Posts Tagged ‘IVF’
Monday, March 14th, 2011
Despite the fact that excellent fertility information is available online and in research papers, plenty of people are still buying into fertility myths and misconceptions.
That’s why we’ve decided to provide a little fertility information of our own in order to help you understand the topic area better.
Myth #1: Just Relax and You’ll Get Pregnant
One piece of fertility information that drives reproductive health specialists crazy is the notion that relaxation alone will guarantee pregnancy. In fact, this “home remedy advice” is touted left and right.
It would be great if this were true… but it’s simply not. The majority of cases of infertility have their roots in medical problems/issues. So while it IS a terrific idea to adopt a relaxed attitude when possible, it’s also necessary to contact a fertility specialist if you and your partner are struggling to conceive naturally.
Myth #2: Fertility Treatments are Always Going to Cost a Bundle
Until you know what kind of fertility treatment is right for you, there’s honestly no way to know exactly how much you’ll pay.
Do some individuals and couples end up paying more than others? Of course. But every situation is highly unique; yours may be one that requires a small investment in a drug like Clomid or a higher investment in a procedure such as IVF or IUI. But to assume that you “can’t afford” fertility treatments until you know the facts isn’t a smart way to approach your reproductive health.
In an upcoming post we’ll tackle fertility information myths three through five… see you then!
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Tags: Clomid, Couples, Fertility Issues, Fertility Myths, fertility specialist, Fertility Treatment, Fertility Treatments, Home Remedy, Infertility, IUI, IVF, Medical Problems, Misconceptions, Myth 2, Myths, Notion, One Piece, Relaxation, Relaxed Attitude, Reproductive Health Specialists, Reproductive Science Institute, Research Papers, Rsi, Terrific Idea
Posted in Infertility, Myths & Misconceptions | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011
Endometriosis is a relatively common disorder that afflicts approximately 5.5 million American women at any one time. A disorder affecting the genitalia, endometriosis is more than just an annoyance. In fact, females with endometriosis typically experience such symptoms as pain (e.g., severe cramps, intense bowel movements, discomfort during sex), very heavy vaginal bleeding, fatigue and, in a third of patients, infertility.
Ironically, infertility that stems from endometriosis may be misdiagnosed because not all women with the condition realize they suffer from it. Many simply assume that their pain is a “woman problem” related to menstruation rather than a problem that can cost them their ability to conceive. (This isn’t surprisingly, truly; for many females, endometriosis pain worsens during periods. Thus, the physical distress would seem to be connected to monthly bleeding rather than a condition of its own.)
Endometriosis typically worsens as women age, so early diagnosis is the best way to ensure that infertility treatments are attempted as soon as possible. However, even if a female with endometriosis is not diagnosed until later in life AND has been having fertility issues, she can still become pregnant through assisted reproductive techniques (ART).
Two of the most common treatments used to help those with endometriosis conceive are IUI (intrauterine insemination) and IVF (in vitro fertilization). Because these procedures position embryos directly into the woman’s womb, it becomes unnecessary for her body to go through all the other steps naturally associated with conception. Therefore, her chances of having a successful pregnancy are increased.
To learn more about endometriosis, infertility and other similar topics, visit RSI’s website today.
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Tags: 5 Million, American Women, Annoyance, Assisted Reproductive Techniques, Bowel Movements, Cramps, Diagnosis, Discomfort During Sex, Endometriosis, Fatigue, Females, Fertility Issues, Infertility, Infertility Treatments, Intrauterine Insemination, IVF, Physical Distress, Reproductive Science Institute, Rsi, Vaginal Bleeding, Vitro Fertilization, womb
Posted in Endometriosis | No Comments »
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 »
Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011
Perhaps you can relate to this scenario: After a year or two or maybe more of trying to get pregnant, your doctor breaks the news that your most likely options for having a child are egg donation or surrogacy. You and your partner are devastated that your dream of raising a child has been dashed. It is perfectly normal and appropriate to grieve over this news.
However, you are not alone. First of all, there are counselors and fertility specialists who can help you walk through your decision. At RSI we treat every patient with compassion and carefully help them consider their options. It is our #1 priority to help you successfully become parents. Secondly, there are millions of other couples out there who have found themselves in your shoes and are now parents. Look through websites and agencies to read some testimonials of people who have started their families by way of egg donation, surrogacy and gestational carrier. You may appreciate knowing that the Reproductive Science Institute of Suburban Philadelphia, P.C. has excellent egg donor and surrogate programs.
