Fertility Road Issue 09

EUROPE'S NO.1 FERTILITY MAGAZINE 

ISSUE 09 | FEBRUARY – MARCH 2012 £3.95/€4.95 

YOUR PATH TO PARENTHOOD 

WWW.FERTILITYROAD.COM 

FERTILITY ROAD MAGAZINE 

THE TIME IS NOW 

The best time to 

start your family 

• 

• 

W W W. F E R T I L 

I T Y R O A D.C O M 

WINTER 

BLUES?? 

Take a break 

in the Sun.... 

Courteney Cox on 

Family, Friends 

and Fertility 

ISSUE 09 


COOKING TO CONCEIVE OVARIAN TISSUE FREEZING HYPNOSIS

Introducing Sophia! 

Courtesy of the Conception Kit ® 

For many couples, the Conception Kit is helping to 

turn dreams into reality. The Conception Kit is a new 

option that helps you conceive in the privacy and 

relaxed environment of your home. In fact, 1 in 4 

couples have successfully conceived whilst using the 

Conception Cap. 1 Available without prescription, the 

Conception Kit is a revolutionary fertility aid that, 

compared to many treatments, is affordable and 

convenient. It is a use-at-home product that naturally 

puts the choice of conception back in your hands and 

which could help lead to a little miracle of your own. 

For more information, visit www.conceptionkit.co.uk 

helping little miracles happen 

Conception Kit 

® 

1. Data on file Code: CKFRMA2112 2011 Rev0

FERTILITY ROAD 

CONTENTS 

In this issue... 

12 

20 

26 44 

12 GETAWAYS TO GET PREGNANT 

Not a fan of the winter weather, we’ve found a couple of 

sizzling hot destinations guaranteed to relax and make 

you want to get it on under the sun. 

16 MAN IN THE MIRROR 

Are men really concerned about not being able to father 

children? We’ve got the lowdown on how your man ticks. 

20 FRIEND, COUGAR & MUM 

Cougar Town star Courteney Cox, talks about her struggles 

with infertility, and how never giving up paid off in the end. 

26 THE TIME IS NOW 

When is the right time to have a baby? We discuss when 

the best time is to start your family. 

48 BEHIND OVARIAN TISSUE FREEZING 

Infertility pioneer Dr. Silber explains the science behind 

the relatively new procedure of freezing ovarian tissue. 

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: 

NUTRITION: 

Fertility Expert Emma Cannon whips up some tasty dishes 

perfect to keep you nice and warm during the cold months 

HYPNOSIS: 

Leading Cognitive Hypnotherapist Russell Davis explains 

how hypnosis can help you whether trying to conceive 

naturally or undergoing treatment. 

LETTER FROM THE HEART: 

Dawn from South Africa retells her story full of challenges, 

failed IVF treatments, insomnia, and her fairy tale ending. 

www.fertilityroad.com 

03

Leaving our mark 

for over 20 years. 

We love memories, but more importantly we love 

beginnings. We’ve been pioneering infertility treatment, 

sperm and egg donation, and gestational surrogacy with 

same sex couples for over 20 years. Under the leadership 

of Dr. Gad Lavy, New England Fertility can help you begin 

your family – and start your own memories. 

Dr. Gad Levy will be speaking and providing free consultations at the “Men Having Babies” Conference, April 29 – May 1 

in Catalonia, Spain. This conference is part of the LGBT Families 2nd Annual European Conference. Book your free 

consultation now by emailing mwelch@nefertility.com. Skype consultations are also available. 

Visit nefertility.com or call +001.203.325.3200 

Conveniently located just north of New York City in Stamford, Connecticut.

• 

• 





CONTRIBUTORS 

Introducing the Fertility Road panel of journalists and experts… 


ISSUE 09 FEBRUARY – MARCH 2012 










ISSUE 09 – FEBRUARY–MARCH 2012 

Group Publisher: 

Jeff Crockett 

Managing Editor: 

Giorgio Severi 

Business Advisor: 

Alessandro Severi 

Contributors: 

Dawn Blank, Emma Cannon, 

Oriane Chausiaux, Dr. Said Daneshman, 

Russell Davis, Dr. Sherman Silber 

Art Editor: 

Damian Browning 

Interim Sales Manager: 

Ms. J Watson 

European Sales: 

Susan Calatayud, Pier Minole 

Accounts Manager: 

Jennifer Gardner 

Legal Advisor: 

W Burson & Co. 

Client Liason Officer: 

Debbie Hanson 

Printed in the UK by: 

The Magazine Printing Company 

using only paper from FSC/PEFC suppliers 

www.magprint.co.uk 

Advertising Enquiries: 

sales@fertilityroad.com 

Contact details: 

Fertility Road Magazine 

Suite 318, Building 50, 

Argyll Road, London SE18 6PP 

Tel: 020 3556 3767 

Email: info@fertilityroad.com 






Follow us on Twitter 

www.twitter.com/fertilityroad 

WINTER 

BLUES?? 

Take a break 


COOKING TO CONCEIVE OVARIAN TISSUE FREEZING HYPNOSIS 

Welcome to our latest copy of Fertility Road. 

In this copy we hear about Courteney Cox’s rocky 

road to parenthood, throughout it all never giving 

up on her dream and where perseverance finally 

paid off. We’ve found some great places to kick 

start 2012 and beat the winter months, and we 

learn about Ovarian Tissue Freezing from Dr. Sherman Silber. 

Don’t forget to add a note in your diary for the 18th and 19th May, 

as the Fertility World Show is back, this time at London Earl’s Court. 

Once again, we will have Doctors, Fertility experts and a great line 

up of specialist speakers ready to answer all your questions. So why 

not make it a date, we would love to see you there! 

Also we are excited to announce that our fantastic magazine is now 

available for FREE online at www.FertilityRoad.com so check it out! 

Until next time – stay warm, relax and enjoy our magazine.... Giorgio 

OUR WRITERS... 

OUR FERTILITY EXPERTS... 

Emma Cannon practises complementary therapies and acupuncture 

and specialises in fertility and women’s health; gynaecology, IVF 

support, conception, pregnancy and postnatal care. She is Director of 

Emma Cannon Ltd and author of The Baby-Making Bible and You and 

Your Bump. www.emmacannon.co.uk 

Dr. Sherman Silber M.D is a renowned pioneer in microsurgery and 

infertility and is considered one of the world’s leading authorities 

on fertility treatments. He is the author of three medical textbooks, 

five best-selling books, and has published more than 200 scientific 

papers on human infertility and reproduction. www.infertile.com 

Dawn Blank is the co-founder of South African based Gift ov life, which is 

one of the largest and most reputable egg donation agencies in the Southern 

Hemisphere. She consults on sex selection and IVF, and is mother to two 

small IVF miracles. Check out page 44 to read her path to parenthood. 

Dr. Said Daneshman M.D completed his residency at UCLA Medical 

Center. His research focused on the effect of female age on ovarian 

reserve. Currently, as The Fertility Center of Las Vegas’ practice director, 

his special interest lies in developing protocols for patients undergoing IVF. 

Oriane Chausiaux is one of the fertility experts on the team and the Chief 

Scientific Officer. Oriane has completed her PhD. in infertility at the 

University of Cambridge, and has been involved with infertility research 

since 2001. Her expertise is mainly in endocrinology-related infertility. 

Russell Davis is a Cognitive Hypnotherapist and the founder of The 

Fertile Mind fertility hypnosis programs and has personal experience of 

double infertility. Russell has helped couples all over the UK get pregnant 

whether through natural conception or fertility treatment such as IVF. 


05


NEWS 

The latest developments from the fertility world 

SUNNY BREAK MAY 

BE ALTERNATIVE TO IVF 

New research has recently been published in the European Journal of 

Endocrinology suggesting that a sunny holiday might just be what the 

Doctor should order to couples struggling to conceive naturally. 

In the reports, the researchers from the Medical University of Graz in 

Austria explain that Vitamin D, what we produce when we lie in the sun, 

also helps boost levels of the female sex hormones progesterone and 

oestrogen, regulating menstrual cycles and making conception naturally 

much more likely. Future Dads can also increase their levels of the male 

sex hormone testosterone by lying in the Sun as Vitamin D also plays a 

vital part in the healthy development of each sperm, thus increasing his 

sex drive. So why not check out our fabulous ‘Time Away for Two’ breaks 

on page 12, and who knows, you might just come back pregnant! 

Infertility itself is not very funny but when life hands you lemons, 

make some fertile lemonade, according to Naomi, who having 

had 4 rounds of IVF before conceiving knows this subject well, 

her witty blog in which she finds the humorous side to infertility, 

offers loads to read with regular updates, add this to your 

favourites for a guaranteed giggle. www.999reasonstolaugh.com 

A 30P PILL A 

DAY COULD BE 

THE ANSWER 

TO GETTING 

PREGNANT? 

Research carried out at University College in London, has 

revealed that a pill bought over the counter, at £10 for a 

month’s supply, can seriously improve your chances of 

falling pregnant. The pill, Vitabiotics Pregnacare 

Conception, contains folic acid, Vitamin B, Vitamin 

E, Vitamin C, Zinc and Selenium, which the 

scientists say are all nutrients which increase your 

fertility, and your chances of conceiving naturally. 

Pregnacare-Conception can be found at 

Boots and all other leading pharmacies or 

alternatively on line at Amazon.com 

If you don’t know about Fertility Friends, 

it’s certainly worth a visit when you have a 

spare 5 mins. The main aim of this website is 

to provide support and friendship to those 

affected by all forms of infertility, the effects 

of assisted conception, pregnancy loss, 

the up’s and down’s of pregnancy and 

parenting itself. Fertility Friends is run 

entirely by volunteers, who monitor the 

forums that cover every conceivable 

(pardon the pun) area you could imagine, 

with 350 boards (and counting) this site 

has over 400,000 visitors a month all 

using the forums, galleries and chat rooms. 

06 

fertility road | february - march 2012


NEWS 

The latest developments from the fertility world 

CLINICS IGNORE 

MEN’S FERTILITY 

A recent story tells about a couple in England who had 3 

rounds of IVF, several painful procedures and the removal of 

a fallopian tube unnecessarily have provoked some debate 

from the UK’s leading male health doctors, questioning why 

IVF clinics tend to focus on women’s fertility issues, with little 

attention paid to men’s problems. “Most clinics don’t even 

employ a male fertility specialist”, they say 

Dr. Rees from the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in 

Winchester went on to explain “the majority of fertility 

clinics are gynaecology-led, where the emphasis is placed 

on investigating the female partner only” 

So before embarking on any fertility treatment roads, make 

sure that all tests on your partner’s sperm have been completed 

– you could end up saving yourselves thousands!!! 

An Artificial testicle could solve male infertility say scientists in 

California who hope to become the world’s first to develop a 

‘sperm-making biological machine’ that will produce viable sperm, 

allowing infertile men the chance to conceive. The fertility device 

is expected to be completed within the next five to seven years. 

BABIES AND 

COUNTING!! 

The South East Fertility Clinic (SEFC), in Kent, is 

proud to announce that they will be holding a big 

party for all the parents and children later on in 

the year to help celebrate the birth of their 1000th 

baby. SEFC opened its doors in January 2007 at 

the practice, built to cater for the needs of couples 

hoping to become parents and has over 70 years 

of joint experience working in the field of fertility. 

TWIN BIRTHS RISE! 

A government report in the US was released last 

month, revealing that the rate of twin births has 

risen by 76% since the 1980s, especially amongst 

older women. The real reasons why mothers in their 

30s are more likely to have twins than younger or 

older women have yet to be discovered, but experts 

are speculating that the dramatic increase is due 

to women concentrating on their careers first and 

choosing to start a family at a later age. 

08 fertility road | february - march 2012


EVENTS 

The World Congress of 

Gynaecological Endocrinology 

7 - 10 March 2012 – Florence, Italy 

The International Society of Gynaecological Endocrinology, 

and their friends, will be running their 15th annual reunion 

in beautiful Florence this year, organised over four days and 

split into lectures, debates and interactive sessions. 

