FAQs

We have been trying for a baby for two years but no luck. Why is this happening to us?
A: There are four important factors in conception - the sperm, the egg, the uterus & a natural intercourse. All else being normal, you could just be missing out on the most important days for conception.

My family blames me for not having a baby. Sadly, my husband too feels the same.
A: It is a deep rooted myth that infertility is only a woman's problem. In fact, infertility strikes as many men as it does, woman. As per the Human Fertilization & Embryology Authority (HFEA 2007:6), in about 32 percent of the infertility cases, it is the men who need treatment, in another 32 percent cases, it is a women who need treatment, in 17 percent it a combination of both and in the remaining 19 percent, infertility is due to unexplained factors.

When is the right time to have a baby?
A: The right age for a woman to have a baby is between the ages 21 and 34. It is always advisable to get a proper opinion even if one wants to delay the pregnancy. There are always individual variations and one should never lose out because of ignorance. As women grow older, they find it more difficult to get pregnant. Men on the other hand can remain fertile for much longer. In other words, once you enter your forties, getting pregnant could take much longer and after that, you may have problems in conceiving.

How long does it take to conceive?
A: Most couples will conceive within two years if they do not use contraception and have regular (every 2 or 3 days) sex. After 35 years of age, your chances of conceiving fall rapidly. At 38, you may fail to conceive even after three years of regular unprotected sex. This is why it is so important to go for infertility treatment sooner rather than later if you are over 30 years of age and have trouble conceiving.

When should one start taking infertility treatment?
A: Infertility treatment should be started within one year of trial for women below 30 years of age and after 6 months for women more than 30 years of age.

What is IVF? And what is the guarantee that one will conceive with IVF?
A: IVF is in-vitro fertilization, what is called commonly as a test tube baby. IVF is the uniting of egg and sperm in vitro (in the lab). Later, the embryos thus formed are transferred from the lab into the uterus through the cervix and pregnancy is allowed to begin. Most success rates are 35 - 60% depending on individual patient.

What does IVF cost?
A: INR 75000/- for the first cycle
INR 45000/- for second cycle inclusive of all medicines & injections

What is the goal of IVF?

Women with Fallopian tube blockages cannot conceive because their eggs cannot travel through their Fallopian tubes to get fertilized. The goal of IVF is to achieve fertilization outside the body, implant this fertilized egg in the woman's womb which may result in pregnancy.

Who is an ideal candidate for IVF?

If you are under 35 years of age and are unable to become pregnant after one year of unprotected intercourse, if you have had Pelvic Inflammatory Disease and have suffered damage to your fallopian tubes resulting in permanent blockage of your tubes or if your partner has been diagnosed with having low sperm counts or if the sperms have abnormal morphology or motility, then you are an ideal candidate for IVF.

Candidates at Risks of In Vitro Fertilization

• Allergic reaction to medications required to boost egg production.
• Overstimulation of ovaries - This may occur as a result to excessive secretion of estrogen by the ovaries followed by injection of Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG) to trigger final stages of ovulation.
• Failure of the ovaries to respond to stimulation