I could not give birth to my first child, 6 years old. Like any woman in such a situation, I was examined and underwent medical treatment. It was like trying to catch up with your tail: hormones jumped, that is, that is, no, some complications constantly appeared - my body did not want to come into balance. Endless process. In the fifth year of going to the clinics, apathy and unwillingness to do anything at all came. I just lay on the couch, slept and did not want to wake up.
It somehow happened that I ended up at a business training, where I learned about psychosomatics - the impact of thoughts, feelings and lifestyle on health.
We ourselves, without realizing it, create what happens to us in life. I was very inspired by this idea: because if I myself created my infertility, then I myself can remove it.
This was a turning point in my quest, and for the first time in many years I saw that there is light at the end of the tunnel. At various trainings of personal growth, I began to look for the reason not in my health, but in my thoughts and beliefs. I found that my current state is a consequence of my way of thinking. I realized that if I want to give birth to children, then I need to change.
Through personal growth trainings and books, I realized that internally too afraid of having children: I'm afraid that i can not become a good mom, i'm afraid that my husband will not cope myself without me in business, while I maternity leave. To death i'm afraid of childbirth. Gradually, I was able to bring to the level of awareness the whole set of internal attitudes and worked with them for about a year. Step by step I changed. This is easy to write about, but it is not easy to go through. My attitude towards my husband has changed: I have ceased to control, I learned to trust. Our relationship has gained new depth and intimacy. I became pleased, I began to like living, and I made up for the many years of lack of joy.
At some point, the feeling came that the inner control spring was loosened and there was a true readiness for the birth of children. I directly felt physically - that’s it! You can prepare for conception! I gave myself six months to prepare my body.
However, the body had its own plans and a month later I found out that is pregnant... ()
After giving birth, I went to study as a reproductive psychologist. Now I have two children and many thanks to my infertility. Infertility is the best opportunity to prepare for motherhood. And the participants of my courses confirm this with their examples.
Childbirth is a transformation process
I remember that since childhood afraid to give birth. I even agreed with a girlfriend that we together we will not give birth, but just take the child from the orphanage. Where does this fear come from? It turns out that patrimonial programs act on us, whether we know about it or not. And my birth program was a long, difficult and traumatic birth. Because that's how my mother gave birth to me, and her - her mother. And a child who has had a difficult birth has perinatal stress for life. In girls, this can turn into infertility due to fear of birth pain. But fortunately, there are ways to remake the birth program and create your own program that our children will inherit.
I was preparing for childbirth all pregnancy. Not just like that, I could not do otherwise. I was corroded by an animal fear from within that I could not give birth, that it was beyond my strength. I worked with patterns of infantility, immaturity, the desire to shift important and complicated things on anyone else. I was afraid of pain, and even more, I was afraid of my weakness, that I would panic and give up in childbirth. I learned to trust your body, learned to live with the body, not the head, did many practices for relaxation, immersion in oneself, contact with the baby.
I knew childbirth as a delightful, beautiful, deep, strong, wise and gentle process. Conscious childbirth alone replaces years of training. Such births expand consciousness, change self-esteem, allow you to touch the Divine with your hand, and literally create a new life with God.
Parenting
From my children, I see that my inner work continues to give generous results - my husband and I manage to raise children happy. This can be seen from them: they are open to the world and the new, they are grown in love and acceptance, they believe in their parents - and this is the basis of trust for life. The experience of infertility forever changed my life and unfolded it into a completely new field - conscious motherhood, in which I have been improving every day for more than 8 years now.
(1).JPG)
From a barren woman to a perinatal psychologist
My first child seemed to bring with him undeveloped knowledge that children are waiting for their parents to finally do their inner work and invite the children to their life.
The birth of my first baby inspired me in my business - to transfer knowledge and inspiration to all women who have difficulties with having children.
By first education I am a physicist. This education formed my analytical mindset, which later came in handy in structuring and preparing a program to overcome infertility. After the birth of my eldest son, I went to study as a perinatal psychologist in Institute of Perinatal Psychology in Moscow, and at the time of the birth of the youngest was already a psychologist specializing in preparing for the birth of children.
I myself passed as a customer a huge number of trainings and more than 500 hours of individual and personal therapy. The knowledge gained and my personal experience allowed me to create step-by-step online program preparing for motherhood and overcoming infertility, which has been shown to be effective. This program lasts 1 year and allows women shorten your path to children for years and sometimes decades.
What prevents women from becoming mothers
For 3 years of working with women, I saw that the main problem lies in the following:
- What a woman does not knowthat infertility is a psychological conflict expressed in physiology. Women do not know that all female sores and diagnoses also have psychological roots and can be corrected.
- A woman knows all this, but doesn't know where to go, what to do.
- A woman is afraid of change, and therefore takes a wait and see attitude doing nothing.
Children are waiting for their mothers.
I feel that many children are waiting for their mothers. Are you ready to go forward and make an infinitely valuable gift for yourself and your children?
Start with a diagnostic course. Is an opportunity to discover their causes of infertility.
Statistics call terrifying figures: in Russia, every sixth married couple is barren. And for most spouses, the absence of children is a real grief. The priest and doctor, father Sergiy Filimonov, shares his experience and knowledge with the readers of the site: what are the causes of infertility, how to overcome them, and how to relate to infertility, as a curse or how to realize oneself in a different capacity?
prot. Sergiy Filimonov
Chapter 1. Medical causes of infertility in marriage
(gynecologist-endocrinologist Yu. Yu. Toropkov)
Infertility in marriage is one of the most important and complex medical and social problems. The proportion of barren marriages in Russia ranges from 8 to 17.5% and currently has no downward trend. There are regions (mainly megacities) in which this figure reaches 24–29%, while the level of 15% poses a serious threat to demography.
In other words, every 6–7 pair of Russians (i.e., about 7 million) during their reproductive period (15–49 years) are faced with the problem of infertility.
So, marriage is considered to be fruitless, in which, for one reason or another, occurring in the body of a woman or man, or both spouses, pregnancy does not occur with regular sexual life without the use of any contraceptive for 12 months. subject to the childbearing age of the spouses.
It is customary to distinguish between primary and secondary infertility, female and male. Primary in women is called infertility, in which pregnancy did not occur even once from the onset of sexual activity without protection; secondary - pregnancy occurred in the past, but after that it is absent for 1 year of regular sexual activity without the use of contraceptives.
The frequency of female infertility ranges from 40 to 50%, while there are 3 main groups of causes:
Endocrine (35–40%). Endocrine forms of infertility are always associated with a violation of the ovulation process (maturation and exit from the ovary of the egg) and are often accompanied by a violation of menstrual function;
Tubal-perinatal (30–74%). The most frequent, most studied and most difficult form of infertility to correct. In this group of patients are anatomical and functional disorders of the fallopian tubes, when it is difficult (or impossible) to advance the egg to the place of its attachment (implantation) into the uterine cavity. Such conditions are not uncommon after undergoing inflammatory diseases of the pelvic organs, abortion, and other intrauterine interventions, operations, including and gynecological, after which there is an increased risk of adhesions in the small pelvis.
Gynecological diseases (1.5–28%). Most often, the main reason in this group is genital endometriosis, a serious disease that requires a long and persistent treatment.
