Latest news with #IrishExaminerNationalWomen'sHealthSurvey
Irish Examiner
16 hours ago
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Egg freezing — how it works and who's opting for this procedure
A third of women would consider freezing their eggs, they said in the Irish Examiner National Women's Health Survey, conducted by Ipsos B&A. Egg freezing used to be an option provided to women who, for medical reasons — such as cancer treatment or a family history of early menopause — faced risks to their fertility and to ensure the capacity to conceive. Increasingly, the option is available to women who can afford it, who may not be in a couple, or who may not be ready to start trying for a baby, but who want to preserve the chance. This procedure is called 'social egg freezing' — or the more technical term, elective oocyte cryopreservation. According to the latest figures from the Health Products Regulatory Authority, the number of eggs frozen for future use in fertility treatments has increased almost fivefold, from 2,590 in 2019 to 12,890 in 2024. The number of eggs a woman has drops off significantly from the age of 30. Retrieving 10-20 eggs is considered optimal, and, for some women, achieving this amount may require multiple cycles. Health authorities and clinics caution that no number of eggs will guarantee a baby, but freezing is a way women can improve their chances, particularly if they are under the age of 35. Lauren Murphy, a senior fertility midwife at the Thérapie Clinic in Limerick. Lauren Murphy, a senior fertility midwife at the Thérapie Clinic in Limerick, and working for a decade in the field, says: 'In the last five years or so, there's definitely more women looking at fertility preservation and also single motherhood by choice.' Even when people come to the clinic as part of a couple, Murphy says they would advise egg freezing in addition to embryo freezing. Where a couple freezes embryos and the relationship doesn't work out, any frozen embryos would require the consent of the former partner for the embryos to be used. Frozen eggs are the sole ownership of the woman. After initial consultation, the subsequent steps are assessments with scans and blood testing. The medical team uses the test results to determine the number of egg-retrieval cycles that may be necessary. Murphy says: 'There is no diagnostic test on the market to assess the quality of eggs, so, at initial testing, we're really focusing on a test to identify the quantity. That [quantity] will also influence the drug dosages that we need to give to stimulate the ovaries.' A blood test for AMH (anti-mullerian hormone) levels indicates a woman's ovarian reserve or egg numbers. Murphy says they would also recommend a trans vaginal ultrasound scan. It can be done on any cycle date and takes about 15 minutes. The ovaries are measured, and all the individual anterior follicles (sacs containing immature eggs) are counted. The information provides the medical team with a better understanding of how many eggs can be retrieved from a single egg-freezing cycle. Egg decline after 30 Three years ago, at the age of 34, Tara Logan Buckley (pictured right) decided to freeze her eggs. She is a chartered clinical psychologist and wanted to get to a senior level in her career before motherhood. She was in a relationship, but did not see a future and a family with that person. Housing was another factor. She wanted to have the security of a home before starting a family: 'I was living in Dublin, I had been a student for quite a long time, there were a lot of debts that needed to be repaid, and I just didn't have my own property. "As you know, housing market prices have dramatically increased, and they're rising all the time. I didn't want to be living in a house that I couldn't afford and couldn't give a child the quality of life they needed or give myself a quality of life and then be financially stressed.' Outside of these social and environmental factors, Buckley was compelled by the science: 'I got absolutely no education on fertility when I was young, I got nothing in school or college. I come from a clinical psychology background, where there is a lot of science. I didn't know the number of eggs dramatically declines after 30.' 'When I started, it was more like 'Will I, won't I?' When I did the research, I was like 'Wow, this is frightening.' Every woman should be told this, and every woman should be given the opportunity in their early 20s to do this. 'When I went to the consultant, he said to me 'Look, you're doing it as an insurance.' I may choose never to have a child, unless circumstances change. There is also a silver lining to that, where another woman might use them in the future if I don't use them, but also the fact that I could use all of them, but none of them might work.' Tara Logan Buckley: "You need to be prepared to be really, really regimental with your routine. Having people around you for support, as well. I felt OK until I got to those last 48 hours, where I couldn't wait to go in and get [the eggs] out.' When Logan Buckley was undergoing egg freezing, there was an initial delay, due to a cyst on one of her ovaries: 'That was a bit of a blow, because it was meant to take six weeks and mine went on to three months.' Despite this initial obstacle, she did not experience side effects from the medications or hormones. The most challenging part was leading up to the egg collection: 'Coming close to the date that they are due to be extracted, it's extremely, extremely uncomfortable; you want to burst. It's so full, because you normally wouldn't have that many eggs. 