For more information please visit www.isge2012.com 

Now FREE to 

view online! 

• FREE ENTRY TO FERTILITY ROAD READERS • 

Fertility World Show 

18 - 19 March 2012 

– London, Earls Court, UK 

Fertility World in association with Fertility Road is billed as 

“The essential event for anyone considering fertility treatment” 

So if you are planning to start a family and having 

problems getting pregnant, then a visit to the Fertility World 

Show will provide you with all the help, information and 

advice you need to get you on the road to having your baby. 

The Fertility World Show will provide you with an excellent 

opportunity to meet and discuss your requirements 

with a host of hospitals, clinics and consultants specialising 

in fertility issues. You will also have a chance to attend a 

programme of seminars by industry experts covering a host 

of fertility issues and topics including: 

• Maximising your chances of getting pregnant 

• Choosing a fertility clinic 

• Going overseas for fertility treatment 

• How the NHS can help with fertility costs 

• Same sex fertility treatment 

• The donor and surrogacy route 

• Natural methods to boost your fertility 

• Fertility information resources 

Visit www.fertilityroad.com/events to book your FREE TICKET 

visit FertilityRoad.com 

and you can flip through the 

magazine from cover-to-cover


CELEB NEWS 

Fertility news amongst the flashbulbs 

Khloé Kardashian has talked openly about her 

fertility issues, her sister Kourtney (left) is 

already mum to Mason born in 2009 and is 

currently pregnant with her second child 

A-LIST 

FAMILY 

MATTERS 

Khloé Kardashian has made no 

secret of the fact that she’s 

ready to start a family with 

husband Lamar Odom, and the 

couple has been upfront about possible 

fertility issues. But as for reports that she 

is currently seeking fertility treatment in 

her new adopted hometown of Dallas, 

Khloé wants to set the record straight. 

“Because there is so much speculation 

here is my statement... I am not at this time 

in my life considering any type of fertility 

treatments. If and when I do, I will shout it 

from the rooftops but for now it’s in God’s 

hands,” she wrote on Twitter. 

While Khloé is “trying very hard” to get 

pregnant, there’s no word on what options 

the 27-year-old and her hubby are considering. 

But shortly after their two-year anniversary 

in the autumn of 2011, Lamar – 

who recently joined the Dallas Mavericks 

– said they were working hard on adding to 

their family. “We’re on it right now,” he 

said. “And we’re having fun trying.” 

Meanwhile superstar parents Beyonce 

and Jay-Z (below) made big headlines 

across the globe with the arrival of their 

baby, Blue Ivy Carter, in January this year. 

The excited couple released a joint statement 

saying Blue ‘was delivered naturally 

at a healthy 7 lbs and it was the best experience 

of both of our lives.’ 

The celebrity couple added, “Her birth 

was emotional and extremely peaceful, we 

are in heaven. We are so grateful to everyone 

for all your prayers, well wishes, love 

and support” 

The pop superstars reportedly spent a 

staggering $1.3 million for pricey renovations 

to an exclusive recovery area at one of 

Manhattan’s swankiest hospitals - including a 

bulletproof door to their room, $1 million 

on a custom built Mercedes van and a 

baby crib reported to have set Jay-Z back a 

cool $20,000. 

Celebs close to the couple have sent their 

congratulations via twitter, with Beyonce’s 

sister, Solange Knowles, tweeting “she is the 

most beautiful girl in the world” while close 

friend Gwyneth Paltrow tweeting “Welcome 

to the world Blue, we love you already!” 

‘Auntie’ Kelly Roland is also said to be 

enamoured with the three-week-old baby; 

“She’s absolutely beautiful!” Kelly gushed 

to E! Online, “And I say that with such a 


© Twitter / Mariah Carey / Dembabies.com 

huge grin, I’m so excited!!” Kelly also thinks the world should 

watch out for the future superstar, “She was on her dad’s 

record Glory! So yeah, she’s gonna be musical.” 

And who could blame her – with parents like that! 

Back in the UK, there was also cause for celebration last 

month as Amanda Holden finally returned home with her 

second daughter Hollie Rose on the 23rd January 2012. 

She’s absolutely beautiful! 

I say that with such a huge grin, 

I’m so excited!! She was on her 

dad’s record Glory! So yeah, 

she’s gonna be musical. 

- Kelly Rowland on Blue Ivy Carter arrival 

The Britain’s Got Talent 

judge, who almost died giving birth, 

suffering from massive blood loss because of a haemorrhage 

due to a pre-existing condition, which resulted in Amanda fighting 

for her life in a ‘critical condition’. A close friend of Amanda 

said: “Despite the trauma she has been through she has never 

been happier and feels now her life, and her family is complete. 

A statement released through Amanda’s agent Alison Griffin 

said: “We are delighted that Amanda is now home. She and 

her husband Chris would like to thank everyone who was in- 

volved in her care for their amazing skill and dedication, and 

also thank everyone who sent kind thoughts and wishes.” 

And Finally – Mariah Carey shared an adorable holiday card 

of the ‘dem babies” first Christmas! Posted on the kids’ website, 

the cards shows Monroe being cuddled by Santa and her doting 

mom, and Moroccan poses for the camera with a big smile. 

“Ms. Monroe & Moroccan Scott’s first Christmas!!” Mariah 

tweeted. In another pic, her hubby Nick wears a Santa cap 

and poses with Father Christmas, and the final picture is of Mr. 

Claus himself, sitting by a cosy fire. Mariah struggled to fall 

pregnant, but insists that her pregnancy was all down to daily 

acupuncture and stress relieving massages. 

Get expert 

fertility 

information 

and support 

online with 

Boots WebMD 

Let us support 

you in taking the 

first step. 

Visit Visit www.bootswebmd.com 

and and search search ‘fertility’. ‘fertility’. 

feel good 

feel good

FEATURE | getaways to get pregnant 

WORDS | GIORGIO SEVERI 


While Britain cuddles together 

and prepares to face the 

coldest February in recorded 

history, we’ve found a couple 

of sun-kissed locations that 

will ensure you and your 

partner spend some quality 

time for two, to relax, unwind 

and get intimate. 

Chromata / Santorini, Greece 

The beautiful island of Santorini is located in the middle of the Greek 

islands in the Aegean Sea. It is, along with Mykonos and Crete, the most 

famous holiday destinations in Greece and offers a short trip and great 

weather in February and March for those of us who want to escape the 

British winter. Santorini is essentially what remains of an enormous volcanic 

explosion dating back 3,600 years and which created the current geological 

caldera; a giant central lagoon, surrounded by 980 ft high steep cliffs on 

three sides. Set at the pinnacle of the caldera’s rim and perched on the side 

of the cliffs in the picturesque village of Imerovigli, the Chromata Hotel has 

the most breathtaking views of the volcano and the Aegean Sea. New chic 

interior design brings new meaning to boutique living as does the sublime 

infinity pool and the gourmet restaurant – you’ll never want to leave! 

Learn More: www.chromata-santorini.com / +30 22860 23227 


13

FEATURE | getaways to get pregnant 

Four Seasons Marrakech / Morocco 

Snake charmers sit outside refined palaces, riotous marketplaces 

sell all kinds of wares, and the mysterious Medina (old 

town) contains nearly two miles of secret passages. The Atlas 

Mountains make a thrilling day trip, while city sights include 

tombs, souks, and mosques. Marrakech has a Mediterranean 

climate so spring is the ideal time to visit. Nestled in 40 acres 

of beautiful Moorish gardens, the newly-built Four Seasons 

Marrakech designed in a contemporary style, is just a short 

walk from the bustling Medina. Private cabanas, complete 

with comfortable couches and over-sized lounges, are dotted 

around the two large swimming pools and provide the perfect 

place to spend a relaxing day. Or head to the impressive spa 

for a little indulgence and enjoy an invigorating treatment! 

... and if you want to stay in this country! 

Wallett’s Court Hotel / Dover, Kent 

For those of us who don’t mind the cold (yes, there are some of us 

out there!) why not book a cosy spa weekend away at Wallett’s 

Court Hotel. This is an historic 4 star country house hotel with an 

award winning restaurant and luxury health spa nestled in the 

heart of White Cliffs Country, just ninety minutes from the city of 

London, and 10 minute drive from the center of Dover. 

With stunning four-poster bedrooms in the old manor and 

contemporary rooms in converted Kentish barns set in acres of beautiful 

landscaped gardens. With an array of massage therapy, body & 

beauty treatments, the ‘Garden of England’ Spa at Wallett’s Court 

will provide much-needed rejuvenation. Unlike so many other spas 

of today, the ‘Garden of England Spa’ is small, intimate and inviting, 

allowing therapists to focus on providing personal service in a 

soothing atmosphere – perfect for a weekend away for two. 

Learn More: www.fourseasons.com/marrakech / (212) 524 359 200 

Learn More: www.wallettscourthotelspa.com / +44 01304 852 424 


Innovative concept of private 

fertility care on Harley Street 

Fertility Plus offers a bespoke complete fertility service from the 

Harley Street consultation rooms. We are ethical and unique as we 

offer a FIXED PRICE package for a full range of fertility investigations 

and treatments to couples, same sex-couples and single women. 

Our packages include: 

• IVF at £5750 all inclusive of medications 

• Mild IVF at £5050 all inclusive of medications 

• ICSI at £6450 all inclusive of medications 

We offer: 

• One-on-one consultant led care 

• To beat the open wallet policy of Harley Street so that you 

know what you are getting for the money you invest 

• Extensive experience of cutting edge technology 

Please visit our website for further details and information 

www.fertilityplus.org.uk

FEATURE | male fertility 


WORDS | CARRIE DUNN 

Think that your man is obsessed with work? 

Think again. If a recent survey is to be believed, 

it’s probable that the thought occupying his 

mind is whether he’s able to father children. 

Yes, men are more concerned 

about quality of their sperm 

than the quality of their career 

trajectory – and 14 per cent of 

them rate their fertility as their number one 

priority in life. 

So it’s unsurprising that when a problem 

is found with a man’s fertility, the news can 

affect him deeply. 

But if you find yourself in a similar situation 

with your partner, don’t expect to be 

able to second-guess his reaction – there is 

no textbook response to this kind of news. 

“Nobody wants to find a problem, and 

reactions range from being shocked and 

upset to relief that a cause of the infertility 

has been identified,” says Emma Cannon, 

founder of Harley Street practice A 

Healthy Conception. 

Though a diagnosis of infertility is difficult 

for anyone to deal with, she thinks that 

women tend to cope better with the news 

simply because they decide to take an active 

part in dealing with their condition. 

“As a rule, but by no means in all couples, 

women find diagnosis of a problem in 

themselves easier to manage and accept 

than men do. Women are generally better 

at making positive changes to improve 

their fertility; I think it is fair to say that 

they are more motivated.” 

It’s easy to conclude that a diagnosis of 

infertility affects a man’s concept of his 

own masculinity which in turn affects his 

behaviour – and quite often this seems to 

be the case. 

“I think for some men the semen analysis 

is a ‘measure of manhood’ and therefore it 

can be a real setback if it is poor,” agrees 

Cannon. “Interestingly, women often report 

that they would rather the problem had 

been with them as emotionally the situation 

would have been easier to deal with.” 

“This kind of news will have a big impact 

on any man,” concurs psychologist Trudy 

Hill from the Susie Ambrose Clinic, “and 

many studies have shown that involuntary 

childlessness in men has a big impact on 

mental health, self-esteem and many other 

areas. Masculinity and fertility are linked 

equally as much as femininity and fertility; 

they are linked by our biology, by our nature 

and through the concept of evolution and 

sexual selection as we select the mate most 

likely to give us healthy children and be 

able to care or provide well for them. They 

are also linked through our society, through 

our media and our social norms.” 

No wonder there is still, unbelievably, 

such a stigma around male infertility. 

Women with conditions preventing them 

from conceiving are likely to discuss their 

endometriosis or fibroids or polycystic 

ovaries with their friends and get sympathy; 

men with a low sperm count won’t confide 

in their friends because of all the laddish 

jokes they’ve swapped concerning poking 

fun at others ‘firing blanks’ in the past. And 

yet men can suffer terrible psychological 

pressure after their diagnosis, and need 

support and understanding. 

