Are one of your loved ones going through fertility treatment? Support throughout treatment is so important and you can make a huge difference to someone through the support you can provide. Below are some of our top tips to help someone who is going through the fertility journey.
It is important to take good care of your body, mind and soul. Self care is a fantastic way to take some time out for yourself and take a step towards feeling relaxed and healthy.
Below are some of our top tips to help improve your self care routine!
1. Take a bubble bath
A relaxing bath with your favourite candles and music is a great way to unwind and reflect on your day. Why not try using a new face mask to make it extra special!
2. Take a step back from social media
Do you ever find yourself scrolling through Instagram for hours? Sometimes it is easy to get lost in social media. However, having a break from the digital world can help you stay focused and in the present. Maybe try cutting back your screen time by 30 minutes a day and see how you get on!
3. Try a new hobby
Do you have a list of new recipes you want to try? A new sport you would like to pick up? Or is it time to dust off your camera? Starting a new hobby is an exciting way to spend time focusing in on a new skill. What new hobby would you like to try in February?
4. Yoga / Meditating
Are you wanting to start your day feeling calm and refreshed? Spending 5 minutes sitting in silence before starting your day is a great way to refocus. Why not take a look at some videos on YouTube to get started or downloading a popular app such as Calm or Headspace.
5. Take yourself out on a date
Is there a film at the cinema you want to see? Or a new restaurant you would like to try? Why not treat yourself to a day out! Spending quality time with your friends and family is important, but it is equally as important to spend some time on yourself. Why not schedule a day this month on yourself!
6. Make sure your up to date with your appointments
Cervical screening (smear), dental and optician appointments are some of the tests that need to be carried out to make sure you’re healthy. Is there an appointment that you need to make but haven’t scheduled the time to do this yet? This month why not make it your goal to get organised and book your appointments.
Self Care is ultimately all about you! What other self care ideas would you like to try this month?
Cervical screening also known as a smear test is the best way to protect yourself from cervical cancer, however 1 in 3 women do not attend their cervical screening appointment.
Many women decide not to attend their appointment due to embarrassment and the thought of being uncomfortable, which we completely understand. Below are some of our top tips on how to make your appointment a little more comfortable.
Many women feel uncomfortable being exposed especially in front of the nurse or doctor who is taking the test. Wearing a loose fitted skirt or dress is a great way to feel less exposed and more comfortable.
Popping your headphones in and listening to your favourite music is a great way to distract yourself. We would also recommend listening to some relaxing meditation music too before your test to help you relax.
If you are feeling worried or anxious about the test let your doctor or nurse know. A problem shared is a problem halved, and by expressing how you are feeling this might help you before you start.
Having a plan for after your appointment is a great way to focus on something once it is completed. By planning a nice treat you can focus on that rather than the appointment itself. At The Surrey Park Clinic some of our patients have mentioned meeting up with friends for dinner or seeing a film at the cinema after their appointment. What would be your ideal treat.
At The Surrey Park Clinic your comfort and care is our top priority. We understand that having cervical screening can be stressful and that is why we ensure all of our patients are comfortable from the moment they walk into our clinic to the minute they leave.
We also have no restrictions on age. If you would like to have a cervical screening test before the age of 25 or after 64 we would be happy to see you.
At The Surrey Park Clinic all of our cervical screening appointments are 30 minutes. This is an extra 20 minutes in comparison to the NHS. We offer this so that you don’t feel rushed during your appointment, you can get comfortable and explain how you are feeling.
In aid of Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month 2019 we are offering 10% off Cervical Screening at The Surrey Park Clinic. If you have any questions or would like to book your appointment please call our friendly on 0800 049 6944 or alternatively you can book online.
A sonographer is someone who undertakes and reports diagnostic, screening or interventional ultrasound examinations.
The majority of sonographers start their career as Radiographers. Radiographers are Allied Health Professionals who have studied at university in Medical imaging. Ultrasound is one of many different types of imaging techniques. In fact approximately 90% of patients who visit a hospital will have to see a radiographer. This could be for an Xray, MRI, CT, ultrasound and nuclear medicine to name a few. Some sonographers may have also begun their career in women’s health such as midwifery.
Once they have spent 4 years at university they must practice as a professional for a few more years. This is to expand their skills and knowledge. This can be in a hospital or private clinic. To then specialise in Ultrasound Imaging and reporting they must return to university at a postgraduate level which usually another 2 years. Even after 5-7 years of study, the learning never really stops…. Once qualified, a Sonographer must keep up to date with current practices, guidelines, technology and scan techniques. Although we are never shocked by what we see, we do sometimes come across new and unusual cases!
