Saturday, August 31, 2019
How to find an IVF clinic which cares about you
All IVF patients want to select IVF clinics which have a
high pregnancy rate, but it's very hard for them to judge what the real success
rates are.
Most clinics will not share this information, or will
manipulate it in order to fool patients. That's why it seems that all IVF
clinics today have a 80% success rate !
This is because every clinic claims that they have the
highest success rate - and there is no one to check whether or not they are
telling the truth !
So what's a patient supposed to do?
What IVF patients really want is a caring, compassionate ,
competent doctor , who is willing to go out of his way to look after them well.
The only way you
can find such a doctor is by finding a boutique IVF clinic , where the doctor
is hands on and takes care of his patients because he enjoys doing this.
This is far better than going to a corporate chain, where
your care is outsourced to assistants, which have an assembly line of lots of
doctors , who treat you like a widget.
These clinics are so busy that the doctor just doesn't
have time to provide personalised care to you.
What to find an IVF clinic which respects your time and
intelligence ?
WhatsApp us at https://wa.me/919867441589/
Friday, August 30, 2019
How IVF patients can reduce their anxiety and fears about IVF
An IVF cycle can be difficult to go through because of all
the fear and anxiety which every IVF patient has.
The biggest worry is the unpredictability of the outcome -
will the cycle will work or not ?
They are also burdened with many myths and misconceptions ,
based on secondhand information , or old wives' tales they have read about .
They are worried about the risks of IVF and its complications such as the need
for bedrest ; or that it's painful.
The best way to reduce this anxiety and fear is by making
sure that patients spend some time in informing themselves about the medical
details of the IVF process.
In a perfect world, there would be counselors who would
educate patients , and doctors would spend as much time as the patient needed,
to clear their doubts. However, that's not going to happen, and patients need
to be proactive and figure out how to separate the truth from the myths for
themselves.
The more they know, the more in control of their cycle
will be.
In fact, they'll be able to look forward to what's
happening , because they'll be able to anticipate and predict what the next
steps are. Seeing the photos of your embryos can give you a high, if you are
awaiting this major event !
This is why patients need to invest in Information Therapy,
so they know what hurdles they need to overcome in their IVF cycle, to be able
to get a baby. Being prepared can help them cross these with much less angst !
What to find an IVF clinic which respects your time and
intelligence ?
WhatsApp us at https://wa.me/919867441589/
Thursday, August 29, 2019
Analysing a failed IVF cycle
A failed IVF cycle can be heartbreaking, but the important
thing is to analyze what went right and what didn't go right , so that we can
plan better for the future.
Now there are only three tangible variables we can dissect.
One is the thickness and texture of the endometrium - what's
called the endometrial receptivity. If the endometrium on the ultrasound scans was
trilaminar and more than 8 mm thick, this means it was receptive. If it wasn't
ideal, then additional tests such as a hysteroscopy could be done to analyze
the uterine cavity. However, if the uterine lining was optimal, then
additional tests such as the expensive ERA ( Endometrial Receptivity Assay )
tests are a waste of time and money. Read more at
https://www.drmalpani.com/knowledge-center/articles/why-thse-new-expensive-endometrial-receptivity-tests-are-useless
The second is the embryo - its grade, and the number of
cells it has. This is why embryo photos
are so important. You can see what embryos should look like at
www.drmalpani.com/knowledge-center/ivf/embryos. If the embryos aren't good,
then you need to change the lab, or the superovulation protocol. If the embryos
were top quality, then a new highly hyped test which promises to provide more
information about top quality embryos is called PGS, where we analyse the genetics
of the embryo. Sadly, PGS reduces
pregnancy rates. Read more at
http://blog.drmalpani.com/2015/05/how-pgs-overpromises-and-underperforms.html
The third is the actual mechanical process of the embryo transfer.
If this was technically smooth, then there's no need to make any changes in
this.
All these fancy new test such as ERA and PGS are very
profitable for the doctor to do, but they aren't clinically useful at all , so
please don't waste your money on them , because they don't provide any useful
clinically actionable information.
What to find an IVF clinic which respects your time and
intelligence ?
