When a couple is having trouble conceiving, there are several options for fertility treatments. For those who need fertility assistance, two of the most common options are in vitro fertilization (IVF) and artificial insemination.

If you’re considering fertility treatments, there are several factors to consider. The fertility experts at the Center for Reproductive Health can help you understand the differences between IVF vs. artificial insemination and what type of fertility treatment would work best for you.

How Does Artificial Insemination Work?

Women who have been unable to get pregnant after a year of trying may benefit from artificial insemination. In this procedure, sperm is inserted into the reproductive tract, usually directly into the uterus during ovulation. Since sperm are implanted directly into the uterus, they don’t have to swim as far to fertilize the egg. The sperm may be from the partner or a donor.

This is an in-office procedure that usually only takes about 10 minutes.  If you have been unable to get pregnant because of issues such as endometriosis, cervical disorders or irregular periods, artificial insemination may be a good option for you. 

Artificial insemination may also be recommended if your partner has immotile sperm or erectile dysfunction, and it may also be a good option for single women or same sex couples. It may be recommended as the first option to try if the cause of your infertility is unknown. 

How Does IVF Work?

If three or four rounds of artificial insemination are unsuccessful, your doctor may recommend IVF, which is a form of assisted reproductive technology in which fertilization happens outside the body. Fertility drugs are used to stimulate the growth of multiple eggs.  Once they are mature, the eggs are harvested in an outpatient procedure that’s done by using ultrasound guidance and light sedation.

The sperm and eggs are mixed together and allowed to grow in a lab setting for three to five days. Fertilized eggs are then implanted into the uterus. Embryos can also be frozen for future use.  IVF may be recommended for women who have reduced ovarian reserves, ovulation disorders or blocked fallopian tubes. 

How Does IVF Compare to Artificial Insemination?

Both IVF and artificial insemination typically include undergoing a regimen of fertility drugs to stimulate ovulation and improve success rates. Both procedures involve processing the sperm by washing it to separate sperm from seminal fluid and to isolate sperm of the highest quality from the sample. 

Artificial insemination is a less invasive procedure than IVF and it’s also less costly. To determine what type of fertility treatment is best for you, your doctor considers a combination of factors such as your age, your family health history and any known health conditions you may have. 

When pregnancy doesn’t happen as easily as you hoped, medical intervention may help. If you have any questions about artificial insemination, IVF or other options for treating infertility, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the compassionate and knowledgeable team at the Center for Reproductive Health.

Infertility is when you’ve been trying to get pregnant for a year without success. It includes inability to get pregnant as well as experiencing miscarriages or stillbirths. If you’re experiencing infertility, you’re probably feeling very discouraged. You’re not alone, because as many as 15 percent of couples experience infertility. 

Fortunately, there are forms of treatment for infertility called assisted reproductive technology.  What is assisted reproductive technology (ART)? ART refers to a variety of techniques that are done to increase the chance of getting pregnant, and these techniques include complex procedures that may involve the manipulation of eggs, sperm, or embryos. 

Types of ART

Each couple struggling with infertility faces unique challenges. The best infertility treatment for you depends on your age, your partner’s age, and the cause of infertility. Depending on your situation, some techniques that may be recommended include:

• Artificial Insemination. This technique is also called intrauterine insemination (IUI), and it involves placing sperm into the uterus while a woman is ovulating. The sperm may be from the partner or from a sperm donor. This procedure may be done in combination with medications that stimulate ovulation. 
• In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). This is the most widely used form of ART. It’s done by combining the egg and sperm outside the body in a lab setting and allowing the embryo to grow for a few days under carefully controlled conditions. One or more embryos may be implanted into the woman’s uterus. IVF is a safe procedure with a high success rate.
• Frozen Embryo Transfer. In vitro fertilization can result in multiple embryos and extra embryos can be frozen for future use. Frozen embryo transfer involves thawing frozen embryos and then implanting them into the uterus. This is a simpler and less expensive form of ART since ovaries don’t need to be stimulated before doing this procedure and eggs don’t need to be retrieved.
• Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection. This technique may be a good choice if infertility is sperm related. It may be done along with IVF and it involves injecting a single sperm into the center of an egg.
• Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer. In this procedure, the eggs are removed, combined with sperm, and placed in the fallopian tubes where fertilization can occur.

