Posts Tagged ‘Fertility Treatments’
Friday, December 9th, 2011
Fertility treatments can seem like a miracle for couples that haven’t been able to conceive a child on their own. But such scientific miracles come at a price, and that cost often isn’t fully covered — if at all — by most health insurance providers. Couples who are struggling to make up the difference have some important folks on their side: Rep. John Lewis (Ga.), who just introduced a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives that would provide eligible taxpayers a tax credit for the out-of-pocket expenses associated with fertility treatments.
The bill is co-sponsored by Rosa DeLauro (CT), William Keating (MA) and Richard Neal (MA) and is called Family Act of 2011. The tax credit would apply to expenses related to in vitro fertilization and treatments to preserve fertility for cancer patients.
The tax credit is modeled after an existing tax credit available to taxpayers who incur adoption expenses. It mirrors the Family Act, S 965, introduced in the U.S. Senate by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (NY) in May.
This is an exciting development for families who could use the tax credit to help them leap over that last hurdle standing in the way of their dreams of growing their family.
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Tags: Adoption Expenses, Cancer Patients, Eligible Taxpayers, Family Act, Fertility Treatment, Fertility Treatments, Health Insurance, Health Insurance Providers, House Of Representatives, John Lewis, Kirsten Gillibrand, Last Hurdle, Miracle, Miracles, Pocket Expenses, Richard Neal, Rosa Delauro, Tax credit, U S Senate, Vitro Fertilization
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Friday, December 2nd, 2011
When couples show up at our clinic for their first appointment regarding fertility treatments, they bring a united front. They hold hands. They look at each other lovingly, excitedly. They are hopeful for the future they are working toward together.
Although undergoing fertility treatments is in itself a testament to the strength and future of a partnership, the actual process can emotionally wear down even the strongest couple. It is a strenuous process that can sometimes include setbacks, frustrations and fears. It’s difficult for partners to put into words their own fears because they don’t want to let down their partner.
It’s important to focus on this truth, that undergoing fertility treatments can bond you in ways you never dreamed possible. It has the ability to bolster your relationship and allow you to discover new strengths about each other. The key to making that happen is communication. Don’t be afraid to express to your partner your concerns, your doubts, your fears and most especially your hopes and dreams. Talk about what is happening to both of you, regardless of which one of you is undergoing the physical treatment at the moment. Remember that this is a journey you are both on together. Don’t lose sight of that!
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Tags: Appointment, Communication, Couples, Discover, Doubts, Dr. Hearns, Dr. Munabi, Dr. Munavi, Express, Fears, Fertility Treatment, Fertility Treatments, Focus, Frustrations, Hopes And Dreams, Journey, Nbsp, PA Infertility, Partnership, Reading, Relationship, Reproductive Science Institute of Suburban Philadelphia, Rsi, Setbacks, Testament, Truth, United Front, Wyomissing
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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 »
Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011
Sean and Carolyn Savage of Toledo, Ohio, introduced their twins Regan and Isabella to the world on NBC’s Today Show last week, bringing the Savages’ story of surrogacy and in-vitro fertilization full circle, with a happy ending — times two!
The Savages first made headlines in 2009 when, in a quest to expand their family of five to a family of six, Carolyn underwent IVF. But shortly after she became pregnant using the fertility treatment, they were shocked by the news that another couple’s embryo had been implanted — she was carrying someone else’s child. Carolyn decided to carry the baby, a healthy boy named Logan, to full term and return him to his biological parents. They wrote a book, “Inconceivable,” about their journey.
After Logan was born, Carolyn knew she couldn’t take her chances on another high-risk pregnancy (the couple has three older children) but still wanted to expand their family. So they turned to surrogacy to make their family dreams come true, and were blessed with twins, which their surrogate carried for them.
The Savages are an example of the miracle of modern medicine and what fertility treatments can do for a family. They are an inspiration and we wish them all the best with their five healthy children!
