Jigaatradings.com guest writer, Olubunmi Olutoyinbo was childless for thirteen years, now she has a son. When she decided to  embark on the complex series of procedures, In vitro Fertilization(IVF), it did not come at a cheap cost. Excerpts

Olutoyinbo  was in  despair on her first visit  to see the fertility doctor  she stated, “I can never forget my sadness on our first visit to this hospital, it felt like the beginning of another journey to nowhere.”
” I resolved  to trust God alone for my desired outcomes after many disappointments from doctors who had given false hopes in order to extort money from us. I later found out that out of the six doctors we consulted over the years, just one out of them was an experienced fertility doctor.”
” A dear sister and her husband( I don’t have their permission to mention their names) who were waiting like us told us about a particular hospital and we decided to give it a trial or rather my husband decided that we should go there. I had lost hope in any medical procedure  even though I was praying to God for a good doctor”, said Olutoyinbo.
“I  had to go for some surgeries before they could proceed with the IVF. I  had two surgeries in 2018 and had to wait three months to recover fully before I could proceed for the IVF.
“After 3 months of recuperating from surgery, it was time to go for the IVF proper. My sister told us about this IVF clinic in Ikoyi. As usual, I was eager and reluctant at the same time, but we went. I have tried to describe my emotions every time we embarked on those fertility treatments.
“There was fear, there was shame, there was confusion, there was pain and then there was a little hope. Hope that this might just be it.

We got to this hospital one hot afternoon late September 2018. It was not a hospital as usual, it looked more like a 5 star hotel. The decor and the ambiance was designed to calm your nerves and give you hope. We saw the M.D, (Dr. Yemisi) and she did the usual clerking. We did some tests and we got a first miracle. Something that had been low since forever was very high now. Of course, I doubted and told them to check again. They checked and confirmed the results. Then they found out my AMH (Anti- mullerian hormone) or simply egg count, a major requirement for IVF was not high enough and I had an ovarian cyst and my joy literally went out through the windows.” ..

After a lengthy chat, she prayed with us and agreed with us that the procedure would be successful. I had to be placed on medication immediately to build up my thyroid stimulating hormone levels. While we waited at the pharmacy, I took time to really look at the different wall hangings, scripture verses, words of encouragement written on the walls and staircases. I found one particularly intriguing, “Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass but it’s about learning to dance in the rain.

” It just dawned on me that I had been waiting for the storm to pass for me to be happy, I realized I could be happy there and then and I embraced joy. I decided to be happy. There was a shift in my heart and it was tangible, this was me dancing in the rain “whether or whether not. 

“My decision to be happy affected everything Immediately, my dressing, my disposition to the process and my attitude to people in the hospital. Instead of minding my business like everyone does in a fertility clinic, I went out of my way to greet people properly and start conversations with anyone interested. No need to form, we all came for the same thing. Although I was was still afraid, I enjoyed my life.”..to be continued.

Olutoyinbo intends publishing a book on her experiences during IVF.

 

Tips before embarking on IVF :

 

It is very okay to identify and manage your stress points .

It’s also okay to slow down and breathe in the midst of the search for the fruit of the womb.

There are exercises to calm down your nerves, medidate,, stay away from naysayers, control what you can control , slow down and breathe when it becomes a heavy burden.

Call For a timeout, take a break if you have to.’ Just as many would want to believe that IVF is magic which is not, there are indeed treatments that you might need prior to embarking on  IVF as stated by Olutoyinbo.
As much as it’s a known fact that IVF treatment is expensive, it’s advisable that before embarking on the IVF journey, you should do extensive research on the medical personnel, fertility clinic  to avoid being taken advantage of. It’s indeed a vulnerable state.

Do not hesitate to  ask for testimonials, the global village has many  honest previews from patients who have consulted with these fertility doctors. Research!

Finances cannot be overlooked on the path to IVF journey, the expectations are already high, what channels are there to fund this expensive project. In countries such as Hungary, Canada,IVF could be completely free if you fall within the stipulated age but again the waiting list could be endless.

Some other countries cover half of the expenses, while for many others you have to foot the bills.  The loans, IVF grants are also available in some other countries.

Save and avoid impulsive spending .  Protect yourself from financial loss  Search for fertility clinics that offer IVF refund, Be selective with treatments. Above all just know that life will always continue for good in whatever situation if you decide that.