The prospect of using a donor egg to get pregnant scares some women. Facing the decision to use egg donation, however, doesn’t have to feel like the end of the road; it can also be a beginning—the beginning of your family.

You don’t have to wait until you’re at your wits’ end. Whether you’ve tried every other means of getting pregnant or you already know that you can’t conceive, using an egg donor can pave the way to the child you’ve always wanted, a child that you carry to term. Egg donation is a safe, highly effective way to build your family.

Our San Diego fertility clinic has the facilities, the personnel, the experience, and the program to increase your odds of conceiving a healthy baby by using a donor egg. At Fertility Specialists Medical Group, you have a greater than 50 percent chance of carrying a pregnancy to term using donor eggs, even if you’re over 40 years old. Our egg donor program has seen remarkable outcomes.

If you have genetic abnormalities or underwent cancer treatment that caused you to become infertile, you may be an ideal candidate for receiving donor eggs. If you’ve gone through early menopause, egg donation provides a way for you to carry a baby. Even if advancing age is the reason you can’t conceive, you don’t have to give up on becoming a parent.

Once you make the decision, we will evaluate your medical history, general health, and uterus to optimize your chances for a healthy, successful pregnancy. Your choices of a donor aren’t limited, either. You can use the eggs of a family member or friend, or you can choose one of the anonymous San Diego-area egg donors through our Third Party Reproduction program. You’ll feel safe because we follow strict FDA-approved guidelines for donation procedures and testing. Donor screening is extensive at FSMG; we carefully evaluate the donor’s daily living habits, family history, medical background, and mental health.

If you use an anonymous donor, you play a role in selecting the candidate. You decide which traits your ideal candidate should possess. You can choose characteristics such as hair and eye color, stature, and ethnicity to increase the odds your baby will resemble you. The legalities of the process are taken care of through detailed contracts designed to protect your parenting rights and the anonymity of the donor.

We’re proud of the little bundles of joy our egg donor program has helped bring into the world. So if you find yourself considering egg donation, think of it as the end and the beginning: the end of your troubles and the beginning of your family.

Fertility Specialists Medical Group will put on free educational events during the week of April 22 to help heterosexual and same-sex couples learn about their fertility options.

Fertility Specialists Medical Group (FSMG) and the Greater San Diego Business Association will host four events during National Infertility Awareness Week, April 22–28. Addressing this year’s theme, “Don’t Ignore Infertility,” the events seek to educate and motivate straight and gay couples to explore their options for combating infertility.

Reproduction is supposed to be easy: introduce an egg to a sperm, and life results. Unfortunately, it is not always that simple. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), about seven million women aged 15 to 44 will need help to conceive. Same-sex couples seeking to build a family face additional challenges. FSMG offers professional support and guidance to all those in need.

Infertility causes emotional distress regardless of sexual orientation. Lesbian couples may need help with ovulation or the timing of insemination. Gay male couples have to coordinate the complex process of egg donation and surrogacy. Heterosexual couples often fight age-related and other infertility problems. A San Diego fertility clinic with accredited, state-of-the-art facilities, Fertility Specialists Medical Group can help resolve these issues.

FSMG will open its doors to the general public for four free events:

• Infertility Diagnosis. “Is it time to seek help?” Diagnosis is the first step toward overcoming infertility. Attendees can save $250 on an initial consultation at this public event that explores the questions and signs of infertility. Light refreshments will be served. Monday, April 23, 5:45–7:00.

• Complementary Therapy. “Does acupuncture really help?” Studies show that acupuncture, yoga, meditation, and nutrition can improve the chances of conception. This event, led by Julie Chang, L.Ac., introduces the practice to patients. There will be raffle prizes at this event. Tuesday, April 24, 5:45–6:45.

• Treatment Options. “Is in vitro fertilization the only choice?” Fertility treatment depends on diagnosis and need. This public event examines the range of options available, including those specific to gay and lesbian needs. Light refreshments will be served. Wednesday, April 25, 5:45–7:00.

• Fertility Lab Magic. “What goes on behind the scenes?” FSMG’s IVF Laboratory selects sperm, fertilizes eggs, and tests embryos for viability. This event uncovers the science and technology behind the magic that helps enable conception. There will be raffle prizes at this event. Thursday, April 26, 5:45–7:00.

All events will be held at the FSMG offices at 8010 Frost Street, Plaza Level, San Diego, CA 92123. Attendees are asked to RSVP to info@ivfspecialists.com or 858-505-5500.

FSMG offers a welcoming, respectful environment to learn about reproductive options such as in vitro fertilization, natural cycle insemination, ovulation induction with insemination, egg donation, surrogacy, and more. For more information about San Diego fertility treatments, visit our offices or call 858-505-5500.

“We have had a child already, let’s just keep trying…”

“I’m sure we are just not doing it at the right time…”

“Is this really a blue line?…”

“I’m only 28, I can’t be infertile…”

Do these questions sound familiar? 

Please join us for one or all of these public events for

National Infertility  Awareness Week

Monday, April 23                         5:45 – 7:00 pm

INFERTILITY DIAGNOSIS: Is it time to get help?

