One of the old wife's tales, which still plagues every IVF patient, is the myth that they need "strict" bed rest after the embryo transfer. Many patients are scared that the embryo will fall out if ... read more
Yes, I remember my Christmas pasts when I yearned for the same blessing. I thought that if I was to believe in Santa, those were the times he should have proven his magic to me/us. My only message to ... read more
Even though our culture idolizes the super thin, being underweight is not healthy and can affect your fertility. Twelve percent of infertility cases are the result of women being under or overweight. ... read more
Up to 35% of female infertility is caused by tubal disease. Tubal disease is also the most obvious indication for in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF). A hydrosalpinx (hydro – “water” and ... read more
It’s true. Men make a difficult to comprehend one to two hundred million sperm per day. Women, on the other hand, are forever losing eggs. In fact, women have their maximum number of eggs before they ... read more
When I was in the midst of my despair after having lost 2 pregnancies, I began to wonder, “Is all of this my fault? Did I wait too long to try to have a family? Should I have settled down sooner?” ... read more
AMH (anti-mullerian hormone) is a relatively new blood test, which is very useful in checking the ovarian reserve of women. It allows us to estimate the quantity and quality of eggs left in your ... read more
Thanksgiving is tomorrow and we are reminded by Facebook posts and TV ads that we should be exuding gratitude for our many blessings. Personally, I find Thanksgiving to be a bit like New Years; ... read more
This instruction sheet has been prepared for you to assist in mixing all of the medications you will need for your stimulation so that they can all be given together in one single subcutaneous ... read more
This instruction sheet has been prepared for you to assist in mixing all of the medications you will need for your stimulation so that they can all be given together in >one single subcutaneous ... read more
One of the most common types of IVF cycles is the Ganirelix protocol. This protocol involves starting with oral contraceptives and then beginning the 2 stimulation medications which are most commonly ... read more
InVia Fertility Specialists is excited to announce the availability of Cryo Tech method vitrification at our Center. According to Dr. Masashige Kuwayama, the developer of this method, it is now ... read more
An estimated 12 percent of all infertility issues are weight related and maintaining a healthy body mass index (BMI) is one of the most helpful things patients can do to enhance fertility. In regards ... read more
Historically, Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) cycles required taking birth control pills, followed by about 3 weeks of daily Lupron injections, and then taking the dreaded Progesterone in Oil injections ... read more
For women who are diagnosed with cancer and have to undergo chemotherapy, the drugs used can be toxic to the ovaries. Removing eggs from the ovaries prior to starting these treatments allows for the ... read more
A question you may have for me or my husband might be, “Was it difficult for you to decide to adopt and/or go through the egg donor process?” You may also be secretly asking yourself, “Are their ... read more
My desire is to spread hope and encouragement to those of you who are facing infertility. I was in your shoes back in 2006 but have crossed over to the other side of wanting and wishing to love my 3 ... read more
Semen analysis remains the cornerstone of the laboratory evaluation of the male partner. I have previously written on “Evaluating Sperm by Performing a Semen Analysis”. However, in 2010 the the World ... read more
There are those anonymous e-mails circulating on the internet that get forwarded to you by a friend or acquaintance. Most of the time, I will delete them without even reading the contents. This one I ... read more
I have previously written about the impact of obesity on IVF pregnancy rates. In fact, IVF pregnancy rates are 68% lower in morbidly obese patients. Several studies have shown that obesity is ... read more
There’s a lot of misinformation out there currently with regards to infertility. In fact a recent study showed that 93% of couples that went to see an infertility specialist wished they had gone ... read more
At InVia Fertility Specialists, donor compensation has been $8,000/- for many years now. This is well within the range of $5,000 - $10,000 suggested by the Practice Committee of the American Society ... read more
This is a rather controversial issue and has been addressed several times by the Practice Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). The fertility industry remains a “free ... read more
At InVia Fertility, we do advertise online to recruit egg donors into our Egg Donor Program. We advertise on Google, Facebook, and Craigslist, mainly. In recruiting donors, we are not offering to pay ... read more
This is one of the leading questions I get asked as an embryologist. Rightfully so, patients are concerned that perhaps there could be a ‘mess up’ in the lab where their eggs are mixed with the wrong ... read more
You just found out you were pregnant and you start telling your friends and relatives. Are you suddenly bombarded with DO’s and DON’Ts that make your head spin? Well read on! While some advice may be ... read more
Have you started to hear the sound of your biological clock ticking? Or perhaps you’ve heard it loud and clear and feel like you are running out of time? While you may feel hopeless or like time is ... read more
It is a biological fact that a woman is born with all the eggs she is ever going to have. As a woman ages, the number of eggs that are available decreases and the incidence of eggs with abnormal ... read more