They also distinguish: absolute female infertility, when the possibility of pregnancy is completely excluded (absence of the uterus, ovaries, abnormalities of the genital organs), and the so-called unexplained infertility (4.8–7.6%), the cause of which is currently not established by the research methods succeeds.
The term “relative infertility” is used when a woman and a man are able to have children separately outside marriage, but with a long life together, their marriage is sterile. In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to the problem of male infertility, the frequency of which in sterile marriages also reaches 40-50%, and in combination with infertility in the wife - 1520%.
Male infertility is the inability of germ cells of a mature male body to fertilize. There are secretory (associated with a violation of the spermatogenesis process) and excretory (arising from a violation of sperm secretion) infertility.
Due to the fact that the frequency of female and male factors of infertility is the same, and every fourth married couple has a combination of several factors, the examination begins almost always with a joint conversation with the married couple to exclude psycho-sexual and iatrogenic causes and assess the somatic health of both spouses. Working with a married couple allows you to outline a general examination plan and a sequence of diagnostic procedures. Further examination is carried out by a gynecologist and andrologist in parallel.
In clinical practice, screening for infertile couples always begins with men. If, according to the results of a sperm study (spermogram), pathology was not detected, then other studies in men are not carried out; if problems are identified, then a full examination and treatment is indicated with the participation, often of many specialists: a urologist, endocrinologist, surgeon, andrologist, and sometimes a sex therapist. Infertility in men occurs as a result of various pathological processes in the body that have a negative effect on internal organs, endocrine glands, and the central nervous system. We can not ignore the increase in the prevalence of abnormalities in the development of genital organs and the frequency of infectious and inflammatory diseases, the influence of harmful environmental factors, urbanization, widespread and uncontrolled use of drugs, and allergization of the population.
Therefore, the most justified in the treatment of male infertility is examination in large specialized centers with the participation of several specialists and the implementation of complex, staged, individually selected therapy, where each stage is sequential, clearly limited in time and aimed at performing a specific task.
For women, the most important and diagnostically significant examination methods are assessment of ovulation and patency of the fallopian tubes. For this, the center’s doctor can conduct a number of studies, for example:
assessment of blood for a hormonal profile. Determine the level of 6-7 hormones in blood plasma taken on a certain day of the menstrual cycle; hormone tests are sometimes performed;
ultrasonic monitoring of ovulation. This method allows you to directly observe the growth of follicular ul in the ovary of a woman’s ovary and the degree of readiness of the internal mucous membrane of the uterus to accept a fertilized egg;
patency check and characterization of the internal lumen of the fallopian tubes using an x-ray or ultrasound method.
In some cases, to identify the causes of infertility, an ultrasound of the thyroid and mammary glands, an X-ray or computer examination of the skull, consultations of doctors of related specialties, and even medical and genetic counseling may be required.
Currently, at the final stage of the examination for female infertility, endoscopic diagnostic methods are carried out: laparoscopy and (or) hysteroscopy. Without the application of these methods, the cause of infertility in marriage is considered undetermined. In addition, laparoscopy is not only the final stage of diagnosis, but also the first stage of the treatment of female infertility.
Endoscopic technologies allow minor traumatic microsurgical correction of revealed changes in the pelvic organs - adhesions separation, restoration of patency of the fallopian tubes, coagulation of foci of endometriosis, removal of ovarian neoplasms, surgical treatment of some uterine diseases - without subsequent pronounced adhesions.
In conclusion, it should be noted that a consistent assessment of all the links of the complex reproductive system of a man and a woman is a prerequisite for making the correct diagnosis, while the set of diagnostic methods depends on the clinical picture of a particular disease and is strictly individual for each couple. If it is not possible to conduct a full clinical and laboratory examination in a timely and quick manner, it is necessary to send the couple to a specialized medical institution in time for a final diagnosis, remembering that delaying the examination reduces the hope of success in restoring reproductive function.
In our region, 5 major centers deal with infertility issues:
russian-Finnish clinic “Ava – Peter” (Nevsky pr., d. 22–24, ts. 325–92–72, 312–30–65),
Clinic for Reproductive Medicine at the Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology. BEFORE. Ott;
Avicenna Clinic in Pushkin;
Center for Infertility Treatment at the Military Medical Academy;
Center for the treatment of infertility at the Military Medical Academy in the Sestroretsk district of mountains. St. Petersburg
In addition, the gynecologist-endocrinologist's offices work in many women's clinics.
Chapter 2. Infertility - Medical and Spiritual Causes
Father Sergius, please tell us about the causes of infertility.
There are medical and spiritual causes of infertility. If we talk about medical reasons, then there are about 30 diseases in which infertility is possible. Various medical centers and institutes advise people on the issue of childlessness. Spouses pass appropriate medical tests, which determine which side of the couple is the reason that the child cannot be born in the family. When it was found out which side is weak in relation to the birth of children, then the spouse’s comfort with “low opportunities” for childbearing was examined for various diseases, especially chronic diseases of the genital area, which can be an obstacle to normal childbearing. Specialists who treat infertility in men are andrologists, urologists, gynecologists in women.
After an appropriate examination, treatment is carried out - conservative or surgical, if necessary. For example, with adhesive processes in the area of \u200b\u200bthe fallopian tubes or with poor patency, the latter can be improved both by conservative methods and by surgical methods - removal of adhesions in the area of \u200b\u200bthe fallopian tubes at a certain time when childbirth is possible. That is, painstaking work of the doctor with each married couple is required.
The media talks a lot about methods of artificial insemination. Is it possible to resort to them if the treatment is ineffective?
There are various techniques for artificial insemination. According to our church canons, according to the materials of the Anniversary Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church in 2000, they are not permissible. The only acceptable methodology is the so-called “method of natural fertilization”, in which the husband’s seed, sexually learned during marital relations, is introduced by the doctor into the uterus. Thus, fertilization of the egg occurs after a natural relationship between husband and wife, in addition, with this method, the integrity of the family union is not violated, since only the sex cells of both spouses are used. In the case when a third party intervenes in the process of procreation, for example, if a donor’s seed is used for artificial insemination, an element of sinfulness is introduced ... Outwardly, it would seem that there is no betrayal, however, a foreign element is introduced into the family. This is tantamount to the fact that for the sake of the birth of a child a woman entered into illegal marital relations with an outside man. Although the physical component of the sinful relationship is not here, at the same time, the woman’s eggs are introduced into the egg of a stranger’s egg, that is, it turns out that prostitution with the help of medical technology is obtained. There are a number of methods of this type of insemination when a third party intervenes. Some of them use a donated egg from a foreign woman who, after being fertilized with her husband’s seed, sits in the uterus. Such techniques are also unacceptable, since at the same time a foreign element invades the family. There is even such a psychological phenomenon when a woman to whom such an egg is planted feels something alien in her body, unusual for her.
Please tell us about the method of in vitro fertilization. How should an Orthodox person relate to him?