Mark (not his real name) agrees. “I feel 

worthless for not being able to get the job 

done the natural way,” he says. “I feel like 

we have to go through all these procedures 

because I’m not man enough.” 

Jane found her husband reacting in a 

similar way. “He definitely feels he’s less of 

a man because he’s unable to have children,” 

she says. “He feels as though he has let 

me down, even though of course he hasn’t, 

and even if I’d known about our fertility 

problem before we got married, I still 

wouldn’t have done anything differently.” 

If your man is horribly hurt by the 

diagnosis, you’re bound to want to talk to 

him about it, particularly to reassure him 

that you still love him and wouldn’t change 

him for anyone in the world – but broaching 

that tricky topic is probably easier said 

than done. 

“Men are less at ease with discussing 

emotions,” says Hill bluntly. “Men and 

women, while equal, are still very far 

apart. Not only has our biology evolved 

differently but we have also been socialised 

differently. From a biology viewpoint, 

some would go as far as to say that men 

are actually less comfortable having strong 

emotions than women full-stop, let » 


17

FEATURE | male fertility 

alone discussing them. Some research, for example, 

shows that men’s immune systems 

and cardiovascular systems take longer 

to recover when experiencing extreme 

emotion than a woman’s does. That is to 

say, men have health consequences when 

exposing themselves to severe emotion.” 

If that’s true, then it’s no wonder men 

may find it difficult to discuss their feelings 

on infertility. 

Hill sees an evolutionary basis to men’s 

unease with emotional issues: 

“Discussing emotions is not something 

that is hard-wired into the male psychology 

the way it is with females,” she says. 

“We can guess this from evolution – the 

man feeling upset, angry, scared and 

wanting to sit and talk about it will have 

been less efficient at hunting successfully if 

he was unable to turn his emotions off and 

get on with the task at hand. We can also 

now, with modern-day technology, confirm 

this by looking at brain functioning. There 

is some evidence to suggest that male and 

female brains are wired differently. In men, 

emotions are compartmentalised into a 

particular area and are usually linked to 

action – not communication centres. In woman 

the boundaries are much less obvious and 

activity as a reaction to emotion can be 

seen in many centres and is usually linked 

with communication. So when a woman is 

under emotional stress she usually likes to 

talk about it; when a man is under emotional 

stress he likes to stop talking and 

find ways to start ‘doing’.” 

Kelly has a husband who refuses to 

discuss how he feels about his diagnosis of 

infertility, or even put potential courses of 

action that might improve their chances of 

conception into practice. “He just doesn’t 

feel the need to talk about it, for whatever 

reason,” she explains. “He relies on the doctor’s 

opinion for everything involving his health 

anyway, so I’ve had to be the proactive one 

when it comes to our infertility too.” 

Sarah has a similar problem with her 

partner, so she avoids talking to him about 

it unless he specifically raises the subject. 

“I don’t want to make him feel worse and 

talk about babies and infertility rarely, 

even though I think about it all the time,” 

she confesses. “When he brings it up we 

discuss it, but not usually any other time.” 

So how should women in the same situation 

as Kelly and Sarah deal with their 

need to communicate? 

Much of infertility is not absolute and there 

are things that the man can do to improve 

the situation. When he is told this he feels 

more in control. When we feel in control we 

feel less stressed – and we cope better. 

“Never use the word ‘should’ – don’t use 

it to attack your partner about lifestyle 

issues,” advises Cannon. “Try to let him 

come round to things in his own time without 

trying to fix it for him. Conclusions that 

he makes himself will have more meaning.” 

It sounds surprising, but Hill also reveals: 

“Many men struggle facing up to infertility 

and in many couples the women opt to tell 

the outside world the problem is theirs.” 

That might not be the best option for 

you, but it’s completely understandable 

that you might feel you want to protect 

your man’s wounded pride as part of your 

effort to fix as much as you can for him. 

If your partner still isn’t keen on sharing 

how he’s feeling, Hill recommends Sarah’s 

strategy of leaving him to it for the time 

being – hard though it may be for you. 

“The best thing you can do is to understand 

his desire to keep quiet and give him some 

space,” she says. “Then when you do talk it 

through the emotion will be slightly less raw. 

In addition, a good opening will be to try and 

talk from a practical angle to start with.” 

That means looking at those possible 

lifestyle options that could improve your 

chances of conception, and talking them 

through – but remembering not to push 

your opinions on him too strongly, which 

may come across as unhelpful nagging. 

“The extent to which a man is affected 

will depend usually on how in control of 

the situation he feels,” concludes Hill. 

“Remember, much of infertility is not 

absolute and there are things that the man 

can do to improve the situation. When he 

is told this he feels more in control. When 

we feel in control we feel less stressed – 

and we cope better.” 


Making your 

dreams come true 

Welcome to Kiran Infertility Center! 

The Surrogacy and Infertility Super-Specialty Clinic. 

The desire to have a baby is one of life’s most important and exciting decisions. 

We provide the latest updated technology and expertise, with the help of world 

class equipment and personalised care for making your dream come true. 

SERVICES 

• Surrogacy 

• IVF 

• ICSI 

• Blastocyst Culture 

• Oocyte/Embryo Donation 

• Cryopreservation 

• Sperm/ Egg donors of all races available 

tel: +91-40-655-49313 | email: info@kiranivfgenetic.com | web: www.kiranivfgenetic.com 

tel: +91-994-817-5768 | facebook: facebook.com/KiranIVF | twitter: twitter.com/KICIndia 

Visit us at Fertility World, Earls Court, London - 18 &19 May 2012

FEATURE | celebrity 

WORDS | GIORGIO SEVERI 

As a successful TV and movie actress and with 

a beautiful 7-year-old daughter, you would 

think Courteney Cox has it all, but it was only 

through pain and loss that she was able to achieve 

her life-long ambition of becoming a mother. 

uperstar Courteney Cox has graced our screens for almost 20 years, 

first playing the neurotic Monica Geller on the popular sitcom Friends, and 

now, more recently, Jules Cobb, a divorced woman in her forties facing the 

challenges and pitfalls of life’s next chapter, in ABC’s hit Cougar Town. 

Being a mother has been something that Courteney has been desperate to achieve 

from a very young age, “I used to want to have 8 kids. It was such a fantasy of mine 

when I was younger because my mother, who was an only child, had 4 kids. Now, 

looking back, I don’t how she did it. I think the baby part – like waking up early – is 

hard. Really hard and I have nothing but admiration for her” 

On Friends, the characters of Monica and Chandler, played by Matt Perry, 

struggled with fertility issues. Like many real-life couples, the fictitious friendsturned 

spouses work together to try and understand where their problem with 

conceiving may lie. 

Off-screen, Courteney has always been very open about her private life, from her 

turbulent 10 year marriage and eventual split last year from ex hubby David 

Arquette, to their many struggles with infertility that echo her Friends character. 

Courteney told People Magazine in 2003 “I get pregnant easily, but I have a hard 

time keeping them!!” The couple went through multiple miscarriages and failed 

fertility treatments before they found out that Courteney was in fact suffering » 


» 


21

FEATURE | celebrity 

I had a baby at 40, and my body will 

never be the same again. I gave birth 

to Coco two days before my birthday. 

I just couldn’t believe I finally had a kid, 

I was so frightened because I didn’t 

know what to do with her. 

from Antiphospholipid Syndrome, an autoimmune disorder that 

causes blood clotting and eventual pregnancy loss. 

Most women have no idea about it until they suffer a miscarriage. 

It is worth looking into if you have had a miscarriage as it 

can be easily treated with blood thinners. 

In an interview with Barbara Walters in 2003, the couple 

openly discussed how they hoped that their child would have 

David’s “creativity and mind” and Courteney’s “strength and 

beauty” and although they said that they were willing to also 

consider adopting a child, Courteney added “I really want David’s 

genes so I think I would try a surrogate before adoption” 

On her fertility issues she told USA Today “We’re not panicked 

about it. A lot of times people say as soon as you relax you’ll have 

a kid. I’m not going to worry about it.’’ 

As Courteney approached her 39th birthday, it was announced 

that the couple would try IVF one last time, though well aware 

that time was against her “It’s a well know fact” she told People 

Magazine, “that after a certain age you have a much less chance 

with this kind of fertility treatment working.” 

A little time after their announcement, Courteney 

fell pregnant, and this time it was a success, and on 

June 13th 2004, the ecstatic couple welcomed their 

daughter, Coco Riley Arquette, into the world. 

The name Coco came from a compromise between 

her and David. Because of her southern 

routes, she wanted to call her daughter Courteney 

Cox, following herself, and her mother. However, 

David is half Jewish and it is against Jewish tradition 

to name a child after a living relative. So the 

name came from the nickname Courteney’s friends 

had for her mother while she was growing up. They 

called her Mama Coco. 

Coco is now a lively seven-year-old, and Courteney 

has never hidden the fact that she struggled 

with motherhood admitting that with all the fertility 

treatments and the birth at such a late age took 

its toll on her figure. 

She says, “I had a baby at 40, and my body will 

never be the same again. I gave birth to Coco two 

days before my 40th birthday. I just couldn’t believe 

I finally had a kid and I was frightened as I didn’t 

know what to do with her. Things only get harder 

the older you get.” 

Despite this, in an interview with OK 

Magazine, Courteney opened up about her wish for 

more children; 

“We’re not trying again yet. We’re just revving 

up the engines,” she said. “I’m only ready ‘cause 

time’s a-ticking. If I was 34, I’d wait another year, 

because I like those three-to-four years gaps. I want 

Coco to be helping me with the next one. One child 

is hard. Two is gonna probably harder.” 

In an interview on the Bonnie Hunt Show, David 

said he and his wife were very serious about having 

another baby; “I don’t know, I mean, it takes a lot 

for us to do it so maybe adoption this time” David 

said, “Listen, I like practicing as much as possible, 

but it’s really hard work and I’m exhausted.” 

But, in November of 2010 the couple announced their split, 

however this has done nothing to dampen the bond between the 

pair and their daughter Coco. Courteney told the press about her 

relationship with David; 

“He’s my favourite person in the world. He’s my best friend. 

No matter what happens in our future, he will always be my very 

best friend.” 

Only time will tell if Courteney decides to add to her family, 

but for the mean time, both her and David are loving being parents 

to little Coco. “She’s a little messy so that’s on my side” David 

beams, but she is also very strong-willed which is very Courteney-like. 

We got her a flute recently and she is walking around, 

jammin’ a lot, she’s a proper little Jethro Tull” 

Indeed, perhaps even Coco herself isn’t always clear about her 

parents’ dynamic lately. In one interview, David gushed of his 

daughter: “She’s the light of my life!” 

Overhearing, an excited Coco turned to her mum and said 

“He’s talking about you!” 

“No,” Courteney said, correcting her. “Dad’s talking about you!” 


® 

helps give 

babies a healthy start. 

The most trusted special nutritional support, for the best start in life. 

Specially formulated by experts, Pregnacare® replaces your usual multivitamin and provides a careful balance of 19 essential 

vitamins and minerals for both you, and your baby’s healthy development. One simple tablet provides B vitamins and iron for 

blood formation, plus the recommended 400mcg folic acid and 10mcg vitamin D. 

Pregnacare® Plus is a dual pack with the additional benefit of an Omega-3 capsule providing 300mg DHA for your baby’s 

healthy brain and eye development. 

Also available is Pregnacare® Conception which has been specially formulated for women who are trying for a baby, and 

Pregnacare® Breast-feeding & New Mum with calcium and Omega-3, to help replenish depleted nutrients following childbirth. 

For peace of mind before, during and after your pregnancy, let Pregnacare® take care of you and your baby. 

Conception 

Pregnancy 

Breast-feeding 

Important: some pregnancy formulas do not include the exact 

10mcg vitamin D, as recommended by the Department of Health 

for all pregnant and breastfeeding women. 

