I sometimes find myself stressed out in handling the fact that I have a brood of 5, budget-wise this sounds just about a disaster to even imagine; tuition fee alone disrupts your savings but the joy of a big family that spells love like no other can never be compromised.
The excitement of bringing 5 bundles of joy out into the world makes you complete 5x over, hence, I feel sad whenever I learn of couples trying to conceive in vain. I feel that there’s not enough consoling them even if you tell them “At least you have all the time in the world to enjoy each other”, the emptiness of a childless marriage imbibes a very conspicuous gap between joy and sorrow.
I recently attended a symposium on Infertility that gave me a retrospect of the whole predicament of how infertility can be assisted and resolved. Merck Philippines, the leading science and Technology Company in healthcare, put together a one-day exhibit at Edsa Shangri-la and organized several informative talks on the matter.
The excitement of bringing 5 bundles of joy out into the world makes you complete 5x over, hence, I feel sad whenever I learn of couples trying to conceive in vain. I feel that there’s not enough consoling them even if you tell them “At least you have all the time in the world to enjoy each other”, the emptiness of a childless marriage imbibes a very conspicuous gap between joy and sorrow.
I recently attended a symposium on Infertility that gave me a retrospect of the whole predicament of how infertility can be assisted and resolved. Merck Philippines, the leading science and Technology Company in healthcare, put together a one-day exhibit at Edsa Shangri-la and organized several informative talks on the matter.
In the Philippines, 1 out of 10 couples are affected and some of them aren’t even aware that something can be done. A large number of those who know about infertility treatment thinks that they cannot afford the treatment.
Understanding Infertility
It is mentioned that each person’s infertility problem differs from another and going to a fertility doctor and asking him to perform the same treatment as the one he gave to your neighbour does not apply. Neither will you see an A,B or C package in a doctor’s clinic where you can choose a treatment package.
Several test will be made on both husband and wife, hence both should be present. It is important for a couple to accept that both are in need of help and resist from pointing fingers as to who is causing their inability to conceive.
A couple must talk about their situation and know how dedicated they are in going through the process before agreeing to the procedure. Here are some of the things to consider:
Treatment Options
Once a couple have decided to go through the treatment the physician will then determine on which approach on Assisted Reproductive Treatment (ART) to go through. Doctors often starts with the least invasive and cost efficient treatment. These are the options:
Understanding Infertility
It is mentioned that each person’s infertility problem differs from another and going to a fertility doctor and asking him to perform the same treatment as the one he gave to your neighbour does not apply. Neither will you see an A,B or C package in a doctor’s clinic where you can choose a treatment package.
Several test will be made on both husband and wife, hence both should be present. It is important for a couple to accept that both are in need of help and resist from pointing fingers as to who is causing their inability to conceive.
A couple must talk about their situation and know how dedicated they are in going through the process before agreeing to the procedure. Here are some of the things to consider:
- Know if your finances can support the treatment
- Readiness of both party – Physical and emotional
- Take your age into consideration- As women reach age 35, the ability to conceive is only 10%
- Choose your physician- Go to a Board-Certified fertility Doctor
Treatment Options
Once a couple have decided to go through the treatment the physician will then determine on which approach on Assisted Reproductive Treatment (ART) to go through. Doctors often starts with the least invasive and cost efficient treatment. These are the options:
- Timed Intercourse – The most common and inexpensive way. This option is tricky since the exact day of ovulation can vary from month to month. Figuring this out is important for timed intercourse. Having this information is a step closer. For this option, please note though that good quality of eggs and sperm must be present in order for this process to work.
- IntraUterine Insemination (IUI)- Commonly known as artificial insemination, this process uses the prepared sperm that is inserted directly into the uterus using a catheter. Doctors may require that you take fertility drugs to increase the chances of fertilization.
- In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) - Eggs are extracted and fertilized with sperm in a laboratory. Once the embryos develop, one or two are implanted in the uterus while the rest are stored for future use (if needed).
- Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) -Healthy-looking sperms are selected and will be injected directly into the egg with a microscopic needle. Once an embryo develops it is then transferred into the uterus through IVF.
Bridging Baby Steps
During the event, we got the chance to meet a successfully treated couple – Dennis and Maureen Basilio are married for 16years, they have gone through the sadness of being childless for 13years before the decided that they are ready to go through the treatment. Going through the process was never easy.
The Basilio couple are not wealthy, they have a meagre source of income selling pork in the market but the desire to have kids is stronger than any impediment. For Maureen, being a woman is not complete without experiencing giving birth to a life. So when they were able to save enough money, they decided to go through the process.
The process in not instant, Maureen has to go through medication and more waiting game before finally getting a successful pregnancy. The couple now have a set of 2-year old twins to complete their family.
Merck Philippines together with Fertility Awareness Philippines are continuously spreading awareness to be able to help couples who are having problems conceiving. You can also help by spreading the word that something can be done.
Please watch the video below.
The process in not instant, Maureen has to go through medication and more waiting game before finally getting a successful pregnancy. The couple now have a set of 2-year old twins to complete their family.
Merck Philippines together with Fertility Awareness Philippines are continuously spreading awareness to be able to help couples who are having problems conceiving. You can also help by spreading the word that something can be done.
Please watch the video below.
To further equip yourself with information of fertility, visit Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pg/fertilityawarenessphilippines.
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