Create Health.qxp_PIF Full Page 17/03/2015 09:27 Page 1
Gentle IVF Geeta Nargund, medical director at Create Fertility, discusses a gentler approach to IVF
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alling pregnant is an experience we all hope will be an easy one, but the reality is that many women and couples struggle with fertility. Since the first IVF baby was born over 36 years ago, fertility experts have been offering solutions to those who need a helping hand in producing a much wanted child. However many of those seeking treatment do not realise that conventional IVF, with its intense and gruelling hormone treatments that incur both cost and health risks, is not the only option. By using a tailored approach that focuses on quality and not quantity, Natural and Mild IVF offer an IVF experience that is aimed at protecting both the short and long-term health of mother and child. Involving either zero or very small dosages of stimulatory hormonal treatment, the chance of developing adverse health risks, such as Ovarian HyperStimulation Syndrome (OHSS), are almost nil, and costs are significantly reduced. Treatment takes place within a woman’s natural cycle, using naturally- selected eggs, and removes weeks of intense treatment and associated side effects. CREATE Fertility are the pioneers and leaders in Natural and Mild IVF in the UK, and in February celebrated the first anniversary of their Bristol clinic, which has now helped women across Bristol and the south west give birth to healthy, happy babies. The clinic’s very first baby was little Hugo, whose parents unexpectedly found themselves struggling to conceive a sibling for their daughter Emilia. Hugo and Emilia’s mum Kate explains:
92 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE
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APRIL 2015
“It was incredibly difficult to imagine we may not be able to have a little brother or sister for Emelia, but we also didn’t want to impact on her childhood by having a mother going through the emotional and physical trauma of extensive hormonal treatment, so Natural and Mild IVF offered a way that ensured we didn’t sacrifice my health. Hugo has completed our family, and we wouldn’t change the sleepless nights for anything! Watching Emelia dote on her little brother is a wonderful gift after imagining for a time that it may not happen for us.” CREATE Fertility’s Clifton-based clinic provides patients like Kate and her husband Dave with the only local access to Mild and Natural IVF, as well as other innovative approaches including the Endometrial Receptivity Array (ERA) test, which determines when a woman’s uterus is most receptive for implantation of embryo, and cutting-edge 3D/4D and Doppler scanning – all of which help in increasing the chance of success in each individual case. Over 45% of patients treated in the first year had already been turned away by other clinics due to treatment failure, yet success rates have been high with over a third falling pregnant so far. As knowledge of Natural and Mild IVF grows families are discovering the importance of remaining informed, providing the confidence to seek what is right for your body, your family and your future. n For further details or to find out about the next CREATE Fertility open day, tel: 0117 317 1493 or visit: www.createhealth.org