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Tags: biological parents, Carolyn Savage, Dr. Hearns, Dr. Munabi, embryo, Family Dreams, Fertility Treatment, Fertility Treatments, High Risk Pregnancy, Isabella, Logan, Miracle, Modern Medicine, Nbc, PA Infertility, Philadelphia Infertility, Reading, Regan, S Child, Savages, surrogacy, Surrogate, Today Show, Toledo Ohio, Vitro Fertilization, Wyomissing
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Monday, November 21st, 2011
How much do women know about common fertility issues? Perhaps not as much as you might think.
In a recent survey sponsored by biopharmaceutical firm EMD Serono Inc., with investigators from RESOLVE, the National Infertility Association, more than 50 percent of the 1,000 women questioned failed to correctly answer at least seven out of 10 basic fertility questions.
The questions that stumped many of them had to do with infertility as it relates to age and how long it may take to get pregnant at ages 20, 30, and 40. That’s not surprising, given the boon of health and beauty products that purport to keep a woman looking and feeling young as she ages. The problem is, there’s no magic anti-aging tonic for a woman’s reproductive system, which does continue to decline with time, making it considerably harder for a woman to conceive at 40 than at 20.
Researchers found that women think they can easily conceive into their late 30s and early 40s because celebrities make it look so easy. What they don’t realize, however, is that celebrities often call on fertility treatments, including in-vitro fertilization, donor eggs and surrogacy, to increase their chances of having a baby later in life.
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Tags: 40s, Boon, Celebrities, Donor Eggs, Dr. Hearns, Dr. Munabi, Fertility Decline, Fertility Issues, Fertility Treatment, Fertility Treatments, Having A Baby, Health And Beauty, Health And Beauty Products, Health Products, Infertility, Investigators, National Infertility Association, PA Infertility, Philadelphia Infertility, Reading, Reproductive System, Serono Inc, surrogacy, Tonic, Vitro Fertilization, Wyomissing
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Monday, November 14th, 2011
If you’ve ever seen TLC’s “The Little Couple, you know stars Bill Klein and Jen Arnold have been working with a surrogate to help them have a baby. In the season finale this spring, the couple found out the surrogate was pregnant.
Well last week the couple received bad news — the surrogate has had a miscarriage. It is a devastating turn of events for the couple, as they were using a surrogate to increase their chances for a healthy baby. Because of Arnold’s health issues, carrying a pregnancy is a serious health risk; in fact it could even threaten her life. Also, the use of IVF technology can help them avoid passing on the genetic cause of their skeletal dysplasia, a disease that can be deadly for their baby. Using pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, doctors are able to identify which embryos carry the genetic disease. Then, they can transfer healthy embryos to the surrogate’s uterus.
Time will tell if the couple opts to try again with their current fertility plan of using IVF technology and a surrogate. We certainly wish them well, and view them as an inspiration and an example of just what is possible with technological advancements in fertility treatments and surrogacy.
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Tags: Arnold, Bad News, Bill Klein, Dr. Hearns, Dr. Munabi, Embryos, Fertility Treatment, Fertility Treatments, Genetic Cause, Genetic Diagnosis, Genetic Disease, Health Issues, Health Risk, Implantation, IVF technology, Miscarriage, PA Infertility, Philadelphia Infertility, pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, Reading PA Infer, Reproductive Science Institute of Suburban Philadelphia, Rsi, Season Finale, Serious Health, Setback, Skeletal Dysplasia, Surrogacy Journey, Surrogate, Technological Advancements, Tlc, Uterus, Wyomissing
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Friday, November 11th, 2011
If you’ve been trying to conceive for awhile, you know the anxiety of the two-week wait (known in online forums and message boards as the acronym TWW). It’s that period of time between ovulation and your expected period, when you’re waiting to see if your efforts to conceive worked or whether you’re going to have to try again next month.
This is a torturous time period for any woman wanting to get pregnant, and that stress is magnified when you’re undergoing fertility treatments. In those instances, there are often family members and friends who are keeping up with your efforts, and they’re waiting and hoping to hear about a successful pregnancy right along with you. Also there’s money on the line, not to mention the physical, mental and emotional effort you’ve put into treatment process and all the procedures that come with it.
Whether or not you’re undergoing fertility treatments, here are a few tips to help you handle the two-week wait.
- Stop obsessing about symptoms. The more you Google “pregnancy symptoms” the more you stress about not having any. Every woman’s body experiences pregnancy differently, and just because your breasts aren’t tender or you’re not nauseated in the morning doesn’t mean you’re not pregnant. You don’t have to “feel” pregnant to be pregnant, so don’t be consumed by phantom symptoms that don’t necessarily mean anything.
- Ease up on the pregnancy tests. All those pregnancy tests that claim to be able to detect a pregnancy earlier and earlier do little more than disappoint and waste your money. It’s called a two-week wait for a reason, and every single line on a failed pregnancy test will do nothing more than shake your confidence.
- Tune in to TWW stress triggers — and then tune them out. If you get depressed and stressed every time you log onto your “trying to conceive” message board and read about another woman’s good news, maybe it’s time to take a little break from that outlet. If a friend who knows you’re undergoing the process asks every morning at the office if you “feel any different” and it makes your worry even more, tell her to stop asking, and that she’ll be among the first to hear the good news when it happens
We know it seems like a lifetime, but trust us: The clock does not slow down. Those 14 days will go by quickly in the grand scheme of things, and hopefully you’ll have good news waiting on the other side of the wait.
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Tags: Acronym, anxiety, Body Experiences, Breasts, Dr. Hearns, Dr. Munabi, Emotional Effort, Family Members, Fertility Treatments, Google, Instances, Little Break, Obsessing, Online Forums, Ovulation, PA Infertility, Period Of Time, Philadelphia Infertility, Pregnancy Symptoms, Pregnancy Test, Pregnancy Tests, Reading, Single Line, successful pregnancy, Time Period, Trying To Conceive, Trying To Conceive Message Board, two-week wait, Wyomissing
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Wednesday, November 9th, 2011
With so many in the media and out in the world talking so openly about fertility treatments these days, some acronyms and catch phrases are becoming commonplace. In particular, many people recognize the acronym IVF and the procedure it stands for — in-vitro fertilization.
But IVF is not the only kind of with fertility treatments available — not by a long shot! There are other avenues for couples to take in their journey toward conceiving a child with medical assistance. One such procedure, called intrauterine insemination, helps scores of people who are having trouble conceiving. It is less expensive than IVF, though its success rate is lower. Here’s a little bit more about IUI:
- How does IUI work? In the IUI procedure, a catheter containing washed sperm is inserted through the cervix. The sperm is then pushed into the uterus in the hopes of fertilization with an ovum.
- When does IUI take place? IUI is typically scheduled within 6 hours (before or after) of a woman’s ovulation. (hCG injections may be used to ensure ovulation.) Timing is critical because sperm can only last 24-72 hours and are typically considered less viable after 24 hours.
- Does it hurt? Most women report very little discomfort during the procedure.
- Who is IUI most suited for? Since the IUI procedure manipulates the placement of sperm, IUI may be very effective in cases of male infertility. Also, since the IUI procedure accesses the uterus directly, it may be a good choice for women who suffer from cervical mucus problems.
- What is the success rate of IUI? Success rates vary quite a bit. Some studies report the success rate to be as little as 4-8%; others claim it is closer to 20%.
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Tags: Catch Phrases, Catheter, Cervical Mucus, Cervix, conceiving a child, Dr. Hearns, Dr. Munabi, Fertility Treatment, Fertility Treatments, Hcg Injections, in vitro fertilization, Intrauterine Insemination, IUI, Iui Procedure, Iui Success Rates, IVF, Male Infertility, Medical Assistance, mucus problems, Ovulation, Ovulation Timing, ovum, PA Infertility, Philadelphia Infertility, Reading, sperm, Success Rate, Twitter, Uterus, Vitro Fertilization, Wyomissing
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Monday, November 7th, 2011
The decision to undergo fertility treatments is a complex and difficult one. You have to be ready physically, mentally and emotionally before embarking on such an important, life-changing journey. But once you have your heart, body and mind set on the goal of getting help with your fertility issues, the last thing you want to worry about is the way to finance that medical assistance your family needs to make its dreams come true.