We start early preparing the scan room with equipment and checking who’s booked in and for which type of scan.
Each time we meet a new patient we know that it could be a completely normal picture. We will scan through the organs documenting measurements and saving images to show what we have seen. Sadly we may see something unexpected which may change the dynamics of the scan. This can lead us into having a difficult and often upsetting discussion with the patient. Being able to pass on findings and support patients is a big part of our job.
Between each scan we construct a report documenting what the scan showed and pass this onto the referrer for them to fit the Ultrasound results into the overall clinical picture alongside other findings such as symptoms and blood test results. Sometimes we may have to make urgent calls to referrers to update them on findings and even make the occasional call for an ambulance if we find something life threatening.
With all the days scans performed and reports written up we give the room a thorough clean and tidy and check over the machine and its transducer’s (the part we hold) for any signs of damage or wear and tear. We sign out, remove our uniforms and shut down the scan machine ready for the next day’s sonographer.
If you have any questions about our scanning services or you would like to book an appointment at The Surrey Park Clinic please call us on 0800 049 6944 or alternatively you can book online.
Gynaecological cancers include cancers of the female reproductive tract, namely of the cervix, ovary, fallopian tube, uterus, vulva and the vagina.
There are many factors that cause gynaecological cancers. Cervical Screening and awareness of early signs and symptoms can result in the early detection of these cancers when treatment is more likely to be successful and a complete cure is a possibility. Diet, exercise and lifestyle choices play a significant role in the prevention of cancer. Additionally, knowledge of family history can increase the chance of prevention or early diagnosis by determining if someone may have a gene which makes them susceptible to cancer.
Over three-quarters of all new cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed between the ages of 25 and 64 years. It is the most common cancer in women below the age of 35 years. The primary recognised cause of cancer of cervix is human papillomavirus infection (HPV). It is considered preventable as it has a recognizable precancerous condition and an accepted treatment modality for this precancerous stage. The NHS Cervical Screening Program is widely recognized to be one of the most successful cancer prevention programs in the world. Since its introduction, the number of cervical cancer cases has decreased by 7% year on year. The program aims to reduce the number of women who develop invasive cervical cancer (incidence) and the number of women who die from it (mortality). It does this by regularly screening all women at risk so that conditions which might otherwise develop into invasive cancer can be identified and treated earlier.
Ovarian cancer continues to be the most fatal of the female genital tract cancers. However, contrary to the commonly held perception, ovarian cancer is neither an asymptomatic disease nor a so-called ‘silent killer’. The initial presenting symptoms are often associated with other conditions, especially abdominal and gastrointestinal disorders till they become very obvious in advanced stage disease. A strong family history of certain cancers may indicate the presence of hereditary gene mutations. Irregular periods or post menopausal bleeding, lower abdominal, back ache and urinary frequency are symptoms which should prompt early investigation and referral to a specialist.
By Mr Jay Chatterjee, Consultant Gynaecologist, June 2019
To book your cervical screening or for more information, please complete the contact form below and a member of the team will be in touch within 12 working hours:
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Welcome to our new weekly news round up. Each week we will post articles that have featured in the news that focus on Fertility, Gynaecology, Pregnancy and Hormone Management.
BBC News – ‘Three-person’ Baby Boy born in Greece
Doctors in Greece and Spain have found a way to overcome a woman’s infertility by producing a baby through three difference people. By making ‘Medical History’ this treatment could help infertile couples around the world.
Huff Post – Why Wait 12 weeks for your Early Pregnancy Scan
Why we should be talking more about Early Pregnancy and Miscarriage!
Medical News Today – What you should know about the Female Sex Hormone
The Female sex-hormone plays a vital role in sexual development, reproduction and general health. Our sex hormone levels change over time, but the most significant changes happen during puberty, pregnancy and menopause.
Friday 12th April 2019
Creating a family now comes in many differing ways and, since the birth of the first egg donation child in 1984, it’s an IVF option which has steadily grown to become a widely accepted and practiced treatment for female related infertility.
