Our first task: picking a IVF Clinic or IVF specialist. Which criteria we had to consider to make the right decision.
Six years have passed since I was diagnosed with two blocked fallopian tubes and I was declared “infertile”. Since then, it was clear to me that having a child wouldn’t be an easy journey, but it would be absolutely possible. I also met my amazing husband (DH – as we call our Dear Husband in the fertility community), and from the beginning of our relationship, we spoke openly about the issue with my fallopian tubes. He fully accepted me and my “flaws” and we started our search for the best way to become parents together as soon as possible. I am currently 36 and he is 47, so we didn’t really want to waste any time.
"I have an amazing gynecologist, who knows my story. It was obvious for me that I was going to ask for his recommendation. "
Our first task was picking the IVF clinic (or a doctor). There are plenty of clinic options available, and picking the right one is not an easy decision, so decided to make a list of my criteria:
- Waiting time. This was a key point for me. I am not the most patient human being on Earth in normal circumstances, and especially now. I would like to be a Mom as soon as possible.
- Success rate. A higher rate would indicate better chances. To be honest, I was a bit skeptical about the rates published on the websites. As Aaron Levenstein said: “Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital.” I definitely would check how the success rates were calculated.
- Doctor’s personality, and atmosphere of the clinic. I wanted to feel that I am safe, supported, and important.
- Price. This was a key point as well, but not the most important in my opinion. It’s not a cheap medical service, and I had to keep in mind that most probably it won’t be a ‘one-time-service’ either. More IVF cycles will multiply the cost of the whole IVF journey.
- Location of the Clinic. I didn’t want to travel too much, if it wasn’t necessary.
I have an amazing gynecologist, who knows my story. It was obvious for me that I was going to ask for his recommendation. He recommended to us one of his fertility specialist colleagues, who – as he said – “helped him with many babies over the years”. This is definitely a good review!
We want to take our time to consider all our options, but don’t want to spend ages on picking the clinic either. We agreed with my husband for a 7-days deadline meanwhile considering two important rules:
- We are going to check all the options together, but the final decision will be mine.
- We won’t base our final decision on google/facebook/forum reviews or personal recommendations. Every case and story are different. We would like to focus on ours. (I am not a saint, and cannot promise that I won’t read any though.)
Our decision-making deadline (make an appointment with the doctor) is scheduled in Leeaf, so it’s time to make an excel sheet, and pick the best guide for our IVF journey.
#ivfclinic #ivfjourney #art #myivfjourney
How my (in)fertility story started six years ago.
I have to go back a little in time to start my fertility story. I started to feel the so-called “biological urge” six years ago, when I was 30 years old. To be honest, I never really understood how someone can be so desperate to become a mother until I had this feeling.
"I contacted my gynecologist and asked him to run a few tests for my peace of mind. "
First, I thought that this “urge” must be due to hormonal changes in my body, which would make sense considering my age - we always hear about this magical number 30, when it comes to fertility, but does this “urge” really exist? After a short research online, it turns out, studies cannot find any biological explanation of this deep rooted feeling of wanting to have a child. Experts say the root of this feeling is a learned desire from social and cultural influences. Funny enough, I never considered myself someone who cared too much about what other people thought, but it turns out, like the root of our most basic emotional needs – such as being a mother – is extremely deeply implanted.
Even though, at this point, I had not met my husband (or any potential partner in crime), I wanted to know if everything was fine and my fertility. To be honest, I was almost 100% sure that everything was OK with me. I barely saw a doctor (except the normal medical check-ups) over the last few years and my mom had five healthy children. But on the other hand, I heard stories from some of my married friends that making a baby was not as easy as I would think for various reasons.
I contacted my gynecologist and asked him to run a few tests for my peace of mind. He performed a general ultrasound test on me, and found that all my reproductive system organs were in the right places and in good condition. Great news! He also asked me a few questions about my period and confirmed that all was fine with that as well. Great, going well so far! We agreed to do a check-up on my fallopian tubes as well the following month (it can be performed only on certain days of the menstrual cycle, to make sure the patient is not pregnant), and meanwhile, he asked me to do a blood test to see how my hormone levels were.
During the next appointment, my doctor checked the blood test result. He found everything to be in order, including my anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) level (2.41 ng/ml). This hormone isn’t given enough acknowledgement as it should be. It gives you information about your ovarian reserve (how many eggs you still have). After this consultation, we both agreed that there is nothing to worry about regarding my hormones.
Afterwards, my doctor performed an ultrasound test called HyCoSy, also known as “tubal patency test”. It checks the cavity of the uterus, and the condition of the fallopian tubes. The examination starts by performing a normal pap smear-test, then a contrast agent is injected into the uterus. The contrast agent helps to see the shape and size of the uterus first (using ultrasound). After, if the fallopian tubes are opened, the agent can be seen passing through the tubes. Well, my tubes were not letting any contract agent pass through. It turned out that both of them were completely blocked. That day, I left the Clinic with a paper stating I was officially “infertile”.
Since then (over the last six years), I learned that 30% cases of infertility are due to blocked fallopian tubes. I also learned that “being infertile” doesn’t mean that I cannot be a mother, it only means that it will be a bit more difficult for me to become pregnant than for others.
Since then, I also met my Prince Charming, who became my husband and the most supportive and loving creature on Earth. We spoke openly about my fertility issues since the very beginning of our relationship. My biggest fear over the last years was that no-one will really want me as a partner, because of my fertility issues. My fear was absolutely untrue. Both of us are 100% sure that we are going to have a child together one way or another.