There are many factors that can affect the success of ART. One of the most important factors is age. Fertility declines with age, and fertility treatments are less likely to be successful for women in their mid-thirties and older than for younger women. Patients may need several cycles of treatment to successfully attain pregnancy.

Assisted reproductive technology provides hope to couples struggling with infertility and it also makes parenthood possible for same-sex couples and for single adults who want to have children. There continue to be advancements and improvements in the field of ART.

If you’re considering ART, the best thing to do is set up a consultation with a fertility specialist. The experts at The Center for Reproductive Health can help to identify possible causes of infertility and the best treatment options. Call today to set up a consultation.

Women consider donating eggs for several different reasons. Many are motivated by having the opportunity to truly make a difference in someone else’s life, especially if they’ve seen a loved one struggle with infertility. When potential egg donors are screened for donation, they receive an in-depth assessment of their health and fertility. Some women decide to donate eggs because they don’t believe they’ll have a family themselves and donating eggs allows them to pass on their genes. Since egg donors receive a generous monetary compensation, donating eggs may help some donors reach some of their financial goals. 

The Center for Reproductive Health welcomes questions from women who may be considering donating their eggs. Some women who are interested in becoming an egg donor may not qualify. What disqualifies you from egg donation?

Overall Health and Unhealthy Habits

To be an egg donor, you need to be in good health both mentally and physically. You should have regular monthly periods with no reproductive abnormalities or disorders. Donors are required to be at a healthy BMI and there should be no family history of inheritable genetic disorders. 

Some of your lifestyle choices could disqualify you from egg donation. If you’re a smoker, drink heavily or have a history of substance abuse, you may be disqualified. You must be free of sexually transmitted diseases for the last 12 months.

Egg donors undergo both physical and psychological screening. A psychologist evaluates a potential donor’s mental health to make sure they’re mentally stable and able to cope with mood swings that may happen as a side effect of fertility medication.

Your Age

One of the most important factors in egg donation is age, and donors are required to be between the age of 20 and 31. This is the time of life that there’s the best chance of having high quantity and good quality healthy eggs available, which is important because recipients of donated eggs need to know they are getting the best possible chance of attaining a successful pregnancy. 

As women get older, there’s a greater chance of having poor egg quality and chromosomal abnormalities, so if you’re over the age of 31, you’ll be disqualified. Another consideration is that women in their 30s may not respond well to fertility medication. 

Young women under the age of 20 are also disqualified, because it’s important for an egg donor to have the maturity needed to understand what the requirements of egg donation are and to follow through on the commitment that they’ve made.

Legalities

If you pass the screening for becoming an egg donor, you’ll be required to sign a contract that signifies your commitment to going through he process start to finish. You can’t sign a contract with more than one agency, so if you’ve already signed a contract with a different agency, you would be disqualified.

If you’re interested in becoming an egg donor and believe you meet the qualifications required, reach out to the Center for Reproductive Health to apply or to have additional questions answered.

A tubal ligation reversal is a procedure that may allow you to get pregnant even though you had your tubes tied. In a tubal ligation reversal procedure, your doctor reconnects or reopens your fallopian tubes which can make it possible for an egg and sperm to unite. A common question from women who are interested in this procedure is, “What are tubal ligation reversal side effects?”

Possible Side Effects of a Tubal Ligation Reversal

When you have a tubal reversal done by the expert physicians at The Center for Reproductive Health, the risk of complications or side effects is low. You’re sedated during the procedure and won’t feel any discomfort. You may feel groggy or sleepy for several hours after the procedure, and you’ll need someone to drive you home.

You may have some tenderness and pain the first few days after the procedure, and you may be given a prescription pain reliever to help you be as comfortable as possible as your body heals. Most people can resume normal activities within about a week. Your doctor will give you detailed post-op instructions regarding how long you may need to avoid sex or lifting anything heavy. It’s important to attend your follow-up appointment about a week after surgery to make sure you’re healing as expected.

Is There a Risk of Complications?

Complications of this procedure are rare, but since it’s a surgical procedure, there’s some risk of problems such as an allergic reaction to anesthesia, infection, or bleeding. There’s a very small chance of damage to other organs during surgery. When you have a tubal reversal, there is a slightly increased risk of having an ectopic pregnancy, which means a fertilized egg could implant outside your uterus. 

