Monthly Archives: February, 2018

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 gynaecologist for the first time?

If you don’t have any complaints (e.g. irregular menstruation, bleeding between menstruations), the first gynaecological 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 gynaecological exams are not cheap, which leads to their postponing for years. You can receive one referral from your GP for a prophylactic gynaecologic exam every year. Fortunately, most obstetrician-gynaecologists, including those at New Life Clinic, have a contract with the National Healthcare Insurance Fund.

Do not miss your annual gynaecologist exam and do not be afraid to visit your obstetrician-gynaecologist 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