Published: 11/18/2013 - Updated: 08/05/2017
Author: Birgit Bastl
Mikaela (37) looks radiant while sitting on a park bench watching her little daughter Kamila (2), who is playing in the sandbox. She is preparing sand figures for her mother and looks at me with her intense blue eyes with much curiosity. Right from the beginning of the relationship with her husband Martin (39), both had the desire to be parents as soon as possible. They were both only children and planned as a couple to have a large family with at least three children. That wish turned into a nightmare, when after a long wait, she could not get pregnant. After that, the first shadows in their relationship began to appear. While looking for an immediate culprit, the blame is often put in the hands of the woman as the one unable to conceive a child, said Mikaela. Later tests showed that both partners had infertility problems.
When Mikaela was finally able to get pregnant, she wanted to quit her job time and devote herself to the pregnancy. She wanted to make all the correct preparations for the arrival of her baby, but at the same time she felt afraid that something might go wrong along the way, as she had so often heard about. However, her doctor advised her to continue with her normal life, adopt a healthy diet, assist regular checkups, exercise and rest well. She was also to avoid stress and keep a positive attitude. She continued her work at the bank and also received the support of family and colleagues. She says that everyone was always very kind and patient, even in the days when her mood was highly variable: a typical feature during pregnancy.
According to global statistics, there is an increasing number of couples with infertility problems. The figures are similar for both women and men. Even though endometriosis, ovulation problems or poor quality eggs and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome are the three leading causes of infertility in women, and irregular sperm or low sperm count, the leading causes of male infertility, there are many cases where the cause is not determined. This speaks of unexplained causes of infertility.
If test results are normal and there is no apparent reason for infertility, other factors which can influence it are, for example, being overweight, an insufficient and unbalanced diet, environmental pollution and even some psychological aspects, which must be pretreated. These cases usually have no symptoms, and it is therefore very difficult to determine a specific relationship to infertility. The age of the woman does not always have a role, as a healthy woman can get pregnant without a problem and have a healthy child without much risk.
Mikaela, who initially had a lot of mistrust and knew practically nothing about infertility drugs, artificial insemination or assisted reproductive techniques, obtained a lot of information from the internet and read books with her husband. She even talked to other parents who had gone through similar problems and thought about adoption as a last resort in order to become a mother.
In the search for options, they could also see that this branch of medicine has developed greatly in recent times and that both in and outside the country there are excellent clinics in assisted reproduction. She herself chose one of these alternatives and thinks encourages people not to despair, because today science offers many solutions for infertility treatments. Some studies have shown that success in these pregnancies has increased and decreased over time in treatment.
Many couples soon renounce the possibility of parenthood when they do not get results in the first few months, says Mikaela. Sometimes you need to try a few options, although doctors will choose the most appropriate techniques for the case , and when you want to actually have a child, you must have perseverance. In the end, perseverance worked for us says Mikaela, convinced while hugging little Kamila.
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