The most common location of an ectopic pregnancy is the fallopian tubes. An egg that doesn’t implant in the uterus can’t grow to term. If the fallopian tube ruptures, you may experience severe pain and bleeding, which is a medical emergency.

Trying to Get Pregnant

After you’ve healed, your doctor will let you know how soon it’s safe to try to get pregnant. Around 50 to 80 percent of women under 35 can conceive within a year of a tubal ligation reversal. If you’re over 40 or if you have had other problems such as pelvic inflammatory disease, endometriosis, or scar tissue from previous pelvic surgery, the chances of successfully conceiving a child may be lower. 

Alternatives to Tubal Ligation Reversal

Talk to the fertility experts at The Center for Reproductive Health if you have other questions about what to expect from a tubal ligation reversal. Our team can also explain other alternatives that may make it possible to have a baby even if you’re not sure you want to go through tubal ligation reversal. In vitro fertilization (IVF) is an option in which your eggs are combined with your partner’s sperm in a lab, which wouldn’t require reconnecting your fallopian tubes.

Schedule a consultation at The Center for Reproductive Health today for more information on the best options for you.

There are many reasons why some women have difficulty getting pregnant and may benefit from the help of an egg donor. One of the most common reasons is the aging process. As women age, the number of eggs that still remain in the ovaries decreases along with the health and quality of these eggs. 

Egg donors make it possible for some women who have health problems or don’t have healthy eggs of their own to successfully achieve pregnancy. Among women who are interested in donated eggs, one of the most common questions we hear at the Center for Reproductive Health is “How long is the egg donation process?” Typically the egg donation process takes approximately four weeks.

Screening of Potential Donors

Several screening tests are done on women who are interested in being egg donors. Donors must be in good health and between the ages of 20 and 31. Tests that are done to screen candidates include:

• A genetic screening and a family medical history are done to check for genetic diseases and hereditary conditions.
• A health screening is done to evaluate overall health and to check for drug use and sexually transmitted diseases. 
• Ovarian function and reserve are evaluated.
• A psychological exam is done.

Donors are required to be nonsmokers and to have a healthy BMI. At the Center for Reproductive Health, egg donations require a legal contact, so donors are also required to not be contractually obligated to donate eggs to another agency.

Steps Involved in Egg Donation

On the second or third day of a donor’s period, an ultrasound and blood test are done. As long as no unexpected problems are discovered, birth control pills are prescribed for two to three weeks, which helps to schedule egg donation. 

After the birth control cycle is completed, the donor returns to the clinic. The next step is to begin daily injections of fertility hormones, which stimulate multiple follicles to grow. The donor is taught how to administer injections at home. This can also be done by a family member. Injections are given for around ten to twelve days and don’t usually cause significant discomfort. During this time, the donor visits the clinic several times for continued monitoring and evaluation.

Egg retrieval surgery is the final step. The procedure is painless and takes approximately 30 minutes. The donor is sedated during the procedure and needs a ride home after spending an hour or so in recovery. The donor should get her next period in approximately ten days.

Donated eggs can be fertilized in a lab setting and transferred into a recipient’s uterus. Embryos can also be frozen and transferred at a later time.

Women who donate their eggs provide a priceless gift to women who are struggling to conceive and donors are well compensated for this gift. For more information on egg donation, in vitro fertilization or other types of assisted reproductive technology, reach out to the fertility experts at the Center for Reproductive Health today.

If you regret having your tubes tied, you’re not alone. Many women decide they’d like to get pregnant even though they previously chose to have a tubal ligation, which is intended to be a permanent form of birth control. One option for trying to get pregnant after having your tubes tied is a procedure known as a tubal reversal in which the fallopian tubes are unblocked and reconnected. 

A tubal reversal can have a success rate of 50 to 80 percent in women under the age of 35. If you’re older than 35 or if you’ve been told you’re not a good candidate for a tubal reversal, your next question may be, “Is it possible to get pregnant without tubal reversal?” The fertility experts at the Center for Reproductive Health can answer you questions and help you determine whether you’re a candidate for tubal reversal or if a different option would be better for you.

