Category Archives: Informative artikel

In some cases donor eggs are the only way for a couple to have a child. This is often the case for women who do not respond well to ovarian stimulation (so-called low responders), or when their ovarian reserve is diminished. According to the Bulgarian law, donor oocytes can be obtained in two ways: from an anonymous donor or from a relative.

Donor programs with oocytes from anonymous donors are offered by different centers for assisted reproduction in Bulgaria. New Life Clinic donor oocyte program is open to all couples who have the medical indications for this procedure. Our program allows you to select a donor from a detailed list. The list includes a variety of physical features (such as height, weight, natural hair color, etc.), hobbies and interests and chosen career.

Link – „7 Most Frequently Asked Questions about  New Life’s Oocyte Donor Program.“

Donor egg from a relative donor

New LIFE clinic also performs in vitro procedures with donor oocytes from relative  donors. Relative egg donation has a number of advantages. That is why it is one of the options discussed for women who have a sister or  cousin meeting the criteria. According to Ordinance 28, the relative donor has to:

1. “ be between 18 and 38 years old and mentally healthy.“
2. „have at least one live-born child“
3. „up to 3 months prior to the donation procedure present  a negative serum or plasma sample test for:
4. a) HIV (Anti-HIV-1,2);

(b) hepatitis B (HBsAg and Anti-HBc);

c) hepatitis C (Anti-HCV-Ab);

(d) syphilis.

One of the benefits of donor oocytes from a relative  is that this way the child will be genetically similar to their mother. On the other hand, an undeniable advantage of an anonymous donor oocytes is that donors are under the age of 34. Most of them are much younger. This inevitably affects the quality of the oocytes.

In vitro donor egg procedure with donor eggs is performed only after consultation and a recommendation from a specialist in infertility care. If you’re wondering whether relative or anonymous oocyte donation is more appropriate for you, you can discuss the benefits and disadvantages of both options in detail with your treating physician .

Hardly anyone likes to go to the doctor, and even less to their obstetrician-gynecologist. It is entirely understandable that the nature of the exam can make you want to postpone your visit to the gynecologist as much as possible. However, this is not the best idea, because some gynecological diseases don’t show any symptoms at all or show symptoms when it is too late.

When should you visit your ob/gyn for the first time?

If you don’t have any complaints (e.g. irregular menstruation, bleeding between menstruations), the first gynecological exam should be paid several months after your first sexual intercourse. Prophylactic exams should be done every year. This includes a pelvic exam, ultrasound, pap smear and an STI test.

Pap smear is aimed at early diagnosis of cervical cancer. It can show whether there are abnormal cells in your uterus that may be related to the presence of a malignant process. Cervical cancer causes symptoms too late, making treatment extremely difficult. This problem is successfully prevented with an annual pap smear.

Many sexually transmitted infections don’t show any symptoms as well. Chlamydia infection is among the most common sexually transmitted diseases that are asymptomatic. It is an inflammation of the reproductive organs, which often results in connective tissue adhesions in the Fallopian tubes. This complication leads to infertility because the access of the sperm to the egg is blocked.

It is a fact that gynecological exams are not cheap, which leads to their postponing for years. You can receive one referral from your GP for a prophylactic gynecologic exam every year. Fortunately, most obstetrician-gynecologists, including those at New Life Clinic, have a contract with the National Healthcare Insurance Fund.

Do not miss your annual obgyn exam and do not be afraid to visit your obstetrician-gynecologist when you have any complaints. They will be happy to help you.

 Dear friends,

Since many of you – our patients live in different parts of the country and abroad, one of the frequently asked questions is „How long does an in vitro procedure take?“

The answer to this question depends on the stage you are at. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) if you are under the age of 35 or you are trying to get pregnant for one year or more, it is time to seek professional help. If you are over 35 years of age, WHO recommends that you seek help after 6 months of trying. At the first meeting with a obstetrician-gynecologist, a specialist in infertility treatment, a so-called infertility counselling is conducted. During this consultation, your doctor will take a detailed history and will get familiar with any fertility tests that have been done so far .

