Britta Gill, who is undergoing treatment for bowel cancer, said she had already tried in vitro fertilization to get pregnant with her current partner. The singer explained in the latest episode of Quem Pode, Pod that she had the procedure done twice, without success.
“All those things we could have done, egg freezing, IVF, we went through that and it didn’t work. That process, at least for me, is over. IVF is very damaging to a woman’s body and her emotions. So You have to know the limits of your body.” Not at any cost. We did the therapy when I was 45 and 46 years old,” Britta told the Giovanna Eubank and Fernanda Paes Lim podcast.
Britta Gill attempted fertilization and became physically and emotionally ill; Why is that?
Black is not alone. Frustration at not being able to conceive is normal, especially after several attempts. In addition to emotional upheavals, IVF requires prior preparation.
First, the couple needs to undergo tests to check their health and fertility. With that comes hormone therapy, which works to stimulate the growth and recruitment of the follicles present in that menstrual cycle in the ovary. In this way, there is more chance of follicle growth, which increases the number of eggs at the time of collection.
Then, with due follow-up, the doctor extracts the eggs and semen and performs in vitro fertilization to generate the embryos. This stage lasts about two weeks, and the embryo takes three to five days to mature.
Finally, the embryo is transferred, which can happen in the current menstrual cycle or only in the next cycle. In the latter case, the embryos are frozen until the next cycle occurs.
This means that a single attempt can take up to two months to materialize. However, the probability of success is 50% to 60%.
Why are some women unable to get pregnant using IVF?
Success depends on several factors beyond dedication to treatment. According to OB-GYN Fernando Prado, a specialist in human reproduction and clinical director of Neo Vita, one of the main factors is the woman’s age.
The older you get, the lower the quality of the egg and therefore the lower the chance of getting pregnant. That is why egg freezing is recommended for women who are already planning a pregnancy after the age of 35.
After all, once immobilized, the cell stops aging and maintains its viability. Another reason for IVF failure is endometrial receptivity. That is, when the endometrium, the mucous membrane that lines the uterus, is not ready to receive the fetus, which usually occurs due to uterine diseases and disorders such as endometriosis, thrombosis, adenomyosis and autoimmune diseases, says the doctor.
In addition, there are male factors. Like the egg, sperm must be of good quality to guarantee the success of IVF, since they constitute 50% of the embryo. “Sperm can present changes in DNA, motility and quantity, which leads to a reduction in the quality of the embryos, which may not implant or cause a spontaneous abortion,” says the specialist.
However, even with good quality eggs and sperm, it is still necessary to assess the viability of the embryos after in vitro fertilization. There are cases called embryonic factors.
“In order to be implanted correctly in the endometrium and thus grow, the embryo must have a good embryonic quality, with a sufficient number of cells for the development stage and little fragmentation”, explains Fernando.
Britta Gill tried fertilization twice; How long can a couple try?
According to the doctor, there is no maximum number of attempts. Therefore, there must be real possibilities of success to insist on the alternative.
However, we consider that, with a maximum of three attempts, a cumulative pregnancy rate of up to 80% can be expected in young women. When a woman is over the age of 35 or over the age of 40, the number of attempts needed to get pregnant can be greater, up to five or seven times. It is a cumbersome process. Therefore, if there is no success, we suggest new methods. Sperm bank, donor eggs, hard abdomen and adoption, for example.