WhatsApp us at https://wa.me/919867441589/
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
The emotional baggage which IVF patients carry
Infertile couples usually suffer from low self esteem , because
they can't even do something as simple as making a baby in their bedroom - a simple
natural biological process which millions of women can do without any effort
whatsoever , and have been doing flawlessly for centuries.
This affects their self-image, and because others either
sympathize with them , or look down on them, this makes it even harder, and they
end up becoming social recluses.
When they finally gather up their courage to do an IVF
cycle , and when this fails as well , the confidence which they have in IVF
doctors also takes a beating.
The problem is that IVF doctors tend to overpromise,
especially when they want the patient to do their first cycle with them.
When the cycle fails, they often abandon the patient, and patients
feel cheated . They resent the fact that they didn't get any answers from the
doctor.
Many clinics hide basic medical information from IVF
patients, and patients can't understand why the doctor is being so evasive.
This experience colors their perception of all IVF doctors, and they often
refuse to try IVF ever again , no matter how good the new clinic may be.
What to find an IVF clinic which respects your time and
intelligence ?
WhatsApp us at https://wa.me/919867441589/
Tuesday, August 27, 2019
Can you trust your IVF doctor?
Trust is an integral part of a doctor patient
relationship, and it helps to improve your chances of IVF success ! If you respect and trust your
doctor , and he respects and trusts you, you will be able to work together to
achieve your goal.
The trouble is that much of IVF medicine has become
commercialized today .
It's hard for doctors to be able to create that trust, and
patients are pretty much forced to do whatever they're told to do.
There isn't enough time for them to sit down and talk to
the doctor, and they often feel short-changed and cheated when things don't go
well.
This is why it's so important that IVF doctors learn to be
open and transparent !
This is the best way of letting patients know that they
are reliable and honest. By sharing information with patients and documenting
it, they are signalling they are competent and caring.
This is why it's so important that patients ask the IVF
doctor for photos of their embryos during the IVF cycle. This helps to keep
everyone honest !
What to find an IVF clinic which respects your time and
intelligence ?
WhatsApp us at https://wa.me/919867441589/
Monday, August 26, 2019
The IVF patient's fears
One of the biggest fears which IVF patients have when they
go to an IVF clinic is that the doctor will advise them to do IVF , whether
they actually need it or not !
This is a valid concern , because IVF is a much more
expensive treatment than the alternatives.
If there are simpler, less expensive treatments available (
such as IUI), then these could actually help the patients to get pregnant in a
far more cost-effective manner.
The patient's unexpressed fear is that the IVF doctor may
want to maximize his income , and may not discuss simpler, cheaper options with
them.
This is why it's so important that patients be
well-informed. They need to do their homework, so they have a chance to think through
all their options.
A good IVF doctor will always explain alternatives to you,
starting all the way from nonmedical options such as adoption, all the way to
simpler treatment options. He will discuss the pros and cons of each , rather
than try to force you to do IVF just because he happens to be an IVF clinic.
That's the advantage of going to an experienced doctor,
who is not practising medicine just to make money !
What to find an IVF clinic which respects your time and intelligence ?
WhatsApp us at https://wa.me/919867441589/
Saturday, August 24, 2019
The problem with bad IVF clinics.
In an ideal world, all IVF clinics would be equally good.
They would have high quality control standards; they would be open and transparent;
and would share information proactively and routinely with all their patients .
This way, whether or not patients got pregnant, they would
have peace of mind that they received good quality treatment.
Tragically, this just does not happen in India today , and
sadly the government hasn't done a good job with regulating IVF clinics, which
means the quality can be extremely patchy. This means that while we do have
some world class clinics, we have some terrible ones as well, which take their
patients for a ride.
This is why it's so important that patients be proactive , and learn to figure out the difference between a good and a bad IVF clinic.
This is why it's so important that patients be proactive , and learn to figure out the difference between a good and a bad IVF clinic.
The good news is it's very easy to do so - all you need to
do is to check photos of your embryos !
The bad news is that bad IVF clinics end up damaging the
reputation of the entire IVF profession. And once patients have burned their
fingers with one IVF clinic, they're very reluctant to go to a second one, because
they think all clinics are created the same , and will cheat them.
What to find an IVF clinic which respects your time and
intelligence ?
