Bengaluru: With women taking up high pressure jobs, working in shifts and at odd hours, recurring miscarriages and difficulty in conceiving has become more common.
Health experts point out that professional stress and irregular working hours have taken a toll on their biological clocks.
Under these circumstances many are adopting fertility preservation or freezing of eggs to start families later.
"Stress is one of the reasons for working women to have a hormonal imbalance. Changes in ovulation, fallopian tube spasm and loss of sexual drive may be the observable symptoms. Some neurotransmitters have been linked with stress and depression that regulate emotions, reactions to stress, and the physical drives of sleep, appetite, and sexuality," said Dr Santosh Gaur, Infertility and IVF specialist at Indira IVF Hospital.
Mridula Pandey (name changed), an information technology professional working in an MNC, decided to preserve her eggs at the age of 30. With the irregular shift timings and high work pressure she had underwent recurrent miscarriages and then difficulty in conceiving.
Upon consultation, she was diagnosed with a benign ovarian tumour that restricted her from conceiving.
The doctors called for an immediate surgery to remove the ovaries to prevent the tumor from getting metastasis. Mridula was completely dejected on realizing she cannot conceive anymore, she left her job and underwent mental trauma and depression.
“When I was initially diagnosed with ovarian tumour it was totally devastating for me, as cancer itself is an overhyped term that leaves you completely with no hope. However, with technological advancements, I got my ovary removed and I felt happy to be successfully treated. But then came the notion that it is not possible to conceive naturally, which was like a living death,” Mridula said.
She also said that despite all these crises her husband was a pillar of support. “The challenges and being childless being a social stigma in our society, I was pinpointed by all. My dream of becoming a mother was completely shattered and my in-laws asked for divorce. Seeing me without any physical, emotional and mental support, one fine day my husband reminded me about the eggs I chose to freeze for pursuing my career,” added Mridula.
Dr Mahesh Koregol, Fertility Consultant, Nova IVI Fertility said, “In today’s changing times, fertility preservation comes as a boon to career-oriented women to have the option to start a family later in life.
“Fertility preservation is the method of freezing one’s eggs for future family planning. With the help of this advanced technology, women have the freedom to focus on their career without worrying about starting a family early. The advantage of this technique is that the quality of the frozen egg or embryo remains intact even after many years, thereby helping couples plan for pregnancy in the future,” he added.
Mridula successfully conceived at her first attempt at Indira IVF hospital and delivered a healthy baby 6 months ago. “I felt so relieved and excited. We are a happy family now. Egg freezing has saved my life and also provided with a new one,” Mridula said.