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

For different reasons, many women choose to undergo in vitro fertilization (IVF) rather than having a tubal reversal. IVF is a form of assisted reproductive technology (ART) that involves fertilizing an egg outside a woman’s body. This approach completely bypasses the fallopian tubes. If you decide to have IVF, fertility drugs are injected to help stimulate the development of multiple eggs. This stimulation process continues for seven to nine days.

One enough mature eggs have been produced, your doctor removes them through an outpatient procedure. The eggs that are retrieved are mixed with sperm cells from your partner or from a sperm donor in a laboratory. The cells of the fertilized eggs divide and become embryos. They are cultured in a strictly controlled environment and usually they are incubated for three to five days. They are then implanted into your uterus. If any of the embryos successfully attach to the lining of the uterus, it results in pregnancy.

Mini IVF

An alternative to IVF is a similar type of ART known as mini IVF. With this approach, low dose hormone stimulation is used to induce the growth of a small number of eggs. In most cases a short course of birth control pills is used before beginning treatment. Like traditional IVF, mature eggs are retrieved and fertilized in a lab setting before being implanted in the uterus. The goal of mini IVF is to create only a few high quality embryos. Since fewer embryos are produced, more cycles may need to be done to achieve pregnancy, but using low dose hormones results in fewer side effects and a lower overall cost.

Choosing the Best Option for You

Every woman is different and that there are different factors to consider in determining the best options in getting pregnant. If you’ve had a tubal ligation but aren’t sure that a tubal reversal is right for you, schedule a consultation with the highly experienced fertility team at the Center for Reproductive Health to discuss any questions or concerns you have and to determine the best choices available to you.

Egg donation is a generous gift to infertile couples who are struggling to conceive. Women who become egg donors may be motivated to help a couple make their dream of building a family to come true and in return, donors are generously compensated for their time and dedication. If you’re considering donating your eggs, you probably have a lot of questions starting with “What is the age limit for egg donation?”

At the Center for Reproductive Health, donors must be between the ages of 20 and 31. We’re always looking for bright and healthy young women to participate in our egg donation program.

Why Age is Important for Egg Donation

Women who undergo in vitro fertilization (IVF) with donated eggs want to make sure their chance of having a healthy pregnancy is good. For this reason, they need the donated eggs to be as high quality as possible. The highest quality eggs usually come from donors in their twenties and early thirties. 

Women are born with all their eggs and don’t produce new ones as time passes. As women age, the number of available eggs that remain decreases and the chance of eggs carrying defective genes increases. The older you are, the more chance there is that the pregnancy will fail and there’s also a higher risk of genetic disorders. 

Other Factors Required to Be an Egg Donor

Besides being between the ages of 20 and 31, egg donors must be in good overall health including a healthy BMI, so donors can’t be excessively overweight or underweight. You should be in good mental health with no history of substance abuse and you should be a nonsmoker, usually for at least six months. 

During the screening process, your family medical history is reviewed to make sure there’s not a history of hereditary diseases. You’re given a comprehensive physical exam to check the health of your ovaries. To qualify for egg donation, you should have both ovaries and a healthy ovarian reserve. Tests are done to check for sexually transmitted diseases. 

A psychological evaluation is done, and you’ll be given more information on what’s involved in egg donation such as the time commitment that’s involved, side effects that you may experience and potential complications. There are several steps to egg donation including injections of fertility hormones to stimulate the production of eggs, several visits for ultrasounds and then an appointment is scheduled for egg retrieval. There’s no evidence that egg donation has an impact on your remaining eggs.

Final Steps

If you successfully pass all the screenings, you’ll sign a legal contract that clearly states your rights and responsibilities as well as the compensation you may be receiving for egg donation. You should carefully review this document with an attorney to make sure you fully understand.

Egg donation is a very generous gift and in return, donors usually receive between $5,000 and $10,000 per cycle. If you’re interested in learning more about becoming an egg donor or you’re ready to apply, reach out to the team at the Center for Reproductive Health.

Getting your tubes tied is intended to be a permanent form of sterilization, but if you’ve decided you want to get pregnant even though you didn’t expect to feel this way, you’re not alone. Tubal reversal is a surgical procedure that’s done to reconnect the fallopian tubes, which were previously cut or tied to prevent pregnancy.