Are we infertile?  Do I/we need testing?   

Wednesday, April 25                    5:45 – 7:00 pm

INFERTILITY TREATMENT: Options

How to choose which option?

What are the options? Is there anything besides IVF?

Non-medication options/ lifestyle changes/complimentary therapies

Fertility Specialists Medical Group

8010 Frost Street, Plaza Level

San Diego, CA 92123

RSVP to:  info@ivfspecialists.com or 858-505-5500

www.fertilityinyour30s.com                   www.ivfspecialists.com

Light refreshments provided

According to the story, a recent survey discovered that while women know that their fertility declines with age, they underestimate the effect by 30 percent or more. Since it’s a touchy subject for women brought up to believe they can have it all—a successful career and a family—the message is not an easy one to deliver.

Indeed, Barbara Collura of RESOLVE, the National Infertility Association, said, “No federal agency pushes this issue, and neither women nor their OB-GYNs tend to bring it up.”

Is society itself to blame for putting pressure on women to postpone starting a family in favor of pursuing life experience and/or a career? Or is the media to blame for touting the births of 40-something celebrities as if it happens without help? Or is something else to blame? The latest NPR story examines all these reasons.

• To read the full article, follow this link to NPR.org.

The step-by-step process begins with a physical exam and complete medical history. Our fertility specialists cannot make a diagnosis until we know of any physical limitations. So your first visit to our office, a consultation, consists of meeting a specialist, undergoing diagnostic tests, and reviewing your history.

Both partners should attend this initial consultation since statistically, the cause of infertility lies equally between the woman and the man. The tests we administer examine everything from a woman’s ovulation cycle and physical anatomy to the quality and motility of the man’s sperm. Occasionally, we have to ask you to return for more tests.

Once all the test results are in, your doctor will explain your alternatives. Treatments often begin with the least invasive, to rule out the simple causes first. Presented here are some of our more common treatment options:

• A minimally invasive surgery called a hysteroscopy is an outpatient procedure in which a specialist uses small device to examine your uterus and remove any polyps, scars, or fibroids that may be hindering your conception.
• We offer reverse tubal ligation if you’re healthy, under 35, previously had your “tubes tied,” and have now changed your mind about starting a family.
• Male infertility treatments in San Diego include sperm analysis. Sperm retrieval can be performed if the man’s sperm count is consistently negligent.
• A common obstruction to fertility is a dilated vein around a testicle that heats up sperm and dilutes its potency. A simple outpatient procedure can correct this.
• Drugs are available to increase the number of mature eggs a woman produce. Fertility drugs are often prescribed in conjunction with other treatments.
• Your partner’s sperm can be injected high into your uterus during a simple inpatient procedure to increase the odds of fertilization. This is called intrauterine insemination.
• Techniques may be combined to perform in vitro fertilization (IVF). IVF is one of the most successful fertility methods performed at San Diego fertility clinics. Advances in IVF greatly enhance and increase your chances of becoming pregnant.
• FSMG runs an extensive in-house egg donor program to facilitate that process, should time or physical issues limit your other options.

There’s also the option of surrogacy, a practice that’s becoming more and more viable for couples who cannot overcome their fertility problems. Those who choose to use a surrogate may have experienced challenges ranging from advanced age to a previous hysterectomy to uterine anomalies to recent miscarriages.

Which fertility treatment options are best for you can only be determined by a qualified fertility specialist after the test results are in and you have had a conversation with a fertility specialist in San Diego. Once we understand your needs and desires, together we can choose the best course of treatment. FSMG remains committed to helping every couple start a family.

Personal choices—such as drinking alcohol, taking drugs, and overeating—can lower your odds of pregnancy. Alcohol in any amount can be harmful. A single glass of red wine may be good for your heart, but it does not help your fertility.

Stress also plays a role, since it increases your blood pressure, strains your immune system, and alters your reproductive cycles. The National Institutes of Health report that a high level of alpha-amylase, the chemical your body produces when you’re under stress, reduces your chances of conception.

Environmental Hazards

Factors over which you have no control—from air pollution to food contaminants to water quality—can stop you from getting pregnant. The chemicals in your home cleaning and personal hygiene products may also contribute to your inability to conceive, according to Resolve, the National Infertility Association. Talk to a San Diego fertility specialist about these products:

• Cosmetics
• Pet food
• Ink
• Paint
• Plastics
• Electronics
• Household cleaning products
• Lawn and garden fertilizers and pesticides

At Fertility Specialists Medical Group, we can provide you with a list of the most common toxins to avoid, as well as ways to limit your exposure to environmental pollutants that could be inhibiting your fertility in San Diego and other places. Often, just a few small changes in your daily life can make all the difference.