If you do not have any testing done so far or if it is outdated / inadequate, the doctor will do additional tests. In ladies, the most time-consuming study is the so-called color photograph of  the Fallopian tubes. Before the color photograph, you must have a negative result on the microbiology test of your vaginal and cervical secretion, which is usually taken about 5 days before the expected 1st day of menstruation. If the test result is negative, the color photograph is scheduled between 8th and 13th day of the subsequent cycle. The man usually undergoes a spermogram, the result of which comes out the next day, and in case of a suspicious result, the patient is referred for consultation with an urologist.

After the tests

A second visit to the gynecologist is paid. If the tests show that there are medical indications for in vitro, the patient usually takes contraceptives to synchronize the cycle. Contraception is stopped on the day determined by the treating physician. 3 to 4 days later the patient’s new cycle starts and hormonal stimulation for IVF can begin. Stimulation lasts for no more than 14 days followed by ovarian follicular puncture. The oocystes  are fertilized on the same day and the resulting embryos are returned / transferred 3 or 5 days later. It is best to make a blood test for pregnancy 16 days after embryo transfer.

As you can see,  planning and preparation of an IVF procedure takes a little time. Even more when patients are awaiting approval for funding from the Assisted Reproduction Center (CAR). Therefore, if you are trying to get pregnant for more than 6 months / 1 year depending on your age and you are not successful, do not postpone your visit to an infertility specialist. In many cases, the specialist manages to resolve the problem without in vitro fertilization.

Assisted Reproduction

Dear friends,

We would like to give you, our patients, more information on the TEFNA method for testicular biopsy, an Israeli patent, offered exclusively at New Life.

Testicular biopsy is a procedure, conducted when the male partner has no spermatozoa in the ejaculate. If the treating urologist decides that based on the medical information of the patient, there is a chance of finding spermatozoa in the testes, testicular biopsy would be the only way to achieve that.

There are two main types of biopsy – testicular open biopsy/TEsticular Sperm Extraction (TESE) and TEsticular Fine-Needle Aspiration (TEFNA) biopsy. During the TESE procedure the scrotum is opened up and pieces of testicular tissue are taken from different parts of the testis. Testicular tissue is then processed in the IVF laboratory in order to retrieve sperm cells.  While the TESE method is believed to result in slightly better sperm retrieval, it is a far more damaging procedure for the testes due to the much bigger loss of testicular tissue and the electrocoagulation used to stop the bleeding.

At New Life fertility center, our first choice is always the more sparing method for the patient, namely TEFNA. During the TEFNA method a small butterfly needle is used to take samples from different sites of the testes. More sites are biopsied in a TEFNA compared to a TESE procedure, which aims to optimize sperm retrieval. In patients with non-obstructive azoospermia, if spermatogenesis is taking place, it is only in some tubules. So few spermatozoa are produced, that none can be found in the ejaculate.

The embryology consultant of New Life clinic, dr. Anat Safran, is one of the pioneers of the TEFNA method. She introduced the method at New Life and has trained our embryologists to process the biopsy samples in the most efficient way.

Prenatal tests and why we need them

Modern prenatal screening and diagnostic tests have shown a tremendous success in the early discovery of gross fetal abnormalities. Depending on the method, there are invasive and non-invasive tests. Non-invasive tests include BioChemical Screening (BCS) and DNA Screening.

Biochemical screening is early (11^th – 13^th +6 week of gestation) and late (15^th – 20^th week of gestation). It gives pregnant women a risk assessment of chromosomal abnormalities of the fetus. The most common chromosomal abnormalities are Down syndrome (trisomy (3 chromosomes instead of 2) 21), Edwards syndrome (trisomy 18), Patau syndrome (trisomy 13) and Turner syndrome (monosomy (1 chromosome instead of 2) X). The risk, determined by the biochemical screening is calculated based on a number of factors such as biochemical and ultrasound fetal parameters (nuchal translucency, etc.), maternal age and others.

DNA screening tests are the most advanced method for prenatal screening. They are non-invasive and use cell free fetal DNA found in the mother’s blood. They can be administered as early as the 9th gestational week at the request of the parents or after a positive biochemical screening result. In addition to its extreme sensitivity to chromosomal anomalies, DNA screening tests can tell you the baby’s sex much earlier than the ultrasound.