From Boots, Superdrug, Holland & Barrett, leading supermarkets, chemists, health stores and www.pregnacare.com 

NEW 

Ideal for 

your baby 

WellKid® Baby & Infant 

liquid provides carefully 

balanced nutritional support 

for babies and children 

from 3 months to 5 years.

FEATURE | the time is now? 


Fertility Road examines the factors 

behind what can amount to the 

biggest deliberation of them all... 

When is the right time to have a baby? Is there a 

definitive answer? Should finance and career be 

the deciding factors over age, relationship status, 

or health and fitness? Is it wiser to have a baby in 

Wyour late teens when your energy levels are supposedly at their 

peak and you’ve youth and vitality on your side, or is being an 

older mum with life experience and perhaps more financial stability 

beneficial? Or is there, in reality, never a ‘perfect’ time other than 

when feels right for you? Our cross section of mums would suggest 

the latter may be the nearest thing to the truth... 

The Teen Mum 

Britain’s high rate of teen pregnancy and birth makes for perpetual 

news stories and ‘shock’ statistics, despite the government’s own 

data typifying an overall trend towards later childbearing. Since 

1971, the average age of mothers at childbirth in England and 

Wales has increased by three years from 26.2 to 29.1, and over the 

past decade, the average age of women at the birth of their first 

child has risen by one-and-a-half years to reach 27.1. Teenage 

pregnancies though, have also increased, with figures released in 

2009 showing a rise for the first time in five years, with conception 

rates among girls increasing from 40.9 per 1,000 in 2006 for those 

aged 15-17, to 41.9 per 1,000 in 2007. 

Jo has two children, her first pregnancy was unexpected at 17, 

her second planned at 24. She is now 31 and has no regrets over 

being a young mum. 

“I had my first baby when I was just 17, and it isn’t something I’d 

particularly wish on my own daughters, but on reflection it has 

worked out very well for me. I now have a 14-year-old who sometimes 

gets mistaken for my sister, and because I am still young 

enough to remember being a teenager, I feel much more able to 

empathise with her. As a result we have a very close relationship, 

and she feels able to share her problems with me quite openly.” 

But some aspects of pregnancy came as quite a shock to Jo 

– particularly the lasting effect it had on her physically: 

“My first pregnancy really left its legacy – I am covered in stretch 

marks all over my body. I was always under the illusion that young 

skin was stretchy and supple, but apparently that doesn’t equal no 

stretch marks! My stomach, waist and hips are seriously scarred. 

“I can’t say I particularly enjoyed being pregnant, either. First 

time round I was sick a lot - pretty much after every meal for the 

first four months. The second time I was actually only sick half a 

dozen times, but felt a hideous nausea throughout and was permanently 

exhausted. I was commuting two hours a day to work, 

and by the time I got home in the evening I would be shattered, 

with a pounding headache. Being so young, I didn’t have any » 

MUMS’ WORDS 

I chose to have kids at 27 and 

30, and it proved a huge novelty 

amongst my friends at the time – 

most of them are just trying now 

in their late 30s. We hadn’t had 

a chance to develop a lifestyle 

before we had kids so didn’t 

have so much to miss when 

they were little. PATRICIA, 40 


27

You could be wrong; so wrong about conception challenges, 

about the right remedies and the possibilities at your disposal. 

At Nordica Fertility Centre, Lagos we see a child as the 

greatest gift that life can bestow; it brings the most 

exquisite joy that one will ever know. 

That’s why we help couples believe, conceive, and deliver 

this great gift. All you may ever say is ‘thank you’ as you 

break down in tears of pure joy at the sight of your baby 

We are Nordica Fertility Centre, Lagos. 

• Comprehensive Gynaecological Assessment • Endoscopic Surgery • In Vitro Fertilization • Surgical Sperm Retrieval • Egg Donation 

• Artificial Insemination • Embryo Donation • Laser Assisted Hatching • Sperm Donation • Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection 

Contact Details: 

• 106 / 108 Norman Williams Street, Ikoyi, Lagos. 

Tel: 01-4617023-4, 01-4610858, 08037360870, 

08030778074, 0808NORDICA, Fax: 01-4610858. 

• 6, Turton Street, Off Commercial Ave, Sabo-Yaba, 

Lagos. Tel: 01-7913537, 01-7744893 

• 5 Erhuvwu Club Street, Off Summit Road, by Havilla 

Hotels Asaba, Delta State. Tel: 056-871371 

email: info@nordicalagos.org 

web: www.nordicalagos.org


real pregnancy problems though – and clearly I am quite fertile - 

with my second baby, I came off the pill and was pregnant a 

month later, before I’d really even got used to the idea of trying.” 

Having devoted her late teens and twenties to pregnancy and 

babies, Jo feels in some ways that she is now ‘over’ motherhood: 

“Being single at the moment, I haven’t given a lot of thought to 

a third baby. Part of me would really like to do it again, if just to 

correct all the mistakes I feel I made first and second time around, 

and to do it all with a more ‘grown-up’ hat on. And then I think 

of the exhaustion of pregnancy, those awful early months with a 

newborn and no sleep, and I don’t think I could face it again. 

When I was younger I had a lot more energy and enthusiasm. I 

almost feel now like I am coming out the other side of parenthood 

- I’ve been a parent for nearly 15 years now - and I’m not 

sure I could start again. I would never say never though. I’m still 

young and who knows where my life might be five, or even 10 

years from now?” 

“But I never ruled out having my own babies. I always figured 

that one day I would, and that day came when I was 30 and my 

hormones kicked in. I suddenly realised that I desperately wanted 

a baby. One of my elder sisters who was childless by choice 

told me just to ignore the feelings and they would go away! 

I knew in my heart though that it was more than just hormonal: 

I really wanted a baby.” 

After much consultation with her husband, Lindsay finally felt 

ready to begin trying to conceive at the age of 33. 

“By the time I was 33 I knew for sure that having a baby really, 

really mattered to me, so we started trying. I thought I’d just 

get pregnant, you know? But it didn’t happen. A year went by 

and still nothing. Two years passed. I wanted us to go and get tested 

but my husband was really reluctant. Even though 

he said that he was up for starting a family, 

it either had to just happen or it wasn’t 

meant to be. » 

© Lev Dolgatshjov / iStockphoto.com 

The Motherhood Delayers 

Throughout the 1990s, ‘having it all’ almost become the phrase 

with which to parody the working mum – the woman who had 

her career and her kids. But for all those who skipped 

effortlessly from birthing pool to boardroom, 

there was another breed emerging – the 

motherhood delayers – those who made 

sure their life and careers were in good 

order before embracing pregnancy. 

Lindsay, now 40, delayed motherhood 

in favour of a career until her 

30th birthday, when Mother Nature 

and the tick of her biological clock 

took over. 

“I never wanted to have kids in my 

20s, not at all. My 20s were for study, 

my career, having fun, going to parties. 

I got married at 24, and my husband had two 

children from a previous relationship whom 

I adored, so in a way I got to have my cake 

and eat it whatever. I was a part-time parent 

to two great kids without having to sacrifice 

my time or my job – it was wonderful! 

MUMS’ WORDS 

Someone once told me that 

if you wait until you can afford to 

have children you will never have 

them. We kept that in mind and 

it is so true. JULIE, 29 


29


“This was rather heartbreaking for me, worrying that maybe I was 

missing out on a baby for something that actually could be quite 

insignificant and easily fixable. But I’d never know. I went once to 

the doctor who was really unhelpful and very condescending - 

along the lines of ‘well if your husband won’t get tested too there’s 

really not any point’. I was too embarrassed to go again. 

“Finally after nearly five years of trying for a baby, my husband 

was made redundant. It was the final straw. I just threw up my 

hands and said ‘right, that’s it. I give up. This just is never going to 

happen.’ Then I almost immediately fell pregnant. But I knew in 

my heart that something was wrong. I went for the 12-week scan 

and sure enough, it was a ‘missed’ miscarriage. The baby had 

probably died around the five or six-week mark but it was still 

‘there’. I was devastated, thinking, ‘well this is it, that took five 

years and now I’m 37. I don’t really have another five years.’ However, 

miraculously, I got pregnant again almost straight away and 

had my baby boy, Daniel, a month after my 38th birthday. Just 

hours after the birth, my husband sat holding his new son in his 

hands. He looked up at me and said: ‘Let’s have another one!’” 

The Multi-Decade Mum 

You’d assume those who eschew the 2.4 children trend and add to 

their families throughout their fertile lives would have the ‘what 

age is best?’ debate neatly sewn up. Not so - Jackie, now 37, had 

her first baby at 29, then three more in her 30s. Her last baby was 

born last year when she was 36 – but she now wishes she’d begun 

motherhood earlier: 

“I was 29 when I had my first baby. Now that I have four, I 

really wish I had had them earlier and not listened to the negative 

comments about how hard it is as a young mum. For some reason, 

when I was younger there was a part of me that felt I would never 

be able to have kids – a lack of confidence I guess. We had friends 

who’d had fertility problems and we lived through that with them, 

so we never took anything for granted. Our first baby took two 

attempts, but the others all happened immediately! With my last 

baby, I was hugely aware that 35 was somehow the ‘cut off’ point, 

but again, I had no problems.” 

“Despite wishing I had started my family earlier, having my 

babies was actually the best career move I have ever made - 

having the children gave me the kick I needed to get out of office 

life and do what I had always wanted to do in starting my own 

business. I didn’t want to leave my children with childminders so 

knew I just had to get on with it and get the work in.” 

MUMS’ WORDS 

I think that the best age to 

have a baby is the age you’re at 

when you have one! My family 

is all terribly fecund, so it came 

as a huge shock when I found 

that I didn’t get pregnant at the 

drop of the hat. In fact it took five 

years. So instead of having my 

family in my early 30s I didn’t get 

started until my late 30s. LISA, 39 

© Evelin Elmest / iStockphoto.com 


AGE AND 

FERTILITY 

THE 

FACTS 

Women are born with around 1 million eggs in 

their ovaries, yet by the time puberty kicks in, 

this has already dwindled to around 300,000, 

and, amazingly, only about 300 are released 

over the course of a woman’s fertile years. As a woman ages, the 

egg quality ages too, making them less viable for successful and 

healthy fertilisation. 

Teens... 

With youth on your side, your late teens and early twenties are 

biologically the ideal time to have a baby, but many women 

will still be in education or in the early stages of a career, so 

practically, and financially, the timing isn’t always right, even if 

the biology is... 

Twenties... 

With the average age for first time birth for women in the 

UK being 27, the late 20s are seemingly the ideal time to 

become pregnant. However, although these years are generally 

considered the time at which a woman reaches her fertile peak, 

studies by scientists at the National Institute of Environmental 

Health Sciences in North Carolina, and the University of Padua 

in Italy, have indicated that female fertility actually 

declines before the age of 30. 

Beyond... 

Many fertility clinics in the UK treat women into their 50s using 

stored embryos or donor eggs. The Human Fertilisation and 

Embryology Authority (HFEA) states patients can now store their 

embryos until they have reached 55. Although there is no official 

upper age limit for IVF, clinics do have to justify their treatment 

– with the interest of the baby being priority. 

The chances are... 

Good general health and fitness, along with a sensible diet, 

minimal alcohol intake and a smoke-free environment are all 

the obvious pointers for becoming pregnant and maintaining a 

healthy and hassle-free pregnancy, but what else can a woman do 

to increase her fertility and chances of conception? 

Have more sex - sounds obvious, but as a woman only has a 

few fertile days each month, the more sex you have, the more 

chances you have of conceiving. 

Relax - Scientists at Emory University, in Atlanta, Georgia, 

discovered that women with high levels of the stress hormone 

cortisol stopped ovulating and were therefore unable to conceive. 

Watch your weight - being underweight or overweight can 

disrupt ovulation and your menstrual cycle. 

Check your partner’s undies - tight pants are not conducive 

to healthy sperm – overheating can lower sperm production, so 

go for loose fitting boxers over posing pouches! 

© Rosemarie Gearhart / iStockphoto.com 

Thirties... 