It’s incredibly painful and heart-breaking when couples realise that IVF isn’t going to be the answer for them and, whilst the use of donated eggs can offer hope, the choice isn’t always an easy one to make. Women are sometimes left with a sense of grief, mourning their own fertility, feeling increasingly overwhelmed and apprehensive about what the future may hold. However, as daunting as it might first appear, egg donation IVF is associated with increased rates of pregnancy success and, for some, will provide the best option of conceiving and carrying a child to birth.
Egg donation is typically suggested when IVF has repeatedly failed and although it’s understood that maternal age does impact the quality of eggs, external factors are also known play a role too. Genetics, environmental factors and medical conditions, including treatment for cancer, can all have a negative impact on a female’s fertility.
Despite the fact that egg donation IVF is a globally accepted procedure, proven to help many women conceive, the NHS currently offers no funding for this type of treatment. With couples forced to self-fund private medical care they can, unfairly, be left alone to research the increasingly confusing and complicated world of treatment protocols, additional options and fertility clinic data. It’s therefore only right that patients are under the responsibility of a sensitive clinic, who have their whole wellbeing at its core.
Alongside the wide range of fertility treatments available, Surrey Park Clinic offers an egg donation IVF service for patients embarking upon this route. Working in close partnership with Institute Bernabeu, in Spain’s Alicante, patients are fully supported by two clinics, receiving personalised and professional care throughout the process.
In April 2005 it became a legal requirement, in the UK, for all egg, sperm and embryo donors to become identifiable. From the age of 18, donor conceived children are entitled to access all identifying information about the person who donated. This, understandably, can make finding a donor in the UK a difficult task and patients can be left waiting, without a large amount of choice.
One of the reasons Surrey Park works in tandem with a Spanish clinic is due to the extensive donor databases across Spain. Spanish law requires complete anonymity of anyone who donates and, because of this, they have more readily available donors, when compared to the UK. This means there is typically no waiting time to find a donor and, once the paperwork and pre-treatment investigations have been completed, patients can usually proceed with their treatment immediately. The cost of egg donation IVF, in Spain, is also more favourable, when once again compared to the UK.
Spanish donors are fully screened and are young, healthy women, legally required to be under 35 years of age. Donations must also be altruistic. Spain was the first country, within Europe, to create definitive laws surrounding egg donation treatment and, since then, has become the most popular European destination for those seeking IVF with donated eggs. Donors are matched with recipients on ethnicity, blood type and phenotypes; hair and eye colour and body type, and medical teams are legally required to guarantee the greatest possible match on appearance and blood group, with the recipient.
For patients undergoing IVF with donated eggs at Surrey Park Clinic, one to one support is available during every stage, with consultants and nurses always on hand to answer any of the questions which inevitably arise. A fertility nurse will also help couples to fill in the necessary paperwork and join Skype calls, with the medical team in Spain, to truly strengthen the bond between the three parties involved.
Institute Bernabeu has a wonderfully supportive International team who all speak excellent English and assist with organising transfers and accommodation in Spain. Undergoing any IVF procedure is an anxious experience and both clinics believe that the logistical side, of the treatment, should be as worry-free as possible for all patients.
Recipient preparation takes place at Surrey Park Clinic and is consultant-led. Patients are partnered with a named consultant, who they work together with, in close proximity, throughout their journey. Whilst the procedure might take place in another country, consultants are still fully accessible throughout the complete treatment. All transfers are fresh, and synchronised with the donor, unless a medical reason prevents this, and mock transfers are always conducted by the medical team in Spain.
It’s perfectly natural to have doubts surrounding egg donation, either in the UK or overseas, and couples need to feel fully comfortable with their decision. Surrey Park Clinic provides the required implications counselling alongside additional, ongoing support, from their in-house counsellor.
Every person is unique and it’s the responsibility of fertility clinics to ensure that everyone is treated as an individual. Not all patients are the same and neither are the protocols used in assisted reproduction. Surrey Park clinic provides a sensitive and compassionate environment, understanding not only the intricacies of the IVF procedure, but also the importance of a tailormade service, which caters to every patient’s specific needs.
The people who walk through the doors at Surrey Park Clinic, are real people with hopes and dreams of becoming parents. No one asks to live with infertility and, when help is required, patients deserve kindness, as well as a professional and individualised treatment options.
For more information or to book your appointment please contact us
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It’s never s
traightforward discovering that assisted conception is required, in order to have a family. The information available can be overwhelming and daunting and, at times, it’s difficult to even know where to begin. Infertility most certainly has a language of its own. There’s also an element of hopelessness and despair, when realising that future dreams are dependent on doctors, nurses and medical science, coupled together with a big pinch of luck.