'The medications are timed to the last minute, especially that last activating one that you need to take. You need to be prepared to be really, really regimental with your routine. Having people around you for support, as well. I felt OK until I got to those last 48 hours, where I couldn't wait to go in and get [the eggs] out.' The clinic Logan Buckley chose for her treatment had an online portal that was a real support to her: 'You had access to support 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If there was anything at all you were slightly concerned about, you could pop it into the portal, and they would get back to you in lightning speed. That was really reassuring.' Fertility treatment costly At the age of 32, in 2003, Karen, from Dublin, embarked on her IVF journey. She had a 12-year-old child from a previous relationship. She subsequently met and married another man. He had fertility complications from a bout of the mumps he'd had as a teenager. At the hospital fertility clinic Karen attended, she had a combination of frozen embryos and frozen eggs. She and her husband went on to have two children from two frozen embryos: A son, now 21, and a daughter, who has just turned 18. Karen's experience was overall 'very positive': 'I was very well looked after. Both my embryos took first time; the doctor said I was in a 5% statistic of it working first time. The hardest part was having to do the injections before you have an egg collection and all of that process.' Fertility treatment is a costly undertaking. Karen says: 'The banter in my house is, 'I have a receipt for you pair!' It was a financial burden, but when you're desperate, you'd beg, borrow, and steal. My mother-in-law gave us a good handout financially.' The Government is now subsidising one cycle of IVF for qualifying couples. Egg freezing for fertility preservation is not included in this provision. Irish Life, Laya, and VHI include provisions for egg freezing in some of their plans, typically up to a cost of € 1,000. Egg-freezing costs approximately €3,000 per cycle and approximately €300 per year for storage. In Ireland, the storage period is unlimited until the age of 49. While Irish fertility clinics operate to international standards, there is no regulatory authority or national clinical governance framework for the fertility services sector. Karen Murphy says the fertility sector has repeatedly called for regulation. In Britain, the regulator is the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. The necessity of regulatory oversight is apparent, and it becomes even more evident as demand for such services increases and new service providers enter the market. Click here to read our National Women's Health Survey. The Irish Examiner Women's Health Survey 2025 Ipsos B&A designed and implemented a research project for the Irish Examiner involving a nationally representative sample of n=1,078 women over the age of 16 years. The study was undertaken online with fieldwork conducted between April 30 and May 15, 2025. The sample was quota controlled by age, socio-economic class, region and area of residence to reflect the known profile of women in Ireland based on the census of population and industry agreed guidelines. Ipsos B&A has strict quality control measures in place to ensure robust and reliable findings; results based on the full sample carry a margin of error of +/-2.8%. In other words, if the research was repeated identically results would be expected to lie within this range on 19 occasions out of 20. A variety of aspects were assessed in relation to women's health including fertility, birth, menopause, mental health, health behaviour, and alcohol consumption.
Irish Examiner
16 hours ago
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Birth experiences: why care is needed before, during, and after giving birth
Ireland is becoming a better place to have a baby. That's according to the Irish Examiner National Women's Health Survey, conducted by Ipsos B&A, in which women who have had multiple births report a gradual improvement in care over time. However, there is still progress to be made. Some 41% of mothers said their first birth was difficult or complicated. Prenatally, 36% found healthcare professionals unwilling to consider alternative approaches to birth. Dissatisfaction was highest with postnatal care. One in three cited problems accessing lactation consultants and breastfeeding supports. Three in 10 feel there was a lack of information about postpartum recovery, and one in four said they didn't get enough advice about looking after their baby. Deirdre Daly, associate professor of midwifery and director of the Centre for Maternity Care Research at Trinity College Dublin. Deirdre Daly, an associate professor of midwifery and director of the Centre for Maternity Care Research at Trinity College Dublin, believes the maternity service lets women down when it doesn't give them adequate postnatal support: 'Mothers need to learn how to keep themselves and their babies healthy and well, They need to be told what is and isn't normal, so they can reach out for help, if needed. That's how they get off to the best possible start.' Tony Fitzpatrick, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Association's (INMO) director of professional services, says that many of the problems within maternity services are caused by a lack of staffing. Tony Fitzpatrick, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Association's (INMO) director of professional services, says that many of the problems within maternity services are caused by a lack of staffing. This lack extends to postnatal care, where the shortage of public health nurses and general nurses results in inadequate care for mothers and babies after they leave hospital. 'With regard to postnatal care, the INMO has highlighted shortfalls in both public-health-nurse and community-registered, general-nurse staffing levels, as well as the numbers of midwives providing care in maternity hospitals,' he says. 'INMO members have reported they are striving to meet basic care needs for newborns and their mothers, but that they are far too stretched to give mothers the level of care they are trained to provide.' What the INMO would like to see, he says, is 'a maternity service that places women, babies, families, and midwives at the centre of care'. Postnatal hubs Efforts are being made to create such a service. Daly sees the network of postnatal hubs that have opened around Ireland as a welcome development. Run by midwives, they currently operate in Cork, Kerry, Carlow-Kilkenny, Sligo, and Portiuncula in Galway. 'Our research shows women often feel invisible in the maternity service, particularly postnatally, when the focus moves from mother to baby,' says Daly. 