Book Review: Adopting After Infertility

Adopting After Infertility differs from other adoption books in that it goes more deeply into the losses of infertility, attitudes toward family, and decision making, as well as parenting adopted children if that is the option chosen. The book is divided into three sections. Part One deals with the losses experienced by persons who are infertile. There are tips on self-care, dealing with the stresses of infertility, and handling family events and relatives’ baby showers. Rather than specific medical information on options, this book offers ways to consider the emotional impact of the various options such as hormone treatment, in … Continue reading

Understanding the Language of Infertility

When you begin down the road of infertility treatments, you may feel like you have to learn a new language. When I first sought treatment to conceive my oldest child, I felt that way. The doctors and nurses are using medical terminology that is unfamiliar, which just adds to the stress. Here are some common words and phrases you will encounter in your journey to parenthood. Anovulatory the lack of ovulation. Artificial Insemination>/b> an infertility procedure during which the doctor inserts a catheter to deposit sperm directly into the woman’s uterus. Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) this refers to the more … Continue reading

In the News: Older Fathers and Fertility

When we think of fertility issues we typically think of women as being the ones with the problem, especially older women. But what about older men? We hear a lot about men fathering kids in their sixties and beyond (Tyler’s father was 57 when I conceived). A resent study says that as men age they also have diminished fertility. In the study, 1,938 couples from 59 in vitro fertilization clinics in France were studied. The researchers found that for women between the age of 35 and 37 who were trying to have a baby with a man older than 40, … Continue reading

UK Approves Three-Person IVF Techniques

Couples who are having difficulty conceiving have the option of turning to in vitro fertilization (IVF). The process allows that couple to pass their own genetic material onto an offspring that is biologically theirs. The UK recently approved a new kind of IVF that has been referred to as “three-parent babies”. The two techniques are somewhat different but each can be used to help couples produce a healthy child. In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a complex procedure that combines an egg and sperm outside of the body. The conception happens in a laboratory. Once an embryo (or embryos as is … Continue reading

What is Selective Reduction?

Selective reduction is a procedure used to reduce the number of embryos in a multifetal pregnancy. This procedure is sometimes used when too many embryos implant in a pregnancy that is achieved with assisted reproductive technology. When too many embryos implant successfully the chance of carrying the pregnancy to term drops significantly. Selective reduction is generally used for pregnancies with more than two fetuses. Preventing medical problems in the pregnancy or the loss of all the fetuses is the reason for the procedure. In some cases, fetuses that are considered to be at greater risk for defects are selected for … Continue reading

Embryo Adoption

The subject of embryo adoption has been getting a lot of attention lately, as a result of the debate about embryonic stem cell research. The debate about what to do with all the embryos in freezers in fertility clinics around the country rages on. One solution that is offered can actually help couples experiencing infertility issues. Embryos are often put up for adoption as a result of another couple’s infertility treatments. Sometimes a couple gets pregnant and has too many embryos left over. These sit in a freezer in a fertility clinic. If the couple decides they are done having … Continue reading