Lifestyle Impacts

Our fertility experts can help you develop a healthy lifestyle to reach your fertility goals. The most obvious steps to take include:

• Maintain a healthy weight
• Avoid cigarettes (including second-hand smoke), alcohol, and drugs
• Incorporate a stress-reduction program, such as yoga, meditation, or Tai Chi
• Reduce or eliminate certain foods, such as sugar and white bread
• Get a daily serving of a full-fat dairy food, such as whole milk or cheese
• Filter your drinking and cooking water
• Avoid the “dirty dozen” fruit and vegetables, or peel them before eating

Staying healthy, including monitoring your weight, may have the single greatest impact on your fertility. A body mass index (BMI) under 19 or over 25 puts you at risk of inhibiting your reproductive potential.

Even after doing all the right things, you still may need additional assistance, which is why we are here for you. A San Diego fertility clinic like Fertility Specialists Medical Group will work with you to help you conceive. Our fertility lifestyle classes, for example, guide you through the maze of lifestyle choices that can increase your fertility rate, such as the nutrition and yoga.

One woman conceived from donor sperm, Kathleen LaBounty, was both curious about her biological father and concerned about any medical issues for her own children. When she learned, at age 8, how she was conceived, “she says it actually made her love her dad all the more, since he was treating her just like she was his own.”

On the other hand, an unidentified egg donor said that she “has donated her eggs four times. She feels it’s nothing at all like adoption, in which a woman actually bears a child and gives it up.”

It has become a complex issue that society—and the courts—will likely have to come to terms with, as more and more families rely on artificial reproductive technologies (ART), including egg donors.

At Fertility Specialists Medical Group (FSMG), we support our patients’ personal choices and encourage our families to be informed on relevant issues.
Click to read the complete npr.com article online.

“Women inseminated with a donor’s sperm,” the article begins, “used to be advised to tell no one. Go home, doctors said, make love to your husband and pretend that worked.”

Psychologists today agree that the shock and trauma to children discovering later in life that their parents aren’t their de facto biological parents is a greater evil than letting the child know early that he or she was conceived in a less than traditional manner. According to Elaine Gordon, one psychologist quoted in the article: “You never want to sit a pre-adolescent down and say, ‘We have something to tell you.’”

Here’s another insight from the article:

“The top three reasons children search for their donors are: curiosity about the donor’s characteristics, a desire to meet the donor, and for medical reasons. Very few reported they wanted to form a relationship with the donor.”Read the complete npr.com article online.

Fertility Specialists Medical Group understands that it is a personal choice whether or not parents want to tell their children. FSMG supports egg donor privacy, including honoring privacy requests from both the donor and the recipient family. FSMG also offers counseling for families struggling with the issue.

This NPR article is the first of a two-part feature story; we will provide you with a link to the second part of the story in another blog post. Stay tuned soon!

It’s a positive development that fertility treatment is coming out in the open. For those who long for a child, infertility is nothing short of heartbreaking. Marriages are put to the test. Some people give up on having a biological child and turn to adoption. But people have lately become aware that they are not alone in their struggles. The Center for Disease Control estimates seven million women between 15 and 44 have an impaired ability to give birth. About two million married women in the same age group have tried unsuccessfully to conceive without fertility treatments.

San Diego Is No Different

In San Diego, many couples have decided they need help and have turned to San Diego fertility clinics to discuss their options as they seek to start a family. Thankfully, great strides have been made both in fertility treatments and in infertility diagnosis. A San Diego fertility specialist can determine your specific situation and guide you to the best course of action.

What Are Your Options

Certain fertility drugs can promote ovulation. Clomiphene, for example, induces ovulation in women and may sometimes increase sperm count in men. Gonadotropins, normally administered by injection over several days, cause increased egg production. The first injections cause eggs to be produced, and later injections help with the release of those eggs. Bromocriptine helps those who have trouble ovulating due to pituitary adenoma, a benign tumor in the pituitary gland that releases too much prolactin, reducing estrogen levels and preventing natural ovulation. Once these hormonal levels are normal, many couples are able to conceive without further treatment.

Another possible treatment is intrauterine insemination (IUI). For IUI, the sperm are placed directly into the uterus during ovulation. Often, this option is used in conjunction with fertility drugs. Another option, in vitro fertilization (IVF), involves manipulating ovulation, retrieving eggs so they can be fertilized outside the woman’s body. The eggs are then returned to the uterus. While this procedure gets a lot of media exposure, it is long and complex. Like other fertility treatments, it can have mixed results so it is important to choose an experienced provider.

If you’re concerned about fertility, we can help. A San Diego fertility specialist can discuss all your options, including egg donors and surrogacy, to help you bring a new addition to your home.

“When the electricity goes out and you get iced in, boredom sets in. So you think, there’s nothing to do. One thing leads to another and nine months later, you see an increase in the birth rate.”
Read the complete ajc.com article online.

In San Diego, we aren’t likely to suffer from an ice storm, but there is a lesson in this news item you can use to your advantage without experiencing a natural disaster. For example, could you create your own “natural disaster weekend,” where you “strand yourself” in your home without distractions? If you turn off cell phones, unplug the TV, disconnect the Internet, and lock the door, would you and your partner experience the fecundity mentioned in the article?

We don’t have an answer, but we think it may be worth a try. Intimacy, after all, is the first step toward a San Diego fertility increase.