If you are new to all of this, some things to think about before your first appointment with your chosen infertility doctor:
Egg Donation: A donated egg will often be fertilized by the male partner’s sperm and the resulting embryo will then be implanted via IVF either into the female partner’s uterus or that of a surrogate. Many egg donors choose to remain anonymous but every once in awhile you will have the option to know more about your egg donor. In rare, but not unusual, cases, an egg donor might be a family member or friend of the couple.
Surrogacy: A surrogate always is impregnated via IVF, either with an embryo created by the male partner’s sperm and a donor egg or by an embryo created by the sperm and egg of both partners in the couple hoping to be parents (in this case, the surrogate is referred to as a gestational carrier). Again, it is typical to choose a surrogate carrier by way of an agency or often through your fertility clinic but every once in awhile, a couple will have a known family member or friend carry their baby.
After you’ve taken some time to process your situation, schedule a consultation as a couple with a fertility clinic that you have found based on recommendations or based on its reputation. From that point on, the health professionals at your clinic will: see to it that each and every one of your questions is answered; help you assess all the options available to you based on your unique situation; carefully guide you through the screening and selection process of choosing either an egg donor or surrogate if that is the route you choose to take. We wish you the very best of luck!
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Tags: Counselors, Donor Egg, Dr. Munabi, Egg Donation, Egg Donor, Egg Donors, embryo, Family Member, Female Partner, fertility clinic, Fertility Specialists, Gestational Carrier, Infertility, Infertility Doctor, IVF, Male Partner, Reproductive Science Institute, Reproductive Science Institute of Suburban Philadelphia, Rsi, sperm donor, Suburban Philadelphia, surrogacy, Surrogate Programs, Uterus
Posted in Egg Donation, surrogacy | No Comments »
Thursday, February 17th, 2011
You may have heard that babies conceived by way of in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) very often have birth weights that are lower than average. Dr. Gwendolyn H. Woldringh and a team of her colleagues at the Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center in the Netherlands set out to research whether this fact has a long-lasting impact on IVF and ICSI children.
The birth weight of IVF-ISCI babies shows to be, on average, 3% lower in boys and 2% lower in girls than normally conceived babies. The findings of the study, however, determined that, in general, no noticeable differences were apparent in weight or other characteristics by the age of four, regardless of the method in which a child was conceived.
So if you have been considering IVF or ICSI as a means to treat your struggles with infertility, don’t be discouraged or dissuaded by anything you hear regarding low birth weight or late development of children conceived in these ways!
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Tags: Array, Babies, Birth Weights, Colleagues, Fertilization Ivf, Girls, Gwendolyn, Icsi, Infertility, Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection, IVF, Ivf Icsi, Low Birth Weight, Medical Center, Netherlands, Noticeable Differences, Radboud University, Sperm Injection, Vitro Fertilization
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Monday, February 7th, 2011
A couple in Plano, Texas just celebrated the 1st birthday of their twin daughters. After years of facing infertility and recurrent pregnancy loss, they finally achieved their dream of becoming parents through a somewhat unique method. They used a gestational carrier, which is like surrogacy in the sense that another woman carries a couple’s baby for the term of pregnancy for them. Gestational carriers differ from surrogacy in that the pregnant woman and the baby or babies she is carrying do not share any biological connection. A surrogate mother’s own eggs are contributed to the baby she carries. When a couple opts to use a gestational carrier, an embryo is created of his own sperm and her own egg(s) and the embryo(s) are then placed into the uterus of the gestational carrier by way of IVF.
This couple’s journey included five miscarriages of pregnancies achieved through intrauterine insemination (IUI). At the recommendation of their fertility doctor, they took the route of using a gestational carrier and have been overjoyed with the results! They took advantage of the laws in Texas that allowed them to utilize this method of assisted reproductive technology. The laws vary in every state regarding surrogacy and are even more strict when it comes to gestational carriers. We congratulate this Texas couple on their success and joy over their one-year-old daughters!