People who choose to go through tubal reversal have a lot of questions, mostly involving the likelihood of conceiving a child after tubal reversal. Questions we hear at the Center for Reproductive Health include things like “How soon can I get pregnant after reversing a tubal ligation?” Women who don’t get pregnant right away after tubal reversal may ask things like “What are the chances of tubal reversal being successful after 15 years?”

Am I a Candidate for a Tubal Ligation Reversal?

There are a lot of different factors that affect whether you’re able to have a baby after a tubal ligation is reversed, and many of these factors are discussed with your doctor before the procedure is scheduled. Age is one of the most important factors that affects your chances of having a baby after tubal reversal. Your chance of successfully conceiving is also affected by your overall health, the health of your partner’s sperm and whether you’ve had any conditions such as endometriosis that have causes scar tissue.

The type of tubal ligation you had done is also considered. For a reversal, there must be sufficient tubing left for your doctor to be able to successfully reattach the tubes. 

Chances of Success

Roughly 50 to 80 percent of women under the age of 40 are able to successfully get pregnant within a year or two. The chance of conceiving declines as a woman gets older. 

Even though many women get pregnant within a year, many others don’t. If six months passes and you still haven’t gotten pregnant, your doctor may recommend an HSG procedure, also called a dye test, which is done to evaluate the condition of the tubes to make sure they’re still open. If there’s nothing wrong with the tubes, your fertility team can provide information on other things that might help such as timed intercourse and ovarian stimulation.

There’s no guarantee of pregnancy after having a tubal reversal. At the same time, if you don’t get pregnant within the first couple of years, that doesn’t mean that attaining pregnancy is impossible. If it’s been 15 years since your tubal reversal, there’s a good chance that your age is affecting your egg production or the health of your eggs, which reduces your chances of your tubal reversal being successful. 

Other Options for Getting Pregnant

The team at the Center for Reproductive Health have the knowledge and compassion needed to guide you through understanding all your options for attaining pregnancy. If tubal reversal isn’t right for you, or if it’s not successful after some time has passed, you may want to consider other fertility treatment options such as in vitro fertilization (IVF). To find out more, schedule a consultation today.

There are many couples who are unable to conceive and for some of them, donated eggs may be the answer they’re looking for to make a successful pregnancy possible. The team at the Center for Reproductive Health work with infertile couples every day who may not be able to have a baby without the generosity of egg donors. If you’re interested in helping an infertile couple have a family by donating your eggs, you may be wondering what’s involved and how to qualify for egg donation. 

Health Requirements

The first step in the egg donation process is to fill out an application.  If you meet the eligibility requirements, an in-person interview is scheduled. To donate eggs, you need to be in good mental and physical health and between the ages of 20 and 31. You should have a healthy BMI and not be overweight or underweight and you should have both ovaries and regular periods. You must be a nonsmoker with no history of drug use or alcoholism. 

Screening for egg donation is very thorough.  You’re given a physical exam which includes evaluating the health of your ovaries. It also includes tests for sexually transmitted diseases and free fertility diagnostic testing including a genetic carrier screening test. This comprehensive screening is a great opportunity for you to learn important information about yourself. Your family medical history is discussed, which should be free of hereditary diseases. 

Learning What’s Required

If your physical exam and family health history all go well, you’ll have a meeting with a psychologist for a psychological screening. You’ll learn more about what’s involved in egg donation so that you’re prepared for the time commitment involved and potential complications. Most egg donors have few side effects, but you should be aware that you may experience mood swings, bloating, nausea or diarrhea. 

Egg donation doesn’t have any impact on the eggs you have available for future cycles. Some women are afraid that donating eggs could lead to early menopause, but there’s no evidence to suggest that this could happen.

Legal Contract

If you successfully pass all the screenings, before moving forward with the process of egg donation, you’re required to sign a legal contract. This is an agreement between you and the recipient or between you and the Center for Reproductive Health which outlines your rights, duties and compensation as an egg donor.

Throughout the process, your privacy is protected. Egg donation is anonymous and the couple receiving your donation learns only general information about you such as your height, weight and ethnicity.

Donating eggs is a very generous gift to infertile couples, and in return you receive a generous compensation for your time and dedication. Compensation is usually between $5,000 and $10,000 a cycle. If you’re interested in applying to be an egg donor or if you have additional questions, don’t hesitate to contact the team at the Center for Reproductive Health.