A Hidden Kind of Suffering
by Tony Rossi in Health on Tuesday, October 12, 2010 12:00 PM
“Infertility is one of the most painful things I have ever seen a couple or woman suffer with,” says Dr. Anne Mielnik, Director and co-founder of Gianna: The Catholic Healthcare Center for Women which opened less than a year ago in New York City. “For most of them, it is a hidden suffering.”
Dr. Mielnik is doing her best to heal that pain, but unlike many doctors, she’s doing it in a way that’s completely pro-life.
In vitro fertilization (IVF) has become the default method by which infertility is treated. Since it involves the creation and sometimes destruction of embryos, it’s morally incompatible with the fact that life begins at conception. That’s where Dr. Mielnik comes in, offering treatment through a relatively new method called NaPro which stands for Natural Procreative Technology.
On the Christopher Closeup radio show/podcast, Dr. Mielnik explained, “NaPro refers to a comprehensive approach to evaluating and treating a woman’s reproductive problems including those that lead to infertility, recurrent miscarriage, pregnancy problems, and other disorders. It then treats the woman in a way that doesn’t shut down her cycle or try to bypass the cycle … We use what originally developed as a natural family planning chart - a woman recording the signs of her fertility—as a diagnostic tool.”
Research has found that underlying causes of infertility can include subtle hormonal abnormalities that can be treated with medication and anatomical problems that can be repaired surgically. For instance, if the tubes through which the egg passes on its way to implanting in the womb are damaged, surgery can sometimes correct that problem and allow a couple to conceive through natural sexual intercourse.
The effectiveness of NaPro is impressive. The best study conducted involved 1,000 infertile couples of all ages except those afflicted with no sperm or irreparably blocked tubes. Dr. Mielnik reveals, “The success rate for couples who stayed in for up to two years of treatment was about 60 percent, which in infertility is sizable. Couples doing IVF have to go through an average of 5 to 6 rounds of IVF to expect a 60 percent success rate.”
The spiritual side of treatment is also a major concern to Dr. Mielnik. Raised Catholic, she experienced a deepening of her faith in college and medical school, especially after reading Pope John Paul II’s writings on the Theology of the Body. Working so intimately with patients has taught her to see the “profound beauty” in each person. It has also caused her to open her heart to them. She acknowledges, “When you work with people who are dealing with something that is very painful, you grow in compassion just from hearing their stories.”
As a result of her spiritual beliefs, Dr. Mielnik and her staff take 45 minutes to one hour with each couple every time they come into the Center. In addition to the medical testing, they talk with the couple, listen to their concerns and anxieties, and even help them navigate the difficulties infertility sometimes creates in a relationship. Though the Gianna Center is Catholic, Dr. Mielnik doesn’t force belief on anyone. However, if a woman mentions her faith, the doctor offers to pray with her which often creates a great sense of encouragement and hope.
Co-founding the Gianna Center is part of an ongoing mission for Dr. Mielnik. As the co-founder (along with Joan Nolan) of the John Paul II Center for Women, she wants to help women realize their dignity as children of God. Specifically, she wants to use it “as a springboard to build a national network of centers like the Gianna Center. It was essentially our flagship, trying to combine natural family planning education, theology of the body, and medical care that’s consistent with Catholic medical ethics.”
In addition to NaPro treatment and NFP education, the Gianna Center also offers routine gynecology, obstetrics, and prenatal care. Making people aware of this full range of services has become increasingly important since the facility lost its main source of funding when St. Vincent’s Hospital declared bankruptcy three months after the Center opened. Dr. Mielnik assumed ownership of the practice in order to ensure that Catholic healthcare remains available to women in New York City. They currently depend on donor support to keep the practice going while word gets out and patient volume grows.
Despite the hardships, Dr. Mielnik has faith that God will provide and wants to offer hope to infertile couples wherever they are in the United States. She says, “The second (couples) walk through the door of an infertility clinic or any doctor’s office, they’re going to be told ‘This is your only hope.’ The truth is we have a positive, effective alternative. The doctors are available. If they need a doctor in their area, they can give us a call. We’d be happy to try to connect them.”
—Tony Rossi is producer of The Christophers. You can listen to Dr. Mielnik’s full interview at the Christopher Closeup Podcast.
Resources:
To contact the Gianna Center, call 212-481-1219 or visit GiannaHealth.org.
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