Fertility Road Issue 08

• FERTILITY MONITORS REVIEWED • 

EUROPE'S NO.1 FERTILITY MAGAZINE 

ISSUE 08 | WINTER 2011-12 £3.95/€4.95 

YOUR PATH TO PARENTHOOD 

E X P E R T A D VI C E A N D O PI N I O N S 

WWW.FERTILITYROAD.COM 

TOP TIPS 

FOR WINTER 

How to maximise 

your fertility in 

the cold months 

Kristin Davis 

Adopts a new 

role as mother 

ISSUE 08 

BOY 

OR 

GIRL 

Should you 

be allowed 

to choose? 


ACUPUNCTURE INTERNATIONAL SURROGACY LAW BLASTOCYSTS

FERTILITY ROAD 

CONTENTS 

In this issue... 

13 

24 

42 

31 

13 WINTER RETREATS: 

We have three great places for you to get away and escape 

the great British weather. Don’t let the snow put you off, as 

all these places are best served cold! 

20 FESTIVE FOODS: 

Author of the Fertility Diet Guide, Colette Bouchez shares some 

of her great recipes that will help you to fall pregnant quicker. 

24 SATC STAR TALKS ADOPTION SUCCESS 

Kristin Davies talks about her recent adoption of Gemma 

Rose and how being a mum has changed her life forever. 

31 BABY ITS COLD OUT THERE 

Fertility Expert and author, Emma Cannon, explains how keeping 

warm this winter is essential for helping with your fertility. 

42: SIX TOP FERTILITY TIPS 

Chinese medicines expert, Andrew Loosely, give us some great 

tips for starting off the New Year with positive mind and body. 

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: 

LEGAL LOWDOWN 

Parenting Law expert Louisa Ghevaert tells us about 

the legal pitfalls when considering Surrogacy abroad. 

SEX SELECTION 

Should you be allowed to choose your baby’s gender? We take 

a look at the history of Sex Selection and the science involved. 

FERTILITY MONITORS 

With so many fertility products on the market, which one is 

the best? Dr Oriane Chausiaux talks about the differences 

between the top products out there. 

www.fertilityroad.com 

03

® 

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.






12 fertility road | may - june 

*Terms a 


CONTRIBUTORS 

Introducing the Fertility Road panel of journalists and experts… 


ISSUE 08 WINTER 2011 -12 




Kristin Davis 

Adopts a new 


ISSUE 08 – WINTER 2011-12 

Group Publisher: 

Jeff Crockett 

Managing Editor: 

Giorgio Severi 

Business Advisor: 

Alessandro Severi 

Contributors: 

Colette Bouchez, Emma Cannon, 

Oriane Chausiaux, Louisa Ghevaert, 

Sophy Grimshaw, Andrew Loosely, 

Johanna Payton, Bushra Sheikh, Zita West 

Art Editor: 

Damian Browning 

Interim Sales Manager: 

Ms. J Watson 

European Sales: 

Susan Calatayud, Pier Minole 

Accounts Manager: 

Tania Simmonds 

Legal Advisor: 

W Burson & Co. 

Client Liason Officer: 

Debbie Hanson 

Printed by: 

Buxton Press 

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 



TOP TIPS 

FOR WINTER 




Follow us on Twitter 

www.twitter.com/fertilityroad 

BOY 

OR 

GIRL 

Should you 

be allowed 

to choose? 

ACUPUNCTURE INTERNATIONAL SURROGACY LAW BLASTOCYSTS 

Welcome to the latest copy of fertility Road. 

In this issue we bring you a great interview with 

Sex and the City star, Kristin Davis who has just 

recently told the world about her adoption of 

a gorgeous baby girl. With the winter months 

already upon us, we have a great article from 

bestselling author Emma Cannon on how to stay warm to give your 

fertility the best chances. Louisa Gheveart gives us the low-down 

on International Surrogacy and the legal pitfalls to avoid and 

Oriane Chausiaux discusses which fertility monitors are the best 

on the market. Finally we hear from Amanda and her trip to India 

which resulted in her having a child through surrogacy. 

So until next time – keep warm, relax and enjoy our magazine.... Giorgio 

FERTILITY ROAD | DuoFertility 

OUR FERTILITY EXPERTS... 

Andrew Loosely is a published author and is frequently asked to 

talk on the radio, and at seminars to medical professionals about 

how Chinese medicine can help with fertility issues. He is also the 

founder and director of the Healthwise Clinic of Natural Medicine. 

www.healthwise-clinic.com 

OUR SURROGACY EXPERT... 

Jenny Currie is the founder and owner of a dynamic egg donor agency, 

baby2mom, in South Africa. The website, www.baby2mom.co.za was 

founded in 2007. The Benefits fertility include monitor affordable with expert egg donor services, 

immediate free support access to to detailed help you profiles get of pregnant hundreds of egg donors 

and experienced guidance. 