In vitro fertilization methods are not blessed by the church, since it also uses genetically alien material, that is, there is a violation of the integrity of the marital union. In addition, the donor seed used in these methods receives a lawsuit in a substantial way, and not as a result of natural marital relations. It is also important that when applying in vitro fertilization, there is no physical connection between a man and a woman, so the secret of childbearing is carried out outside the human body. There is no act of giving spouses to each other, necessary for the birth of a new life. Life is born in vitro. What happens at this moment with the embryo outside the mother’s body, what physical diseases it will be exposed to, how the fallen spirits affect it is a big question. One of the serious problems of in vitro fertilization is that, in a number of centers, the implementation of this technique produces the so-called extra fertilized cells, which are already a new life. These cells reduce, that is, kill. This means that if four eggs were fertilized, and a woman wants only one child, only one egg will be placed in her egg. What to do with the other three embryos? It is possible to freeze or reduce them. Thus, a child is born due to the simultaneous killing of two or three unborn brothers and sisters. The life of one due to the death of another is considered unacceptable by the church. Therefore, all types of in vitro fertilization by the Church are not blessed. This is confirmed in the materials of the Anniversary Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church in 2000, in chapter 12, “Problems of Bioethics”. It discusses in sufficient detail issues of various kinds of overcoming infertility, tells how to do spouses if they have no children.
What spiritual causes can lead to infertility?
There can be many reasons. I will try to list the main ones. I will rely on the work of the elder Paisius Svyatogorets, who in volume 4, called "Family Life", answers questions about the birth of children, difficulties of childbearing and the problem of infertility. To the question of why some women develop infertility, the old man Paisii answers as follows: “Some infertile women did not marry when it was necessary to do this, and therefore now there are spiritual laws in relation to them. Some fastidious girls begin to choose suitors: "No, I don’t like this one, but I don’t like it." Having promised the guy to marry him, such a girl looks at the other at the same time, then says “no” to the first one, and he wants to commit suicide, instead of considering it a blessing that she cheated on him at least before they got married, not after. Uh, what kind of family would such a girl create? And there are women who are barren because in their youth they lived a promiscuous sinful life. There are also those whose infertility is caused by poor nutrition, because many foods contain a whole bunch of chemicals and hormones. ”
Regarding girls who have an erratic sex life, you can see that in such cases there are two components that can lead to infertility - medical and spiritual. Women with a similar lifestyle are very likely to develop various infections that can lead to various chronic diseases of the genital area, which entails the inability to bear children. The spiritual component is that the Lord can allow such a girl for her desire to “walk up” (that is, to satisfy her lust as much as possible) a punishment and not give children for such a depraved life.
The following reason noted by Elder Paisius: “There are also married couples who want to have a child as soon as they get married. And if the birth of the child is delayed, then they begin to worry and worry. How can they give birth to a child if they themselves are full of anxiety and emotional anxiety? They will give birth to a child when they drive out anxiety and emotional anxiety and direct their lives along the correct spiritual rut.
Sometimes God deliberately slows down and does not give any married couple of children. Take a look: after all, to the Holy Divine Fathers Joachim and Anna, and to the Holy Prophet Zacharias and Elizabeth, He gave a child in old age in order to fulfill his eternal plan for the salvation of people.
Spouses should always be ready to accept God's will into their lives. God does not leave a person who hands himself over to Him with confidence. We do nothing, but how much God does for us! With how much love and generosity He gives us everything! Is there anything that God can’t do? ...
The birth of children depends not only on the person. It depends on God. Seeing that spouses having difficulties in having children have humility, God can not only give them a child, but also make them large. However, seeing the couple as persistent and selfish [God does not fulfill their wishes, because], having fulfilled their petition for the birth of children, He will satisfy their persistence and selfishness. Spouses must completely commit themselves to God. They should say: “My God, you care for our good,“ Thy will be done ”(). In this case, their petition will be fulfilled. After all, the will of God is fulfilled when we say, “Thy will be done,” and with confidence in God, we entrust ourselves to Him. But we, although we say, “Thy will be done,” at the same time we insist on our own will. But what can God do for us in this case? ”
The next cause of infertility can also be the egoism of parents, but it is manifested in the opposite way, when a young family delays the birth of a child, arguing that children are care, and that you first need to finish your studies, get on your feet, earn an apartment, build a summer house, buy a car and now then it will be possible to have a child (not “God will give a child,” namely, “having” a cat or dog). When the Lord sees such an attitude towards the blessing of God for procreation, disregard for the command “Be fruitful and multiply”, then after some time, when the family already has everything - the apartment, the car, and the job, He does not give children. And besides cats and dogs, such a family can no longer get anything. Although there are no obstacles for this from the medical side.
Elder Paisius identifies two other possible causes of infertility. “God does not give children to many people, so that by loving the children of the whole world as their own, these people will help their spiritual rebirth.” Elder Paisiy gives the following example: “One man had no children, but when he left the house, children from neighboring houses ran to him and surrounded him with love. They did not let him go to work. See: God did not give this man his children, but He gave him a blessing that all the neighboring children love him as a father, and he help them spiritually. The judgments of God are the abyss. ”
"And in other cases, God does not give spouses children to build some orphan." Elder Paisiy talks about one of his familiar Christian - a lawyer, a man of spiritual life. Once, an old man stopped to visit him for a day and met his wife, who also leads a pious life and helps many poor children. She complained that the Lord did not give her children, to which Elder Paisius answered her with reproach: “You, sister, have more than five hundred children. And are you still complaining? Christ saw your good will. And he will reward you for it. Now, in helping the spiritual revival of so many children, you are a better mother than many others. You leave behind all mothers with many children! And the bribe that you will receive will also be much greater, because, reborn spiritually, children spiritually provide their future in eternal life. "
It happens that the Lord does not give the family of children not as a punishment, but as a special business, so that through these people the sex would be taught by some unfortunate child left by his parents.
There are other causes of infertility. These include the so-called birth curses - when a mother or father curses their children. Sometimes, when children bother their parents, instead of their parental blessing, they send children reproaches that can “work” like curses. For example, when a mother says to her daughters: “Let it be empty for you” or sends them to evil spirits. Elder Paisius also gives a similar example. When such a mother then repented of her curses, the life of the daughters settled down and the Lord gave them children.
There are also “tribal” sins against God and against the neighbor, when the Lord punishes infertility and sins committed against Him. For example, if someone destroyed temples, took off crosses, cut icons, laughed at the Church, the Lord can send infertility to the family through a generation until people realize and sin this sin. I know the case when a priest after the revolution renounced his dignity and then died without repentance. In the next generations, this family never had boys, and if they were born, then they died before they reached adulthood. There are cases when in the 30s children were forced to renounce their parents publicly, in the work collective, at the institute. Such sins against God, the desecration of the Church, blasphemy, and renunciation of parents often affect the next generation or, through a generation, one of the grandchildren. Sometimes people commit sins against their neighbor - they dig gravestones and build their own house out of them or commit other blasphemous acts.
Is the absence of children possible due to a phenomenon that some people call “corruption” or “evil eye”?
Of course, “corruption”, “evil eye” are not church concepts. But some use this terminology. This should be understood as the envy that some evil people sometimes have. For example, this can happen if one woman envies another - beautiful, financially prosperous, married and happy in marriage. Envy, it may turn out that this woman will have everything, but she will not give birth to children. There are times when, by pride, the Lord can deprive a woman of a child if she taunts another, more unhappy, deprived of the happiness of motherhood. The Lord can deprive the mocker of her child and shut the womb so that she herself can no longer have children in her pride and exaltation over her neighbor.
