rates can range from 10% to 60%, which means that the fertility clinic you choose is one of the most important factors to maximizing your chances of conceiving. AND the decision is all down to you!

The world of infertility is daunting. Initially you find out that the prospect that having children may not be as straightforward as you originally thought. Then having digested this shocking news, you have to find the best ways to help you get pregnant. Finding the right team of people to do this is the key to your success. It is so easy to make simple mistakes and these mistakes could cost you the difference of being pregnant or not! I fell into some of these traps because I was naïve and placed my future in the hands of the professionals and when it failed, I took that matter into my own hands and became an expert of fertility clinics that could best help us.

While it is true that most of us carefully scrutinize items of great importance like a future house or car purchase, when the stakes are much higher, we tend to throw all caution and logic to one side. This is the case with fertility. When it comes to someone providing you with the slightest glimmer of hope of becoming a parent, inevitably you will take a blind leap of faith. IVF treatment is an addictive process simply because of your hunger for success – that little baby! This is why choosing the right clinic from the beginning is one of the most important decisions you will make. If you get it right, you will be on your way to enjoying parenthood. If you get it wrong, you have one hell of a roller coaster ride ahead of you!

Common traps to avoid

Location

Some people choose the nearest clinic to their home. This understandable as throughout the fertility treatment you will need to go back and forth, sometimes several times a day. But it is a mistake to choose a clinic solely on this basis. There are other important factors, which must come into the equation. If the ideal clinic for you, after all your research has been completed is a clinic 200 miles away, investigate the possibility of staying with friends, or a local hotel for a few weeks.

Hearsay and recommendation
Choosing a clinic solely on the fact that you heard a doctor there was ‘ good’ or you know someone who went there and has had success is also wrong. Sure, it provides a good place to start but again your research must go beyond this to identify what the clinic can do for you. Every couple’s circumstances is different and what works for one couple, may not work for another. Bear this in mind when researching the types of treatments available at each clinic.

Referral from Doctor or Gynaecologist
After completing your initial investigative tests, your doctor will undoubtedly have a conversation with you about what happens next. So far you have invested all your trust in your doctor and naturally respect his/her choice of clinic. Often, a doctors referral will be based on hearsay or anecdotal information. Certainly research your doctors recommendation but if the clinic does not suit you and your partner, do not feel pressured into it.

Cost
It is our nature to seek out a good deal. When it comes to fertility treatment there is no such thing as a good deal. The cost of treatment bears no relation to the clinics’ success rate. What does pay off is the time you invest in researching and asking the right questions.

Repeat treatment
You may already have completed one cycle of treatment at a chosen clinic and wish to try again. Do not feel under pressure to use the same clinic for your next attempt. If it has not worked the first time, there may be a valid reason for it.

By Marina Nicholas