ART ... What's that ?

01 January 2024

Are you unfamiliar with this term? Perhaps some of you know it from the media, from a couple of friends or even because you yourself have used one of the procedures behind this abbreviation.
It refers to the services and medical methods of "Assisted Reproductive Technology". In other words, those medical techniques that can help us conceive a baby when "Mother Nature" doesn't do her bit...

Let's get back to the heart of the matter, baby, or more precisely, baby that has trouble coming.
Because that's what it's all about. For a whole host of medical, physiological or psychological reasons, it is sometimes difficult to conceive a child "naturally".
The problem may come from one of the partners in the couple or from both at the same time. Unfortunately, the desire for a child, even if very important, is not always enough.
If the functional aspect of the body is obvious, the psychological side should not be left out.

 

Before going to a ART service, you should first assess the medical situation of your couple and your life in general. If your common desire is to have a child, if you stop all means of contraception and if you have intercourse at the best times, the absence of a pregnancy that starts after a few months may be a sign that something needs to be checked.
Beware, no quick shortcuts, sometimes things take time even when both partners are physically functioning without concern. 

 

If you have any doubts, don't hesitate to talk to your family doctor first, he will advise you and direct you for the first examinations or to a ART centre, for more complete tests, if necessary.

The ART service will then screen for common problems in both partners by means of blood tests, ultrasound or CT scans, spermograms, genetic tests or any other medical technique that is justified for this purpose.

A report on the (in)fertility of the patient(s) will then be drawn up and the ART team will advise you and suggest possible solutions to achieve the best results in your procedure.

 

Here is an overview of the possible techniques, depending on the case, in the ART department:

• Artificial insemination consists of bringing together one or two oocytes obtained by ovarian stimulation and spermatozoa introduced directly into the uterus. 
  (spouse's sperm, frozen sperm from an anonymous donor).
   
• In vitro fertilisation (IVF) involves fertilising an egg with a sperm cell outside the woman's body and then implanting the fertilised egg into the uterus. 
  The embryo is introduced into the uterus vaginally, using a thin catheter under ultrasound control. The embryo develops and implants in the lining of the uterus.
  (with the woman's egg and her partner's sperm; with the woman's egg and a donor's sperm; with the partner's sperm and a frozen egg from an anonymous donor; in some cases with a donor's sperm and a donor's egg)
   
• IVF with ICSI (IntraCytoplasmic Sperm Injection) IVF is coupled with a microinjection technique: a single sperm is injected into the collected and prepared mature oocyte using a micropipette. Then the normal IVF insertion procedure is applied.
   
• Receiving a frozen embryo from a donor couple or a single anonymous donor woman. This solution can be proposed in the following cases

       - risk of a genetic disease to the child 
       - infertility of both members of the requesting couple 
       - after other attempts at ART have failed 
       - ART in an unmarried (single) infertile woman

 

The psychological aspect is also important in the parenting process. It can be a "block" to not be able to be a "parent". You end up thinking about nothing else! In some cases, it can also lead to a certain form of shame!
Yes, it is much easier for a mother-to-be to tell her close friends that she had her baby through ART than for a man to tell his friends.
A man's manhood is directly questioned in his head, if a slight problem comes from his side, or he is just less productive than average... Some couples keep this secret and others talk about it freely. Some couples keep it a secret and others talk about it freely. Of course, everyone does as they please.

 

Then come the moments that are sometimes funny, sometimes much less so. If the mother has to take daily hormone injections and take time off work to have regular ultrasound scans, the man will have to accompany her on this psychological and hormonal journey, which is not always easy. Waking up at 3am or 3.30pm to have sex, x hours after the hormone injection and sometimes even with a lot of willpower, is not always easy... 

 

No, it's not easy every day, sadness and temporary abandonment are part of the path that can sometimes be quite long. Fertilisation failures and empty eggs due to hyperstimulation sometimes overwhelm the couple.
But if that little miracle that these medical techniques can bring eventually happens, all those moments of doubt and discouragement will be instantly erased.
Only the happiness of a growing baby will leave its mark on your life forever.

 

Whatever the medical problem, whether it's with your wife, husband or both, talk openly. Talk about what you want, what you're worried about, what you're afraid of.
Get over any preconceived ideas about your desire for a child and trust the caring staff at ART services.

If you want more information on possible medical techniques, many hospitals have such teams, just search the term "ART" on the internet, associated with your hospital or region.