'These hubs were set up as a pilot project in 2022 as a way of addressing that. For six weeks after birth and longer, if necessary, women can go to midwives with their questions and worries and midwives can identify and treat potential problems before they escalate.' Dr Cliona Murphy, chair of the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Dr Cliona Murphy, chair of the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, adds that plans are under way to open an additional eight hubs throughout 2025 and 2026. 'Each will deliver accessible, woman-centred postnatal care to mothers and babies,' she says. 'They will provide multi-disciplinary support in local settings, with services such as breastfeeding support, birth reflections, and debriefing, wound care and more.' There are other positive developments within the maternity service. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, women now have three care pathways to choose from, tailored to their individual clinical needs and preferences. There has also been investment in education and training, with clinical practice guidelines being developed in subjects such as care for women using a birthing pool for labour and birth. Chair of the Association for Improvements in Maternity Care Ireland (AIMS), Krysia Lynch, says there is much we could learn from other countries, citing Germany as an example: 'Women there see the same midwife at all their appointments and build up a relationship of trust with them. We would benefit from that continuity of care in Ireland.' She would also like us to emulate the French by including a postnatal pelvic check as standard: 'Women's pelvic health is so important for their general health and quality of life as they age.' The key to increasing women's satisfaction with the care they receive in the maternity system is ensuring that their voices are heard at all stages, according to Daly. 'Some 41% of first-time mothers find birth difficult or complicated,' she says. 'Nobody thinks they should lower their expectations or anticipate complications. Instead, we should aim to exceed their expectations by consulting them and considering their needs prenatally, during birth, and after they have their baby.' More support second time Stephanie Buckley is a 39-year-old mother of two from Tralee. Her oldest is three, and she was well taken care of when she was pregnant with him: 'My appointments and scans were great. I was listened to and cared for at all times.' It was during labour that things started to veer away from what she expected. Buckley's waters broke. Labour started, but then stalled: 'I was induced, and when he still didn't come out, I had to have a C-section.' She hoped for a different outcome with her second child, who is now four months old. 'But it went the same way,' she says. However, there was one big difference between the two experiences: The level of postnatal care: 'After my first baby was born, the midwives were great, but they were so busy they couldn't spend much time with me.' She saw a lactation consultant and appreciated the visit from her public health nurse: 'But I still had questions, particularly in relation to my C-section recovery, and would have liked more follow-up.' She got this with her second baby, because, in the meantime, a HSE-run postnatal hub opened in Tralee. 'It was everything I'd been looking for,' she says. 'At my first visit, I had a full debrief on the birth, was checked for postpartum depression, and the midwife looked at my wound. It was just about to get infected, but she caught it just in time.' Buckley returned to the hub two or three more times after that to get her wound checked and ask more questions. 'I didn't have to sit at home and wonder like I did with my first baby,' she says. 'There were people I could talk to. That was missing the first time around, that extra layer of reassurance and support.' Yvonne Harris, 39, has a three-year-old child and lives in Firhouse, Dublin. Photograph Moya Nolan Problems in labour Yvonne Harris, 39, has a three-year-old child and lives in Firhouse, Dublin. Harris felt cared for throughout her pregnancy. 'I was given good information and was always listened to,' she says. 'It wasn't until I went in to labour that things started to go wrong.' She was 1.5cm dilated when she arrived at a busy labour ward. 'Because I was in the early stages of labour and the ward was full, I was placed in a room at the end of the hall with women whose pregnancies were being monitored, but who weren't in labour,' she says. Her husband had to leave when evening came. 'I'm quiet and don't like to make a fuss, and because everyone was so busy, I wasn't checked on much.' When she was examined the next morning, she was fully dilated and was rushed to the delivery suite. Her daughter was born by vacuum delivery, but Harris retained the placenta. Attempts to remove it manually resulted in haemorrhaging, and she had to be operated upon. She now wonders if her birth experience led to postnatal depression. 'It kicked in when my daughter was six months old and I treated it with medication and counselling,' she says. 'Talking helped release the trauma I'd held on to from the birth.' Looking back, she questions if her complications might have been avoided if her labour had been managed differently. 'If I'd asked for help more or if there had been more staff to check on me, things might have been different.' Click here to read our National Women's Health Survey. The Irish Examiner Women's Health Survey 2025 Ipsos B&A designed and implemented a research project for the Irish Examiner involving a nationally representative sample of n=1,078 women over the age of 16 years. The study was undertaken online with fieldwork conducted between April 30 and May 15, 2025. The sample was quota controlled by age, socio-economic class, region and area of residence to reflect the known profile of women in Ireland based on the census of population and industry agreed guidelines. Ipsos B&A has strict quality control measures in place to ensure robust and reliable findings; results based on the full sample carry a margin of error of +/-2.8%. In other words, if the research was repeated identically results would be expected to lie within this range on 19 occasions out of 20. A variety of aspects were assessed in relation to women's health including fertility, birth, menopause, mental health, health behaviour, and alcohol consumption.
