Tag: infertility

By Lindsay Steele
The Catholic Messenger

(This is the third in a series focused on Respect Life Month, which is the month of October.)

For couples struggling to conceive a child, in-vitro fertilization (IVF) has been a medical standard for the past 30 years. The Catholic Church has long spoken out against this method of conception due to the fact that it destroys embryos in the process and replaces the marital act. However, because of its prevalence in the medical world, some Catholic couples are led to believe they are out of medical options after a doctor recommends the procedure.

Officials from the Pope Paul VI Institute for the Study of Human Repro­duction in Omaha, Neb., report that IVF is not a miracle procedure, and more effective options exist. Dr. Kristina Pakiz, associate medical consultant, said couples “do not have to feel trapped in a corner where they are told they will never have a child without in-vitro fertilization. The truth is that there is superior gynecologic healthcare available to them.”

She said IVF has a success rate of about 30 percent and increases the risk of high-risk pregnancy and birth defects. About five in six embryos created in the process will die. IVF does not address root causes of infertility — only a detailed workup that helps diagnose and treat infertility as the product of an underlying condition can do that. When infertility is seen as an underlying medical condition and treated accordingly, success rates increase.

Dr. Karla Polaschek, medical director for Women’s Choice Center in Betten­dorf and pro-life OB/GYN practitioner at Medical Arts Asso­ciates, in Moline, Ill., said many doctors are aware of alternative treatments and procedures, but may be skeptical or less comfortable with them based on the current medical model. Additionally, she said IVF is part of a profitable industry; treatments cost $10,000 or more per menstrual cycle, and medical research companies depend on donated embryos (with the parents’ permission) for research. She said these issues turn an embryo into a commodity, posing a moral dilemma for Catholics. “There is money to be made… (but) a baby is not a consumer good. It’s a child!”

Jamie Rathjen, director of Fiat FertilityCare Center in Cedar Falls, Iowa, suspects that there is more money to be made in treatments like IVF as opposed to solutions that treat the underlying condition. Additionally, she conducted a survey of 15 Cedar Falls-area doctors, and most revealed that such treatments were not emphasized during medical school training. Rathjen, an advocate for procedures that diagnose and treat the underlying issue, said doctors tend to be receptive to Church-approved methods and technologies once they understand them as viable options. Three Cedar Falls-area medical professionals are now seeking additional training.

These alternative treatments often utilize Natural Family Planning (NFP) methods to chart fertility cycles and detect problems. Beth Budelier, NFP teacher and parishioner of St. Paul the Apostle in Davenport, explained that it is common for couples with low or marginal fertility to conceive within six months of learning this method.

For women who do not ovulate or have other issues which cannot be detected or confirmed through charting of fertility signs alone, ultrasounds and hormonal testing can be useful. Treatments can range from a healthy diet to fertility-enhancing medications such as clomiphene and letrozole to reparative surgery. Dr. Polaschek has seen almost universal success with a procedure called ovarian wedge resectioning for women with ovulation issues.

Still, she said, some couples may not be able to conceive even with the most statistically effective treatments, depending on their condition and age. Even as women statistically seek motherhood past the age of declining fertility, IVF does not offer a viable solution. The Society for Assisted Repro­ductive Technology reports a success rate of less than 5 percent for a 42-year-old woman.

Anything that helps to increase a couple’s natural fertility — as opposed to replacing it or creating life outside of the body — is acceptable in the Church. Father Thom Hennen, religion teacher at Assumption High School in Davenport, theologian and diocesan vocations director, said that couples are welcome to try what is permissible, all the while being open to whatever life may or may not come. “At all times there has to be an abandonment to God’s will.”

Dr. Polaschek recommends that Catholics seeking infertility treatment familiarize themselves with treatments acceptable to the Church, and resist being persuaded into using illicit treatments. Even if a doctor is not explicitly pro-life, he or she may know of alternative methods or be able to make a referral. If a doctor does not respect couples’ wishes, they can look for a new doctor. They can also call the Pope Paul IV center for referrals.