FERTILITY 

DEVICE AS 

EFFECTIVE 

AS IVF 

Emma Cannon practises complementary therapies and acupuncture 

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

support, conception, pregnancy and postnatal care. She believes that 

for advanced fertility issues Western medicine is often necessary but 

where the problem is unknown, natural methods are more appropriate. 

www.emmacannon.co.uk 

naturally, and avoid invasive medical 

procedures such as IVF. 

OUR WRITERS... 

Louisa Ghevaert is internationally recognised 

A 

revolutionary as a leading new fertility expert monitor in UK that’s fertility helping 

and parenting law. Her expertise covers international hundreds of couples and UK conceive surrogacy, was the subject donor of 

BBC2 business programme Britain’s Next Big Thing. 

conception, co-parenting, embryo storage and testing, children and parenting, 

DuoFertility - invented by Cambridge Scientists Dr 

and gay and lesbian parenting. Shamus Husheer and Dr Oriane Chausiaux – was on television 

screens throughout April and May and is now available in 

Boots. The programme sought to show viewers how innovative 

Priced at £495, DuoFertility is on 

Sophy Grimshaw is an entertainment, lifestyle and travel journalist based in 

new ideas reach major high street stores and followed the cycle of IVF, but without the h 

London. She edits DuoFertility Hotline magazine team for six for months, Virgin from and the company’s is a freelance first procedures writer. of Her IVF treatment. The Du 

interviewees have included pitch to Boots Duran through Duran, to DuoFertility Mark becoming Ronson, a major Rufus new Wainwright, their product Kim that they are offe 

product line for the high street giant. 

purchase Duo 

Cattral, Jamie Oliver... and everyone from Peter Andre to Peter Tatchell. 

Boots immediately saw the potential of 

pregnant afte 

DuoFertility because it offers a new level of 

money back.* 

Oriane Chausiaux is one of the fertility convenience, experts accuracy on and the support team to the and the Chief 

Scientific Officer. Oriane has completed many couples her who PhD. are in experiencing infertility difficulty at the University 

Is DuoFe 

in becoming pregnant. Six months’ use of 

Duo Fertility 

of Cambridge, and has been involved DuoFertility with infertility has been shown research to be since as 2001. Her 

your fallopia 

expertise is mainly in endocrinology-related effective as a cycle infertility. of IVF. 

partner has 

DuoFertility works by continuously measuring 

your body basal temperature using a 

help. But fo 

count, then u 

Johanna Payton is a journalist, author and broadcaster who has been writing 

tiny sensor worn under the arm, so there’s 

unexplained 

about fertility, pregnancy no need to and set your parenting alarm to the since early hours her son, Eliott, was born six years a much need 

ago. Her features have or urinate been on a published stick as with other everywhere fertility from Grazia to Maternity & natural pregn 

monitoring methods. Data from the Duo 

Infant magazines. She has conducted interviews whilst changing nappies! 

Fertility sensor is wirelessly downloaded to 

the hand-held reader and fertile days can be 

identified up to a week in advance – giving 

you lots of time to plan. 

Whenever you plug your DuoFertil 

the data is downloaded to Duo 

Cambridge for individual analysis 

that you get the level of personal a 

only associated with the most exp 

the privacy of your own home. 

DuoFertility is 

or direct from 

For more infor 

www.duofer 

Two FREE Pregnancy Tests for Fertility www.fertilityroad.com 

Road readers Visit www.duofertility.com 

05

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


NEWS 

The latest developments from the fertility world 

WOMEN TOLD TO 

FLOSS FOR FERTILITY 

Doctors have confirmed that women should floss regularly if they want to 

have the best chance of conceiving. They have also suggested that poor 

oral health may have as bad an impact on fertility as obesity. Experts 

believe that this may be due to inflammation, which can be a symptom of 

poor oral health which causes the body to react to infection and inhibits 

its normal function. 

New research, conducted in Australia, studied over 3,500 women and 

participants who had gum disease were shown to have raised blood level 

markers for inflammation. Also, more notably, women with gum disease 

took an average of 7 months to conceive, where the norm is around 5. 

Approximately 10% of the UK’s population is thought to suffer from 

severe periodontal disease with previous studies already linking this 

disease to miscarriage and poor sperm quality, along with links to heart 

disease and type II diabetes. 

How to have a baby: This 400 page comic book is designed to 

offer infertile couples with the information they need to help them 

to get the best medical and fertility care, written by Dr. Aniruddha 

and Dr. Anjali Malpani who run a Bombay-based fertility clinic 

offering treatment to couples from all over the world. 

