Posts Tagged ‘womb’
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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Friday, October 21st, 2011
It’s long been known that women’s fertility dips as they get older (and especially after they are in their mid-30s), but the traditional belief has been that males didn’t have this issue.
This may not be the case, according to a Colorado study performed in conjunction with the National Foundation for Fertility Research (NFFR) that has concluded that sperm from middle- and older-aged male mice is not as viable as that from younger male mice.
In the mice, sperm quality began to decline in their middle years, which would be roughly 40 years of age in a human man. And if the findings translate from mice to men, it could shed some light on male infertility.
For instance, a couple who is having fertility issues may find that the problem lies with the sperm quality of the man if he is in or past middle age. Should this be the case, there are options that could help the partners conceive using the strongest of his sperm as determined in a laboratory setting.
Key results of the study showed that sperm from midlife and older mice produced embryos that:
- Were less likely to implant in the woman’s uterus than were those from younger male mice.
- Were less likely to develop in the womb if they were able to implant.
If you would like to learn more about male infertility or other fertility issues, please contact the Reproductive Science Institute (RSI) to schedule a consultation.
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Tags: Colorado Study, Dips, Dr. Hearns, Dr. Munabi, Fertility Issues, Fertility Research, Fertility Treatment, Human Man, Infertility, Male Fertility, Male Infertility, Male Mice, Mid 30s, Middle Age, Midlife, National Foundation, Nffr, PA Infertility, Philadelphia Infertility, Reproductive Science Institute, sperm, Traditional Belief, Uterus, womb, Wyomissing
Posted in Male Infertility | 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
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Monday, January 3rd, 2011
It’s not rare to hear of multiple births when discussing the subject of assisted reproductive techniques; however, it’s quite unusual for IVF triplets to be born 11 years apart from one another! But that’s exactly what happened last month…
This past December, 2010, twin sisters from Britain received a wonderful holiday surprise – another female sibling to round out their family. And best of all, this sibling was particularly special, as she was, in all essence, their biological “twin”, thus turning the girls into triplets.
All three were born using IVF whereby the embryos had been fertilized outside the womb and then medically implanted into the biological mother, Lisa Shepherd.
The Shepherds had originally given birth to their twins 11 years ago, but decided last year they wanted to use the remaining embryos (left from the original IVF treatment) to try to conceive one more time. As it was a success, they now have three girls who are essentially “triplets” of differing ages.
Again, this is an unusual story, but a joyful one. It also shows the viability of embryos that have been frozen for years and then used later for IVF. As reproductive science research advances farther, there’s little doubt that even more amazing “in the news” IVF stories will appear.
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Tags: 11 Years, 3 Words, Assisted Reproductive Techniques, Biological Mother, Decade, Embryos, Female Sibling, Holiday Surprise, IVF treatment, Lisa Shepherd, Mother Lisa, Multiple Births, Reproductive Science, Rsi, Science Research, Three Girls, Triplets, Twin Sisters, Unusual Story, Viability, womb
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Friday, July 9th, 2010
As we’ve blogged about before, Celine Dion recently announced that she was pregnant with twins after undergoing six rounds of IVF treatment.
A few days ago, 19-weeks pregnant Dion announced the gender of her twins, and it’s baby blue all the way! Two boys will be joining the family (mom, dad and 9-year-old big brother who was also conceived after fertility treatments) at the end of the year.
Reportedly, Dion is thrilled with the outcome of her IVF journey, which she has admitted in the past hasn’t been simple.
A Little Bit of Info about IVF…
IVFstands for in vitro fertilization, a medical process whereby a human egg (ova) is fertilized by a human sperm outside the womb. The fertilized egg is then transferred to the womb of the mother (or, in cases where a woman cannot carry a child to term because of complications, an approved surrogate.)
The rate of success during IVF varies widely depending on a number of factors, including the age of the mother, the ability of the reproductive health specialist, the health of the parents, etc. However, thanks to medical improvements, live birth rates continue to increase around the world.
RSI… helping miracles happen.
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Tags: Baby Blue, Big Brother, Birth Rates, Celine Dion, Family Mom, Fertility Treatments, Few Days, Hasn, Health Specialist, Human Egg, Human Sperm, IVF treatment, Little Bit, Miracles, Mom Dad, Reproductive Health, Surrogate, Two Boys, Vitro Fertilization, womb
Posted in Hollywood and Stars, IVF treatments | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 1st, 2009
Surrogacy. It’s in the news more now than ever; however, you may be wondering about the ins and outs of this non-traditional method of conceiving a child.
To help you get a better understanding of what surrogacy is… and isn’t… we’ve compiled a few facts about the process. As always, to receive more information, contact a reputable fertility clinic for a consultation.
- Surrogacy is legal in the U.S., but couples are not legally allowed to pay the surrogate above and beyond medical expenses. (In other words, a woman cannot become a “professional” surrogate in the sense that it’s an occupation.)
- In India, surrogacy has recently been accepted as a method of “income” for poorer women. Unfortunately, regulations are limited; thus, U.S. couples who hire an Indian surrogate may not be assured of the safety of the child or the responsibility of the surrogate.
- Surrogacy can take shape in one of two ways: 1) the surrogate can be artificially inseminated with the father’s sperm or a donor’s sperm; or 2) the surrogate can have a fertilized embryo (from the biological parents or from donors) transferred into her womb.
- The safest way of finding a responsible, healthy surrogate is through a fertility clinic.
- Costs for surrogacy can range widely and should be taken into consideration by potential parents. Traditional insurance does not cover surrogacy.
- Most women who are accepted as surrogates by fertility clinics have had at least one child of their own.
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Tags: biological parents, conceiving a child, Conception, donor's sperm, donors, fertility clinic, fertilized embryo, medical expenses, sperm, sperm donor, surrogacy, surrogacy facts, Surrogate, womb
Posted in surrogacy | 1 Comment »