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Tags: Assisted Reproductive Technology, Becoming Parents, Biological Connection, embryo, Fertility Doctor, First Birthday, Gestational Carrier, Gestational Carriers, Infertility, Intrauterine Insemination Iui, IUI, IVF, Miscarriages, Plano Texas, Pregnancies, Pregnant Woman, recurrent pregnancy loss, surrogacy, Surrogate Mother, Texas Couple, Twin Daughters, Uterus
Posted in In the News, surrogacy | No Comments »
Friday, February 4th, 2011
Maybe you’ve known that you have endometriosis ever since you started menstruating as a girl and have always dealt with painful periods. Or maybe you didn’t realize that you have endometriosis until you began trying to get pregnant and found that it could be the cause for your struggles with fertility. Whatever your experience, it is never pleasant to deal with, but there are options for endometriosis treatment or infertility treatment.
If you’re reading this and you don’t really know what we’re talking about, endometriosis is a condition in which the tissue that normally lines the uterus (the endometrial tissue) grows around other organs where it isn’t meant to be. Most often, these include the ovaries, fallopian tubes, outer surface of the uterus and other abdominal organs. The extra growth of this tissue can bleed during menstruation, which is the reason for painful periods. Scar tissue can also develop, causing disruption in the way that that organ functions. This is the most typical reason for cause of infertility with women who have endometriosis.
The most common treatment for endometriosis is through hormone therapy and, morse specifically, birth control in many cases. If you are a woman who is wanting to get pregnant in the near future or has already been trying to get pregnant, this type of treatment is obviously not a good choice for you. There is a laparoscopic surgery you could opt for, or many women with endometriosis and fertility issues have been helped by way of IVF. If you have struggled with infertility and are just beginning to explore your options, or if you have further questions about endometriosis, don’t hesitate to contact us!
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Tags: Abdominal Organs, Birth Control, cause for infertility, cause of infertility, Disruption, Endometrial Tissue, Endometriosis, endometriosis treatment, Fallopian Tubes, Fertility, Fertility Issues, Fertility Treatment, Hormone Therapy, Infertility, Infertility Treatment, IVF, Laparoscopic Surgery, Morse, Organ Functions, Outer Surface, Painful Periods, Pregnant, Scar Tissue, Uterus
Posted in Endometriosis | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011
For mother Penny Jarvis-Stephens of South Yorkshire, England, the decision to freeze some of her own eggs for her daughter’s future use was an easy one. Penny’s daughter, Mackenzie, is only two years old, but was born with Turner Syndrome which is known to cause infertility. While Mackenzie would obviously not use the eggs for a long time, Penny wants to plan ahead for her daughter’s future. She wants Mackenzie to have the option to experience the joys of motherhood as she, a mother of five, has. The chances are extremely high, though, given Mackenzie’s condition with Turner Syndrome, that one of her only chances for having a child would be through IVF. Thus, Penny is looking into the process of freezing donor eggs now while she is still within child-bearing age. “I’m looking at it as donating an organ,” Penny explains.
Some might think of this as a thoughtful gesture on the part of this mother. Such is not the case for everyone, however. Penny has received a number of negative comments, some even abusive, on an internet forum where she had posted her plans. This controversy begs the question as to whether people are opposed to IVF egg donors being family members or just between the case of mother and daughter? Or is the controversy simply brought up because the eggs are intended for a child who is not even close to being of an age of considering using those eggs? Whatever anyone’s opinion may be, we hope that Penny receives the best counsel on how to accomplish the plan that she has chosen.
Have you ever considered using a donor egg? Or perhaps donating your own eggs? We are more than happy to provide more information or answer any questions you may have about either process!
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Tags: Controversy, Donating Eggs, Donor Egg, Donor Eggs, Egg Donors, Family Members, Infertility, Internet Forum, IVF, Jarvis, Joys Of Motherhood, Long Time, Mackenzie, Mother And Daughter, Negative Comments, One Penny, South England, South Yorkshire England, Thoughtful Gesture, Turner Syndrome, Yorkshire
Posted in Egg Donation, In the News | No Comments »
Friday, January 14th, 2011
Even if you’re having difficulty getting pregnant, you still have to prepare your body for the possibility of carrying a baby, especially if you’re planning on IVF or IUI treatments.
Therefore, we’ve put together a few suggestions on how to make your physical health and wellness a part of your new year’s resolutions:
Exercise
Now, exercise doesn’t have to mean running a marathon, nor does it have to involve a gym. Just adding long walks or bike rides to your day can increase your heart rate and improve your cardiovascular performance levels.