Infertility can also be sent as a test of human faith. The materials of the Jubilee Council of Bishops and the patristic teachings indicate that infertility can be considered as a cross that the Lord places on a married couple. A cross in which a couple should show patience, humility, trust in the will of God. A striking example is Abraham and Sarah, who for about 90 years prayed for the birth of a child, Zechariah and Elizabeth, the God-Father Joachim and Anna. Their children were blessed when they were born after so many prayers, patience, trust in God. A test of faith can be an important moment for such a married couple, when the couple shows their loyalty to God, when she does not grumble against God, thanks God for the sent sorrow. This test of faith may at some point end with the spouses, and a woman who has been childless for 20 years can give birth to many more children.
Infertility may also be due to the fact that the Lord delays the birth of children according to His special providence for this family, wishing to arrange the fate of any abandoned child. I know some families in which it happened that a woman conceived a child as soon as the couple showed a desire to adopt an orphan from an orphanage. There were couples who brought this intention to the end and as soon as they brought an orphan to their house, they were soon expecting their own baby, and in this family two children appeared at once - one adopted and the second, whom the Lord sent, allowing the womb to be previously barren women. Moreover, when doctors examined such women, they did not find in them pathologies that prevent childbirth. But the will of the Lord was such that in these families they brought up not only their child, but also a foster child.
The consecration of church marriage is very important for solving the problem of infertility. In prayers for the consecration of church marriage, there are such words that invoke the blessing of God on the womb of a woman so that she will be fruitful. Unbelieving husbands sometimes neglect this important sacrament, and the Lord does not allow a woman to become a mother until the conjugal union is sanctified by the grace of church marriage. There are also known cases when women who were diagnosed with infertility, who lived for many years with their husbands in officially registered but unmarried marriages, a few days after the wedding, the conception of children occurred.
Several other causes of infertility can be considered. When the Lord sees that a possible child in the family will be very sick or will be deeply disabled, He allows that baby not to be born. Church patriots have known cases when mothers, threatening to lose a child, prayed earnestly and earnestly to God, the Lord revealed to them through various saints that their prayer was objectionable, because this child was born a villain, a murderer, a patriarch. If mothers did not retreat, wanting at all costs to fulfill their will, to satisfy their maternal egoism, the Lord allowed the birth of such children, who later became abusers of the family.
The case of the Decembrist Pestel, whom my mother pleaded when he died of diphtheria at the age of five, is well known. The Lord then showed her that the son would recover, but would end his life on the gallows. So then everything happened. Mother then repented, but it was too late, the Lord had already answered her prayers. Therefore, the prayer "Lord, is not very important, not as I want, but as you want."
The Lord may not give children because of the unwillingness of the husband and wife to raise a child, because of the irresponsibility or viciousness of one of the spouses, or because of the possibility of mutual betrayal. For example, if a family has constant quarrels and scandals, the husband and wife are selfish, are not ready to sacrifice themselves for the sake of the child, are not ready to take care of him, give him his love, the Lord, having seen this, delays the birth of the child for several years until the couple matures until the family settles down, until the husband and wife come to an agreement. A child must be born in love. If from the very beginning of his life he will feel the anger of his parents towards each other and with respect to himself, then who will this child grow up with, what will happen to his soul, what will he absorb from himself from such parents?
Such couples are also known in which wives could not give birth to children, went to many doctors, upholstering thresholds. At the same time, their husbands humiliated and insulted them, reproaching them with the impossibility of procreation. These women went to all kinds of medical procedures, but nothing helped. As a result, these husbands cheated on their wives, went to other families. And the former barren women married other men and gave birth to children safely. Their infertility turned out to be imaginary. The Lord, having seen that the husband and wife are not ready to preserve the marital union, that a family collapse is possible, sometimes admits that a child is not born in this family, because he will remain an orphan from a young age.
Next time we will talk about the sequence of necessary spiritual actions that a believing couple can resort to in order for a child to be born in her family.
Chapter 3. Infertility - ways to overcome
What is the sequence of spiritual actions for a believing married couple so that a child is born in the family?
We will not touch upon issues of infertility in a non-believer family far from the Church. We will not talk about people who lead a sinful lifestyle. Let's talk about those spouses who have entered into a legal marriage and go to church, but have not been able to give birth to a child for several years.
The first question that spouses should ask themselves is whether their marriage is married or unmarried. In the prayers for the consecration of the church marriage, the grace of God is especially encouraged to be honorable: “Yes, show that your will is a legal marriage, and even miracle work from it. Remember God our God your servant and thy servant, and bless me, give them the fruit of the womb, goodness, unanimity of soul and body. ” Therefore, believing spouses whose marriage is not married, first of all, require the church consecration of marriage.
If after a certain amount of time children are still not born in this family, it is necessary to resort to the help of both methods of medical diagnostics and church sacraments.
Medical diagnostics are carried out by various medical centers called reproductive centers, women's reproductive health centers, or family and marriage centers. In different cities, they have different names, but you can find them in any directory.
Data from modern medicine suggests that there are more than 30 medical causes of infertility. Therefore, sometimes it takes time to find the cause. First they find out whose health - husband or wife - prevents the appearance of children. After a thorough diagnosis, one or another type of conservative (medication) or surgical (if required) treatment is performed. I repeat - the question of choosing a treatment method is decided depending on the cause of infertility.
Spouses should have an unshakably firm stance on which methods are churchly blessed, narrowed, and which are unacceptable from the point of view of Christian Orthodox ethics. What methods are not blessed by the Church are described in detail in the materials of the Anniversary Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church in 20002. You can read about this in the Orthodox periodical press, talk with your confessor or with Orthodox experts in biomedical ethics. In many cities, there are now Societies of Orthodox Doctors where specialists can answer which new medical methods for overcoming infertility are permissible and which are not.
If medical treatment is inconclusive, or of a rather complicated nature, spouses can and should resort to church ordinances, asking for God's help to overcome their ailment.
What arsenal of funds does the Russian Orthodox Church have to help spouses in their problem?
First of all, spouses should pay attention to whether their incorrect church life does not prevent the birth of children — how much they have been churches, whether they confess correctly, how often they receive Holy Communion Secrets of Christ, what the confessor tells them.
That is, the first thing to start with is a careful study by the spouses themselves of the quality of their Christian life, their relationship with the confessor. The confessor, by the will of God, can discover which way they should go, which prayers to read, and which sacraments to resort to. If, as a result of a careful study of his life and repentance, the Lord reveals some kind of sins (we spoke about this in the previous conversation), they must be confessed to the confessor, and prayed in a certain way. You must understand that the mistakes of grandmothers, grandfather ears, great-grandfathers are reflected in your life.
To make amends for their sin, you can ask your confessor for some kind of liberation or church blessing (for example, performing a penitential canon or reciting certain penitential prayers). Or make such a spiritual completion that can propitiate God.
