We are getting ready to go into Memorial Day Weekend, a three day holiday that represents the start of summer. This is the time that we are suppose to remember those people who have fought and died for our country.
Above all else - Be Safe.
I will be back to blogging with all of you on Tuesday. Enjoy the extra days.
It's interesting that while I do my research to create my blog, I run across 100 articles that deal with infertility and women, while there may be 1 article about men. I would like to take a moment to do my part to change this!
One in 33 California children are born with a birth defect. While scientists still don't know what causes most effects, it is known that sperm DNA errors are as much a factor as egg DNA errors.
University of California, Berkeley has performed a study that shows a man's diet has a direct link to sperm DNA errors. In the study utilizing new technology to label sperm DNA, men who ate little folate, a B-vitamin abundant in orange juice and green veggies, had more sperm with the wrong number of chromosomes. That could lead to miscarriages and birth defects like Down Syndrome.
Sperm develop over 10 weeks, giving men a defined window before conception to make healthier sperm. Women, on the other hand, are born with a finite number of eggs. This means men's genes, constantly dividing into new sperm, may be even more vulnerable than women's.
If you are thinking about conceiving a child or you are trying to conceive a child, it is recommended that both partners drink plenty of orange juice, eat green veggies and take vitamins. This can only help you achieve a healthier lifestyle and aid you in conception.
It seems as though the same question keeps getting posed to me by both Intended Parents and Surrogates alike. Once the match is made what happens?
When the initial call to a surrogate is made to let them know that there are Intended Parents interested in working with them, the time to meet is usually made within a weeks time. Before they know it the meeting takes place, the next day (sometimes two) the match is made and then what? This is when patience plays a big part. While on the management end of the case, we are busy getting the proper paperwork to the Intended Parents, the surrogate is not seeing any action.
It usually takes about a week before we have the right paperwork returned from the Intended Parents in order to send the surrogate the "Match Agreement". Once the Match Agreement is signed and returned by the surrogate we will provide her with the Referrals to all the professionals she will need to contact. It is the surrogate's responsibility to contact the Psychologist and the IVF Center to schedule screening appointments that fit their schedule. While the surrogate is the person making these appointments, it is also very important for us to know these dates as well.
Once the screening is complete, it is time for the contracts. The contract phase can take up to four weeks to complete. Most surrogates get anxious and begin to worry that something went wrong or did the Intended Parents back out, etc.... This is not the case. It takes time to draft the contract, then the intended parents need to have contract review with their attorney, then it gets forwarded to the surrogate. At this point it's the surrogate's turn. She needs to have contract review with her attorney and then any changes are submitted to the intended parent's attorney and the negotiation goes on until all parties are happy with the contract. Once the contract is in it's final form, this is when it is signed by each party.
Now that contracts are final, the surrogate may start medication. Now things feel like they're moving again! The surrogate will be going to the doctor's regularly for blood labs and ultrasound appointments. Before you know it the Transfer Day will be here.
Now that the embryo(s) have been transferred, it's time to wait again. Most doctor's will perform the blood pregnancy test 10 to 14 days after the transfer of the embryos. And you thought it felt like forever for the contracts to be complete!!!
This of course is just the start.
Recently there was a study performed at Assof Harofeh Medical Center where Dr. Shevah Friedler studied the effects of laughter on IVF patients.
One hundred women with fertility problems were invited to a medical clown's performance after an IVF Transfer. Another group of 100 women underwent the same IVF, but did not attend the clown's performance. The group that spent time laughing at the clown had a 15% higher pregnancy rate than the group without laughter.
Dr. Friedler said "Laughter is a serious matter. It is known that it triggers a body mechanism that influences the immune system and heart and lung systems, and there is a real connection between laughter and medicine and humor and health."
So I suggest that you rent as many comedies as you can stand while you are on bed rest. Perhaps this will assist you with achieving a pregnancy.
I found a website with the top Baby Names for 2007. This is just fun to look at and look through.
In Europe there is a blood test that has been used to test the AMH (Anti-Mullierian Hormone) levels in women. Michael Alper, Chief Medical Officer of Boston IVF believes this test is an excellent predictor of a woman's egg count. The test is done from a blood sample.
At this time the FDA has not approved this for use in the United States, however it is possible that your doctor can provide the test. You would need to consult with your phsycian.
So if you are anxious about the ticking of your biological clock - This could be the test for you.