With the NHS cutting the number of funded cycles and tightening the criteria for those eligible, infertile couples are often left stranded, required to find a clinic themselves and self-fund their treatment. With no real guidance, it’s incredibly easy to be misled by statistics, misguided by the false hope of add-ons and mistaken over what treatment options are available. The range of differing advice, plethora of myths and complex data, can mean patients are left utterly bewildered during what is already a confusing and complicated time.
Every person is unique, and each fertility situation is individual. Whether it’s male or female factor, both or unexplained, no two cases are, or should be considered, the same; one size does not fit all when it comes to fertility treatments. Whether it be an initial consultation, IUI, IVF or ICSI, it’s incredibly important to find a clinic which offers honesty, compassion and a tailormade service, for all its clients.
IVF is often billed as a magical cure. However, the sad truth is; in vitro fertilisation won’t work for everyone. It’s therefore only fair and ethical that clinics are transparent, truthfully presenting the reality of each situation. Clients are real people who deserve kindness and fairness as well as a professional service.
The Surrey Park clinic prides itself on offering a unique fertility experience. Its consultant led approach ensures that every patient is matched with a named consultant, who is accessible to them throughout the whole of their medical care. Treatment should not have to be delayed because a doctor is too busy to make a quick decision. Consultants scan and fully immerse themselves in every case, analysing results and being on hand to make any changes to protocols, no matter how small, believing that patients and their well-being must be at the core of all they do.
Whilst fertility data is regulated, by the HFEA, understanding what clinics report can be mind-boggling. Advertised success rates aren’t always as they first appear, for instance, becoming pregnant can be a very different situation to having a live birth. It’s also important to understand that patients are not just a statistic and simply because a woman is of a certain age, or a man has been diagnosed with a specific condition, doesn’t mean that the odds for a successful outcome are the same as another couple with similar circumstances. Surrey Park compassionately manages expectations, never being scared to give patients the whole picture, but providing them with an individual and personalised success rate. When it comes to infertility treatment, nothing should be a surprise and a clinic must be accountable; it needs to have done everything it possibly can, to try to achieve a positive result and tend to the well-being of each patient.
IVF is tough. It’s invasive, uncomfortable and immensely time consuming, it can feel like a full-time job just trying to keep on top of the scans, tests and appointments required for each cycle. Patients should not have to be shoehorned into a clinic’s opening hours, or rushed along a treatment conveyor belt, just to suit the employees. At Surrey Park, staff do their utmost to fit in around an individual’s needs, treatment should be patient-led, and everyone has the right to flexibility in order to ensure as little stress as possible is experienced.
Infertility is often described as a battle and, at times, it’s not only a battle to conceive it’s also a fight for treatment and access to medical teams. Patients should never have to solely become their own advocates, pushing for consultations or changes to procedures and the right to try another option. Consultants and clients absolutely need to work together, and Surrey Park acknowledges that anyone, who walks through their door, is entitled to transparency, and all the information required to make informed decisions about any next steps.
Mothers speak of how they will do anything for their child, yet so will those desperately hoping to become a mother too, those of us living with infertility. We inject, we undergo surgery, heartbreak and grief. We change our lifestyles, wait and hope, all whilst maintaining the façade of a normal life, getting up each morning and going to work, fitting anguish and clinic appointments into our daily routines. And all for no guarantees, simply for hope, for chance and a dream come true.
Determination can only get an infertile so far but, combine willpower with science and a fully supportive clinic, offering thoughtful and individualised treatment, and that really does go a long way in helping to achieve a positive outcome. Patients have a right to the high level of support and honesty a professional, compassionate clinic, like Surrey Park, provides, under a team holding their best interests at heart.
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To register for one of our free open evenings please email [email protected] or complete the form below.
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As part of the development of the Surrey Park Clinic we are introducing more skilled consultants to offer our clients the very best in gynaecological and fertility care in Surrey, Hampshire and the surrounding areas.
Mr Jay Chatterjee is a senior Consultant Gynaecologist and a Specialist in Gynaecological and Gynaecological-oncological care and surgeon operating at The Royal Surrey Hospital and the Nuffield in Guildford.
He is skilled in advanced robotic surgery and fertility preserving surgery in gynaecological cancers. Mr Chatterjee is an expert and BSCCP accredited trainer in colposcopy.
You can learn more about these areas here: