Posts Tagged ‘Eggs’
Monday, December 5th, 2011
If you’re considering surrogacy as a potential option for expanding your family due to issues of infertility, there are some things you should consider before moving forward. Gestational surrogacy — where a woman agrees to carry embryos that were formed using in vitro fertilization using the eggs and sperm of the intended parents — is a unique and relatively new process that comes with a number of emotional issues.
For women who cannot carry their own baby, the opportunity to still have a child that is biologically their own is a dream come true. But the connection between the surrogate and the child is a unique one. The surrogate, also known as the gestational carrier, may not believe it will be difficult for her to hand over your baby to you after giving birth, there already have been legal actions taken in some cases that underscore the reality that it can be difficult for a woman to relinquish all ties to the baby they carried in their womb.
Sometimes the gestational carrier is a sibling or close friend to one of the intended parents. While this can bring an even deeper meaning and joy to the process, it also means there will be an ongoing social connection between everyone involved, including the surrogate and the child.
Gestational surrogacy is a beautiful, amazing possibility in one’s fertility journey, but it is one that should be carefully considered by all involved beforehand. Talk to your partner about all your concerns, and keep in mind that we have counseling services available to help you and your partner work through some of the emotional issues that comes with such a decision.
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Tags: Counseling Services, Deeper Meaning, Eggs, Embryos, Emotional Issues, Fertility Treatment, Gestational Carrier, Gestational Surrogacy, Giving Birth, Infertility, Journey, Legal Actions, Nbsp, Partner Work, Sibling, sperm, Surrogate, Ties, Vitro Fertilization, womb
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Monday, November 28th, 2011
If you’re new to the world of fertility treatments or are just beginning your research into it, chances are you’re being inundated with acronyms, some of which you may not know. Here’s a big one that you’ll see often — ART. Assisted Reproductive Technology is nothing like the art you did in grade school, but it is an art form in its own right, one where science and technology work together to create a masterpiece — human life.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ART refers to fertility treatments that involve the handling of both eggs and sperm. This can include procedures in which eggs are surgically removed from a woman’s ovaries, combined with sperm in the laboratory, and returned to the woman’s body (in-vitro fertilization) or donated to another woman. ART does not include treatments in which only sperm are handled, such as intrauterine insemination or artificial insemination, or procedures in which a woman takes medicine only to stimulate egg production.
Since 1981, ART has been used in the United States to assist women in their quests to become pregnant. According to the CDC, today more than 1 percent of all infants born in the U.S. were conceived using ART. Are you interested in ART helping to create your own masterpiece? Contact us for an appointment to discuss your options.
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Tags: Appointment, ART, Art Form, Artificial Insemination, Assisted Reproductive Technology, Cdc, Centers For Disease Control, Centers For Disease Control And Prevention, Disease Control And Prevention, Egg Production, Eggs, Fertility Treatment, Fertility Treatments, in vitro fertilization, Intrauterine Insemination, Masterpiece, Medicine, Science And Technology, Technology Work, Using Art, Vitro Fertilization, Woman Art
Posted in Fertility Info 101 | No Comments »
Monday, August 15th, 2011
If you’ve been investigating different types of fertility treatments, you may have come across the process known as blastocyst embryo transfer (sometimes referred to colloquially as “blast transfer”.)
The blastocyst embryo transfer procedure has been successfully used for decades; in fact, this was how the first “test tube baby” was conceived. However, it may seem a confusing process, so we at RSI, one of Philadelphia’s premiere fertility clinics, want to take the mystery out of the procedure.
First and foremost, it’s important to understand what a blastocyst is. As an embryo develops naturally, it sometimes becomes a collection of 100+ cells. This collection is referred to as a blastocyst and takes a little less than a week to reach this stage. The blastocyst has an outside (which will become the placenta) and an inside (which will become the fetus.)
Not all fertilized eggs become blastocysts; in fact, only about one fifth of them will reach this stage in nature, although some fertility specialists have been able to do better than that number in a clinical setting. They prefer to use blastocysts to do transfers, as they have a better chance of implanting than do other cells and thus producing a successful IVF treatment outcome.
Of course, there’s no guarantee that a blastocyst will implant. Even the most solid blastocyst embryo transfer doesn’t equate to a live birth. Yet it does increase the odds for parents-to-be.
If you’re interested in blastocyst embryo transfer, please contact RSI today for a consultation with one of our fertility specialists.
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Tags: Better Chance, Blastocyst Embryo, Blastocyst Transfer, Cells, Dr. Hearns, Dr. Munabi, Eggs, Embryo Transfer Procedure, Facebook, Fertility Clinics, Fertility Specialists, Fertility Treatment, Fertility Treatments, Fetus, First Test Tube Baby, IVF treatment, Live Birth, Odds, One Fifth, PA Infertility, Pennsylvania Infertility, Philadelphia Infertility, Placenta, Reading, Reproductive Science Institute of Suburban Philadlphia, Rsi, Test Tube Baby, Treatment Outcome, Wyomissing
Posted in blastocyst embryo transfer, Fertility Treatments | No Comments »
Friday, April 22nd, 2011
There are many considerations to keep in mind when contemplating whether or not fertility treatments are the right choice for you and your partner. And one of them is how to legally protect your rights to frozen embryos, ova and/or sperm.
