Due to financial crisis, Australian women are asking their doctors to implant more than one embryo in their wombs through In Vitro Fertilization (IVF).

With this new trend, twins and triplet birth rates are about to increase which may lead to multiple pregnancy consequences attached to implanting more than one embryo.

But despite of the enormous risk of death and prematurity, many couples are taking the odds so as to increase their chances of getting pregnant through just once cycle.

''They're saying, we understand that it's more dangerous but we can't afford to do another cycle so we'll have two embryos put back and we'll deal with the consequences. If our [premature] baby ... has to have eight weeks in intensive care, well Medicare pays for that,'' Gab Kovacs, international medical director at Monash IVF in Melbourne, said.

But IVF Australia medical director and Fertility Society president Peter Illingworth insists that this new medical practice will greatly affect the health system.

There can be long-term health complications for twins born as a result of IVF...'Ideally, we would like to put one embryo in at a time because of those risks but we are getting more pressure from patients to do two. he said.

Health Minister Nicola Roxon capped Medicare safety net payments, paying 80% of the difference between Medicare rebate and doctor's fees after issues about doctor's overcharging to patients came out.

An average IVF cycle may now cost up to $7500 and up depending on what the patients need for extra treatment, according to specialist.

These new changes made hopeful couples under more financial problems.

Medicine