Egg deterioration increases the likelihood of fertility 

issues in your 30s, and doctors acknowledge that 

women of 35 and over should seek advice 

sooner rather than later if they are experiencing 

problems conceiving. Despite this, studies show that 

the highest fertility rates in England and Wales are 

attributed to women in their 30s. (Office for National 

Statistics research, England and Wales: 112.3 live births 

per 1,000 women aged 30 to 34.) 

Forties... 

The risk of miscarriage and foetal abnormalities 

increases with age, and the deterioration of egg quality 

is rapid throughout the forties – however, many 

women will still fall pregnant. Concern should 

centre around maintaining the pregnancy and 

foetal health. 


31

SCIENCE | ovarian stimulation 

The Science behind 

When considering Ovarian Stimulation, it is important to be aware 

of the risks and side effects that such a procedure carries. Dr. Said 

Daneshmand from The Fertility Center of Las Vegas takes time out 

to explain the science behind the treatment and what you should know. 

I 

t is an unfortunate fact that most human eggs are not 

viable, and are genetically flawed from the outset. Therefore, 

ovarian stimulation is often essential in order to 

obtain the many eggs needed to stand a good chance of a 

successful IVF cycle. 

However, ovarian stimulation can have serious side effects. 

In some women, ovarian stimulation can cause the development of 

a large number of follicles, often 20 or more, and sometimes 

more than 50. In those patients with so many follicles, the usual 

“trigger” with hCG might bring on significant risk of ovarian 

hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). 

The presence of hCG causes the follicles to release estradiol 

and progesterone which are essential for sustaining a pregnancy, 

but also another hormone called VEGF. OHSS results when 

there is too much VEGF in the system. The human bloodstream 

has natural barriers to the effects of VEGF, in the form of inert 

receptors that bind VEGF. This is ample protection when there 

are one or two follicles making VEGF, but can be overwhelmed 

when there are 20 or more follicles. 

This excess of VEGF can cause the capillaries to “leak” fluid, 

and this fluid then accumulates in the stomach and around the 

lungs. This loss of fluid concentrates the blood and this in turn 

can impair critical organ function. 

OHSS can be painful and, in rare cases, life-threatening. Patients 

often complain of abdominal bloating, nausea, shortness of 

breath and Hospitalisation is common in severe cases. Patients 


• 

• 




Ovarian stimulation can have 

serious side effects. In some 

women, ovarian stimulation 

can cause the development 

of a large number of follicles, 

often 20 or more, and 

sometimes more than 50. 

FOLLOW US 

ON TWITTER 

& FACEBOOK! 

develop a higher risk of blood clots and may need anti 

coagulation therapy. This is a serious complication and 

requires vigilant monitoring and treatment. While hCG is 

effective at maturing the eggs, it has a long half-life, and a 

single injection of hCG can act on the ovaries for 10-12 days, 

perhaps longer. This gives developing OHSS the chance to 

progress. During my medical training at UCLA, we used to 

cancel embryo transfers (cryo-preserving embryos for later 

transfer) to avoid the risk of OHSS and this is still a viable option. 

Also, by sustaining the follicles for so long, an injection 

of hCG allows the follicles to remain viable until even more 

hCG may be produced from an implanted embryo. 

When OHSS arises from an hCG trigger injection, it’s 

called “early onset OHSS”. OHSS arising from the hCG from 

implanted embryos is called “late onset OHSS”, because it 

occurs somewhat later in the cycle. 

The best way to avoid OHSS, while still obtaining a large 

batch of eggs, is to trigger with a medication besides hCG. 

Fortunately, there is a family of drugs that can be substituted 

for hCG. These drugs, which include Leuprolide, Buserelin, 

Triptorelin, and Synarel, are known as “GnRH agonists”. 

Triggering with an agonist will cause the patient’s pituitary 

to immediately release a hormone called LH to mature the 

eggs. In fact, LH is the same hormone that matures the egg 

in natural ovulation. 

We have used agonists to trigger ovulation for many 

years in hundreds of high-responder patients with as many 

as 84 follicles and with estradiol levels approaching 80,000 

pmol/l, with no significant OHSS yet. Brief, mild cases are 

still possible in our experience. 

There are other measures to reduce the risk of OHSS, but 

none has proved nearly as effective as the agonist trigger 

at eliminating OHSS while still offering a good chance of 

success. However, that chance of success relies on a proper 

protocol for luteal support for the agonist trigger. 

The agonist trigger is also firmly established as a very 

effective option for egg donors. Egg donors are often young 

high responders with significant OHSS risk, and the agonist 

trigger removes one of the major potential reasons for cycle 

cancellations in donor IVF. 

Dr. Said Daneshmand is based at The Fertility Center of Las 

Vegas. For more information about Ovarian Hyperstimulation 

syndrome and other relatable articles, please visit 

www.fertilitycenterlv.com 

@FertilityRoad 

@FertilityRoadMag 


ISSUE 09 FEBRUARY – MARCH 2012 














WINTER 

BLUES?? 

Take a break 


COOKING TO CONCEIVE OVARIAN TISSUE FREEZING HYPNOSIS 

FERTILITY ROAD IS 

NOW ONLINE, BUT 

PRINTED HARD COPIES 

ARE STILL AVAILABLE!! 

CALL US ON +44 (0)208 316 4323 

OR VISIT WWW.FERTILITYROAD.COM

FEATURE | nutrition 

WORDS | EMMA CANNON 

Boosting your fertility always helps towards conception success and can 

be easily achieved by eating the right foods. Fertility expert Emma Cannon, 

provides some simple yet delicious recipes to help optimise your chances. 


On the whole we are all much more aware these 

days as to just how important our diet really is. 

Clearly, this is a positive trend, as a good diet 

provides the building blocks for good health and 

long lasting life. More than that, foods can even 

be used to address some conditions and also gives people a great 

tool to enrich their lives. 

While debates and discoveries about what constitutes the 

healthiest diet to go on, something is often missing from all the 

discussion, and that’s the importance of our digestion. Even the 

benefits of the most impeccable diet can be seriously diluted by a 

faulty digestive system. 

So when I think about food, I don’t only think about the 

individual elements of the meal I think about how easy it is to 

digest. On the whole cooked food is preferable to raw food in 

terms of digestive function. However, I do think it is important to 

have an element of raw food in the diet; this can be seeds or nuts 

as well as some salads. 

Problems can arise when whole meals are made up of uncooked 

vegetables, vegetables juices and cold salads; these foods are hard 

on the digestion and although on paper they appear to have more 

nutrients it is much harder for the body to absorb them. In the 

case of fruit and some vegetable juices they are what I call ‘overly 

nutritious’ and when you take away the roughage you are just left 

with the sugar (this is particularly true of fruit juices). 

I believe it is better to eat the whole food as nature intended 

and don’t forget that fire was one of mans greatest discoveries and 

is what sets us apart from our furry four legged friends. The 

occasional glass of vegetable juice or wheatgrass is fine, but don’t 

be tempted to replace food with juices for any length of time. 

If I can persuade you to do one really healthy thing for your 

diet, it would be to introduce chicken soup and to get yourselves 

into the practice of making chicken stock. If you really can’t face 

doing this then buy the ready prepared ones, organic, in plastic 

tubs in super markets. Use the stock as a base for great soups or 

tasty risottos. 

Warm and Spicy Rice Pudding – Serves 2 

A warming and Yin nourishing dish perfect for Yin/Yang balance. 

This is also delicious in hot weather after being chilled in the fridge 

for a couple of hours. 

Ingredients 

• 600ml milk 

• 3 cloves 

• 1 tsp ground ginger 

• ½ tsp ground cardamom 

• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon 

• 4 level tbsp maple or agave syrup 

• 8 heaped tbsp Arborio risotto rice 

1. Heat the milk over a high heat, then stir in all the other ingredients. 

2. When the mixture begins to boil, reduce to a very low simmer, 

give it a stir and put the lid on. 

3. Keep an eye on it for about 20 minutes or until the rice is cooked 

and it looks like rice pudding, stirring every now and then. 

4. Turn off the heat and let it sit for another 20 minutes, then 

remove the cloves and serve. 

Chicken Stock 

To make six pints of stock (the idea here is to make a clear Chinese 

style stock which can be frozen and used for various meals later) 

Ingredients 

• 1 whole organic/free range uncooked chicken 

• 6 pints of water 

• 75g ginger peeled and cut into strips 

• 2 spring onions 

• 5 fat cloves of garlic, un-skinned 

• ½ tsp salt 

1. Place the chicken in a large saucepan. Cover with the water then 

add the ginger, garlic and salt. 

2. Simmer gently for up to 6 six hours, periodically skimming off the 

fat that rises to the surface with a slotted spoon. If the stock boils 

it will become cloudy and the idea is to end up with a clear stock. 

It may be necessary to add more water during the simmering 

period to maintain the quantity of liquid. 

3. Strain the stock through a fine sieve and keep the best bits of 

meat for use in the soup. 

4. Allow to cool and then freeze for later use. 

Chicken Noodle Soup – Serves 4 

Ingredients 

• 2 pints of stock 

• 55g of cooked chicken 

• 1 tbsp light soy sauce 

• 1–2 tbsp dry sherry or rice wine 

• 1–2 tbsp fish sauce (according to taste) 

• 4 spring onions, chopped 

• 1 tsp of sesame oil 

• 1–2 red chilli, chopped and de-seeded (remove if you are still 

having night sweats and some babies don’t like chilli breast milk) 

• 100g mange tout 

• 100g baby corn 

• 3 pak choi 

• 2 tbsp chopped coriander 

• Dried or fresh noodles » 


35

FEATURE | nutrition 

1. Bring a large pan of boiling water to the boil 

and add pak choi, mange tout and baby corn. 

Bring back to the boil and blanch for 1 minute, 

remove from pan and place to one side. 

2. Heat the stock (do not boil) and add the chilli, 

coriander, spring onions, soy sauce, fish sauce, 

sherry or rice wine, and sesame oil. Simmer 

gently for 10 minutes then add the baby corn. 

3. Simmer gently for a further 3 minutes or so 

and then add the remaining vegetables for a 

further 2 minutes. 

4. Cook the noodles separately. When ready 

place them into some soup bowls and pour 

the soup on top and serve. 

Finally garnish with the coriander. 

Tray-baked ratatouille with brown rice 

– Serves 2 hungry people 

This recipe is really simple and yet doesn’t require a great deal 

of effort and is so tasty. The ratatouille is also good served with 

grilled chicken breast or lamb chops for an extra protein kick. 

Ingredients 

• 1 aubergine 

• 1 red pepper 

• 1 red onion 

• 2 bay leaves 

• 4 cloves of garlic 

• 1 sprig of rosemary 

• Extra virgin olive oil 

• Red wine vinegar 

• 4 or 5 fresh organic tomatoes 

(or, preferably, 12–15 organic cherry tomatoes) 

Preheat oven to 200 degrees (Fan 180) 

1. Slice aubergine into 2-cm chunks and chop the pepper 

into similar size pieces. Slice the red onion into wedges. 

Put all the vegetables into a roasting tray with the rosemary, 

bay leaves, garlic (de-skinned, left whole and bashed with 

a pestle), plenty of olive oil, a splash of red wine vinegar, 

freshly ground pepper, sea salt and the tomatoes. 

2. Toss all the vegetables together and roast for 30 minutes, 

check and toss again, bake for another 10 minutes until 

veggies soft and the onion is slightly caramelized. 

3. Serve with brown rice and creme fraiche or plain yogurt 

mixed with lemon juice and chopped fresh parsley. 

Emma Cannon is the best-selling author of The Baby-Making 

Bible and You and Your Bump and has her own clinic in 

London specialising in fertility, ivf support and pregnancy. 

For more delicious fertility boosting recipes, please visit 

www.emmacannon.co.uk/emma/recipes 

Images on this page © Roger Cannon Photography 



Now FREE to 

view online! 