For instance, a recent Australian Supreme Court case involving the legality of a fertility treatment has been making headlines. Jocelyn Edwards’ husband Mark died while the two were in the process of going forward with IVF treatments. Despite the tragedy, Jocelyn, 40, wished to go forward with the procedure and had doctors remove sperm from Mark’s body after his death (which is a controversy unto itself that goes beyond the scope of this post.)
Unfortunately, courts have thus far nixed her request because the country’s law necessitates her having the sperm donor’s written consent before she can go forward with fertility treatments. (Ironically, the consent forms were scheduled to be signed but Mark died before that occurred.)
So what does this case from halfway around the world have to do with you? Perhaps nothing… and perhaps everything.
Basically, it illustrates how important it is for anyone considering fertility treatments to take the time to get to know laws and rights surrounding assisted reproductive technique (ART) procedures, especially when frozen embryos, sperm, eggs, etc., are involved.
At RSI, we have the expertise to counsel our patients on such matters so legal problems like the one discussed above have less of a chance of occurring. And we always support couples contacting their attorneys (or an attorney who specializes in this arena) for law-related advice.
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Tags: Art Procedures, Assisted Reproductive Technique, Attorneys, Consent Forms, Controversy, Couples, Dr. Hearns, Dr. Munabi, Edwards, Eggs, Facebook, Fertility Treatment, Fertility Treatments, IVF treatments, Jocelyn, Philadelphia Infertility, Reproductive Science Institute, Reproductive Science Institute of Suburban Philadelphia, Right Choice, Rsi, Scope, sperm donor, Supreme Court Case, Tragedy, Twitter
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Wednesday, April 6th, 2011
In medical news…
Japanese researchers have reproduced sperm in an effort to better understand the process of spermatogenesis and possibly help increase infertile men’s abilities to naturally reproduce.
During numerous experiments, test tube-created sperm from infant mice cells were developed “artificially” in the lab environment and subsequently injected into female mice ova. The result? Healthy mouse babies that were all born fertile themselves.
Though this research has not been tested on other animals (and certainly not humans), the implications for men suffering from male infertility (or who may suffer from male infertility, as would be the case with young men undergoing cancer treatments) are abundant.
The Japanese scientists are highly encouraged by the idea that freezing testicular tissues before any male infertility issues arise (e.g., prior to chemotherapy or radiation), sperm can later be made in the laboratory and then used to fertilize eggs.
Quick stat:
Male infertility is estimated to affect approximately 30% of men around the world. Although most are what is considered to be “sub-fertile”, around 2% of all males are entirely infertile.
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Tags: Cancer Treatments, Cells, Chemotherapy, Dr. Munabi, Eggs, Female Mice, infertile men, Infertility, Infertility News, Infertility Treatments, Japanese Researchers, Japanese Scientists, Lab Environment, Male Infertility, Male Infertility Issues, Medical News, Process Of Spermatogenesis, Quick Stat, radiation, Reproductive Science Institute of Suburban Philadelphia, Rsi, Test Tube, Tissues, Young Men
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Friday, February 25th, 2011
It is understandable that individuals who fought cancer and are in remission want to go on and lead their normal lives. For those in the childbearing years, this could very likely include starting a family at some point. Unfortunately, though, the odds are high for female infertility in individuals who have undergone chemotherapy. Why do we only mention women, you may ask. Because women are born with their ovaries containing all the eggs they will ever have in their lives, where as men’s sperm is continually replenished throughout their reproductive lives. Thus, chemotherapy is much more likely to spread to and effect a woman’s ovaries than to have a long-lasting effect on a man’s sperm.
Luckily, there are so many options for a woman who wants to have children these days. If you have not yet undergone chemotherapy, but know that you will, talk to your doctor about the state of your health and whether a procedure of removing some of your eggs to have them frozen for future use would be something you could withstand prior to your chemotherapy treatments. If not, or if you have already undergone chemotherapy and now find that you are facing infertility, there are still plenty of options for you! You could look into egg donation and IVF or perhaps surrogacy. A study is also currently in the works in Melbourne, Australia, testing the effectiveness of goserelin in protecting the ovaries of the women to whom it has been administered prior to their chemotherapy treatments. Please feel free to contact us at RSI for a consultation or if you have any questions.
