FAQ
Although Spanish legislation does not set a specific age limit for becoming a mother, academies of science advise not to exceed 50 years of age, as advanced maternal age increases the risk of complications, both for the development of pregnancy and childbirth.
The fertility study allows us to detect in time if you suffer from any abnormality, diagnose it and guide you so that you can become a mother. If the results of the tests are not conclusive, our medical team will request a second phase of complementary tests in order to diagnose the problem and treat it.
If you have been trying to conceive for more than a year without success (or more than six months if the woman is aged over 35). If you or your partner have a family history of infertility or a hereditary disease. If you have had more than one miscarriage. If you have undergone assisted reproduction treatments and they have not worked. If you want a second medical opinion with as few tests as are needed to make an assessment.
It includes a first visit with our gynaecologist and an interview to learn about your medical history, family and personal history, and couple’s habits. Some tests are also performed: hormone analysis (FSH, Estradiol and TSH). Antimullerian, gynaecological ultrasound (ovarian profile); seminogram if you have a male partner (only included in the basic study of the couple). Visit of delivery of results: Our gynaecologist will give you the results, will inform you of the diagnosis and will orient you about your different options, present and future.
In the case of a hereditary disease, the study must be complemented by a genetic study in order to have an accurate diagnosis and to be able to propose a specific treatment that will allow you to have a child free of the disease.
For patients who have been unsuccessful in previous reproductive treatments, we will carry out specific and individualised tests on their problem in order to determine the variations necessary for the new treatment to be successful. At Dexeus Fertility we have extensive experience in this type of diagnosis, as 25% of our patients come to us after having undergone unsuccessful treatments at other assisted reproduction centres.
First of all, you must undergo an ovarian stimulation, which is a hormonal treatment that helps your ovaries produce a greater number of mature eggs in a single cycle. This process lasts 10 to 15 days, and then the eggs are retrieved by means of a transvaginal ultrasound-guided puncture under anaesthetic sedation. This surgical procedure takes about 15 minutes, and the recovery is excellent. Once in the laboratory, your mature eggs will be stored in liquid nitrogen between -80° and -196° until you decide to have a child.
There is no specific age limit. However, it is advisable to do it before the age of 35, to ensure that you will have high-quality eggs and that we can offer you the best results in case you need them at a later date.
The treatment is indicated when for personal or professional reasons you want to delay your maternity. If you do not currently have a partner and you want to ensure your ability to become a mother either alone or with a future partner, if you have to undergo surgery or treatments that may affect your fertility or if you have been diagnosed with low follicular reserve.
In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is an assisted reproductive technique which consists of harvesting the patient’s eggs and fertilising them with her partner’s sperm (or donor sperm) in the lab. This produces one or more embryos which are subsequently transferred to the maternal uterus for implantation and development. The treatment gives patients the option of using donor eggs and sperm banks if required. Prior fertility testing is necessary for diagnostic purposes and to determine whether IVF is the right treatment.
As a general rule, even when there are no specific fertility problems, maternal age determines egg quality and, therefore, the chances of pregnancy both naturally and through IVF. From the age of 35 the quality of a woman’s eggs starts to decrease gradually, so the older the mother is, the more difficult it can be to achieve a pregnancy.
It depends largely on your age and the quality of your partner’s sperm. With donor sperm, the pregnancy rate is between 20 and 25% of the treatment cycle. Most pregnancies are achieved in the first three cycles, although factors such as the woman’s age and the possible existence of other causes affecting her fertility may delay the success of the treatment.
Yes, all patients are treated with hormones to stimulate ovulation, which are generally administered subcutaneously and are started within the first two days of the cycle. The doses may vary from one patient to another and from one cycle to another, and the treatment is maintained until one or more eggs have matured correctly. Adequate ovulation control is extremely important to prevent and avoid risks and to establish the day of ovulation as accurately as possible.
The selection of sperm donors is the responsibility of the sperm banks. Before being accepted, donors are subjected to a rigorous examination in order to prevent the transmission of diseases to offspring.
Artificial insemination is a very simple and quick technique that does not require hospitalisation or anaesthesia. After insemination, the patient remains at rest for 10-15 minutes. On that day, a quiet life is recommended, without immersion baths or sexual relations. The following day, a normal life can be resumed, avoiding great effort.