Spiritual replenishment includes situations when, for example, to make amends for the sin of a mother who has an abortion, her infertile daughter takes on the feat of the priest’s blessing to look after the children in the orphanage, visit orphans, and visit maternity hospitals (if the parish has a maternity hospital) , to baptize dying babies of fear for the sake of a mortal, to help women who do not want to give birth, who are being persuaded to terminate their pregnancy so that they do not take this step. So you do the opposite of ancestral sin.
Another example: if the great-grandfather drove an orphan out of the house, then his granddaughter or great-granddaughter, who has become barren, must take care of the orphans: to provide them with some kind of care or become an orphan godmother. I have already said that often infertile spouses take children from the orphanage, and after a while the Lord allows them the fetus of the womb and gives their own children. It also happens in cases where a barren couple or one of the spouses commits some spiritual compensation for the sins committed by their ancestors.
In addition to the Sacraments of Penance and Communion of the Holy Sacraments of Christ, the Church also has the Sacrament of Unction. Infertile spouses may ask the priest to have it performed on them. Usually the Unction is performed during Lent, in some dioceses during the Lent. Sometimes the Sacrament of Defense is performed upon the arrival of the relics of the holy saints of God, who have a special gift to help the sick. Thus, for example, the unction in the St. Petersburg diocese took place during the transfer of the holy relics of St. healer Panteleimon.
It is also possible, with the blessing of the confessor, to make pilgrimages to the relics of the holy saints of God and to ask for their blessed help.
Some saints (for example, St. Sergius of Radonezh, St. Seraphim of Sarov), especially petition for the birth of children. For example, many barren women pray to St. David of the Gareja or St. the prophet of God Elijah. In my memory, there is an example when one Christian, who has been in sterility for about ten years, on the advice of a priest, decided to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, to Mount Carmel, to the cave where the prophet Elijah of God worked, and where women come from all over the world to resolve their infertility. She made a promise that if she had a boy, name him after the prophet Elijah. She became pregnant immediately, while preparing for this trip (I must say that she never got to the cave of St. Elijah), and went on a pilgrimage to the holy places with a conceived child, who later became the boy Elijah. There are many such examples.
In Russia, the concept of "vowed children" has long been known. When the family could not wait for a son for a long time or if there were no children at all, the couple made a vow to God to raise a future son for Him - to give him as a monk or to another service to God. And according to this vow, the Lord sent them children.
There are special places, special miraculous icons, giving grace to childless spouses. For example, the icon of the Mother of God Trooditissa, which is located in the mountains of Troodos, in Cyprus.
Once in front of this icon, future parents begged the Mother of God for a child. They promised that they would ordain him to the monks. They had a boy born. When he began to grow up (he was already eight or ten years old), his father and mother hesitated in their intention. And soon it happened that a large stone fell off the mountain and flew a few centimeters from the head of the child. It was a warning to parents, a sign of God. They repented and as a result kept their promise. The frescoes of this monastery depict the Mother of God, Her belt and a large stone nearby, a reminder that the vows that are given to God must be fulfilled.
The birth of vowed children often happened earlier and often enough happens now. Anyone who will be in the Trooditissa monastery in Cyprus will see a huge photo card of barren women of all nationalities, from all over the world, who, having been in this monastery, were allowed to be out of mercilessness and gave birth in two, three children after the prayer that the monks performed, putting on barren special belt. This is a huge file cabinet. I myself saw her when I visited this monastery and prayed in front of this icon.
I must say that just one week after a prayer in front of this icon (even without putting on a miracle-working belt on my mother), one of my friend priest who visited the island of Cyprus conceived a child who had only one or two percent probability of being born. Although the priest did not even ask for a child, but simply prayed in front of the icon, the Lord gave him a baby.
Such special places, such holy saints, who are glorified by the grace of help to childless parents, are both on the Holy Land and in each diocese. You can prayerfully address them, make pilgrimages, order special prayers, and then you can call him a saint who will help in the birth of a baby to glorify God's miracle.
In addition, Orthodox spouses, of course, must resort to the help of the sanctuary. During a pilgrimage, spouses can immerse themselves in holy springs, take water home, sprinkle with it, and also anoint themselves with holy oil from lamps, from miraculous icons from the pilgrimage site. All this, done with prayer and faith, will help to solve the problem.
If, after repeated appeals to God, proper churching, resorting to all the sacraments, pilgrimages to holy places, etc., children do not come into the world, then patience must be shown. You must rely on the will of God.
Women and young couples with similar problems often come to our temple. Usually we advise spouses, if they want to have children, to set some kind of control period, a year or two, in order to establish their family life, learn not to show selfishness and not live only for themselves. All this time (for a year or two) they will go to the temple for special prayers. In each diocese there are churches where priests perform blessed prayers, pray to saints who provide grace to the merciless spouses.
If after the appointed time, there are still no children, the husband and wife should decide whether they are ready to carry their life cross further, perhaps for many years, and patiently relying on the will of God, wait for the birth of their own child, or they will take a foster a child. The Lord gives such an opportunity.
This period is also a time of seeking the will of God, of which way the Lord defines this family. Indeed, the will of God is not immediately revealed to man. Sometimes it takes a long time to understand what kind of life the Lord wants for the couple, what purpose they are preparing for them. Now it is necessary to know the will of God in order to conform to it with one's parental will.
And, finally, the logical end to the whole series of spiritual acts that young parents commit is, in the case of impossibility to become pregnant, the upbringing of an adopted child, adopted or in any form adopted in his family. And then, as the Lord will give.
We’ll clarify once again, what should one start with - going to the doctor or spiritual understanding of the disease?
I believe that we should begin our journey with the Church, with a comprehension of what is happening together with my spiritual mentor, confessor, or spiritual father. Because even for medical examination and church treatment, young married spouses should take a blessing from their confessor. Having received God's blessing and the advice of their spiritual mentor, they can undergo certain medical events and at the same time ask for God's help and resort to the grace of the Church.
Trebnik. Following the rank of Wedding Moscow Compound of the Holy Assumption Pskov-Pechersky Monastery. The Rule of Faith Publishing House. 1995.S. 117–118.
Anniversary Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church. Materials Publishing Council of the Moscow Patriarchate a. Charity Fund "Christmas 2000". 2001
The inability to experience the happiness of motherhood and fatherhood is a big disaster.
It is often very difficult to accept such a diagnosis. The initial encounter with him entails painful experiences: shock, guilt, anger, depression, loneliness, loss of control, hopelessness. All people have different and emotional experiences associated with infertility, different people differ significantly, as well as ways to overcome them. Spouses will have to go the hard way from the first shock to the stage of adoption of a new reality.
Spouses it is important to know the main steps development of a psychological condition associated with infertility. What gives such knowledge?
Firstly, it helps to better understand each other. Secondly, it helps to cope with psychological stress. Thirdly, most importantly, it creates the conditions for realistic perception of the diagnosis of infertility.
REALISTIC PERCEPTION
You begin to realize that your family has a medical problem in the form of a diagnosis of infertility. You evaluate your condition adequately: without a tendency to exaggerate its severity, but also without underestimating the severity of the diagnosis. You trust the selected clinic and doctor. You strive to actively promote treatment in everything. You are well informed and ready to act. But this is all at the very end of the path, and at the beginning ... shock!
