Category Archives: Family planning

Essential Tools For Midwives

Midwifery is a profession that is essential to the function of the human race. Without midwives to help with the delivery of newborns, many parents who prefer or necessitate home deliveries along with their infants would have limited options for a safe birthing process. These incredible professionals, most of them being women, have been helping people through the birthing process for centuries. There are a few necessary tools that a midwife needs while out on the job today.

Photo by 东旭 王 on Unsplash

Resuscitation Equipment

Although it is uncommon for mothers or their newborns to require resuscitation, it is a good idea for a midwife to be prepared for the worst. Oxygen masks that are designed to fit both the parent and the newborn are typical for midwives to have in their birthing kits in case something does go wrong.

Fetal Position Model

Having an anatomical fetal position model Mullica Hill NJ can benefit a midwife greatly. As the name suggests, these handy and compact little tools help a midwife to determine the exact positioning of the fetus inside the womb. This aids in giving midwives the knowledge they need to provide the best care for their patients.

Condoms

This is one item that you may not consider to belong in a midwife’s supply bag. Family planning, however, is an important part of the childbirth process in many cases. For individuals who may not have the privilege of education or money, a midwife may offer condoms to ensure that their patient has access to birth control.

Of course, these are only some of the tools a midwife might have on hand during a house call. Anything from sutures to gauze to blood pressure cuffs to rubber gloves is common to find in a birthing kit as well. These tools help midwives to carry out the important duty of bringing new life into the world.

Options for Couples Experiencing Conception Issues

For years, you and your partner have wanted to become parents. Unfortunately, you’ve found yourselves plagued by conception troubles at every turn. However, this doesn’t mean you have to give up on your dream of parenthood. If you’re tired of being thwarted by conception problems, look into the following options.

Fertility Treatment

A wide range of infertility treatment options are available for both men and women. After scheduling a consultation with a reproductive medicine group, you’ll receive a thorough examination and professional treatment plan. You may be surprised by how easily some long-time infertility issues can be corrected.

Surrogacy

If you’re incapable of giving birth – or if doing so would pose a substantial risk to your wellbeing – surrogacy may be your best option. There are two primary types of surrogacy: traditional and gestational. With traditional surrogacy, surrogate mothers are impregnated via intrauterine insemination and function as both egg and embryo donors. With gestational surrogacy, the mother’s eggs are implanted in the surrogate’s body, ensuring that the birth mother isn’t technically the biological mother.

Becoming a parent for the first time will prove to be one of the defining moments of your adult life – and there’s no reason you should allow conception issues to hold you back. If you’re eager to expand your family, look into fertility treatments and surrogacy options.

5 Reasons why you Should Choose Egg Donation in Spain

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Spain is one of the most frequently chosen egg donation destinations. On average, Spanish clinics perform 10,981 IVF with donor eggs cycles per year – that is almost half of all egg donation cycles in Europe! However, the most important thing is that most patients come home very satisfied with their treatment. We have decided to choose only 5 out of the many reasons why so many patients opt for IVF with egg donation in Spain. So sit back and read on!

Proven effectiveness of egg donation treatment in Spain

First things first – are you aware of the many variables that have an influence on the effectiveness of egg donation? The success of treatment depends on various factors, including your age and reason of infertility, your donor and most importantly the quality of her eggs, the experience of your doctor and medical team and the clinic and its facilities.

Generally, egg donation is much more effective than IVF with own eggs, especially for women over 35 years of age. The success rates in Spanish IVF clinics are pretty high. The average for fresh egg cycles is 58% with the rates varying from 43% to 75% depending on the clinic. Egg donation with frozen eggs is slightly less successful, although the difference is trifling. The success rate range for frozen cycles is from 38% to 73% with an average of 53%.

Another great thing is that you don’t have to wait long for your treatment! Short waiting times and proven treatment effectiveness are without doubt a very positive aspect of egg donation in Spain.

Cost of IVF with egg donation in Spain

Spain is not the cheapest place for IVF with egg donation but you definitely get your money’s worth. You can count on high standards, international medical teams and comprehensive care. Average prices for egg donation in Spain vary so it is hard to pinpoint the average. However, you shouldn’t expect to pay less than 5,000 EUR for your treatment. In some IVF centers prices go up to 9,000 or even 10,000 EUR, although most commonly one cycle costs approximately 7,000 EUR.

What makes it even harder to calculate the average price is that clinics often include, or better said don’t include, different factors in their headline prices. So keep your wits about you when searching for a clinic and make sure to check what the price comprises of and if you will have to pay for any additional services. One of the things that is often left out from headline prices is the cost of necessary medications, which can sometimes mount up to even 1,000 EUR.

High standard of IVF clinics and experts

Spain has 198 IVF clinics. In 2009 as much as 109 of them were reporting to the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), which is definitely a credibility booster. As far as standards of the clinics and facilities are concerned, there is nothing to worry about. Spain is a safe and good choice for patients seeking various types of medical treatment, including egg donation.

Spanish hospitals and clinics are modern and, in the majority of cases, kept spotless. They boast some of the most highly trained specialists, including fertility experts. Each and every respectable clinic has a

well-trained and experienced medical team. Another great aspect is the fact that by law spanish clinics have their doors open for virtually anyone seeking egg donation treatment, regardless of religion or sexual orientation.

Great location

Spain is located in Southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula, sharing borders with Portugal, Gibraltar, Morocco, France, and Principality of Andorra. It is the second largest country in Europe after France and one of the most mountainous. The country has a mild climate and is loved for its beautiful and hot weather during the summer months. However, to cut down the overall treatment cost it is best to travel during the off-peak season.