So many people have an idea of whether they would prefer to have a boy or girl when talking about having a baby. Searchers have found that you can increase your chances for having a boy by simply changing your breakfast habits.
Women who eat a breakfast made of high-energy foods dramatically increase their odds of getting pregnant with a boy. Fiona Mathews, of the University of Exeter, said eating high-calorie breakfasts seemed to be the best guarantee of influencing the gender of a baby in favor of boys before conception.
The discovery of a link between calories and gender may explain why it is that in the past 40 years there has been a small but steady decline in the proportion of boys born in the developed world.
Up to 59% of women who get pregnant after eating high-energy breakfasts end up giving birth to a son. Researchers have found only 43% of women who always skipped breakfast before conceiving managed to produce boys.
So if you are interested in trying to conceive a boy, let me suggest you stick to your "Wheaties".
Science and Technology is always growing in the field of infertility. I found this article which I thoughht you might enjoy reading.
It just amazes me what we are able to do.
I found a website today that I really enjoyed reading. It is written by a Reproductive Endocrinologist about his experiences. It has an a question and answer area as well as an area with true stories.
In the story that I was reading, the women who was going through the ovary stimulation was the Intended Mother. As I was reading it, it dawned on me that this would be excellent information for my intended parents and donors alike to know.
The benefit to using an experienced donor is not just simply that they understand the commitment and the medications. It is that once the medical records are forwarded to the IVF Physician you are using, they know from past experience what medication and how much works to get the best results from that donor.
I hope you enjoy reading this sight as much as I did. I will returning to read more in the future.
We are coming up to the dreaded "Income Tax Deadline". By midnight tonight, many of us will know if we owe Uncle Sam or if he will be lining our pockets with a little something.
Some states allow you to use the medical costs of IVF and/or surrogacy as a tax write-off. While this won't be the interest on your mortgage, it is better than nothing. I would suggest that you contact your Tax Consultant or CPA to ask what the specifics are for the area where you live.
If you are just getting started down the road of treatment or surrogacy, you will want to be sure to save every receipt and invoice. I know when I was a surrogate, I would fax the invoices to my agency and then mail the original to my Intended Parents. The agency always took care of getting the invoice paid, while the parents had the documentation for the following years taxes.
And remember, by this time next year you will have a dependent to add!
"IntSo often I am asked by Intended Parents how many embryos should be transferred. Time and time again I explain to them that their IVF Physician will talk to them on the morning of the transfer. During this meeting, the IVF Physician will discuss the quality of the embryos they have.
If Intended Parents go into the transfer without preconceived ideas of how many embryos they want used, then I think there would be less chance for anyone to be disappointed. If your embryos are of high quality, you will transfer fewer of them.
I recently read an article about a 31 year old woman in Manhasset, New York who gave birth to identical triplets. She used IVF, had one (1) embryo transferred and that embryo split to be triplets. So although they were being conservative about the number of embryos transferred, they still ended up with a high-risk multiple pregnancy.
Lets not forget why we're doing this....for a baby.
It took so much time and energy to get pregnant. All the doctor's appointments, ultrasounds, shots and countless tears. At last, the news you have been waiting for "You're Pregnant!".
Many couples who use IVF to achieve pregnancy have embryo's remaining even after they are pregnant. Some couples choose to pay the storage fees considering the idea of siblings. While other couples just aren't sure what to do with the remaining embryos.
Embryo donation is an option that you may want to consider. This can provide another couple the opportunity to experience the same joys you have...pregnancy and parenthood. The Donor Parents can review profiles of Recipient Parents to decide who will receive their embryos or it can be done completely anonymously. In either case, there is no cost to the Donor Parents.
Giving the gift of life has rewards unlike anything else. I urge couples who have unused frozen embryos to consider, for just a moment, providing another family the opportunity to experience parenthood.
I came accross this "feel good" story about a family in the UK. Thought I would share it with you.
http://www.stockportexpress.co.uk/news/s/1044456_ice_ice_baby
It's a short, but well worth while article. Enjoy.
Many times when I speak with Intended Parents about retaining an egg donor they are wanting a donor who is available now. While I completely understand their desire to move forward, I would like to explain the time line involved with Assisted Reproduction.