Lists of pro-life doctors are available at www.onemoresoul.org and www.fertilitycare.org. Currently, no doctors from the Diocese of Davenport are listed, but practitioners are available in Moline, Ill., Dubuque, Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Sioux City and Des Moines, Iowa.

Dr. Polaschek offered a message of encouragement to doctors, encouraging them to look beyond IVF while trying to help couples achieve pregnancy. “We (can) use more of their natural bodies, use more natural ways versus going to (IVF) right away,” Polaschek said.

By Lindsay Steele
The Catholic Messenger

Tyla Cole always imagined herself having a houseful of children to love and care for. When she and her husband married eight years ago, they bought a five-bedroom house in Dav­enport, expecting they would soon fill it with the sound of rattles, coos and giggles. Two years into their marriage, however, the extra rooms were still empty, and they received a devastating diagnosis: Cole had fallopian tube defects and her chances of achieving natural pregnancy were “very slim.”

“We held each other cried for hours and hours,” recalled Cole, the Diocese of Davenport’s archivist.

Eight years into their marriage, she said the tears still flow, and the loneliness she feels is twofold — she feels the void of not having children, and the additional void of not being able to relate to her peers with children. Others often question why she does not have children, or offer unsolicited or hurtful advice, not realizing her pain and spiritual struggles. “I just pray to accept God’s will in my life,” she said.

Although the Center for Disease Control estimates that one in six couples will struggle to get pregnant or carry a baby to term, Cole said it is an issue that isn’t often talked about. “There is a need not being fulfilled out there. We don’t get the same support as someone with a chronic illness.”

Father Corey Close, parochial vicar of Prince of Peace Parish in Clinton, has an advanced degree in marriage and family life. “I feel such compassion for those in that struggle,” he said. “Essentially it’s a loss. … There is a profound loss and suffering in losing that beautiful gift of (biological) children.”

Fr. Close said parishes and fellow Catholics can help ease the burden, but there is no one-size-fits-all approach. He has observed that couples with infertility issues often feel embarrassed or ashamed, and therefore tend to be afraid to speak out or seek help on a spiritual level. He said it is essential for these couples to know that “it is not their fault,” and they should be respected and supported in their grief.

He suggested parish ministers discuss this population as one that may be in need of support, using input from those affected by the condition if possible. In one parish, a formal support group might be beneficial. In another, a more organic group formed by those suffering from infertility might be a better approach. He said priests and deacons can make a difference by including the heartache of infertility in the intercessions during Mass.

Judi Droll, retired RCIA director at St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Davenport, experienced seven years of infertility before conceiving her first child. Now 68, she is working with her parish to create a grief and healing ministry that will be open to those struggling with the emotional aspect of infertility and miscarriage. “It is a very real grief,” she said, noting that the ministry may begin by the end of August. “Not everyone is given that miracle (of biological children) and we have to be there to support them, let them know there is someone there that cares. That’s one thing we have to get going and make happen.”

Cole said she would welcome the opportunity to “ hear from couples going through this now and dealing with whatever is coming their way … see how they cope, listen to their stories, maybe get some insight on handling it better.”

Fr. Close said that any Catholic wishing to show compassion for childless couples can do so by “praying for them, being there as a shoulder to cry on when they need it. Ministry, 99.9 percent of the time, is just being an ear or a shoulder to cry on. It’s easy to offer solutions, it’s a challenge to actually listen to someone and love them where they are right now.”

Some infertile couples may eventually conceive. Some may adopt or become foster parents. Others may discover other ways to express their maternal and paternal desires, such as through ministry or volunteer work. Fr. Close said, “If God never graces a couple with physical children, it doesn’t mean they cannot be spiritual mothers and fathers.”

For Cole, the first step is just speaking out. “I think if it was talked about more, more couples would come forward. We need to not be so embarrassed about it.”

RESOURCE:
One resource for couples enduring infertility and those who want to be more sensitive to the needs of infertile couples is “The Infertility Companion for Catholics,” published in 2012 and endorsed by the Pontifical Council for the Family. Written by two women with infertility, it provides a spiritual perspective on the emotions and faith involved in embracing the cross of infertility, while also describing the Church’s teaching on reproductive technologies.