WhatsApp us at https://wa.me/919867441589/
Friday, August 23, 2019
Is your doctor a good IVF doctor?
The problem is that it's very hard for patients to answer
this question because all doctors look pretty much the same.
They all seem to have the same fancy degrees; posh clinics;
and lots of patients.
And because they advertise so heavily, it's very hard for
patients to differentiate one from the other. Since it's difficult for patients
to judge technical competence, they are forced to rely on the doctor's bedside
manner. The problem is that the senior doctor is in " sell mode "
during the first visit, and is doing his best to get you to sign up.
The trouble is that you aren't going to see the same
doctor again when you actually start your treatment ! This will get delegated
to juniors and assistants, most of whom are clueless and inexperienced.
This is why you need to ask just one simple question
before you start your IVF cycle !
"Do you provide photos of the embryos to all your
patients routinely?"
And if a clinic doesn't do that, that means something's
wrong ! After all, the only thing an IVF clinic can do is make embryos , and
good clinic provide photos routinely which patients can see for themselves , so
that they know that they have received good quality treatment !
What to find an IVF clinic which respects your time and intelligence ?
WhatsApp us at https://wa.me/919867441589/
Thursday, August 22, 2019
Why don't all IVF clinics routinely give embryo photos to their patients?
Good IVF clinics routinely and proactively provide all
their patients with photos of their embryos.
Not only does it document that they have provided high quality care, it also allows the patient to bond with their yet-to-be-born baby !
This is standard practice all over the world, but sadly,
lots of clinics in India still fail to do so. This is in spite of the fact that
they spend lots of money on advertising and branding, and claiming they have
high success rates !
I can't understand why they will not share this basic
information with their patients. After all, the only tangible deliverable an
IVF clinic can provide is make embryos. Once the embryos are transferred, we
have no control on whether or not they will implant.
IVF clinics make embryos routinely all the time , and the
equipment to take photos is very basic.
I now believe that the only reason they don't do this is because they're not very happy with the quality of the embryos they produce. They are not confident about their lab , or the clinical care they provide, which is why they're opaque and hide information from patients.
I now believe that the only reason they don't do this is because they're not very happy with the quality of the embryos they produce. They are not confident about their lab , or the clinical care they provide, which is why they're opaque and hide information from patients.
This makes a bad situation worse , because this increases
the distrust which patients have in IVF doctors. And when the IVF cycle fails,
the patients rightly feel this was because the doctor didn't do a good job !
You can see what embryos should look like at www.drmalpani.com/knowledge-center/ivf/embryos
What to find an IVF clinic which respects your time and
intelligence ?
WhatsApp us at https://wa.me/919867441589/
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
IVF as a game of chance
IVF patients know that the outcome of an individual IVF cycle
is completely unpredictable; and that their chances of getting pregnant
increase , the more the number of cycles they do, because the cumulative
conception rate progressively goes up.
But it's still a matter of odds, which is why you could
think of it as a game of chance.
The good news is that it's not a random game , where you
are forced to take your chances with your eyes shut.
There's a lot you can do to maximize your chance of
getting pregnant.
Step number one is to do your homework.
Make sure you're well informed and that you understand
everything which should be done in an IVF cycle. Learn the difference between the
stuff which is in your control; the stuff which is in the doctor's control; and
the stuff which no one can control.
This way, no matter what the final outcome is , you're
happy that the process itself was done properly, so that you have peace of mind
that you didn't leave any stone unturned in your quest for a baby.
It's also very helpful to make sure that you get a second
opinion to confirm that you're on the right path.
What to find an IVF clinic which respects your time and
intelligence ?
WhatsApp us at https://wa.me/919867441589/
Tuesday, August 20, 2019
Using K-Y jelly reduces your fertility !
Sometimes infertile
couples inadvertently inflict infertility on themselves , because they don't
know any better !
Thus, many infertile couples will use lubricants such as
K-Y jelly during sexual intercourse. This is because having baby making sex on
demand can be a chore , and can cause the wife pain because of inadequate
vaginal lubrication ( superficial
dyspareunia) because she is not sexually aroused during love making.
The trouble is that
K-Y Jelly is spermicidal, but this is not something which patients know. Sadly,
most doctors don't seem to know this either.