In dealing with fertility, the food we eat is considered extremely important to physical, mental and emotional health in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). A change in diet is often prescribed ... read more
You’ve had your first consult and your doctor has asked you to start taking a prenatal vitamin. You begin to do some research on your own and find an abundant amount of prenatal options. You become a ... read more
Ok, you have gone through an entire IVF cycle. If there happens to be a surplus of embryos following fresh transfer, then embryos of sufficient quality may be considered for embryo freezing or ... read more
Dr Howard Jones is one of the pioneers of IVF. He and his wife the late Dr Georgeanna Jones started the first IVF clinic in the US in 1981 in Norfolk, Virginia. Last year he celebrated his 100th ... read more
The goal of a successful embryo transfer (ET) is to deliver the embryo(s) in the uterus without damaging them. Historically, embryo transfer ET was carried out with the “clinical touch” technique. ... read more
Whether you’re looking to shed a few pounds, improve your overall health or sculpt your body into a work of art, setting fitness goals is one way to achieve real, tangible results. But for many ... read more
A paper published today in the New England Journal of Medicine noted an increased incidence of birth defects in ART-conceived children (Davies MJ et al. Reproductive technologies and the risk of ... read more
We hear a lot about what expecting and breast-feeding women should eat – but what about eating to improve fertility? Did you know that an insulin imbalance or a diet full of high-glycemic ... read more
A widely published German study found that using acupuncture with IVF achieved a 42% clinical pregnancy rate compared to only 26% in the control group that did not receive acupuncture. When ... read more
80% of all illnesses are caused or worsened by stress. Not only will it rob you of the health you need to have a baby, it increases the production of a neurotransmitter dopamine, which impacts your ... read more
I have been a big proponent of single-embryo transfer for many years. Despite this, less than 10% of patients at InVia Fertility Specialists will choose to have an elective single-embryo transfer ... read more
We’ve all been in a classroom where the teacher or professor is discussing a topic but you have no idea what they’re talking about. You look around the room and hope there are others who feel the ... read more
As part of a new patient’s workup, we also check for immunity to rubella (or German measles). Like varicella, you may have been given a vaccine to prevent this disease as a child. However, only a ... read more
As part of a new patient’s workup, we check for immunity to two diseases: varicella (also known as chicken pox) and rubella (also known as German measles). read more
Do autoimmune issues contribute to recurring pregnancy loss? In the February 2012 issue of the journal "Sexuality, Reproduction and Menopause", Doctors Kutteh and Odam from The University of ... read more
We have all heard that phrase “what are you waiting for? The clock is ticking!” in regards to our fertility. While most of us are “waiting to be a bit more educated, wiser, more stable, financially ... read more
The Practice Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine states that recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is a disease distinct from infertility, defined by two or more failed pregnancies. ... read more
Fibroids are benign (non-cancerous) tumors of the uterine muscle wall that can cause abnormal uterine bleeding. Also known as leiomyomas or myomas. Fibroids are a very common finding. In most women, ... read more
For a lot of us, the use of portable computers (laptops, connected to the internet wirelessly, also known as Wi-Fi) is a part of our daily routine. People using Wi-Fi, however, may be exposed to ... read more
Last week I assumed the role of Egg Donor Coordinator for InVia Fertility. I have found it to be challenging, rewarding, interesting, exciting and nerve-wracking all at the same time. And it’s only ... read more
In the last ten years or so I maybe have seen 2 or 3 pregnant women at the gym. One of them is a good friend of mine whose yoga poses at 38 weeks would put most of us to shame on our best days. This ... read more
Poor responders are patients with a low number of eggs retrieved. These poor responders have reduced pregnancy rates compared with normal responders. The question that one often faces is, what next? ... read more
So you have met with your doctor and the recommended next step is either fertility pills (Clomid, Serophene, Letrazole, Tamoxifen) or injectables (Follistim, Gonal-F, Bravelle, Menopur) with IUI. ... read more
For the past twenty years the ability to inject a single sperm into an egg (intra cytoplasmic sperm injection or ICSI) has revolutionized the treatment of male factor infertility. ICSI has resulted ... read more
The 6.30 am appointment for blood and ultrasound is a very common request. We certainly understand that you have a job and are trying to avoid losing time from work but as I said this 6.30 am ... read more
Morning sickness (or “all-day” sickness for some of us) is nobody’s friend. Neither is fatigue or heartburn. It can be hard to think lovely thoughts about how grateful you are to be pregnant when all ... read more
The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) recently issued a data brief on increase in twin births. In a brief titled "Three Decades of Twin Births in the United States, 1980–2009", the authors ... read more
Have you ever seen the show called “I didn’t know I was pregnant”? Although some stories are a bit far fetched, it always makes me wonder: How did those girls get so lucky? read more