In the hour of cheap flights probably the best way to get to Spain is by plane. The country has several dozen airports with connections to many distant locations. Since most egg donation clinics are located in large cities it is usually not very complicated to get from the airport to your clinic. However, if you’re not a fan of flying you can always take an international train, bus or drive to your fertility center.

Many popular tourist attractions

Spain is visited by more than 65 million tourists each year – impressive, don’t you think? What’s more, there’s not one, not two but countless reasons why the country is such a popular holiday destination. Spain has something for everyone – diverse landscape, beautiful beaches, picturesque mountains, architectural monuments, museums and galleries, many World Heritage Sites, cosy villages and busy cities.

The country also boasts a very interesting history and a fascinating, family orientated culture. The people are warm, friendly and open-hearted. And, of course, Spain wouldn’t be itself without the vibrant nightlife, mouthwatering food and tasty wines.

If you like what you see and want to find out more about IVF with egg donation in Spain make sure to check out eggdonstionfirends.com.

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IUDs: Are They Safe?

Birth control is often a topic of contention in the United States. Political factions argue over questions like, “Who should have access?” and “Should it be free?” State and federal governments clash with communities on whether or not children should be educated about types of contraception, and if so – at what age, and in what context? Politics and policy aside, misinformation and ignorance about birth control has created a naïveté in the way many people think about (and use) contraception. Accordingly, some of the most important questions that crop up during these discussions are not political, but medical: What types of birth control are the safest, most effective, and healthiest to use?

In the past several years, many types of contraception have either appeared new in the marketplace or have increased in popularity. These options run the gamut from pills to vaginal rings, injections to hormonal implants. 2012 was also the year of breakthroughs in male-oriented birth control methods – with safe, reversible procedures and hormonal pills on the horizon. And for women, one of the one of the most rapidly-growing trends in birth control selection, worldwide, has been the intrauterine device – or the IUD.

“IUD” is a term that bears the weight of its previous incarnations’ reputations. While they date back to the early 1900s, IUDs are particularly well-known for their use in the 1960s and 1970s and – unfortunately – the negative circumstances that arose alongside their usage. The structural design of the IUD was much different than it is today; instead of sitting solely within the uterus, IUDs also crossed into the vagina. This structure was the cause of many cases of pelvic inflammatory disease. Additionally, the Dalkon Shield, a particular device marketed in the 1970s, gained recognition by its harmful results – including infection, infertility, and even death. After 300,000 lawsuits were filed against the makers of the device, IUDs quickly fell out of favor with the American public. They were labeled as dangerous forms of birth control to be avoided at all cost.

This reputation may have colored your current idea about IUDs. The generation of women coming of age in the 1970s was warned heavily about the perils of the IUD; no woman – particularly women who had yet to have children – should gamble with using a device that ran the risk of possible infertility. This older generation has (perhaps justifiably) propagated the tale of the deadly IUD and has largely been responsible for the horror stories that are still relayed to a younger generation of contraceptive users. But what is the state of the IUD in 2013? It’s regaining popularity, so is it safe? And have the designs been reconfigured and improved?

There are two types of IUDs currently available in the United States. One option is a non-hormonal, copper-based IUD called ParaGard. Copper acts as a natural spermicide when placed in the uterus, and prevents fertilization by affecting sperm mobility (so they never meet with an egg). The ParaGard has the desired benefit of being non-hormonal, which is a strong pull for women who are unable to use hormonal contraception (or, at least, desire to avoid hormonal manipulation). Most other forms of effective birth control employ hormones, so the ParaGard gives women options they wouldn’t ordinarily have. The most common negative side effects include heavier periods and cramping.

The second form of IUD is of the brand name, Mirena, which secretes low doses of hormones daily. Like Paragard, Mirena is placed in the uterus and will remain there for a number of years. (Currently, it’s been approved for five years – though some studies say it remains effective for seven.) Unlike ParaGard, Mirena has been shown to relieve heavy periods and decrease negative symptoms of menstruation.

In addition, both forms of IUDs have been proven to be a highly effective means of preventing pregnancy. With an average of .01% failure rate, IUDs have a similar contraceptive success rate of tubal occlusion. Essentially, the only forms of birth control with a higher success rate than IUDs are abstinence and sterilization. They’re also long-term, hassle-free alternatives to pills or options with heavy up-keep. And yes, they are now safe. Not only are they safe for women who already have children, recent studies have shown they’re also safe for a younger generation of birth-control users. (Even teenagers.) Any hesitation (on the part of either doctors or patients) to embrace IUD use due to harmful health concerns has been proven time and time again to be based on incorrect and outdated information. IUD use has even been linked to decreased cervical cancer risk.

So are there any negatives?

IUDs aren’t necessarily recommended for individuals who have multiple partners or practice unprotected sex. Sexually transmitted infections, if left untreated, can result in infertility for IUD users. There’s also a risk of uterine perforation, though the risk is small. Some individuals may experience expulsion of their IUDs, but this process isn’t harmful for the individual.

The truth of the matter is that IUDs are no longer outdated contraceptive models with the negative connation the Dalkon Shield had in the 1970s. They are now new, improved options that are giving millions of women the freedom to control and manage their own bodies, and their growing popularity is proof of their effectiveness and positive attributes. It’s time we put aside the horror stories of IUDs of the past and recognized that the IUD is a birth control alternative that’s here to stay.

Angie Picardo is a staff writer for NerdWallet. Her mission is to help consumers stay financially savvy, and save some money with the best bank CD rates.