Irish Examiner
16 hours ago
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Irish Examiner view: Sobering truths over miscarriages
The Irish Examiner National Women's Health Survey, conducted by Ipsos B&A, has provided plenty of food for thought in recent days — articulating as it does many of the most pressing challenges facing women in today's Ireland. A prime example of those challenges is miscarriage. The survey results indicate that one quarter of women have experienced a miscarriage, though that rate doubles among those experiencing fertility issues. It is sobering to realise that miscarriage rates are so high — that one of the most grievous losses that anyone can endure occurs that often. The only sliver of consolation to be taken from this situation is the presumption that our health services deal with miscarriage so often that they have a well-established procedure for helping the women involved. It is surely safe to believe that a tried and trusted system of aftercare and counselling immediately clicks into action when a miscarriage occurs. Unfortunately, the survey suggests the exact opposite — with a significant proportion of women expressing specific dissatisfaction with aftercare services. Six in 10 of the women surveyed said the availability of supports such as counselling is lacking, a similar number reported that follow up from healthcare providers was insufficient. Almost half of respondents were critical of the quality of information provided by healthcare professionals, rating it as poor or very poor. Those sentiments were endorsed by those active in this area, with Jennifer Duggan of the Miscarriage Association of Ireland saying: 'They unfortunately tally with what we hear ourselves from women we speak with.' It seems difficult to believe that, in the 21st century, we are in need of better information, better follow-up services, and better counselling for women who have experienced a miscarriage. Readers should also consider other findings in the survey, such as the proportion of women who often feel lonely or isolated — over one third of those surveyed. If services and supports in the case of the terrible experience of miscarriage are this inadequate, that figure is hardly surprising. An Garda Síochána: Trust in the force declining Readers will be aware of a court case this week in which Margaret Loftus gave details, in a victim impact statement, of her abuse at the hands of her then-husband Trevor Bolger in 2012. She concluded with a call to those enduring similar abuse to come forward and to testify, but that is far from the end of this case's significance. As outlined by Mick Clifford here on Thursday, serious questions arise from this case because both Ms Loftus and Bolger were members of An Garda Síochána when this abuse occurred, some of which took place in a Garda station. The case has revealed some disturbing facts about how our police force functions. Bolger was promoted to detective after investigations into his conduct regarding Ms Loftus had already begun — after he had been interviewed by gardaí assigned to investigate that matter, in fact. No action was taken against him until Ms Loftus contacted a senior garda, while her application for a transfer was approved and then rescinded without explanation. To learn that this is occurring in the State body charged with public safety is deeply worrying. What's your view on this issue? You can tell us here It has been a difficult few weeks for An Garda Síochána at all levels. The handling of high-profile cases such as the killing of Tina Satchwell has been the subject of widespread criticism. Garda Commissioner Drew Harris's comments on the costs of training a cadaver dog seemed misplaced, at best, at the unveiling of a million-euro water cannon. The ongoing saga of finding a replacement for Mr Harris is also disheartening, particularly as senior officers' pension arrangements appear to be a serious obstacle to any appointment. The details of this latest case will hardly encourage women to report abuse and to escape dangerous domestic circumstances, given Ms Loftus's treatment. They may also contribute to a general decline in trust in the gardaí as a whole. Henry Mount Charles: Deliverer of joy The death of Henry Mount Charles after a long illness was confirmed by his family this week. He was aged 74. For many, he will always be associated with some of the biggest names in rock music, having masterminded decades of concerts at Slane Castle, beginning with Thin Lizzy in 1981. In the 70s, he took over the running of Slane when it was in financial difficulties, and identified the natural amphitheatre in the grounds as an ideal location for large-scale gigs. Henry Mountcharles will always be associated with some of the biggest names in rock music, having masterminded decades of concerts at Slane Castle. After Thin Lizzy, the likes of the Rolling Stones, Oasis, REM, David Bowie, and others