• 



• 


visit FertilityRoad.com and you can flip 

through the magazine from cover-to-cover 

e-SAVERS - Join Fertility Road e-SAVERS, and we 

will send you special offers and promotions from 

companies on fertility related products, services. 

www.FertilityRoad.com/esavers

Q&A | emma cannon 

EXPERT 

WITNESS 

WITH 

EMMA 

CANNON 

Fertility expert and best-selling author, 

Emma Cannon takes time out to address 

fertility related concerns sent in by readers 

via the Fertility Road website. If you would 

like Emma’s advice on a fertility matter, 

please email info@fertilityroad.com 

Q 

We have been trying for a baby for three months now 

and I have still not fallen pregnant, I was thinking that 

I would have fallen pregnant by now. I lead a very 

healthy life, I don’t smoke, I exercise regularly, and I have not 

illnesses. How long should I wait before I need to get worried? 

– Sarah, 26, Rochester 

A 

As long as you are having plenty of sex regularly throughout 

the month (sex 3 times a week throughout the month 

and during your fertile time every other day; so in a 28 day 

cycle sex every other day from day 9) and your cycles are regular 

you wont need to worry for a while yet. In normally ovulating 

women it is considered normal for it to take up to a year. I think it 

is important not to over look your partners health; you tell me you 

are healthy etc but you tell me nothing about your partner and this 

really does take two. 

Along your fertility journey make sure that you are both involved 

and not just you; it’s important that you both look after yourselves as 

it is the health of both parents that determine the health of the child. 

If you are not pregnant in 3 months you could go and see your GP, 

although they may not be concerned at this point at least you will 

have made the first steps. Try not to let the anxiety grow with every 

passing month, try to use the time to focus on being as healthy and 

fit as you can be for the important job ahead of you. 


Q 

I have always suffered from irregular period cycles 

and am worried that this might go against me as I 

am trying to conceive. Is there cause for concern? 

– Amy, 30, Leeds 

Acupuncture is a 

really great therapy 

for regulating periods 

A 

Irregular periods can make it harder to conceive since it is 

harder to pin point your most fertile window than if you 

had a cycle that was the same length every month. You will 

want to rule out that there is not an underlying medical condition 

causing the cycle to become irregular; for example thyroid problems 

or PCOS. Make sure that you are leading a regular lifestyle and 

that you are not skipping meals, or drinking too much alcohol. 

Drinking even a small amount of alcohol on an empty stomach can 

wreck havoc on the hormones and can disrupt the menstrual cycle. 

Frequent flying can also disrupt the regularity of your cycle and 

I even have a patient who says the minute the weather turns cold 

her periods are delayed. Acupuncture is a really great therapy for 

regulating periods but do also work with your medical practitioner 

(GP or consultant) to make sure there is nothing serious going on. 

Q 

My wife is embarrassed to tell anyone that we are 

going through IVF, not even our families. I want to 

be able to tell her there’s nothing to be ashamed of 

and we could actually benefit from the family’s moral support. 

What do you recommend? 

– David, 34, Stafford 

A 

This is such an individual thing; I once had a patient 

that had a baby through IVF and she told me that only 

her husband, me and the IVF doctor knew he was an IVF 

baby. This is rare and most people are more open about it than 

this but it is difficult and people have their own reasons for 

wanting to keep it to themselves and I think those wishes need 

to be discussed and respected. If your wife is not telling people 

due to shame then I think this needs to be addressed by a counsellor 

to make sure there are not any underlying issues here. I 

would also add that family do not always act as moral support 

and sometimes with the best will in the world they make things 

worse. Maybe this is at the root of your wive’s resistance. 

Q 

Does having intercourse twice a day during my 

‘window’ increase my chances of falling pregnant? 

– Shelly, 27, Leighton 

A 

I must congratulate you on your enthusiasm and I would 

never want to discourage anyone from such committed 

baby-making but I will say the following. Generally every 

other day around the fertile window is fine and aim to have sex 

three times a week in general. Of course if both of your libidos are 

up to twice a day then I would have to say go for it but, and it’s a 

big but, you both need to be into it and it is not healthy to have one 

nagging the other to have ‘baby-making ‘ sex, it needs to be the 

right kind of sex and that is sex that both of you want and not 

just to make a baby. I see more problems caused by one partner 

(normally the man) feeling he is being used to make a baby and 

feels his partner does not want him for him anymore just for a 

baby. So be careful. From a medical point of few if he has low 

sperm count twice a day would be too much. 

Q 

I suffered an ectopic pregnancy when I was 21. 

I am now trying to fall pregnant with my husband, 

but it isn’t happening, could the ectopic pregnancy 

be stopping me conceive? 

– Helen, 35, Dublin 

A 

One of my aims with patients who have had ectopic 

pregnancy is to try and avoid another one. You do not say 

if you had a tube removed because of it or if both tubes 

are patent (functioning correctly and clear of any obstruction). In 

answer to your question an ectopic pregnancy can leave you with a 

weakness in that area and the significance of this in relation to your 

fertility will very much depend on severity. I think you would do 

best do discuss this with your GP as it will be very individual. In 

general tubal or ectopic pregnancies are caused by the following: 

• kinks, blockages and obstructions of the tube due to 

scarring following infection. 

• poor protection of the lining of the fallopian tube by secretions 

• excessive mucus 

• muscular tension of the tubes 

I find acupuncture to be a very effective way of preventing ectopic 

pregnancies and in the 17 years I have been in practice I have 

only had 3 patients receiving acupuncture that have had ectopic 

pregnancies. More research is needing in this area but an audit by 

a fertility clinic also found that women who had acupuncture with 

IVF had no ectopic pregnancies after embryo transfer. 

Emma Cannon is the author of The Baby-Making Bible and has 

her own clinic in London specialising in fertility, ivf support and 

pregnancy. For more information visit www.emmacannon.co.uk 


39


FERTILITY IN SPAIN, THE BEST CHOICE 

Thousands of children conceived 

under the Mediterranean sun. 

The “Instituto Murciano de Fertilidad” (IMFER) was created in Murcia, 

South of Spain, in 1998. We offer different treatments that are 

customized to your case: we perform all the assisted reproduction 

techniques authorized by the Spanish law. IMFER has gradually grown 

to offer you the best service: we are now a medium size clinic with a 

staff of 20 people, but we have not lost the spirit that we have always 

instilled in our relationship with the patient: we take care of you in a 

personalized and friendly way. 

“We think that patients who undergo a 

fertility treatment do not only need the 

most advanced technology, but also 

consistent support along the whole process” 

says Umberta Pennaroli, head of international coordination 

department at IMFER clinic. 

Every year IMFER assists many overseas patients who want to undergo 

a fertility treatment. In order to provide a better service, IMFER offers 

a department devoted exclusively to them. 

The two international coordinators will be in charge of following 

your case, replying to your questions and solving your doubts at any 

time. Through permanent contact by phone or email, they will act as 

liaison between you and the medical team, supporting you in each 

phase of the treatment. 

“Many of our overseas patients come to our 

clinic for treatments that have long waiting 

list in their country, such as egg donation” 

says Sarah Noëson, international coordinator. 

Egg donation in Spain 

In Spain egg donation is a legal, totally anonymous and confidential 

procedure. In order to maximize your chances, at IMFER all the eggs 

produced by a donor in one cycle are assigned exclusively to a recipient. 

With the aim to facilitate the development of the treatment and 

the arrangements for your stay here, we will do our best to adjust to 

your time availability. Normally you can undergo embryo transfer about 

2-3 months after the first consultation. In some cases there is also the 

possibility of a first consultation by video-conference or by phone. 

Improving rates with latest technologies 

At IMFER we think patients must be considered as a whole, which is 

why we do not only apply the most advanced technology – such as IMSI 

(Intracytoplasmic Morphologically-Selected Sperm Injection), SET (Single 

Embryo Transfer) and vitrification of both oocytes and embryos, among 

others – but also recur to traditional techniques such as acupuncture. 

IMFER is one of the few clinics in Spain to propose IMSI, a technique 

especially useful in infertility cases caused by male factor. This 

high-resolution imaging system allows selecting unaltered sperms, 

thus, offers better results in pregnancy rates and, at the same time, 

reduces the risk of miscarriages. 

Also, IMFER uses egg and embryo freezing by means of vitrification. 

This process avoids the formation of ice crystals that may tear the cell 

and lead to its death during the freezing/thawing process. 

The clinic has just relocated to state-of-the-art facilities, in order to 

improve the quality of the services without losing the personal and 

warm contact we have with our patients. 

For more info, visit www.IMFER.com or call us on +34 968/28 28 66 

and ask for Umberta. IMFER, Av. de los Pinos no5, 30009 Murcia, Spain 

Visit us at Fertility World, Earls Court, London - 18 &19 May 2012

FERTILITY ROAD | DuoFertility 

Research Review : 

YOU PROBABLY 

DON’T NEED IVF 

(and neither did half 

of those who used it!) 

Infertility can be a physically and emotionally draining. So when presented with 

the latest, most expensive and most invasive clinical process to help you conceive, 

your natural reaction can be to remortgage the house and find the best clinic you 

can. Sadly, or perhaps happily, this may be completely the wrong approach. 

V 

ery few players in the assisted reproduction industry 

have any incentive to demonstrate when such expensive 

and invasive methods are NOT needed, and for whom 

the same outcome could be achieved with a less invasive 

and expensive option. When the NHS tries to talk about this sort of 

thing, everyone assumes it’s just another cost-cutting measure with, 

paradoxically, demands to widen access to these invasive and 

expensive treatments. 

A recently published study on a new fertility service called 

DuoFertility provides an interesting, and somewhat surprising, 

analysis. The team at DuoFertility set out to answer what they 

thought was quite a simple question. How many patients who 

went through IVF, actually needed it? The results were really 

quite surprising. 

The study included 242 women using DuoFertility, who had 

already been through a cycle of IVF/ICSI, or qualified for IVF/ICSI 

under the UK NHS (NICE) guidelines. The study excluded men with 

sperm count

d 

e 

• Verified UK Pharmacy with over 20 Years of Experience 

• Save money on your IVF treatment with our competitive prices 

• Dedicated IVF Pharmacy with Fast and Reliable service 

• We liaise with your clinic regarding prescriptions and medication 

• Spread the cost of your medication by purchasing in batches 

• A dedicated experienced team, open 6 days a week 

• We only use approved UK medication 

Providing a Dedicated, Complete 

and Personalised Service. 

Contact us now for quote or more information 

Fertility2u Ltd • 46 High Street • Lye • Stourbridge • West Midlands • DY9 8LQ • United Kingdom 

tel: 01827 818 321 • mob: 0781 778 0672 • email: info@fertility2u.com • web: www.fertility2u.com 

Visit us at The Fertility Show on 4th and 5th November at the Olympia, London 

Expect Miracles Surrogacy 

l 

s 

s 

From the Strength of your Dreams, Comes your Future... 

e 

r 

- 

f 

r 

n 

r 

e 

x 

e 

n 

t 

• California Based Surrogacy Agency 

• 80% of our Clients are International 

• Only US Agency NOT charging an 

International Client Surcharge 

• We celebrate helping families 

of all lifestyles 

• We work closely with the 

most successful IVF Clinics 

Our mission is to provide high-quality minded Intended Parents 

and Surrogates with premier support, and reasonably priced 

services, staffed by friendly, attentive and efficient people. 

ExpectMiraclesSurrogacy.com 

l 

-

FERTILITY ROAD | Origin International Fertility Centre 

INTELLIGENT PROFILE 

ORIGINAL 

AND 

INDIA’S 

FINEST... 

There are many clinics around the world offering low 

cost, high quality treatment with good success rates, 

but a major part of travelling abroad so as to breathe 

life into your fertility dreams is about connecting with 

those you will trust and confide in on such an emotional journey. 

The Origin International Fertility Centre, based near Mumbai, 

already has a reputation for clinical excellence, offering a vast 

range of services from IVF, egg donation, surrogacy and sperm 

banking, through to embryo donation, laser hatching, blastocyst 

transfer and vasectomy/tubectomy reversal. But outside of the 

scientific achievements that have led Origin to be rated in the top 

15 clinics worldwide, this family-based operation prides itself on 

a quality of care that far outperforms the norm. 