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Tags: Cancer, Chemotherapy, Chemotherapy Treatments, Childbearing Years, Consultation, Egg Donation, Eggs, female infertility, Goserelin, health, Infertility, IVF, Lead, Melbourne Australia, Odds, Ovaries, Reproductive Science, Rsi, sperm, surrogacy
Posted in Cancer, Infertility | No Comments »
Tuesday, January 25th, 2011
There are a lot of excuses that people who smoke use to justify continuing their habits:
It de-stresses me.
It’s a social thing.
I only smoke when I drink…
I’m addicted to nicotine and can’t quit.
I just like the feeling of it.
But no one ever says, “I smoke so I can get pregnant more easily.” That wouldn’t make sense… even to the most prolific smoker.
Smoking has long been known as a no-no during pregnancy, but it’s also been proven to negatively affect those going through fertility treatments. In males, smoking has been shown to lower testosterone and sperm count levels, two essential elements of fertilization. In females, smoking affects ova (eggs) and cervical mucus. Mix a smoking male and a smoking female together, and the implications for fertility issues are clear.
Even with the most up-to-date fertility treatments available, men and women who are smokers make it more difficult for them to have successful outcomes. Thus, it becomes important for them to stop smoking before fertility treatments begin.
How soon to begin a cessation program before fertility treatments start depends upon a number of factors. Consequently, you and your partner should converse with your fertility specialist to figure out when and how to quit. In the long run, it will not only help you increase your chances of becoming pregnant, but it will also give you a statistically better likelihood of living a longer, healthier life.
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Tags: Cervical Mucus, Cessation Program, Cigarette Habit, Eggs, Essential Elements, Female Fertility, Females, Fertility Issues, fertility rates, fertility specialist, Fertility Treatments, Fertilization, Likelihood, Men And Women, Nicotine, Pregnancy, RSI Infertility, Smoker, Smokers, Smoking Female, Sperm Count, Testosterone
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Wednesday, December 1st, 2010
From Tokyo, Japan, new findings are shedding light on some possible genetic links that can help doctors predict (and perhaps even overcome with the right interventions) infertility in their patients.
As with many studies of this nature, the research was conducted on mice. The mice were implanted with fertilized eggs, after which the gene that apparently created the ideal uterine environment for maintaining a pregnancy was isolated.
Without the gene’s presence, the Japanese researchers discovered that the fertilized egg could not properly be maintained by the host body. If the findings are able to translate to human females, it could assist reproductive health specialists in helping patients who are experiencing infertility.
Though more studies are expected to be conducted, it’s an exciting development in the science of infertility.
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Tags: Doctors, Egg, Eggs, Genetic Link, Genetic Links, Host Body, Human Females, Infertility, Interventions, Japanese Researchers, Japanese Scientists, Mice, Miracles, Pregnancy, Presence, Reproductive Health Specialists, Rsi, Science, Tokyo Japan, Translate
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Friday, October 22nd, 2010
In news that pleasantly surprised fertility specialists around the globe and heartened would-be parents, an embryo that had been frozen for 20 years was used to fertilize a 42-year-old woman who could not conceive naturally. (The two-decade old embryo was from an unrelated donor.) The woman is a resident of the United States and gave birth in May to a healthy boy.
The news item raises some interesting questions, including how long an embryo can stay viable while frozen. Some fertility doctors speculate that 20 years isn’t even close to the length of time that’s potentially possible. One recent study even estimated that the passage of 40 years wouldn’t be a problem if the embryo had been stored correctly.
This gives great hope to women who decide to freeze their eggs at an early age if they know they are going to undergo a procedure such as radiation or chemotherapy which can rob them of their fertility. Using a surrogate, if necessary, they can use their own frozen embryos to create new life.
Tags: Chemotherapy, Decade, Eggs, embryo, Fertility Doctors, Fertility Specialists, Frozen Embryos, Globe, Interesting Questions, Length Of Time, Miracles, News Item, Old Woman, Parents, radiation, Surrogate, United States, Unrelated Donor
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Tuesday, September 28th, 2010
Melatonin, the compound that is found in the body and has been shown to help regulate sleep rhythms as well as increase some people’s resistance to conditions such as seasonal affective disorder (SAD), may be a boon for women going through IVF treatments.
In fact, a presentation of a study at the World Congress of Fertility and Sterility strongly proved that females who were given doses of melatonin during IVF treatments were shown to double their chances at pregnancy.
The scientists who initiated the study feel that because melatonin is an oxidizer, it may help to mitigate damage to eggs that have been harmed. During their IVF treatmentstudy at Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, researchers discovered that women who were given melatonin more than doubled their chances of having an egg fertilized through the IVF process.
More research will be done, of course, but the findings could open the doors for stronger success rates among females undergoing IVF treatments.
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Tags: Boon, Egg, Eggs, Females, Fertility And Sterility, IVF treatment, IVF treatments, Melatonin, Miracles, Oxidizer, Pregnancy, Resistance, Rhythms, School Of Medicine, Seasonal Affective Disorder, Success Rates, Sunny Skies, University Graduate School, World Congress, Yamaguchi University
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