played to vast crowds at the Meath venue. Those events helped to introduce Irish concertgoers to the concept of large-scale festivals, which are now popular all over the country. In accent, pedigree, and bearing, Henry Mount Charles was unmistakably a member of the aristocracy, yet he was affectionately regarded in Ireland though he came to prominence when the Troubles were at their height. His standing was no doubt boosted by the quality of the musical acts he was able to present to an Irish public starved, in the early 80s at least, of genuine international stars. He was also remarkably frank in a recent RTÉ documentary about his struggles with alcohol, crediting U2's Adam Clayton with helping him to get sober — it was good to hear him say then he had achieved a level of peace. He brought a great deal of joy to hundreds of thousands of Irish people. Read More Irish Examiner view: Insights can reveal the way forward
Irish Examiner
16 hours ago
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Miscarriage: It can be really hard when you don't know what to expect
The vast majority of women who suffer a miscarriage in Ireland feel unsupported by doctors, and have criticised a lack of counselling around such trauma. Only a third of women feel their GPs provide enough support in the aftermath of miscarriage, with family and friends picking up the slack in two thirds of cases. Similarly, just a third believe support from healthcare professionals to be good. The Irish Examiner National Women's Health Survey, conducted by Ipsos B&A, found that one in four women experience miscarriage. Among women who have experienced fertility issues, the figure rises to almost 50%. In the survey of 1,000 women in Ireland, aftercare support receives the loudest criticism. Six in 10 women said the availability of supports such as counselling is lacking. A similar number reports that follow-up from healthcare providers is insufficient. Jennifer Duggan, chairperson of the Miscarriage Association of Ireland, said the findings align with the organisation's experience: 'They, unfortunately, tally with what we hear ourselves from women we speak to." Almost half criticised the quality of information provided by healthcare professionals, citing it as poor or very poor. 'It can be really hard when you don't know what to expect. "You might be told that you may bleed heavily, but you don't know how heavy is too heavy, or how painful is too painful," said Ms Duggan. It can be really scary and frightening to go through that with little to no information. Naomi Collins, 45, from Galway, had her first miscarriage when she was 10 weeks pregnant. At the hospital, she was told that the spotting would progress to miscarriage and that she should go home and wait for it to happen. 'That was the extent of the help I got in the hospital, and nobody checked up on me after that. That was disappointing,' she said. 'The overwhelming feeling was that I felt hollow." Naomi Collins from Corrandulla, Co Galway, miscarried at 10 weeks. Picture: Ray Ryan Given that one in four women miscarry, she said: "There are an awful lot of people who are not aware whatsoever that the woman sitting next to them at work has had a miscarriage, the woman next to you on the bus has had a miscarriage." Some green shoots are emerging in follow-up care. The Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA) announced earlier this month that it is expanding its counselling service to include women and couples who experience recurrent pregnancy loss. The HSE-funded pilot project is available to anyone who has two or more miscarriages in a row, offering up to eight free counselling sessions. "The grief that accompanies miscarriage is real and deeply felt," says the IFPA's counselling director, Clare O'Brien. We don't want anyone to feel isolated and alone. We want them to know they can speak to us about their loss, fear and frustrations without judgment — and with total confidentiality and support. In April, University College Cork's Pregnancy Loss Research Group (PLRG) made a series of resources available to women who experience miscarriage. The resources include accessible booklets that answer questions such as what happens next and what supports are available, and provide details of other women's lived experiences. In response to the survey's findings on miscarriage, Professor Keelin O'Donoghue, PLRG lead and obstetrician at Cork University Maternity Hospital, said: "Pregnancy loss is a common life experience for many women. "Everybody will experience it differently and will have different needs in their care and support after it happens. "The awareness of what is needed and why this is important is improving, but slowly, and there is much more work to be done across society, policy, health services, and communities with regard to pregnancy loss care and supports more generally." Resources are available on the Pregnancy Loss website —