Invasive prenatal tests unlike screening tests diagnose chromosomal abnormalities rather than determine risk. These tests include amniocentesis and chorion biopsy. A needle or catheter is inserted into the uterus. It draws some amniotic fluid or takes a piece of the placenta which is then subjected to chromosomal analysis. Invasive prenatal test, however, do lead to an increased risk of preterm labor.

TAKING PICTURES OF YOUR BABY – A HARMLESS HOBBY OR AN OBSSESSION?

Babies grow so fast that it is perfectly natural for every parent to want to capture those moments when they are smallest and most fragile. Photography is more accessible than ever but before we take on the smart phone/camera, we need to think if taking pictures really is harmless for the newborn.

From a medical point of view, there is open debate on whether the camera flash is harmful to the baby’s eyes. You cannot deny that it is extremely irritating to the eyes, especially if you are taking the photo up-close. So if you do use a flash, it is advisable to be at least a meter away from the baby when you are taking the picture.

An interesting fact is that some eye diseases in babies can be easily diagnosed through looking at the baby’s pictures. Strabismus (squint eye) is usually first noticed by parents when they look at their baby’s photos. Fortunately, up to about 4 months of age, it is normal for the baby to cross it’s eyes a bit from time to time.

Take pictures of your baby with enthusiasm (and measure) in order to enjoy beautiful memories in the future!

OUR CHILDREN’S NAMES IN 21ST CENTURY

Our name is among the things that create the first impression about us.  Choosing the right name has always been a difficult task for the parents especially when friends and relatives start giving ideas.

Although the world has changed so much in the past 10 years, the popular names among the newborns in Bulgaria remain almost the same. The most preferred names in 2007 were Victoria, Maria and Gabriela for the girls, and Georgi, Alexander and Ivan for the boys. Today the ranking looks quite similar, with the only difference that we have Martin instead of Ivan and Nicole instead of Gabriela. In addition, there are more girl names that were not so common 10 years ago. Such names are Raya, Sofia and Daria.

Mixed marriages and emigration these days are not unusual. This also reflects on the choice of a name for the newborn. Parents prefer names that sound good in combination with a foreign surname or are easy to pronounce by foreigners, such as Daniel, Martin or Nicole.

The media also influences the choice of baby names. It is now common practice for children to be named after celebrities, movie or book characters. For example, during the past year, 222 girls were named Krisia.

According to an old Bulgarian tradition, the boys should have the grandfather’s name, and the girls – the grandmother’s from the father’s side, thus ensuring continuity in the family. The „modern“ version of this custom is for the name of the child to start with the same letter as the grandfather’s or grandmother’s name. Therefore, it is quite possible to meet a Yoana, who is named after her grandmother Yordanka, for example.

The name is the first gift we give to our children. It must be  a  good wish that follows the child everywhere they go. For this reason, it is always necessary to be aware of the meaning of the name we have chosen. What names did you choose for your children?

ORIGINAL GIFTS FOR NEWBORNS

Holiday time is almost here and we should start thinking about presents for our loved ones. What present should we buy for the youngest? If you don’t have ideas, continue reading.

1.BABY SLING WRAP

The baby would be happy to be close to their parents, while the parents woudn’t have to push a stroller.

2. PROJECTOR LAMP

Babies spend a lot of time laying down, looking at the ceiling. Instead of the boring ceiling, it would be more fun to look at the pictures the projector lamp creates.

3. BABY CLOTHES WITH FUNNY SAYINGS.

There’s no such thing as too many baby clothes. However, baby clothes with a fun message guarantee a lot of smiles.

4. BABY FOOTPRINT KIT

Babies grow so fast that such a gift is a must when the parents want to remember how tiny their child once was! Attach a ribbon to the footprint and it can double as a one of a kind Christmas decoration!

5. YOUR HELP AND SUPPORT

When you have a baby, an extra set of hands is always welcome, especially during the first months. Even though this gift does not cost money, it is without a doubt the most incredible one!

Make sure that your gift is going to be usable after a couple of months as well. Whatever you decide to buy, always choose high-quality items and your gift will be a success!