On your journey to conceive, it pays to select the right fertility clinic where there are experienced fertility experts that will help resolve your issue. Before taking the next step in your journey to become pregnant, it’s worth seeking out a good clinic.
Pursuing fertility testing and treatment is a big step and can also involve big money and lots of time. You want to be sure that you choose only the best.
There are about a hundred fertility clinics in Nigeria and many more all over the world, how do you know which fertility clinic is a good choice? Here’s a good tip: Understand how fertility clinics work.
All infertility clinics are not created equal, so you need to separate the professionals from the pretenders.
To find the best fertility clinic for you, take time to research the clinic you consider. Don’t just choose the first place that you come across. Because you might not be able to carry out assessment of fertility clinics available in your area, it’s best to seek the opinion of your Gynaecologist or GP.
Part of choosing a fertility clinic is personal and subjective. The best clinic for your friend may or may not be the best for you. So ask your friends, doctor, family and local support group for recommendations, but be sure to investigate any clinic you consider yourself.
If you’re having trouble getting pregnant, and need a single doctor that you and your partner both could see, then you need to see a fertility specialist. Such specialist can provide big-picture advice, refer you to an infertility support group, and recommend you to see other specialists.
A fertility clinic is only as good as its doctors. Depending on how the clinic operates, you may be assigned one particular doctor, or you may see a few different doctors on a rotating basis. There are advantages and disadvantages to both setups, but usually, you want one doctor as your main contact and case manager.
Ask a lot of questions of every fertility clinic you’re considering. For instance, how long has the fertility clinic’s medical director been there? Who he or she is? How long have the doctors and technicians been there? How experienced are they, what are their antecedents? Which hospitals are they affiliated with?
Does the clinic have an andrologist on staff? How about reproductive surgeons? If you’re dealing with male infertility issues, having an andrologist is important. If you’re dealing with endometriosis or any structural issues, a reproductive surgeon is a plus and possibly a must.
How many reproductive endocrinologists work at the clinic? Will your case be handled by one doctor or a team, and who will you see on your visits? If your case is perculiar, having a team can be beneficial. On the other hand, needing to deal with a different doctor at every appointment can feel impersonal.
Be sure the clinic has a wide range of infertility remedies available and is familiar with the latest technology. How concerned is the clinic about ethical issues? These are vital questions you must get answers to.
Choosing your preferred treatment clinic goes a long way in determining whether or not and when you would achieve pregnancy. You should look out for clinics that have high pregnancy and birth rates, high quality management system, as well as strong ethics, good experience and cutting edge technology and infrastructural setup to boost your chances of getting pregnant,.
Some clinics combine gynaecology with fertility treatment while others don’t. You need to do some homework first. Before you step foot into the fertility clinic, find out what kind of invasive tests or procedures might lie in wait for you.
When it comes to choosing a clinic, do thorough research ahead of time. Look out for success rates of fertility centres. Keep in mind that some fertility centres that looked great several years ago may have had high staff turnover and declined in quality.
Before you get started on your search for a fertility clinic, find out what kind of tests or procedures you may need down the road. And give some thought ahead of time to how far you’re willing to go with this process. Infertility treatments can be costly so knowing your limits will help you select.
Do thorough research ahead of time. What does treatment cost? While you don’t want to choose strictly on price, it’s good to know costs ahead of time so you know what you’re getting into. Do they have age limits for treatment? If so, it’s a good sign that the clinic is concerned about ethical issues. When you do a procedure that involves fertilizing the eggs outside the woman’s body and then putting them inside her, who decides how many eggs go back in, you or the doctor?
What procedures are they recommending for your particular case and what would it cost? Most clinics have staff who will handle the financial aspects of testing and treatment. They should be able to answer your questions about fees and payment plans, and you should sit down to discuss your options and ask questions on your first visit to the clinic.
It may feel odd to be considering price when looking at clinics, but considering the fee is practically important. What pricing are various tests and treatments? Is there a payment programme? Will you have to pay anything in advance? How much? If you’re doing IVF, what do you pay if your cycle is canceled before egg retrieval or before embryo transfer? Is there a refund programme for IVF?
Because infertility is so often a private struggle, most couples don’t know whom in their lives to ask for referrals — if they feel comfortable asking at all even if they did know. Just because a friend or family member is “out” about their infertility doesn’t mean you want to be.
Free or discounted infertility treatments will be of little comfort when you’ve been unsuccessful over and over again at the fault of the clinic. Do your due diligence and consider cost as only one of many factors when making your decision.
Some clinics avoid taking on hard cases or refuse treatment to women above age 40 with their own eggs. This can obviously skew the statistics. A fertility clinic that turns you down because you might impact their success rates is one you want to stay away from anyway. As much as every clinic desires to be successful on the first try, it should be for the right reasons.
What you should be looking for is: are the clinic’s success rates greater than the national average? You should look at the live birth statistics for your age, and not just the pregnancy statistics (which will include miscarriages). You should also compare their multiple pregnancy statistics to the national average.
If you’re not doing IVF, ask about the live birth success rates particular to your situation and particular to the treatments being suggested. Your doctor should have the experience to help you decide if the treatments are worth the financial and emotional investment.
If a clinic promises you success, especially success in just one cycle, be wary. There’s no such thing as a 100 percent guarantee with IVF, no matter what reason for your infertility.