It’s a benefit aided by using the expertise and experience of 

British doctors within the practice, but additionally through the 

knowledge of leading specialists such as Dr Sandeep Mane. 

“When I completed my training at the Royal College in London 

I realised I was equipped with skills that would find use 7,000 

miles away in my homeland. It was then I decided to return to 

India to set up The Origin International Fertility Centre. I had the 

drive and the qualifications to realise this ambition, and I have 

trained over 15,000 doctors across the world.” 

Having trained in the UK, the irony of Dr Mane returning to 

Mumbai to treat British patients is not one that is lost, but the 

simple facts are that treatment abroad has become a fantastically 

cost-effective way for couples to realise their ambitions of starting 

or extending their family. 

And a family operation The Origin International Fertility Centre 

is with Sandeep’s wife, Dr Rajashree Mane, a key figure and pillar 

of strength at the centre. Her feminine insight, communication 

and counselling skills and specialist knowledge provide the 

perfect backdrop that transforms a medical research centre into a 

friendly, caring treatment facility. 

And the vision of the practice has always been clear – to offer 

quality care to patients, to impart professional and communication 

skills to doctors, to conduct research to improve healthcare for 

women and, in general, to create opportunities to serve society. 

It is a thorough blueprint that spells out a passion for expert 

diagnosis and treatment, combined with a backdrop of stress 

management sessions and relaxation therapies such as meditation 

and yoga. It means that those who visit the 10,000-sq ft Origin 

Fertility do so to undertake treatment that offers an overall body 

and mind cleansing process. 

The jewel in Dr Sandeep Mane’s crown of achievements is his 

nomination for the Bharat Jyoti Award in 2008, which places him 

on a pedestal as other luminaries in his field such as Mother 

Theresa, while the clinic has also been profiled on BBC world 

news as one of the fastest growing clinic in surrogacy services. 

But at their heart, the aims remain simple, even with over 

1,000 operations having been performed in the first two years 

since the clinic opened. 

“Our work is different to that of others, because we are always 

looking to treat the mind along with the body,” Sandeep Mane 

continues. “We have many unhappy couples arrive having gone 

through various stages of what can be a painful process. Some 

come with a very defeatist attitude and having lost all confidence 

that their childlessness is something that can be cured. But with 

care, understanding, sensitivity, and some of the world’s leading 

technology, The Origin International Fertility Centre really is 

making dreams come true.” 

For more information email info@theoriginfertility.com or 

head for The Origin International Fertility Centre’s website at 

www.theoriginfertility.com 


43

READER STORY | letter from the heart 

LETTER 

FROM THE 

HEART: 

DAWN’S 

STORY 

This issue’s Letter from the Heart tells 

the story of South African couple 

Dawn and Greg, who having 

already conceived a son through 

IVF, wanted to add a daughter to 

their family, here Dawn talks about 

the PDG processes, the heart ache 

of failed IVF, sleepless nights and 

how her dream finally came true. 

‘‘ 

Longing for a second child came as a complete surprise 

to me. We had a gorgeous one year old IVF miracle 

son and having a second child was not a possibility or 

even desire that my husband and I had discussed. 

Given that I was in my late 30’s and Greg in his late 40’s, and we 

had the child we longed for, might have meant the end of our 

child making story. 

Greg’s immediate reaction to my broodiness was “are you 

mad!” I left it at that until he brought up the subject again a 

few days later “Ill only consider another child IF it’s a girl.” It 

was not quite the response I had anticipated since neither of us 

had ever had a preference for a boy or girl with our first child, 

but I was happy to go along with his wishes, as I dearly wanted 

another baby! 

A girl it is then! 

Given that I was an only child and because Greg and I are much 

older parents, I felt that by having two children, they would 

always have each other in a way that I never had as a child and 

they could be a source of companionship and family for each 

other. Greg’s perspective was slightly different. He comes from 

a family of four; two boys and two girls. Besides the obvious 

blessing of the “pigeon pair” he did not want to precipitate the 

competition he knows comes with two children of the same sex 

in one family. 

Being a goal-orientated achiever I wasted no time setting out 

to accomplish the making of our daughter with much 

excitement! The fact that I was Co-Founder of Gift ov life fertility 

agency meant that I already had a working relationship with all 

the leading fertility clinics in South Africa. I had never however 


had cause in the past, to investigate the possibility or options 

relating to sex selection in South Africa. 

Investigating all of our options 

Knowing that we would have to have IVF again in order to 

conceive I learnt that there are two methods for selecting the 

sex of a child. The first, commonly referred to as “spinning the 

sperm,” attempts to separate the male and female sperm (yes, 

it’s the man that determines the sex!) However, this method 

does not assure you of a preferred sex, but rather increases your 

chances of a certain sex conception. 

After a basic sperm analysis, and given Greg’s predominantly 

male sperm cells, our chances of conceiving a girl, with this 

method, were very low. Greg, being a stock trader and racehorse 

punter by profession, was less than impressed at these odds! 

On further investigation I discovered that there was another 

method for sex selection which, provided Greg could produce a 

female embryo, was 100% accurate at determining the sex of 

the embryo/s. This method is known as pre-implantation 

genetic diagnosis (PGD.) Whilst many clinics have the 

technology and skill resources to perform PGD for genetic 

testing, I discovered that there is only one clinic in South Africa, 

who was willing to do PGD for sex selection. PGD for sex 

selection is a very controversial topic today I know, and is not 

allowed in many countries including the UK. It didn’t take long 

before Greg was sold and our IVF cycle to produce Ella (we had 

named our daughter to be) was booked. 

The IVF journey begins 

During the IVF process, once our eggs and sperm had been put 

together for fertilisation in the laboratory, PGD involved removing 

a single unspecilailised cell when the embryos had divided to 

form about 5 cells. The DNA of the cell from an embryo was 

tested to ascertain whether the embryo was an X or Y chromosome 

like a female or male embryo. We had 8 embryos on day 2 and 

so the testing began. As we waited with anticipation as each 

embryo was tested and the embryologist called me to confirm 

the sex of each embryo…boy..boy..boy..boy..boy..boy..boy and 

boy. We could not believe it! Not a single female embryo! 

The laboratory embryologist explained that they had never 

seen such a male dominance, especially as we had attempted 

to separate sperm prior to fertilisation in order to maximise 

the chances of a female embryo. In the end only 2 embryos 

were strong enough and we chose to freeze them rather than 

transfer them to my uterus. The Doctor suggested we prepare 

for the rare occurrence where a man does not have the X 

chromosome and thus is unable to produce a girl. 

Preparing for the worst 

I had, during the IVF process, become as motivated for a daughter 

as Greg had been. As we discussed the next round of IVF planned 

to commence, we explored the possibility that a girl may not be 

possible. It was Greg who suggested we put a male embryo back 

in the embryo transfer if we again had no female embryos. He 

said given our infertility battle, perhaps we don’t have the luxury 

of selecting the sex of a second child and we should take what we 

get. He had become as excited as me about a second baby. I was 

now adamant that it would take more than one “failed” attempt 

to end my desire for a daughter called Ella. 

And so the second round of IVF began 

This time, there was less optimism when on the day after 

fertilisation I received the call to advise that we had only one 

embryo. They asked whether we would like to perform the PGD 

test on it, as testing can sometimes damage a healthy embryo. I 

asked them to go ahead and test it. When I received a call a few 

hours later to advise us that it was a female embryo, the 

embryologist was as surprised an excited as I was! What were 

the chances after 8 males that this one would be a female?? 

That night, we lay in bed and we couldn’t believe our luck. 

Good news arrives unexpectedly 

The embryo continued to develop over the next 4 days. The day 

before embryos transfer my specialist called me to manage my 

expectations. Given my history of stage 3 endometriosis and the 

reduced odds of a single embryos transfer, he suggested we 

don’t get our hopes up too high. 

The 12 days wait before the pregnancy test was fraught with 

fears, excitement, doubts and sleepless nights. The day before I 

was due to have the pregnancy test at the clinic I did a home 

pregnancy test – I just could not wait! 

It was negative and the reality of our hopes and dreams were 

shattered. The next day, I took our son with me for the test at the 

clinic. It was my way of letting myself down gently for the news I 

was sure would follow. We still had our darling son and I found 

comfort in that miracle. The nurse came through to me as I awaited 

the test result. She looked at our son and said “You are going to 

have a little sister!” I sobbed in disbelief as I called Greg. 

Pregnancy Scares and sleepless nights 

My pregnancy was not without its challenges. I threatened to 

miscarry at 6 and 27 weeks. I gained 28 kgs as I was pumped 

full of hormones to help me carry her to term. She arrived 

perfectly healthy at 38 weeks. We had, against all odds, become 

proud parents of our darling daughter Ella. As I write this article 

she sits next to me watching her favourite program, Noddy. She 

is now 19 months old and the princess of all our dreams. 

Dawn Blank is the co-founder of South Africa’s foremost egg 

donation agency, Gift ov life. Visit www.giftovlife.com for more 

information about Gift ov life UK, or email uk@giftovlife.com 


45


GUIDES/ HYPNOSIS 

Helping you plan for every stage of your journey... 

WORDS | RUSSELL DAVIS 

YOUR 

FERTILE 

MIND 

Russell Davis is a Cognitive Hypnotherapist and 

along with his wife tried for 10 years to conceive 

and recognises the pain, grief, anger, hopelessness, 

and all the other emotions experienced on the path 

to parenthood, he believes the power of the mind, 

can affect the progress of becoming pregnant. 

Mind-body link 

As you probably know, reproduction is one of the most delicate 

systems in our body. Your mind can affect your ability to get pregnant 

on multiple levels. The hypothalamus in your brain helps 

regulate hormone levels as well as impacting the pituitary and 

adrenal responses which produce and regulate the level of stress 

hormones in your body. Changes to these responses can have dramatic 

affect on the delicate cocktail of hormones necessary for 

ovulation, fertilisation, fallopian tube functioning and even successful 

implantation of the egg. 

Research 

There is also a growing amount of research on the positive affect 

hypnosis and mind-body programs can have on fertility. A recent 

study lead by Alice Domar at Boston IVF studied 100 women 

undergoing IVF treatment. 52% of the women who completed 

the mind-body program were successful compared to 20% of the 

control group. 

Another study of 185 woman by Professor Levitas of Soroka 

Hospital Israel found that 28% of the women who were hypnotised 

for the embryo transfer during IVF treatment became pregnant, 

compared to 14% of the women in the control group. 

How it can help you 

Hypnosis can help you whether trying to conceive naturally or 

undergoing treatment. It can help you let go of things such as 

negative beliefs, stress or fear of not ever being fulfilled that 

could be holding you back from getting pregnant. 

There is no denying infertility can be highly stressful. One 

study has demonstrated that the stress levels in infertile women 

are equivalent to women suffering from AIDS or cancer. No-one 

tells them just to relax! Unlike relaxation methods, which can 

give you periods of respite, hypnotherapy can let go of the underlying 

causes of your stress, your thinking about your situation. 

Hypnotherapy also goes beyond letting go of these negative 

things which can be impacting your chances of success. Hypnosis 

can positively utilise the mind-body link and actively guide your 

unconscious mind to what you want. Again there is research demonstrating 

how your mind can positively change your biology. 

In one such study by the Learner Institute in 2003 a group of 

volunteers visualised exercising their little finger over a period of 

12 weeks. Their muscle strength had improved by 35% and continued 

improving to 40% four weeks after the study and training 

had ended - without lifting a finger! I have witnessed remarkable 

changes such as ovaries that were not responding to traditional 

treatment start releasing eggs. 

Get Started 

The Fertile Mind® fertility hypnosis programs use the latest hypnosis 

techniques which are short, relaxing and enjoyable. There 

are separate programs for natural and assisted conception as well 

as one for male fertility. See www.thefertilemind.net and explore 

how hypnotherapy could be helping you. 

