 |
 The Best Fertility Clinic Experience
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a highly successful assisted reproductive technology. There are four basic steps in an IVF treatment cycle:
Ovulation Induction
A woman begins taking fertility medications to encourage the development of eggs within the ovaries. These medications stimulate the follicles to produce more than one egg in a cycle.
Egg Retrieval
Egg retrieval is a minor surgical procedure that can be performed on an outpatient basis at Boston IVF’s surgery center. It typically takes about an hour and requires general anesthesia.
Fertilization and Embryo Development
The retrieved eggs are placed in a petri dish with a special solution for 2 to 3 hours. During this time, the male partner provides a semen sample. The sample is delivered to the lab where it undergoes a clarifying process referred to as “washing.” The washed sperm are incubated and placed in the petri dish with the eggs. After 18 hours, the eggs are examined. If fertilization occurs, then two to four of the resulting embryos are selected for transfer back to the woman.
Embryo Transfer
Embryo transfer is a simple procedure that does not require anesthesia. The selected embryos are inserted into a thin tube and guided toward the woman’s uterus, where it is hoped they will continue their natural fetal development. Transfer typically takes place three days after egg retrieval, or five to six days after retrieval in the case of blastocyst transfer. Rest and recovery are recommended for 24 to 48 hours.
Embryo freezing permits high quality embryos that are not immediately used for IVF to be frozen for the couple’s later use. Approximately half of all frozen embryos remain viable after thawing and can be successfully used in IVF treatment. If the frozen embryos are no longer needed, they can be sometimes donated to research, donated to other infertile women or discarded.
www.bostonivf.com
Chi Wellness Clinic
At Chi Wellness Clinic, we follow the TCM philosophy that every woman is a unique and special person. The root cause of infertility or other reproductive conditions needs to be assessed on an individual basis. Each woman has the potential to restore her balance and reproductive wellness.
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been dealing with fertility and women's health for five thousand years. During the Shang dynasty (1500 BC), Tuina massage was used to treat gynecological and pediatric conditions, as found in inscriptions on tortoise shells. Herbal medicine was used to treat infertility in an ancient medical text, Journal of Mountains and Seas, published in 475 BC. The canon of traditional Chinese medicine, Huang Di Internal Classic (Huang Di Nei Jing), describes comprehensive treatment for amenorrhea (absence of menstruation) and menorrhagia (heavy or long periods). It attributes women's reproductive changes to certain acupoint meridians (220 BC).
We provide acupuncture treatment for women who seek natural pregnancy or assisted production procedures such as IUI and IVF. The frequency of acupuncture treatment ranges from 1-3 times per week, depending on the patient's specific signs and symptoms. If women have considerable fertility difficulties, we highly recommend Chinese herbal medicine in addition to other treatments. We use three proprietary formulas in each menstrual cycle. Called PreM, M and PostM, the formulas, taken in tea form, are made of natural herbs. We provide a list of English names of the Chinese herbs for patients or their physicians to review.
In general, many reproductive problems take at least three months to be fully treated. Even if patients incorporate acupuncture in a later phase of their fertility efforts, they
should expect some positive effects.
Since 2001, we have helped many couples have healthy and happy babies. Among our cases are a 47 year old woman, who is expecting her first baby girl through natural pregnancy in August 2007, and a 50 year old woman, expecting her first baby boy through donor-egg IVF, in August 2007.
www.chiwellness.com
BOSTON BROOKLINE LONGWOOD
1520 TREMONT ST, SUITE 1
BOSTON, MA 02120
Phone 617.989.8658
Assisted Fertility
There are many reasons for people to consider surrogacy to start or expand their families. Perhaps a woman has found it relatively easy to get pregnant, but then suffered repeated miscarriages. Or she has endured a number of costly in vitro fertilization cycles without success. Maybe a gay male couple longs to have children of their own.
The missing piece in all these scenarios is a viable womb to carry a baby to term. This is what surrogacy provides. And unlike adoption, surrogacy allows the intended
parents to have some or even total genetic relationship to their child, to be fully informed of the child's entire prenatal care and health, and to take their newborn home from the hospital without any anxious waiting or conditions. [See FAQs for a more detailed contrast between surrogacy and adoption.
Surrogacy is a complicated and sensitive process that is very difficult to accomplish successfully without expert help. At NAFG, we expend resources to find excellent
carriers, and have them screened medically, psychologically, criminally, and financially. They are interviewed extensively by our surrogate coordinator, an expert in the field, and by a psychologist. The laws on surrogacy vary from state to state, and require experienced navigation. Although NAFG itself does not perform legal or medical services, our counsel and our president are experienced assisted reproduction and adoption attorneys who can assemble the appropriate legal structure for you. Medical procedures take place at a qualified facility of your choosing. If it is necessary to include donor egg and/or donor sperm in your plan, our coordinator will guide you wisely and carefully.
Working with our surrogate coordinator, clients will be presented with profiles of appropriate gestational carrier candidates, found through NAFG's extensive advertising and contacts. How long it takes to find a carrier depends on the pool available at the time you start. It could be right away, or take a few weeks. When you are preliminarily matched with a carrier, we will arrange first a conference call, then an in-person meeting supervised by one of our staff. Depending on the residences of the parties, some travel may be required for this step. The logistics (where the IVF and births take place) depend on the primary residence of the intended parents as well as the residence of the carrier who will be chosen.
www.assistedfertility.com
92 State Street, 7th Floor
Boston, MA 02109
Tel: 1-800-710-1677; 617-557-4300
Fax: 617-557-4301IVF Clinics Boston |