Nutrition
Don’t call it a “diet” because you’re unlikely to stick with it. Consider it a lifestyle change and plan on eating more fruits, veggies and whole grains. Your body will adjust to the tastes and you’ll find yourself craving less sugar, fats, etc.
Mental/Emotional “Exercise”
Stimulate yourself mentally every day. Read a little poetry. (Or, if you’re inclined, write a little poetry!) Do crossword puzzles. Listen to classical music. Stimulate yourself on an intellectual level and you’ll tap into areas of your brain that perhaps aren’t being used regularly.
Spiritual
Spirituality doesn’t have to mean religion. It can simply be the feeling that you get when you take a walk in the woods and “commune” with nature. Find peace in your body, mind and spirit and you’ll be better prepared for fertility treatments.
It’s your turn! How have you prepared (OR are you preparing) for IVF, IUI or other fertility treatments?
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Tags: Bike Rides, Body Mind And Spirit, Crossword Puzzles, Fats, Fertility Treatments, Few Suggestions, Health And Wellness, Heart Rate, Intellectual Level, IUI, IVF, Lifestyle Change, Long Walks, Marathon, Mind And Spirit, Performance Levels, Physical Health, Reproductive Science Institute, Resolutions, Rsi, Running Marathon, Walk In The Woods, Whole Grains
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Monday, January 10th, 2011
Want to know what your chances of fertility success IVF are going to be? Though it might seem counterintuitive, your computer could hold the answers… or so say programmers who’ve created what they consider to be an accurate way to measure whether or not your body is in a position to conceive sooner rather than later.
It’s a significant claim to make – the notion that answering a few questions could possibly make a prediction that even fertility specialists with decades of experience under their belts cannot promise. Yet it’s also unlikely to hurt any couple as long as they use the computer program with a healthy dose of the reality of the situation.
While a woman’s response to IVF can definitely be monitored and tracked, there’s no “magic bullet” that can pinpoint the time when she’s absolutely, positively going to become pregnant. However, this software boasts a 99% accuracy rating.
The online IVF predictor calculator was developed in the United Kingdom. As we learn more about it, we’ll provide you with information regarding the software and how it works. Until that time, we suggest you consider it as yet another tool to use in your reproductive journey.
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Tags: Accuracy, Belts, Computer Program, Decades, Fertility Software, Fertility Specialists, Fertility Success, IVF, Journey, Magic Bullet, Notion, Online Calculator, Online Software, Pregnant, Programmers, Reproductive Science Institute, Rsi, United Kingdom
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
A Mother’s Plan to Freeze Eggs for Her Daughter
Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011For mother Penny Jarvis-Stephens of South Yorkshire, England, the decision to freeze some of her own eggs for her daughter’s future use was an easy one. Penny’s daughter, Mackenzie, is only two years old, but was born with Turner Syndrome which is known to cause infertility. While Mackenzie would obviously not use the eggs for a long time, Penny wants to plan ahead for her daughter’s future. She wants Mackenzie to have the option to experience the joys of motherhood as she, a mother of five, has. The chances are extremely high, though, given Mackenzie’s condition with Turner Syndrome, that one of her only chances for having a child would be through IVF. Thus, Penny is looking into the process of freezing donor eggs now while she is still within child-bearing age. “I’m looking at it as donating an organ,” Penny explains.
Some might think of this as a thoughtful gesture on the part of this mother. Such is not the case for everyone, however. Penny has received a number of negative comments, some even abusive, on an internet forum where she had posted her plans. This controversy begs the question as to whether people are opposed to IVF egg donors being family members or just between the case of mother and daughter? Or is the controversy simply brought up because the eggs are intended for a child who is not even close to being of an age of considering using those eggs? Whatever anyone’s opinion may be, we hope that Penny receives the best counsel on how to accomplish the plan that she has chosen.
Have you ever considered using a donor egg? Or perhaps donating your own eggs? We are more than happy to provide more information or answer any questions you may have about either process!
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Tags: Controversy, Donating Eggs, Donor Egg, Donor Eggs, Egg Donors, Family Members, Infertility, Internet Forum, IVF, Jarvis, Joys Of Motherhood, Long Time, Mackenzie, Mother And Daughter, Negative Comments, One Penny, South England, South Yorkshire England, Thoughtful Gesture, Turner Syndrome, Yorkshire
Posted in Egg Donation, In the News | No Comments »