Russell Davis as helped many couples to become pregnant using 

Cognitive Hypnotherapy. He is the founder of The Fertile Mind® 

fertility hypnosis programs and a National Council of Hypnotherapy 

(NCH) Fertility Special Advisor. www.thefertilemind.net 

READER OFFER! Fertility Road readers get an exclusive 25% 

discount from all The Fertile Mind® products by using the discount 

code ‘FR01’ in the checkout. Offer expires 31 March 2012. 



BOOKS 

Our review of the latest fertility titles… 

The Two Week Wait 

- Sarah Rayner 

Out March, £12.99 

A writer with a gift for conveying raw 

emotions and the intricacies and subtleties 

of relationships between family and 

friends, Sarah Rayner’s The Two Week Wait 

is a moving page-turner about two very 

different women each yearning for the 

same thing: a child of their own. 

After a health-scare, Brighton-based Lou 

is forced to confront the fact her time to 

have a baby is running out. She can’t imagine 

a future without children, but her partner, 

Sofia, doesn’t seem to feel the same 

way, and she’s not sure if she could go it 

alone. Meanwhile up in Yorkshire, Cath is 

longing to start a family with her husband, 

Rich. No one would be happier to have a 

child than Rich, but Cath is infertile. Little 

aware their fates are intimately linked, could 

these two strangers help one another out? 

A story about hope, love, family and 

the joy and resilience of friendship, The Two 

Week Wait sees Cath and Lou battle prejudice 

and fear, question who they are as women 

and ultimately find their purpose in life. 

*Available exclusively from Waterstone’s 

throughout February 2012 

The Infertility Workbook: 

A Mind-Body Program to 

Enhance Fertility, Reduce 

Stress, and Maintain 

Emotional Balance 

- Barbara Blitzer 

Out now, £19.99 

If you and your partner have struggled 

with fertility issues, you’re well aware of 

the emotional rollercoaster of confusion, 

frustration, and disappointment that infertility 

can bring. This book offers a comprehensive 

set of mind-body techniques 

you can use to help improve fertility from 

the comfort of your home and make the 

most of IVF or other fertility treatments. 

The stress reduction exercises, coping 

strategies, and simple lifestyle changes in 

this book have been shown by research to 

improve fertility and increase pregnancy 

rates. During the program, you’ll develop 

the skills you need to make peace with 

your body, let go of your fears, and help 

increase your chance of pregnancy. 

The Infertility Workbook offers a downto-earth 

practical approach, and following 

the techniques mentioned will assist 

in healing, stress relief, and emotional 

balance and will also inspire those struggling 

to build their family. 

The Infertility Cleanse: 

Detox, Diet and Dharma 

for Fertility 

- Tami Quinn & Beth Heller 

Out now, £12.99 

New clinical research suggests that gut 

health, chronic inflammation, and environmental 

toxins may be the root cause of 

infertility. In their new book, The Infertility 

Cleanse, authors Beth Heller and Tami 

Quinn offer women who are trying to conceive 

a new, supportive cleansing program. 

The hands-on manual, split into three 

parts, features step-by-step guidelines including 

fertility yoga, a healing nutrition 

program and stress-reduction techniques, 

all designed to cleanse the body, mind and 

spirit in preparation for pregnancy. 

The book utilises a wide range of 

cleansing methods starting from traditional 

disciplines with everything purposely 

created for women who are trying to conceive 

both naturally and/or with assisted 

reproduction plans and leans heavily on 

the latest scientific research into the 

impact of diet, stress and lifestyle on 

fertility, offering all women a natural, 

holistic approach to readying the womb 

for a child. Also includes a DVD of 75 

minutes of fertility yoga exercises. 

WIN! 

We have copies of the above titles to give away to 15 lucky winners, drawn at random. 

To enter, simply email your name and contact number to competitions@fertilityroad.com, 

stating your top two preferences of books. Entry closes on 20 March 2012. 

www.fertilityroad.com 47

SCIENCE | ovarian tissue freezing 

The Science behind OVARIAN 

TISSUE FREEZING 

Fertility pioneer, Dr. Sherman Silber of The Infertility Center of St. Louis 

gives us the lowdown on the science behind Ovarian Tissue freezing, 

A 

successful case of human ovarian tissue transplantation 

between monozygotic (MZ) twin sisters discordant for 

premature ovarian failure (POF) was first reported in 

2005. Menstrual cycles resumed after 4 months, and 

spontaneous pregnancy occurred after the second ovulation, leading 

to the birth of a healthy child. 

Subsequently, a consecutive series of seven more successful cases 

was reported for a total of eight, all demonstrating ovulatory cycles 

with normalized FSH levels. Spare ovarian cortical tissue from the 

donor ovary was cryopreserved for future grafting as a backup in 

case the first transplant became depleted of follicles and ceased to 

function. In a ninth case a different technique was used, microvascular 

transplantation of a whole ovary, and this too led to a prompt 

return of normal cycles, pregnancy by natural conception, and the 

delivery of a healthy child. Thus far, 15 pregnancies and 12 healthy 

babies have resulted from these cases, none of whom required 

immunosuppression. 

Normal serum FSH and regular menstrual cycles returned by 

5 months after surgery in all cases, both fresh and frozen. Fifteen 

spontaneous pregnancies were established leading to twelve 

healthy live births. All three frozen tissue transplants conceived 

spontaneously, one delivered, and two were ongoing. Oocyte 

survival with slow freezing was 42% and after vitrification it rose 

to 89%. Ovarian transplantation in humans is a robust procedure, 

even after cryopreservation, vitrification might prove to be more 

effective than slow freezing. In the case of the twins, we now 

have evidence of long-term ovarian function, suggesting that a 

substantial reserve of follicles survives in fresh cortical grafts 

despite being subjected to lengthy ischemia compared with 

vascular transplantation. 

We have also found that slow freezing may cause significant loss 

of oocyte viability but with the vitrification technique for cryopreservation 

there is no oocyte loss. Therefore, the freezing and 

grafting of ovarian tissue for preservation of fertility in cancer 

patients has now been perfected and should be routinely practiced. 

The Cryopreservation procedure 

For slow freezing, after enucleating medullary tissue with a 

scalpel dissection, the cortex was pared down manually to an 

ultrathin translucent shell with a thickness of less than a millimeter. 

Tissue for cryopreservation was divided into multiple strips and 

transferred to cryovials after equilibration and then cooled at a 

controlled rate. Thawing was achieved quickly by agitating the 

vials in a warm water bath. 


Ovarian transplantation in 

humans is a robust procedure, 

even after cryopreservation, 

vitrifi cation might be more 

effective than slow freezing 

ADVERTISING 

DOES WORK! 

If the tissue used had thickened by contracting after thawing, 

it was pared down once again to less than 1 milimeter 

under an operating microscope with microsurgical scissors 

before the transplantation takes place. 

The chief significance of this long-term study of ovarian 

tissue transplantation is not so much for the twins who are 

discordant for POF, which will always be rare, but for young 

cancer patients needing fertility preservation. Ovarian tissue 

banking for a future transplantation provides another fertility 

option for these patients, and sometimes the only one available. 

At least 1 in 250 women of reproductive age is a cancer 

survivor, and nowadays 90% of them become long-term 

survivors depending on the type of disease. 

However, their treatments are likely to reduce their fertility 

or in some cases, render them completely sterile. Most such 

women with cancer are anxious to preserve their potential 

for having children genetically related to them rather than 

resorting to eggs from an unrelated donor or adoptions, 

which are not always available or desirable. 

While pediatric patients may not understand the full 

implications of cancer treatment for future parenthood, fertility 

preservation is equally important for them, as they do not 

have the option of using IVF technology for oocyte or embryo 

banking. Another indication for fertility preservation is ageing, 

particularly for women with a family history of POF, but also 

for those with normal ovaries who are increasingly postponing 

childbearing. 

The uterus does not seem to play a significant role in this 

age-related decline, as evidenced by the high pregnancy rates 

in women of advanced reproductive age who use oocytes 

donated by younger women. 

Whereas the twin series involved histo-compatible donor 

tissue instead of an autograft, and healthy individuals rather 

than cancer patients, this is the largest series of ovarian 

transplants to date with the largest number of pregnancies 

and live births. It provides rare information for guiding fertility 

preservation practices and counseling patients about the 

likelihood of success. All the surgical procedures and analyses 

of spare biopsy tissue were approved by the Ethics Review 

Committee and the Institutional Review Board of St. Luke’s 

Hospital, and both donors and recipients gave their written 

informed consents. 

Dr. Sherman Silber is based at The Infertility Center of St. Louis, 

Missouri. For more information about his procedures 

please contact the center on (314) 576-1400 or visit 

www.infertile.com 

YOU ARE READING 

THIS AREN’T YOU? 

CALL US ON +44 (0)208 316 4323 

OR E-MAIL US AT 

ADVERTISING@FERTILITYROAD.COM 

WANTED 

FREELNACE 

ADVERTISING 

SALES EXECUTIVE 

VIBRATION MEDIA 

KEY OBJECTIVES 

To sell display advertising from your home over or other 

location within one (or more, if required) of Vibration Media’s 

titles/projects. Working to volume and revenue targets, 

the role involves selling direct to clients and to advertising 

agencies. The role-handler is expected to working within 

the framework of targets and publishing deadlines, actively 

source new revenue streams, and positively represent both 

Vibration Media and it’s corresponding commercial brands 

at all times to build strong relationships. 

We are always looking for enthusiastic people to join us. 

If you feel that you can add to our success and want to be 

appreciated for your effort, send a CV and a brief overview of 

what you believe you can add to info@vibrationmedia.co.uk 

WWW.VIBRATIONMEDIA.CO.UK

FERTILITY ROAD | 

not forgotten 

Happy Chinese New Year! On the 21st January 2012 

millions of people celebrated the start of spring 

and the New Year both in Asia and throughout the 

world. Chinese culture considers the Year of the 

Dragon as the luckiest of the Chinese lunar years, 

bringing luck in love, business and babies. It is also 

believed that babies born this year will be blessed 

with good fortune, strength and intelligence, and 

will thrive in all aspects of life as they engage in 

marriage, career and building a family. 

Dragons are revered for their grandeur, fearlessness 

and self-sufficiency and are the only non-living 

animal of the Chinese zodiac system highlighting 

just how special they are. To be born in the year 

of the Dragon certainly seems to have caused a 

stir and maybe even a baby boom, as increases 

in fertility treatments have shown growth around 

the globe — with as much as a 250% increase in 

business from Chinese couples wishing to conceive 

and deliver in the Year of the Dragon. 

Neither this publication nor its contents constitute an explicit endorsement by Vibration Media of the products or services mentioned in advertising or editorial content. The editorial content in this 

publication does not necessarily represent policies or recommendations of Vibration Media. This publication is not intended to be exhaustive. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, 

Vibration Media shall not have any liability for errors or omissions. Readers who have questions should consult their healthcare providers or other competent sources of information and guidance. 

© All copyright Vibration Media unless otherwise stated. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. 


iCandy peach blossom twin multi-mode system 

Blossoming with your family 

www.icandyworld.com 

www.facebook.com/iCandyWorld

We are so confident of our results, 

“Pay ONLY if Successful” * 

We have been rated “One of World’s 15 Best Fertility Clinics” by 

Fertility Road magazine, and featured on the BBC World News, 

due to our success in serving patients from around the globe. 

Services under one roof include: 

IVF/ICSI 

Egg Donation 

Surrogacy 

Sperm Banking 

Embryo donation 

Laser Hatching 

Blastocysts Transfer 

Embryo Freezing 

Male factor treatment 

Vasectomy/Tubectomy reversal 

Advanced Laparoscopy to 

treat Fibroids, Endometriosis, 

Tubal disease, Polycystic Ovaries 

Advanced Hysteroscopy to treat 

Polyps, Septum, Adhesions, 

Tubal disease 

SEE US AT FERTILITY WORLD, EARLS COURT, LONDON – 18 -19 MAY 2012 

*Terms & Condition apply, contact us for more information. 

The Origin Centre • MUMBAI, INDIA • Tel (UK): 02079936377, (India): 00912221712345/40 

Fax: 00912221712341 • Email: info@theoriginfertility.com 

www.theoriginfertility.com

Fertility Road Issue 09

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?