Intended Parents can feel discouraged when they find a donor they think is perfect and then they find out she isn't available for a few months. To the parent who wants a baby or pregnancy now, that does sound like it is a long way out. The reality is, it takes several weeks for the paperwork to be completed before a cycle can be started.
Once a donor is selected by the Intended Parents, the case manager will contact the donor to let her know that her next available cycle is contracted. At this time, the donor will be given a match agreement to confirm she is aware of the commitment. Once that is received, we will make arrangements for the donor to be screening by the Psychologist and the Intended Parents IVF Physician. Sometimes it can be a few weeks before there is an opening at the IVF Center for the donor to be seen. The cycle can not be started until after the donor passes all the screening.
While all the screening is taking place, the contracts are started. The contracts can take anywhere from three (3) to five (5) weeks to complete. This time line is dependent on how many revisions are made by each party and how efficiently all parties sign and return the contract.
Once the contracts are full executed and the donor has passed all the medical screening the cycle can begin.
So if you are interested in a donor today, but she isn't available for 2-3 months, don't get discouraged. That is actually perfect timing for getting all the paperwork and screening in order. Then you will be having your cycle close to her availability instead of months after retaining her.
So the news is out - Newsweek has put surrogacy on the front cover and now everybody is talking about it.
I think surrogacy is a wonderful option for an infertile couple to achieve parenthood. I felt like Newsweek has missed this . Their article is so focused on who and why women become a surrogate mother, yet their interviews and viewpoint are one sided.
I am a middle-class working mother who has also been a surrogate for four (4) families. My husband and I make a good living, while we are by no means wealthy, I did not choose surrogacy for the money. For me, surrogacy is a passion. I love the idea of helping someone achieve a dream through something that is so easy for me to do. The emotional rewards far out-weigh the monetary aspects.
Through out my time as a surrogate, I have made many friendships with other surrogates. A bit of a friendly support group if you will. We all talk with one another and have compared pregnant bellies. Of this group of women, none of us are military wives.
I feel as though Newsweek is misleading it's readers by looking through a magnifying glass at one particular group of people and centering it's article on that..
For some women, the financial aspect may be what draws them into inquiring about surrogacy (especially in today's economy), however it is not usually the reason they continue forward with the process. Experienced surrogates are definitely in it to help someone; These are women who have a big heart and easy pregnancies.
As far as the insurance issue goes, I have used my health insurance (provided by my employer) to cover my medical expenses as a surrogate. With is not segregated to just Tricare Insurance.
I think any national coverage which can make surrogacy more acceptable in society is a positive thing. I just hope that as you read the article in Newsweek that you keep an open mind.
So often we talk about infertility with women, but what happens when it's male infertility? I have provided some basic information about cryobanks (sperm banks).
There are two main motives that drive donors:
1. Donations from fertile men who are preserving their reproductive options. Men will bank their sperm if they are about to undergo surgery, cancer treatment or have a low sperm count. These are men who want to be able to achieve parenthood at a later time in their life.
2. Donations from men who contribute for financial reasons. Men who donate to help infertile couples achieve a family.
If you think it is difficult to get into an Ivy League school, try becoming a sperm donor! Less than 5 percent of all candidates will be accepted as a donor. The screening process is vigorous and takes about three (3) months to complete. Samples and donors are screening continually for sexually transmitted diseases and genetic issues. Additionally, all donors are screened for cystic fibrosis and undergo chromosome analysis.
Donors may choose to be anonymous or ID Consent Donors. Anonymous donors are willing provide descriptive details about themselves and their family history with the understanding that they will never have direct communication with the recipients of their sperm or future offspring. ID Consent donors agree to allow the sperm bank to release identifying information about themselves to the offspring once they reach 18 years of age. ID Consent Donor are not required to meet the offspring; the program is designed to provide genetic information to the offspring.
Once the donation has been made, the sperm samples are prepared with a solution that minimizes damage during the freezing and thawing processes. The samples are frozen using liquid nitrogen.
Previously frozen sperm doesn't live as long inside a woman's uterus as fresh sperm. Thawed sperm lives up to 24 hours while fresh sperm can live for 3 - 5 days. There is no additional risk for birth defects using donated sperm.
If you require additional information about this, please contact a local cryobank.
Infertility can be a draining process. For many couples, it starts by wanting a child and then finding out for some reason it won't be so easy for them. Depending on why you aren't getting pregnant the solutions can be exhausting.
