(Gloucestercitynews.net)(February 18, 2020)–Prospective parents who are having trouble conceiving a child are more common than you may think. Statistics show that 1 in 6 parents will have trouble successfully conceiving their first child within 12 months of trying.
When this happens, couples turn to fertility clinics to help them conceive. Specifically, the procedure of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is designed to help parents with fertility issues so that they can successfully conceive a baby.
What this process entails and the factors that make it a successful conception alternative are things that you should consider when wondering if IVF is right for you and your significant other.
Only after you’ve been properly educated will you know what to look for in an
IVF clinic in South Africa
, or whatever area in which you’re looking.
What is IVF?
Since the first successful IVF in 1978, in vitro fertilization has become a common assisted reproductive technology (ART). It involves a complex series of medications and procedures that hope to result in successful embryonic fertilization, development, and implantation.
The first step involves medication designed to make a woman’s eggs mature so that they can be harvested by a doctor and fertilized in a laboratory with the desired sperm. These prepared eggs are then surgically inserted directly into the woman’s uterus.
Many people require multiple tries and many months for this process to be successful, as so much can go wrong. Most commonly, the uterus simply does not accept the implanted egg and no fetus ever develops.
This is why finding an accredited IVF clinic is so important. In a procedure already fraught with financial and physical complications, you want the best chance of getting it done right the first time.
IVF clinics in South Africa
Since so much can go wrong, you want to look for a few key factors when choosing an IVF clinic in South Africa.
The first is: are they accredited? You should only visit clinics that have been registered by
The Allied Health Professions Council of South Africa (AHPCSA)
, the primary advisor on regulating and accrediting healthcare professions in South Africa.
Facilities
Next, you should ask if they have modern facilities and access to the latest fertilization technologies. Advanced laboratories like the one at Wijnland Fertility import IVF equipment from top manufacturers all over the world.
The Wijnland fertility clinic in South Africa, for instance, uses a device called an
Embryoscope
to maintain ideal conditions for eggs while they are being analyzed for quality. This is particularly useful for couples who have tried and failed many times with other fertilization methods.
Staff
You should also ask if the clinic has professional and experienced staff. Head doctors should have received specialist training in gynecology or obstetrics and have completed fellowships in fertility and related biological processes.
Do some research online to see what the embryologists and specialists at the clinic in question have done for experience, education, and additional training.
Mind and body
Finally, you want to assess whether the clinic treats patients as a whole person rather than merely as a medical procedure.
Fertilization is a trying process both physically and emotionally. Many different mental and social pressures converge on it to make it a stressful situation that your doctors need to address.
There’s the social judgment of not being able to conceive naturally, the pressure from family expectations when multiple attempts fail, and the strain on your finances. You may even have natural guarding and avoidance systems in your personality that make it really hard for you.
A clinic with staff trained in psychology or with counselors on call who are experienced in fertility counseling will be better suited to addressing all your needs as a prospective patient.
The Takeaway
In vitro fertilization is now a common process. This doesn’t mean that it’s always successful, however, as the process relies on many factors that all have a high failure rate. Variabilities such as your family history, the quality of the technology, and the inherent problems with successful fertilization mean that each attempt involves a series of stressful mental and physical trials.
This is why finding a suitable clinic to take care of all your needs is so essential. When evaluating your options for IVF treatment facilities in South Africa, look at the resumes of the resident doctors, the quality of their facilities, and the availability of mental counseling procedures to supplement the strain of going through this process.
Even though becoming a parent is difficult when you have fertility issues, it is possible in the modern age. With the right personnel and procedures, you can make the family you’ve always wanted into a reality.