The first reaction of many patients who first learned of their infertility are shock and distrust. You may feel that your life plans are completely destroyed. Shock is actually a defensive reaction of the psyche that helps you come to terms with reality and does not last long.
NEGATION
The second stage is denial. “This cannot happen to me!” The phase of denial serves a specific purpose: it allows spouses to get used to the idea of \u200b\u200binfertility. If the denial phase is delayed, then it becomes dangerous because it does not allow you to realize the presence of this problem. In this case, time may be lost and the effectiveness of the treatment may be reduced.
WINE
After denying, at some points you may think that infertility is a punishment for some actions in the past. But this is not so! You are not to blame for infertility. Infertility is a medical problem. A qualified doctor will help to solve it. A sense of personal guilt is an absolutely unconstructive feeling, but unfortunately, often found in patients.
APPEAL TO RELIGION
This is a very common reaction, especially if you believe in God. You begin to pray, attend church, mosque, synagogue. Some make pilgrimages to holy places, visit temples and miraculous icons.
Others turn to various healers, psychics, "folk healers" and often manage to spend a lot of time and money before deciding to resort to traditional medicine.
If such behavior helps you deal with stress, feel confident, then there is nothing wrong with that. However, remember that in this case knowing of limits should be your best adviser.
ANGER
The next stage is anger. This feeling means that you are moving in the right direction. That you have moved to the next stage of emotional experience. The emergence of anger is quite natural and regular. So where does anger come from? Anger is generated by the feeling that infertility is unfair! Pregnant women can make you angry. Anger may appear on doctors, friends, relatives. What to do? Accept this feeling. Understand where it came from. Outlive it. Allow yourself to be angry. The good news for you is that anger, as a certain stage, does not last long. And if you do not drive it deep, then it will pass. Know that experiencing anger is another step in the psychological acceptance of a diagnosis of infertility.
DEPRESSION
Infertility-related experiences often lead to depression. Infertility destroys dreams of a long-awaited pregnancy, childbirth, motherhood, fatherhood. Your sorrow is the sorrow of what could have been, of a failed life experience, and this loss can be especially difficult to survive.
With infertility, you can never be sure that you will be able to become pregnant, and even the cause of infertility may not be completely clear. Therefore, your sadness has nothing to concentrate on, and you are in constant hope that "maybe it will work out this time." Depression is the normal response of your psyche to the abnormal situation you are in.
LONELINESS
Friends and relatives often underestimate the psychological problems of infertile spouses, and as a result the infertile couple feels isolated.
“Stop thinking about it, relax, and you will quickly become pregnant” or “Adopt a baby, and then you will have your own,” are examples of tactless remarks that can cause a lot of pain.
In this regard, your relationship with friends, family members, relatives who do not understand and cannot share your feelings may change. All this leads to even greater loneliness. The feeling of loneliness makes the fight against infertility much more difficult. However, the understanding that this phenomenon is temporary will help you survive it and this stage in your life.
LOSS OF CONTROL
Many couples plan the birth of a baby in the same way as other important events in their life. Until a certain point, you probably quite successfully achieved your goals. When you realize that you cannot control this side of your life, it can affect your self-esteem. Perhaps you will stop paying enough attention to other problems and postpone their solution, concentrating on overcoming infertility. However, the more you neglect other aspects of your life, the more you will feel that you are not able to control your life.
HOPELESSNESS
A sense of hopelessness is the result of cycles of emotional ups and downs associated with infertility and its treatment. You will be full of hope at the beginning of treatment, gradually losing all hope in the event of repeated unsuccessful attempts. It is very difficult to maintain hope and a positive attitude after numerous disappointments.
Practice shows that most couples are distrustful of psychological assistance. The main psychologist is the attending physician. He in one person combines both medical care and psychological. But unfortunately, the doctor at the reception sometimes does not have enough time to study the psychological aspects. The doctor emphasizes the specific treatment, diagnosis, appointment, losing sight of the psychological state of the woman and family.
How will a psychologist help the family? Of course, the family can independently cope with psychological problems. The advantage of working with a psychologist is that, by virtue of professional knowledge and skills, a specialist will determine the depth and strength of experiences, together with the family, will identify internal resources and create conditions for a realistic perception of the diagnosis.
References.
1. "Modern methods of overcoming infertility" E. M. Yakovenko, S. A. Yakovenko.
- the consistent implementation of the procedures necessary for the onset of pregnancy with diagnosed infertility. And the first step towards the goal is the stimulation of superovulation, which can be carried out according to the scenario of one of the many protocols.
Their diversity allows minimizing the risk of lack of mature eggs in anticipation of ovulation and maximizes the chances of successful follicle puncture.
A reproductologist with jewelry skill leads a cycle of stimulation of ovulation, selects an individual program and monitors the growth of follicles. At the time of their maturation, before ovulation, ovarian puncture is performed, after which the IVF program goes into the mainstream of standardized procedures.
Individual approach when choosing an IVF protocol
Superovulation Stimulation Protocol (MTR) is the sequential administration of drugs to induce follicular growth. The type of protocol, dosage and frequency of drug administration are prescribed by the reproductologist, focusing on the patient’s hormonal profile and its follicular supply.
To draw up the optimal stimulation scheme, it is necessary to have the results of analyzes, examinations, and observations. The outcome of the entire IVF event may depend on the chosen tactics.
How will the ovaries respond to stimulation? The reproductologist must “predict” the answer to this question, but he cannot be responsible for the quality of the cells (genetic material). In the absence of matured eggs or in poor quality, the attempt is considered unsuccessful.
Today, the following protocols are used in the IVF program: short, long, in the natural cycle (without the use of drugs), Japanese ("teramoto"). We will get acquainted with their features, advantages and disadvantages, making sure again: IVF is a complex and unpredictable procedure.
IVF Short Protocol
IVF Short Protocol includes standard measures: stimulation of superovulation, follicle puncture, embryo replanting procedure. Its duration is about 4-5 weeks, and the "start" is 2-5 days of the menstrual cycle.
A short protocol can be carried out with agonists - the scheme is easily tolerated by women, but there are high risks of premature ovulation or the development of oocytes of inadequate quality. The duration of the protocol is 28-35 days, follicle puncture is carried out in the period from 14 to 20 days of the cycle.
The protocol with antagonists (ultrashort) significantly reduces or even reduces to zero the risks of spontaneous ovulation, minimizes the likelihood of developing OHSS, has a lower drug load and is easily tolerated.
Among the shortcomings is the mismatch between follicular growth and endometrial growth. Its duration is only 25-31 days, and follicle puncture is performed on the 10-14 day of the cycle.
A short protocol is prescribed most often for healthy women, older patients, or in the presence of a negative result of a long protocol previously carried out.
Long IVF Protocol
Long protocol is used with IVF much more often. It is believed that the likelihood of pregnancy when using it is higher. The duration of the protocol is about 40-50 days, and its fundamental difference is in the time of the "start", which occurs on the 21st day of the menstrual cycle.
Due to such an early blockade of the pituitary gland, the process of synthesis of natural hormones stops, and synthetic hormonal preparations begin to fulfill the function of the ovaries.