Infertility affects some 6 million Americans. For most, this is a major life crisis that puts enormous stress on a marriage. While some couples become stronger; learning to lean on and support each other through the experience. Other couples feel it drives them apart. This is not to say that they don't still love one another, but the feelings of loss are overwhelming.
You need to understand that everyone copes differently. Some people become quiet, because the pain to much to face. While others want to take it head on and consume themselves in the search discussing every avenue of the situation. It is important to understand both your partners and your own way of dealing with this. Most importantly is to communicate and let each other know how you are feeling.
While searching for the right donor or surrogate, don't loose sight of who you are. Continue to live, have fun with each other. Enjoy dinner out, go see a movie - Do the things you have enjoyed together. Not only will this give you something else to focus on, but it will remind you of what you love about the other person.
Todd and Heather Tilton celebrated their 25th birthday on March 17, 2008. They were the first "test tube" twins born in the United States.
The thing that made them feel unique when growing up was knowing the lengths their parents went to have them. "I always felt that I was very wanted because it was such a big decision and very difficult", Heather said. "It shows my parents determination".
I hope you enjoy this story as much as I did. It's great to know that IVF babies grow up to be well adjusted adults, just like any of us.
There is a lot of hype about whether acupuncture aids in conception with IVF. Some professionals believe it absolutely helps while others think it is just another expense to the couple.
Eric Manheimer, a research associate at the University of Maryland School of Medicine's Center for Integrative Medicine looked at seven trials that included 1,366 women undergoing IVF. Each trial compared acupuncture given within one day of the embryo transfer to sham acupuncture (using a placebo needle) or no acupunction. They found that the women who had the acupuncture increased their chances of becoming pregnant by 65 percent. This means that 10 women would need to be treated with acupunction to result in one additional pregnancy.
It was also found that in Centers where the pregnancy rates are already high, the benefit of acupuncture was small and non-significant.
At this time, most IVF patients who are participating in acupunction are doing so without the suggestion of their doctor. Rather, they choose to do so themselves. Dr. Owen K. Davis, co-director and associate professor at the Center for Reproductive Medicine and Infertility at Weill Medical College of Cornell University in New York City said "I don't think we can say conclusively that acupuncture is effective or is anywhere near being a standard care, but it's not something I would discourage someone from trying if they wanted to. But I'm far removed from prescribing it to patients".
As a surrogate, I have worked with Intended Parents who felt it would be helpful. I went the Acupuncturist once a week while cycling to the transfer. Then the Acupuncturist met me at the IVF Center one hour before the transfer. I saw her one more time before my pregnancy test. I was pregnant, but no more pregnant than the other three times it was successful without acupuncture. I will say that acupuncture is very relaxing. You are at peace with yourself while you are laying there.
At this time incorporating acupunction into your IVF treatment is an individual decision. If you feel better having acupuncture, then if may work for you.
There was a report done by University of Melbourne (Australia) that showed that moms who have their babies using IVF (with or without a donor or surrogate) have a lower level of confidence when it comes to caring for their newborn baby.
I was quite surprised to read this. After everything a woman goes through to have a child using IVF I would think the opposite would be true. These women have already overcome so many obstacles I would expect them to have a huge sense of empowerment. A feeling of anything is possible and the confidence of "there isn't anything I can't do".
All new parents have felt anxious and overwhelmed by bringing their first child home from the hospital. There are no books that can clearly prepare you for the change in priorities and patterns in your life. For so many this can be extremely exhausting. This is not something that is tied to IVF, this is universal.
This makes me remember a time with my son (who is my second child); It was about 2:00a.m., he was a week old and was just crying and crying. I was walking with him in my arms downstairs. I tried everything, but there was no pleasing him. The house was quiet, everyone else was upstairs sleeping, so his cry just echoed in my ears. I had tried everything till finally I completely broke down crying. At that moment I was thinking "I can't do this, I'm not a good enough mother to have two kids". The more upset I became the harder it was to calm him down. Finally I sat down, took a deep breath and then just like magic, he fell asleep. When we both woke up a few hours later, I had my confidence back and was ready for the new day.
Regardless of how your baby came to be, celebrate the moments and know you are the best mom you can be. There will be times when you need help and there will be times you can run the entire world while making dinner and vacuuming the house with the baby in a carrier on your chest!!
Being a mother is the hardest thing a woman can be. Put forward your best efforts and your child will know your love is true.
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