“Will I feel it as mine? Will she/he resemble me?” These are two of the most frequent questions at the consulting room when we tell a patient that she is going to need and egg or sperm donor to have a child. This is a very natural reaction; I call it “genetic mourning”. Faced...
Topics to reflect on Archive
Longing for pregnancy in times of coronavirus
My experience with patients these past months has been really wonderful. Many have told me that the lockdown has made them realise even in a clearer way the importance of “where and whom with they lived” and that they have missed having a baby. I am struck by how pregnant women and those women...
Coronavirus and pregnancy: there is nothing more contagious than laughter
To all pregnant women out there: how are you living the coronavirus pandemic? I suppose with the fear we all feel, but I want to reassure you that this virus does not cross the placental barrier. Thousands and thousands of healthy babies have already been born and amniotic fluid punctures have already been performed...
Coronavirus, IVF and pregnancy
The world is currently undergoing an exceptional situation no one had ever known; I say the world, because we are talking about a pandemic (epidemic that has spread over several countries). The outbreak of coronavirus that has led the Spanish government to declare the state of alarm will require in the coming weeks that...
Taking care of the environment is everyone’s business (part 2)
In this second part of the post I am going to detail which are the main harming pollutants I have previously mentioned. 1. Toxic chemicals: Endocrine disruptors are chemicals commonly used in industry, agriculture and at home. These substances are very resistant to biodegradation and are present in our diet and in the environment,...
Taking care of the environment is everyone’s business (part 1)
At the end of last year I followed the Climate Action Summit that was held in Madrid. One of the scientists attending the event claimed that he had never seen such a great disconnection between science, what citizens ask for and negotiators. I don’t see it that way, on the contrary, I think we’ve...
Sexuality and sterility
We have started organising workshops about sexuality and eroticism for couples who want to become parents. When the pregnancy does not arrive, the couple’s sexual desire and intercourse frequency tend to decrease, what is counterproductive. When you decide that you want to get pregnant, it is important that you do not neglect your couple’s...
Egg donation: risks of false advertising
In recent months we have been seeing many patients who have not become pregnant after cycles of treatment with egg donation in clinics where they were “ensured” a high number of eggs or even a certain number of blastocysts. Offering or ensuring many eggs or blastocysts leads to worse pregnancy rates, because in order...
Anti-Müllerian hormone: What is my ovarian age?
The age stated on the ID does not always meet the age of the ovaries. When we talk about the pregnancy chances per cycle, we doctors refer to the ovarian age, and it is important that you are aware of it because it marks the level of your reserve of good eggs. To know...
Motherhood is a right, not a duty
The International Women’s Day was established in favour of equality, justice, peace and the development of women. Our laboratories have gone purple in order to claim for one of the main achievements of feminism: “Being a mother is a right, not a duty”. Years ago, a woman might have wanted to be a mother...