What is IVF? IVF is an acronym for  in vitro  fertilization (‘ in vitro ‘ meaning ‘in glass’). Simply put IVF is adding a man’s sperm to his female partners eggs in the laboratory to produce embryos. In vitro fertilization is an option for many couples who cannot conceive through conventional therapies. These embryos are put back into the female partner’s uterus (womb) after 3 to 5 days of being in the incubator, hopefully they will then grow into a baby. The reasons IVF is done include – poor sperm quality and/or quantity, obstructions between the egg and sperm, ovulation problems, and sperm-egg interaction problems. These problems can prevent couples having a baby naturally, and IVF helps to solve this. Specific conditions that might require IVF include: ·       Tubal blockage or failed tubal reversal ·       Endometriosis ·       Cervical factor ·       P...

For couples who are in the process of IVF, but the verdict is still out on whether it can improve fertility in general. Some studies have shown promising results, but more research is needed before this can be confirmed that this form of therapy can help to make you fall pregnant. Acupuncture is based on the theory that vital energy (or “qi,” pronounced “chi”) flows through the body along certain pathways. Acupuncturists try to balance this energy and restore health by stimulating specific points along the pathways with thin needles. Although it has been a staple of Chinese medicine for some 5,000 years, acupuncture has gained acceptance in the American medical community only in the past few decades. In some research there have been suggestions that acupuncture is effective in reducing stress. Since stress has been shown to interfere with getting pregnant, it makes sense that reducing your stress through acupuncture could theoretically improve your odds of conceiving. Some wom...

Take a quick vacation and come home pregnant! In the world of assisted fertility, in-vitro fertilization (IVF) is nothing new. Especially for females that are 40 and over, donor egg IVF, where eggs from a younger, more fertile donor are fertilized with the partner’s sperm, cultivated and then transferred to the prospective mom’s uterus – is often the only hope for achieving pregnancy. But for couples whose health insurance doesn’t cover infertility, the costs of these treatments can be prohibitively expensive; IVF with an egg donor costs an average of R50,000. That’s per try, pregnant or not pregnant at the outcome. So increasingly, fertility tourism is becoming more and more popular for couples and they are seeking international options in their quest for a baby.  They are looking into countries where the medical technology is on par with theirs and the costs are significantly less. Foreign couples can mix purpose with pleasure by making t...

Age is an important factor in fertility, and chances of conception decrease with advancing years, usually after the thirties. The reason why fertility decreases with increasing age is the diminished number of eggs left in the ovary. Most infertility specialists define an older woman as one who is more than 35 years, but this is an arbitrary number. A woman’s fertility does not fall off at a particular age, but starts declining gradually after the age of 30. After 35, the drop is fairly dramatic; and after 38, it’s even more so. However, there is no magic number at which fertility disappears and this decline is a progressive irreversible process. In the past, it was assumed that as the woman got older, her entire reproductive system started failing. However, today we know that the uterus and the fallopian tubes remain relatively unaffected by age; and that the reason for the decline in fertility is the diminished number of eggs left in the ovary. Every girl is born with a fin...

Babies via egg donation & the importance of the birth mother Epigenetics is a new (well to some of us!) buzzword in the field of egg donation for conception. Essentially Epigenetics refers to factors outside the gene, such as a cell's exposure to hormones or genetic variations that can modify a gene. Such factors can change what is ultimately expressed; they can change a phenotype i.e.: they can alter what an organism looks like as a consequence of the interaction of its gene AND the environment. In terms of conception via egg donation that environment begins with the womb of the birth mother. Some examples include hormone and reproductive factors in a woman that may influence the chances of breast and ovarian cancer. These factors are believed to be linked to a woman's exposure to estrogen and progesterone and their effects on cell differentiation in the breast that occur during pregnancy. Conventional science has historically linked cell behaviour to the genes presen...

It has been researched and shown that women undergoing infertility treatment report the same level of stress, anxiety, and depression as women who have cancer, HIV, or heart disease. Chronic stress can lead to depression and lower resistance to disease. Acute stressors cause increased heart rate, sweating, and rapid breathing — the “fight or flight” response. Internal stressors are harder to control than external ones. For example you can’t “make” a cycle work, but you can change doctors or clinics if you are unhappy with the medical care you are receiving. Research has shown that chronic stress causes the hormone cortisol to rise and blood flow to the uterus may be decreased, which could impact implantation of a fertilized embryo Why Is Infertility Stressful? Infertility is a loss of control of your body Infertility is a loss of your life plan Infertility lowers self esteem Infertility can feel like a roller coaster ride; the on-going effects can cause stress and exhaus...