This means they actually end up reducing their fertility by using it - and the irony is
that they could very well have got pregnant on their own if they hadn't used it
!
The secret is to use a sperm-friendly lubricant, and
liquid paraffin is cheap and easily available at any chemist's shop.
The tragedy is that ignorance can cause infertile couples to
reduce their own fertility.
This why doing a consultation with an infertility
specialist to make sure you're on the right track can make such a big
difference !
What to find an infertility specialist who respects your
time and intelligence ?
WhatsApp us at https://wa.me/919867441589/
Monday, August 19, 2019
Sunday, August 18, 2019
Saturday, August 17, 2019
Friday, August 16, 2019
Wednesday, August 14, 2019
Tuesday, August 13, 2019
Monday, August 05, 2019
Saturday, August 03, 2019
The commonest mistake IVF patients make
They assume that because they have failed an IVF cycle in
one clinic, there's really no point in going to a second clinic , because they
believe that all clinics are the same.
After all, if the first clinic they've gone to is not
being able to achieve success, then why will a new clinic be able to do a
better job?
After all, when they chose the first clinic , they did a
lot of homework, checked references, and made sure that their doctor was a good
doctor.
They were happy with the treatment they received ; they
like their doctor; and were treated with respect. If the cycle still failed inspite
of the fact that their doctor was good, then they assume that's because of bad
luck , and there's nothing much any one can do about it.
This is why they are happier sticking to the same clinic,
because they now have a relationship with the doctor.
However, this is often a mistake , because the reality is
that not all IVF clinics are created the same , and it does make a big difference
which clinic you select !
This is why patients need to understand the difference
between a good and a bad clinic , and just going to a doctor who has a good
bedside manner is not enough !
The good news is that it's very easy to differentiate between
good clinics and bad clinics !
Good clinics will always routinely give embryo photos to
all their patients. If your clinic fails to do so, this is a red flag, and
means you should get a second opinion as soon as possible !
What to find an IVF clinic which respects your time and intelligence ?
Friday, August 02, 2019
Not all IVF clinics are the same
Many IVF patients are quite naive and they believe that
all IVF doctors are equally good .
This is why they will often select an IVF clinic based on its advertising or its
branding, or because their doctor has referred them to that clinic. But this is
very naive !
No matter how posh the ambience may be, what you're really
interested in is the skill and the quality of the doctors who are actually
going to be treating you ! Is the IVF lab any good ? Are the doctors good at superovulating
you ?
These are not easy questions to answer, but the reality is
that not all IVF clinics are the same ! Unless you learn to ask the key tough medical questions, you
are not going to be able to differentiate between good clinics and bad clinics,
and this will reduce your chances of getting pregnant.
The good news is that what you need to ask for is very simple
- it's just a single question !
Do you provide photographs of embryos routinely to your
patients?
If the clinic does so , this means you know you're in safe
hands !
Thursday, August 01, 2019
The IVF expert patient
Many IVF patients are quite clueless about the medical
details of their IVF treatment, and this is because of two reasons.
Firstly, many believe that they should let the IVF doctor
do what he thinks is right. Why challenge his authority by asking him questions
? After all, he is the expert, and knows what to do , which means there's no
need to ask questions.
Secondly, they believe that IVF is so complex that they're
not going to be able to understand anything about the technical minutiae. Isn't
a little knowledge dangerous ? Why try to become " half doctors" and
second guess the doctor ? Why not just allow the doctor the freedom to do
whatever he thinks is right?
Now, this is fine if you are lucky and select a good
clinic, but what happens if you end up in a bad clinic? These are often
commercial enterprises who will over-test and over-treat , because their
priority is to make lots of money. You will end up wasting a lot of time, money
and energy, and you will never end up having the baby. The tragedy is that you
could have got pregnant if you had has the sense to select a good clinic !
Now, in order to differentiate between a good clinic and
bad clinic, you need to know exactly what's happening, which is why you need to
do your homework.
Good doctors are open
and transparent about what they're doing for you and why, and this why they
will share everything they do during your IVF cycle, including providing you
with photos of your embryos routinely.
What to find an IVF clinic which respects your time and intelligence ?
WhatsApp us at https://wa.me/919867441589/
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