After recently reading an article about
how selectively reducing twin pregnancies were on the rise I was a
bit baffled. Having had two children naturally then having to endure
the challenges and horrific side effects of IVF I couldn't help but
think back to when I was told that I had not only had successful
results but there were actually two babies in there. You see when you
choose to do IVF you are asked by your Doctor about the amount of
embryos that you would like transferred. The Doctor gives his
recommendation (which is usually one to two embryos depending on your
age and other factors) but if they decide to put two in that was
their decision. The reason that I am starting from the very beginning
is so that you see that at one point there is a chance to make the
decision to just transfer one embryo. Transferring two embryos does
not raise the rates of having a positive outcome. This means that at
one point these women had to sit down with their Doctor and partner
to discuss the chances of multiples. If given the opportunity before
transferring why didn't these women think about it a little bit
better? I believe in a woman's right to choose but isn't this a
little backwards? I mean, she is given the right to choose before the
fact!
When I was given my HCG levels in the
beginning I was told that they were amazingly high and that there
could have been triplets instead of twins. Did I flinch? Absolutely.
Did I wonder how I was going to be able to handle it all? Sure. That
didn't take away from the fact that months prior I had cried myself
to sleep because I didn't think there was any way I would be able to
have another child. I also remember how frustrating it was to fail
an IVF cycle and wondering why my body didn't “accept” this
pregnancy when it had clearly accepted others! Having triplets is
definitely more taxing on your body and border line more dangerous
than having twins.
Then there are those that argue that
even though one embryo is transferred there is a very high chance
that they might split and become two. I understand that's not what
you chose but weren't you given these odds before going through the
treatment? If not, you might want to have a little chat with your
Doctor.
Selective reduction should (in my
opinion) be done when there are medical reasons behind it. For
example, when the health care provider states that the mother 's or
baby's health is in jeopardy. Not because they didn't “think it
through” before hand. Making an educated decision is something that
should be done prior to taking action. In life we are dealt a set of
cards, study them and the rules of the game before sitting down to
play!
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