Thus, the preliminary stage of blockade of the pituitary gland by agonists, which begins a week before menstruation, is added to the three main stages (MTR, egg removal and selection of embryos). Only after the onset of complete blockade do they proceed to the MTR stage (on the 3-5th day of the cycle).
Protocol disadvantages:
- increased risks of developing OHSS;
- hormonal imbalance - delays and cycle failures;
- menopausal symptoms may appear - fever, hot flashes;
- high level of psychological stress due to the long duration of the protocol.
Protocol Benefits:
Among the advantages, experts emphasize the possibility of full control of the superovulation stimulation cycle and high chances of pregnancy in patients with serious pathologies - hormonal disorders, irregular menstrual cycles, obesity, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, polycystosis. A long protocol can be prescribed by a doctor after the absence of a result in a short scheme.
IVF protocol in the natural cycle
With the woman's ovulatory function preserved, the doctor may prescribe IVF in the natural cycle, the first stage of which takes place without hormonal stimulation.
Of medical techniques, during the period of egg maturation (in the absolute majority of situations - one), only ultrasound is used, which allows you to monitor the growth of the follicle and remove the egg before ovulation.
The indisputable advantage of the protocol is its maximum naturalness and the absence of drug load during the MTR period. This not only positively affects the health of women, but also significantly reduces the cost of the process - expensive hormonal drugs are not used for stimulation.
Other “advantages” of the protocol:
- the risk of multiple pregnancy is low;
- the likelihood of OHSS is absent;
- increased hormonal load always creates the prerequisites for the appearance of IVF complications, they are absent in the natural cycle;
- the procedure can be carried out month after month until the result is achieved.
Among the disadvantages of the natural protocol:
- high risk of spontaneous ovulation, because the process is not controlled by medication, but proceeds in a natural unpredictable way;
- one egg taken as a result of a puncture is a rather low chance of pregnancy;
- there are high risks of taking an egg that has not reached maturity;
- in the follicle the egg can be completely absent.
To reduce risks in the natural cycle, drugs are often used that promote the maturation of oocytes and prevent premature ovulation.
Developments are underway to introduce technologies that allow for the maturation of eggs obtained as a result of natural cycles. The success of the EC protocol is constantly growing, which is why an increasing number of women prefer this gentle method.
The basic conditions for the EC protocol are an established menstrual cycle lasting 28-35 days and the presence of confirmed ovulation.
Japanese protocol (“teramoto”, “mini-protocol”)
Minimizing stimulation and hormonal load and obtaining better quality eggs, rather than more eggs, is a task that modern reproductology devotes a lot of time to solving.
The Japanese protocol, developed by experts at the Tokyo clinic Kato Ladies, is a gentle technique for stimulating the ovaries using a limited amount of hormones. This not only reduces the cost of the IVF protocol, but also saves the woman’s health.
Overcoming infertility using assisted reproductive technologies
in MC "Medical practice"
How long should you try to get pregnant yourself.
Many women become pregnant on their wedding night. Others - as soon as they want to have a child. Third year after year they WAIT for their first child - and sometimes they are doomed not to experience the joy of motherhood. The word "infertility" is not a diagnosis, but only an indication that there are no children in a married couple during the year of a regular intimate life. Causes of infertility may be related to the health of one of the spouses, or both. Therefore, the examination must be passed to both spouses. Infertile women over 30 years of age should seek help from a gynecologist-reproductologist as soon as possible, since the likelihood of conception with age is sharply reduced.
For an objective assessment of the possibility of conception, it is necessary to undergo a set of examinations. In modern conditions, the examination takes 2-3 months, since most analyzes are performed on certain days of the cycle. Delaying the examination reduces the chances of pregnancy. After the spouses undergo a comprehensive examination, a diagnosis is made that reflects all the found factors of infertility. After that, the doctor, together with the spouses, develops a treatment plan that will allow in a short time to increase the chances of independent conception. In cases where independent conception is not possible, the doctor may suggest one of the methods of artificial insemination - intrauterine artificial insemination or in vitro fertilization (IVF).
What is IVF.
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) was first applied in England in 1978. IVF is a method in which male sperm and female eggs are connected outside the body,in vitro (literally "in glass", or in a laboratory test tube). The essence of the procedure is to obtain a large number of mature eggs from the woman’s ovaries, then fertilize them with the sperm of the husband (donor) and grow the resulting embryos in a special environment outside the woman’s body in an incubator (“test tube”). The embryos thus obtained are transferred into the cavity of the uterus for further development and bearing of the baby in the usual way. IVF method refers to assisted reproductive technologies (ART), which are used when the treatment of infertility with first-line drugs (ovulation induction, intrauterine insemination, surgical treatment) does not bring results. IVF is often seen as the only way to have a baby for families in which a man is sick. Strictly speaking, IVF does not eliminate the causes that led to infertility in a particular couple, but it allows you to overcome many obstacles to achieving pregnancy. Initially, IVF was used to treat women with obstructed, damaged, or missing fallopian tubes, that is, an infertility annular factor. Currently, IVF is used to overcome almost any causes of infertility, including endometriosis, male factor, and infertility of unknown origin. Surveys in preparation for the IVF program.
IVF treatment cycle.
The IVF treatment cycle lasts 15-30 days (depending on the type of protocol) and consists of 4 consecutive stages: Ovulation stimulation
- at this stage, the growth and maturation of a woman's eggs with the help of various medications is stimulated. With normal ovulation in a woman, only one or two eggs mature every month. In the IVF program, doctors seek to obtain about 10-20 eggs, because some eggs may not fertilize, and the resulting embryos may stop developing. In addition, the percentage of pregnancies in the IVF program is higher if more than one embryo is transferred to the uterus. Therefore, after the examination, the woman is prescribed special hormonal drugs. Most often, stimulant drugs are used from eight to twelve days. The problem of poor ovarian response to stimulation is more common in women older than 35 years and in women with operated ovaries, i.e. in those patients in whom the supply of follicles in the ovaries is reduced. The poor response of the ovaries to stimulation in the IVF cycle is usually very frustrating for patients, because they are usually completely unprepared for this. Most women expect a lot of eggs to mature, and they are extremely upset that this does not happen. However, this does not mean that treatment will not help you, it only means that the stimulation scheme in the next treatment cycle needs to be changed. Follicular puncture
- The procedure for collecting mature eggs from follicles. Obtaining eggs is usually carried out under the control of ultrasound and is a small surgical operation performed in a small operating room or manipulation and does not require hospitalization. Typically, the puncture is performed under local or short-term (10-20 minutes) general anesthesia. Follicular puncture usually takes no more than 30 minutes. After the puncture, it is advisable to rest in the room for 2-3 hours, after which the patient is allowed to go home. Some women experience painful cramps on the day of the puncture, but the next day these feelings disappear. A feeling of fullness or pressure in the abdominal cavity may persist for several days after the procedure. During a woman’s follicle puncture, her husband collects sperm by masturbation in a special non-toxic sterile container. Some men experience great difficulty in collecting sperm at a strictly defined time due to enormous stress and “compulsory execution”. They should warn the doctor about this in advance. Such men can resort to preliminary cryopreservation (freezing) of sperm, which can then be thawed on the day of the wife's follicle puncture and used in the IVF cycle. Sperm can also be collected during intercourse, but only in special sterile non-toxic sperm condoms, which you can get at the clinic. In the second method (ICSI), the sperm is introduced into the egg “manually” using microsurgical instruments. ICSI is used for very poor sperm quality, when fertilization cannot be obtained even in a cup. After sperm penetration, the egg is considered an embryo. The probability of successful fertilization is 60-70%. Embryos contain in artificial conditions from 2 to 5 days. Before embryo transfer, preimplantation diagnostics is performed. With the help of modern genetic technologies, an embryo consisting of only 4-8 cells can be examined. Using this diagnostic method, gross malformations of the embryo and hereditary chromosomal diseases, such as Down's disease, hemophilia, etc. are revealed. In addition, using the pre-implantation diagnosis, you can determine the gender of the unborn child. According to doctors, children conceived in vitro are no different from the rest. However, there is an opinion that such children study better, but are more often ill. Doctors believe that this may be due to excessive custody by the parents of the desired child. Embryo transfer.
