I wrote this article as a sort of “IVF for beginners.” Even if you’ve been through IVF before, reading this may help you understand why we do what we do.

What is IVF? IVF is a type of treatment that involves taking eggs from a woman’s body, creating embryos with sperm and putting embryos into a woman’s uterus. That sounds kind of complicated, I know. I’m going to break it down in the simplest terms possible.

IVF stands for in vitro fertilization. It means fertilization outside of the body or in a controlled environment. In vitro = within the glass (in Latin).

Every woman has a set number of eggs that she can potentially ovulate every month. We ovulate 1 and the rest die. You can never use them again. Every woman’s “potential” number of eggs that she can ovulate declines as she ages. This number Read the rest of this entry »

Most would think that the answer to the question above should be yes but researchers have recently found that the answer is no – IVF conceived twins are not at higher risk for prematurity compared to spontaneously conceived twins.

Millions of healthy IVF offspring have been born which has proven the safety of this medical technique. Researchers have recently reported in the December 2009 edition of Fertility and Sterility, by Weghofer et al, that when you compare women of the same age with the same risk factors that the IVF twin pregnancies don’t have a higher chance of delivering prematurely.

There are several factors that can increase your chances of delivering prematurely: smoking habits and history of prior preterm birth are just a couple of them.

My recommendation: talk to your doctor about the risks associated with twin pregnancies. Ask your doctor what your personal risk factors are and how you will be monitored during the pregnancy. Many doctors like to measure the length of your cervix through the first trimester followed by growth scans (ultrasound to measure the weight of the babies) in the second and third trimester along with monitoring the fetal heart beats and amniotic fluid in the third trimester.

Coping with Infertility during the Holidays

The holiday season is a very stressful time of year. It can be even more stressful for those suffering from infertility. The holidays are filled with family get-togethers which can bring out a variety of emotions, especially if everyone is talking about their babies, children, and their pregnancies. You may even get pressure from family and friends, who do not know your struggle, to start a family.

What can you do to get through this time with the least amount of emotional pain? Read the rest of this entry »