Egg Donor & Surrogacy Consulting Blog : Egg Donation & Surrogacy Consulting : Conceptual Options : Theresa Erickson : Embryo Donation, In-Vitro Fertilization

With all of the criticism over the number of embryos being transferred during IVF treatments in response to the octuplets, it is good to hear that some new techniques are being developed to help counter that.  In the UK, they have developed Comparative Genomic Hybridization, which employs a microscopic needle to remove the chromosomes from that capsule without disturbing the egg.

"A leading British fertility clinic has developed a new technique that could dramatically increase a woman's chances of having a successful in-vitro fertilization treatment.

Doctors at Nottingham's CARE Fertility clinic have found a way to extract the extra set of chromosomes released by a woman's egg and analyze it for abnormalities.

Chromosomal abnormalities in the embryo are one of the main reasons pregnancies fail."

It sounds like promising science.  Let's see where this goes.

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Theresa M. Erickson, Esq.
Surrogacy & Egg Donation Center    
www.ConceptualOptions.com

Subscribe to my blog at: http://www.surrogacyeggdonorblog.com/subscribe.html

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A Free One-Hour Tele-Seminar
Thursday, October 23rd
9:00PM ET/ 8:00PM CT/ 7:00PM MT/ 6:00PM PT

Hosted by Michael Doyle, MD
Connecticut Fertility Associates

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Everyday we are making advances in technology in the world of Reproductive Assistance.  With all these advances, we are sure to have more effective options for infertile couples.

One of these new advances is The Invocell capsule.  Eggs and sperm are extracted in the same way as a standard treatment and as many as seven eggs are placed inside the capsule, along with the sperm.  The capsule is hem placed inside the woman's vagina to allow fertilization to occur inside the body.  After three days she would return to the clinic to have the capsule removed so that doctors could examine the embryos to see if any are of good quality to use.  The best two embryos would then be placed into the woman's uterus. 

BioXcell has completed 800 cycles in the UK using the capsule in a clinical trial and achieved a success rate of 19.7% in women under the age of 35.  The rate using standard IVF in the UK is 29.6% for women in the same age group.  While the capsule does not have as high of a success rate, it does show promise for the future.

There are certain parameters that this capsule can not fulfill:

• Needing to use ICSI for low sperm count
• The embryos can not be monitored during the early cell development
• Anyone wanting to freeze embryos to use as possible sibling for the first IVF baby or to try in subsequent cycles could not use this device

With new advances in technology, we are all being given new options in treatment. 

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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.    

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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.

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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. 

www.ConceptualOptions.com

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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.  

www.conceptualoptions.com  

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On March 12, 2008 Jamie-Rose Roberts was born.  The unsuspecting newborn had no idea how special she really is.

Lisa and James Roberts had dreams of a large family.  They had already had a son, Cameron, when James found out that he had cancer.  In an attempt to create their large family, James and Lisa decided to freeze James' sperm before he would undergo chemotherapy. 

Despite the treatment, the cancer spread and James died in October 2004. 

Over the next few years, Lisa thought about the frozen sperm, but couldn't bare having a child without James.  Then in February 2007, Lisa was ready for their second child.

Lisa had an egg retrieval which only produced two (2) eggs.  James' sperm where injected into the eggs and the wait started.  By the next day, there was only one (1) embryo and it was not of good quality.  Lisa was given a 20% chance of getting pregnant with the embryo. 

The embryo transfer was successful and Lisa had an uncomplicated, normal pregnancy. 

When Jamie was born, Lisa says "She was the image of her father."  Cameron suggested that his sister be named after their late father.  Thus Jamie-Rose is cared for and loved by her mother, brother and watched over by her father.

This is such a warm, feel-good story.  I wanted to share it with you.

www.conceptualoptions.com

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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. 

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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.

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