Dr. Mathi Arasu Muthusamy is an expert in all things fertility. A graduate from the University of Malaya, followed by post-graduate training in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and a Masters degree from the same university. He later obtained the MRCOG from the Royal College of Obstetrician and Gynaecologist in London, pursued his interest in fertility with a fellowship training in IVF Australia, and continued on for further fellowship in reproductive medicine in Oxford Fertility Unit and the University of Oxford in the UK. Dr. Arasu is currently the Medical Director at Fertility Associates Malaysia.
During Fertility Associates Malaysia’s first anniversary, we sat down with Dr. Arasu to find out more on fertility, fertility treatment and pregnancy.
1. Can eating right and keeping fit make me more fertile?
Leading a healthy lifestyle is one way to naturally boost your fertility but it does not determine your fertility. That’s a misconception as well; eating right, going to the gym, avoiding bad habits like smoking are not the only actions that may affect one’s fertility. Being healthy and being fertile are two different things.
2. We’re having trouble getting pregnant. Is it my eggs and uterus or is it his sperm?
In order to carry a good pregnancy, you’ll need good sperm, good eggs and a good uterus. For some couples, they achieve pregnancy without any problem but for some couples, it is impossible without any form of treatment.
Back in the day, the men in the relationship would send the women to fertility screenings not knowing that they play just as big a role in the chances of becoming pregnant. But lately, you’ll find couples walking in together, both getting tested, which shows that couples have now become more aware of the situation over the years.
From left: Dr. Arasu, Medical Director of fertility Associates Malaysia, Dr. Richard Fisher, Co-founder Fertility Associates NZ
3. At what point does someone need to see a fertility doctor?
Your biological clock is what tells you your chances of becoming pregnant at a certain age. Even though you are physically fit, having a fertility screening at an early stage when trying to conceive a child is highly recommended so you know where you stand fertility-wise and whether you need treatment and if so, what sort of treatment you would require – either it’s an IVF or an IUI.
4. How can Fertility Associates help couples who are trying to conceive?
Fertility Associates is here to advise all couples and individuals who are trying to conceive – whether you have fertility issues, gynecological issues, we will all be here to advise you through the process and options you may have to maximise your fertility.
Fertility Associates mainly aims to create awareness in Malaysia on fertility, how it works and what can be done to maximize it both naturally and medically.
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Image credit: Fertility Associates Malaysia & Huffington Post.