The Preimplantational Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) technique can be used to study the genetic characteristics of the embryos before their transfer to the uterus and thus protect your future children from possible diseases that are transmitted genetically.
Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis is advisable if either you or your partner: 1. Have a risk of transmitting a genetic disorder to your offspring. 2. Have chromosomal abnormalities. 3. Have had repeated miscarriages or repeated implantation failures. 4. Have completed IVF cycles without success. 5. Have a genetic predisposition for cancer. 6. Have a child with a serious disorder requiring a transplant, and need to achieve pregnancy and to deliver a compatible donor.
Although the genetic analysis of the embryo is performed on three to eight cells, the diagnostic efficiency of the technique is very high, over 95%. However, in all pregnancies obtained after PGD, it is advisable to perform a confirmatory prenatal diagnosis.
It is important to have personalised genetic counselling before the PGD cycle in order to know the prognosis of each case. Depending on this and the characteristics of each cycle, the percentage of embryos suitable for transfer will vary. If all the embryos in a cycle are abnormal, the transfer cannot be carried out and the possible reproductive alternatives must be evaluated.
Sex selection for social reasons is prohibited in our country. Law 14/2006 only allows embryo sex determination when there is a therapeutic indication, i.e. to prevent the transmission of X-linked diseases.
In vitro fertilisation (IVF) with donated eggs is an assisted reproduction technique that allows us to inseminate donor eggs with sperm from the recipient couple, or from a donor, and obtain embryos to transfer them to the uterus of the future mother. In this way, and thanks to our egg donation programme, we offer many women the opportunity to achieve pregnancy.
All women who, despite being of childbearing age, have problems producing eggs regularly, which makes it difficult or even impossible for them to reproduce, can benefit from the egg donation programme. These are women who do not have ovaries, because they have been removed previously due to a medical problem, or have non-functioning ovaries for physiological reasons (menopause), or for genetic causes, or because they have stopped functioning prematurely (premature ovarian failure). IVF with donated eggs is also aimed at women who, after several cycles, have not achieved pregnancy with their own eggs, or who are carriers of a genetic disease that cannot be prevented by any other technique.
The choice of donor is the responsibility of the medical team, which guarantees you maximum phenotypic and immunological similarity. Your phenotypic characteristics (hair colour, eye colour, features, skin colour, height and weight), as well as your blood group and Rh factor will be taken into account.
Legally, donors must be between 18 and 34 years of age. The average age of our donors is 26 years old.
As the age of the pregnant woman increases, so do the obstetric and perinatal risks (gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, proteinuria, premature rupture of membranes, premature birth…). For this reason, our centre considers that the age limit for egg donation is 50 years old.
The Spanish Law on Assisted Reproduction Techniques (Law 14/2006) establishes that the donation must be anonymous, guaranteeing the confidentiality of the donor’s data. The choice of donor may only be made by the medical-biological team. Under no circumstances may the donor be selected at the request of the recipient.
The donation is confidential and anonymous, therefore, we cannot provide photos of the donor. When you are assigned a donor, you will be informed of some of the donor’s characteristics, such as age, origin, blood group and Rh.
Spanish law does not establish a number of donations, but it does establish a maximum number of six biological children born, so the centre will ensure that these conditions are met. On the other hand, the Catalan Bioethics Advisory Committee recommends that the number of donations should be limited to a maximum of six, as donation is a practice that is not free of risks, which may be increased by the number of cycles.
In general, there is an increased risk of preterm birth, but it is not very common. The indication for a caesarean section depends on how the birth evolves, if there have been complications during pregnancy and the maternal age. It should be taken into account that the average age of women who resort to assisted reproduction is over 40 years old in our centre, which entails a higher risk of complications.
Yes, it is important to do it naturally, and always adapting the explanations to their age and capacity for understanding. In general, there is no ideal time; it depends on each child, their curiosity and degree of maturity. At our centre we have published a very simple children’s book aimed at children that you can use as a guide to read together and explain in a simple and easy way what assisted reproduction techniques consist of. It also includes interactive activities.
Yes, after birth and from minute zero, your baby sleeps in the same room, and direct skin-to-skin contact is encouraged, which promotes breastfeeding. In addition, Dexeus University Hospital has a breastfeeding consultation and advice group, where you can ask for advice and ask any questions you may have.