Some couples avoid the talk of seeking fertility assistance simply because they believe the cost of fertility treatments is too much for them to handle. While it’s crucial to plan for the financial aspect of fertility treatments, there are several options for financing that can help make your dream a reality. Your financing options include:
- Insurance. The first place to start is with your insurance coverage. Fertility benefits vary by insurance provider as well as employer. Some plans cover laboratory services only, while others provide extensive coverage. Few plans provide full coverage for fertility treatments, but you don’t know how much coverage you can count on until you ask.
- Credit card. If you have been a loyal customer in good standing, your credit card issuer may increase your line of credit (sometimes at a reduced rate) that you can use as part of your fertility financing plan.
- Assets and investments. You may be able to use a home equity line of credit, or take a loan against your 401K or other investment.
- Grants. Nonprofit organizations such as B.U.M.P.S Inc. (http://www.yourbump.org) raise money and award grants to assist couples in need of financial assistance for fertility treatments.
- Savings. Many couples dip into their savings to help fund treatments.
We understand that cost is a major factor in your infertility plan. If you have already identified your treatment options and are comparing prices, please contact our financial counselor at 610-981-6000.
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Tags: Award Grants, Comparing Prices, cost of fertility treatments, Credit Card Issuer, Dollars And Sense, Dr. Hearns, Dr. Munabi, Equity Line Of Credit, Fertility Assistance, fertility benefits, fertility financing, Fertility Issues, Fertility Treatment, Fertility Treatments, Financial Aspect, Financial Counselor, Financing Infertility, Financing Options, Funding Infertility, Home Equity Line, Home Equity Line Of Credit, Infertility, Insurance Coverage, Insurance Provider, Investment Grants, Laboratory Services, Loyal Customer, PA Infertility, Plan Assets, Reading, Wyomissing
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Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011
If you’re interested in learning more about infertility, it’s important to first have a good amount of knowledge about the topic area.
Below, we’ve put together eight basic facts on fertility to help you get started. If you want to learn more, contact the Reproductive Science Institute (RSI) today to set up a consultation. And please understand that your case is unique to your situation. That’s why it’s so important to get advice from a reputable, experienced fertility specialist who can help you make decisions as to your reproductive concerns.
8 Basic Fertility Facts:
- Two-thirds of couples or individuals treated for infertility go on to have healthy pregnancies and children.
- One-third of women over 35 will experience some kind of fertility issue.
- In 2010, over 7 million American men and women sought help for their infertility issues.
- Ovarian cysts are the most common cause of infertility in females in the United States.
- Infertility statistics for 2011 have risen from those for 2010. This may be because of many factors, including couples marrying later in life and/or the willingness to seek out fertility treatments as opposed to adopting or simply not having children.
- 11.8 percent of women between the ages of 15 and 44 have impaired fecundity.
- 7.4 percent of married women can be clinically classified as infertile.
- In America, there are almost 2 million reported pregnancy losses each year. (This is compared with over 4 million live births.)
Sources: National Women’s Health Information Center, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Tags: American Men, Centers For Disease Control, Centers For Disease Control And Prevention, Disease Control And Prevention, Dr. Hearns, Dr. Munabi, Fecundity, Fertility Issue, fertility specialist, Fertility Treatment, Fertility Treatments, Having Children, Health Information Center, Infertility, Infertility Issues, Live Births, Married Women, National Women, Ovarian Cysts, PA Infertility, Philadelphia Infertility, Pregnancy Losses, Reproductive Concerns, Reproductive Science Institute, Wyomissing
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