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 Infertility and IVF clinic
This success is, in part, due to our experience and laboratory expertise, and, in part, due to the fact that all of our ova donors are between the ages of twenty and twenty-nine years old. Our anonymous donor egg program has no waiting list, and all of our donors undergo genetic, psychological, medical and infectious disease testing.
We believe that our ova donor program is one of the strongest in the country because of our personalized care and dedication to you, our patient. As a part of this dedication, at Dominion Fertility all eggs obtained are used exclusively for you.
The success of our donor ova program has allowed women who previously were unable to conceive to experience pregnancy and childbirth. Using donor ova, pregnancy is realized for many patients.
All of our donors are screened for HIV using both the standard testing and PCR. They are also tested for hepatitis B & C, general health profile, prolactin, RPR, TORCH, thyroid function, cervical cultures, and pap smear. The donor’s spouse or significant other is tested for HIV, hepatitis B & C, and RPR. Genetic testing is performed on all new ova donors. In addition to medical testing, all donors must have at least one psychological evaluation. Patients seeking ova donation have a strong input into deciding which donor they will use. Our Egg Donor Coordinator works closely with all patients to ensure the best possible compliment is achieved.
www.dominionfertility.com
Washington, DC
Tel: (703) 920-3890
Covington & Hafkin and Associates
Mrs. Covington received her degree from the University of Maryland School of Social Work and Community Planning in 1973 and is a Board Certified Diplomate in Clinical Social Work, with over 30 years of clinical experience as an adult psychotherapist and over 20 years working in reproductive medicine providing infertility counseling services. She is a nationally recognized leader on the psychological aspects of reproductive health problems and is widely published on the topics of pregnancy loss, stillbirth, infertility, and other reproductive health issues.
Mrs. Covington is co-author and editor of the highly regarded text, Infertility Counseling: A Comprehensive Handbook for Clinicians and has contributed textbook chapters as well as clinical manuscripts to numerous other scientific and clinical publications. In addition, she has written Silent Birth: If Your Baby Dies, a patient booklet on pregnancy loss used by many hospitals nationwide. Her work has been featured in local and national publications such as The Washington Post, Washingtonian Magazine, Savvy, ePregnancy, Web MD, Social Work Today, and Resolve’s Family Building Magazines. Mrs. Covington recently received a national honor from RESOLVE, the National Infertility Association, for her significant contributions in the field of reproductive medicine and to the infertile community.
Mrs. Covington is an Assistant Clinical Professor at the Georgetown University School of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Washington, D.C. In addition, she is Director of Psychological Support Services at Shady Grove Fertility Reproductive Science Center and an associate investigator in the Section on Women’s Health Research, Developmental Endocrinology Branch of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at the National Institutes of Health. In 1981, Mrs. Covington co-founded M.I.S. (Miscarriage, Infant Death, and Stillbirth) support group in Metro Washington, D.C.
She is an active professional member of Resolve, the National Infertility Association, and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), having been a founding member and past chairman of their Mental Health Professional Group (MHPG), as well as serving on the Executive Committee of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART).
www.covingtonandhafkin.com
Sharon N. Covington, LCSW-C
15001 Shady Grove Road, Suite 220
Rockville, MD 20850
(301) 279-9030
MidAtlantic Fertility Centers
In vitro fertilization was first developed as a treatment for infertility due to blocked Fallopian tubes, but is now used to treat many different problems. To maximize chances of achieving a pregnancy, ovarian stimulation is used to produce many follicles (each containing an egg). During a normal, unstimulated cycle, only a single follicle develops and one egg is ovulated. Growth and development of follicles are monitored very carefully during a stimulated cycle. When the follicles (and eggs) are mature, a hormone known as human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is given and egg retrieval is scheduled 34-36 hours later. Egg retrieval is usually performed under light anesthesia and using ultrasound guidance, but under certain circumstances, may require laparoscopy. The follicular contents are aspirated and handed to a laboratory technologist who then looks for eggs. The eggs are placed in dishes containing culture medium and incubated in a chamber maintained at body temperature. Shortly after the eggs have been retrieved, the male partner produces a semen sample. The semen is processed to isolate the most vigorous sperm to inseminate the eggs.
The day after retrieval and insemination, the eggs are examined for fertilization. Normal fertilization is indicated by the presence of two pronuclei. One pronucleus contains the genetic material from the mother and the other from the father. The fertilized eggs are examined every day until embryo transfer. Embryos can be transferred 2 to 6 days after egg retrieval and may be from the 2- to 4-cell (2-3 days after retrieval) stages of development to blastocyst (5-6 days after retrieval).
Embryo transfer is usually a simple procedure that does not require anesthesia. Embryos are loaded into a catheter (a thin plastic tube) and catheter is gently passed through the cervix into the uterus. Ultrasound is commonly used to confirm that the catheter tip is in the proper position in the uterine cavity. Embryos that have not been transferred can be frozen and stored for use in the future.
midatlanticfertility.com
2440 M Street
Suite 401
Washington, D.C. 20037
Phone: (202) 293-6567IVF Clinics Washington DC |