Transfer of embryos into the uterus is the simplest procedure of the method. Using a special elastic catheter, 2-3 fertilized eggs are transferred to the uterine cavity. This does not even require anesthesia. After the transfer, a woman can go home, to work, since no special regimen is required, although sick leave certificates are issued in some IVF centers. Naturally, after the procedure, women are not recommended large physical and emotional stress. Typically, 1-3 good quality embryos are transferred to the uterus 2-5 days after the puncture. The question of how many embryos to transfer to the uterus is one of the most difficult questions faced by a doctor and an IVF patient. The more embryos transferred, the higher the chance of pregnancy. Since the goal of IVF is pregnancy, why not seem to transfer all available embryos? However, the price that you have to pay for the transfer of a large number of embryos is a high risk of multiple pregnancy, fraught with serious complications for both the mother and the fetus. The problem is also complicated by the fact that each embryo can be divided into two embryos, which will lead to the birth of the so-called identical twins. In some Scandinavian countries, the law prohibits the transfer of more than one embryo to the uterus of women under 35 to reduce the chance of multiple pregnancies. Pregnancy with IVF occurs in 20-25% of cases. Therefore, the procedure itself is called an attempt.
Of the 20 pregnancies that have come about, an average of 18 ends in childbirth. After the introduction of embryos, once every 3 days you need to control the level of hormones in the blood. After 12 days, a pregnancy test is performed. In the case of multiple pregnancy, at the request of the woman, they perform a reduction - removal of unnecessary embryos. Childbirth during pregnancy after IVF is no different from normal. In cases where the cause of infertility is a woman’s disease, childbirth is carried out taking into account a specific disease and this has nothing to do with the method of fertilization. After IVF. Embryo transfer is the last step in the IVF cycle, and after it, the doctor prescribes drugs to “support the luteal phase,” which increase the likelihood of implantation and may include estrogen, progesterone, or hCG drugs. The period after embryo transfer is perhaps the most difficult part of the IVF program for patients, due to the uncertainty and tremendous stress in waiting for an answer to the question whether pregnancy has occurred or not. Pregnancy is determined using a special analysis that measures the level of hCG hormone in the blood serum 10-14 days after transfer. After embryo transfer, it is not recommended to take hot baths, heavy physical activity should be avoided and sexual intercourse should be avoided. However, a woman can lead a familiar lifestyle and, if necessary, return to work the day after the transfer. Some patients decide to spend two weeks in bed before a pregnancy test, getting up only for eating and going to the toilet. You can do this to subsequently know that you have done everything in your power, even if the pregnancy has not occurred. However, keep in mind that your normal physical activity will not affect your chance of becoming pregnant. Since your goal is not just to get pregnant, but to bear and give birth to a healthy baby, it is often advisable for you to remain under the supervision of specialists during the first 3-4 weeks of pregnancy. Successful fertilization is important, but still half the battle. You have nine months ahead of you. What can we do to increase the likelihood of success in the IVF cycle.
Stop taking non-prescribed medications. If possible, you should reduce the intake of drugs, including food additives, as some of them can have a negative impact on the outcome of IVF. Stop taking any kind of drug. There is abundant evidence that drugs have a major impact on both male and female fertility. In addition, during pregnancy, they can cause irreparable harm to the health of the unborn child. Check your weight. Being overweight or underweight can lower your response to drug therapy to the point that your body may not respond to stimulation at all. Your fertility doctor will measure your weight in kilograms divided by your height in meters squared; this ratio is called body mass index. If your body mass index is below 19 kg / m2 or above 30 kg / m2, you will be advised to postpone IVF treatment until your weight is within these limits. If you need advice on weight loss, ask your doctor at the clinic appointment. Stick to a healthy diet. Refrain from drinking excessive coffee. Reduce your alcohol intake. Although the effect of alcohol on conception is less pronounced than the effect of smoking, alcohol abuse clearly affects the number of sperm produced and their motility. In a woman, alcohol abuse in the early period of implantation and pregnancy exposes the fetus to harmful toxins, which can lead to the development of a fetal pathology called fetal alcohol syndrome. During the treatment with IVF, we urge both spouses to stop drinking alcohol, as some studies have shown that even small amounts can reduce the likelihood of pregnancy. Although a woman should avoid intensive sports during the treatment with in vitro fertilization (IVF), lightweight exercises of 20-30 minutes 3-4 times a week are recommended for both spouses to improve overall health and help cope with stress during examination and treatment. If you have serious chronic diseases, do not forget to inform the specialist who observes you in connection with this disease that you are planning a pregnancy so that he can optimize or change the treatment prescribed for you, taking into account this circumstance.
In preparation for the IVF program, the examination is carried out according to the list approved by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. These studies are necessary in order to protect the patient from complications during stimulation of superovulation and during pregnancy. There is a list of mandatory tests that every woman who is applying for IVF needs to go through. These tests mainly relate to the general health of the patient (blood, urine, coagulation, sexually transmitted infections, especially dangerous infections and STDs, the condition of the uterus, tubes, ovaries and the entire reproductive system as a whole). This list is repeatedly verified and justified. 
Embryo cultivation
- at this stage, the actual fertilization of the fertilization of the eggs is carried out and the process of development of the embryos is monitored. IVF is carried out directly by embryologists in an embryological laboratory. In fact, fertilization is carried out in one of two ways: 1) in vitro insemination; 2) intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI, ICSI). In the first, simpler method, a sperm suspension is added to the eggs that are in the nutrient medium at a rate of 100-200 thousand per egg. Within 2-3 hours, one of the sperm penetrates the egg, thereby fertilizing it. 
Of course, there are several important points that can affect the effectiveness of treatment, and the main ones are listed below. Stop smoking. The chemicals in cigarette smoke are harmful to both sperm and egg cells. Smokers need 30% more time to conceive naturally, and some studies have shown that smoking reduces the likelihood of pregnancy after IVF by 50-70% in each treatment cycle due to a reduced response to stimulation and a lower percentage of fertilization.
What to do to not want to eat
Conditional sentences in English (Conditionals)
Mobile game “Catch Me”
The consequences of poor chewing food
Card file for walks in the first younger group