STICKY EGG 

CAPTURES 

SPERM 

Researchers have uncovered how a human egg 

captures an incoming sperm to begin the fertilisation 

process. The research identifies the sugar molecule 

that makes the outer coat of the egg ‘sticky’, which is 

vital for enabling the sperm and egg to bind together. 

A sperm ‘recognises’ an egg when proteins on the 

head of the sperm meet and match with a series of 

specific sugars in the egg’s outer coat. 

The Prime Minister will soon 

be launching a new drive 

to make adoption simpler 

and speedier, currently the 

average time between a 

child being taken into care 

and being adopted is two 

years and seven months, 

a period regarded as 

being “unacceptably long.” 

Councils who fail to quickly 

place children in their care 

Adopt me!! 

with adoptive parents are being named and shamed in 

new performance league tables. Local authorities in 

England are currently required to organise adoptions for 

children within 12 months, but the adoption can be a 

complex and long-drawn-out process. In a speech to the 

Conservative Party conference in Manchester this month, 

David Cameron described the fact that just 60 babies 

under the age of one were adopted last year out of 

3,600 babies in care as a “scandal.” 


07

iCandy pear multi-mode system 

Growing with your family... 

Over 20 practical combinations in 1 Patent Pending 

www.icandyworld.com

Bourn Hall Clinic’s Guide to 

Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection 

The first pregnancies from a technique called Intracytoplasmic Sperm 

Injection (ICSI) were announced in 1992 in a paper by Palermo et al, 

published in the Lancet. Since then, ICSI has become a mainstream 

treatment option for male factor infertility. 

I 

n essence, the ICSI procedure involves the injection of an 

immobilised sperm directly into the central part (cytoplasm) 

of a mature egg. ICSI is performed in addition to an in vitro 

fertilisation (IVF) procedure, in which several eggs are 

recruited and extracted from the ovaries. The eggs have the 

protective cumulus and corona cells removed so that their 

maturity can be assessed, typically 75-80% of all eggs collected 

will be suitable for injection. 

The ICSI procedure is carried out under high magnification 

(x200-400) using a special inverted microscope and micromanipulators, 

which convert the hand movements made by the operator 

into precise and minute adjustments of the sterile microtools 

used on the approximate 120 micron diameter egg and the 

approximate 4 micron sperm. A holding pipette stabilizes the egg 

by gentle suction, while from the opposite side a thin (7 micron 

diameter), hollow glass needle is used for the actual injection. 

A dish is prepared containing a drop of carefully prepared sperm, 

and further individual drops for each egg. A single sperm is 

immobilised by breaking its tail with the point of the needle. After 

moving into the egg drop the injection pipette is used to pierce 

the outer shell (zona pelucida) and inner membrane (oolemma) 

of the egg so that the tip of the pipette sits in the inner part of 

the oocyte (cytoplasm). The sperm is then gently released into 

the oocyte and the needle slowly withdrawn. After the procedure, 

the injected eggs are placed back into the incubator and checked 

the following day for signs of fertilisation. Although ICSI is an 

invasive procedure, on 10-15 % of injected eggs do not survive, 

however 60 - 80% of injected eggs will be fertilised normally. 

ICSI is now carried out in approximately 60% of all IVF 

procedures worldwide and has been shown to be effective for the 

treatment of male factor infertility, including low sperm count 

(oligospermia), poor sperm motility (asthenospermia), poor 

sperm morphology (teratozoospermia), the presence of antisperm 

antibodies and sperm retrieved directly from the testes 

using surgical techniques. ICSI may also be used for patients who 

have had a previous failed or low fertilisation using conventional 

IVF. The pregnancy rates following ICSI are as good, if not better, 

than those achieved using conventional IVF. 

TO WATCH AN ICSI PROCEDURE 

AT BOURN HALL CLINIC, LOG ONTO 

WWW.WALLACE-ICSI.COM


FESTIVE FINDS 

This issue, rather than fertility products we have opted for gifts of pure indulgence! 

Regency Hampers 

- Perfect gifts for a friend or loved one. 

With the run up to Christmas, it can be quite stressful 

finding the right gifts for your friends and family. So why 

not give them a hamper this year. These beautiful hampers 

are meticulously crafted gifts to match every occasion. 

Regency’s wide array of luxury hampers is guaranteed to 

fit the bill, without breaking the bank. From The Chocolate 

Treat Hamper to The Alcohol-Free Christmas Greetings 

Hamper, they all look visually stunning. All of their classic 

gift hampers are presented in exquisite hand-finished wicker, 

adorned with a hand-tied golden ribbon and can be 

personalised with the gift message of your choice. 

Prices range from £25 - £645 

www.regencyhampers.com 

10 fertility road | winter 2011-12


EVENTS 

The Fertility Show 

4 - 5 November 2011 

– London Olympia, UK 

Whether you’re just thinking about starting a family or 

have been trying for ages, find out what you need to 

know at The Fertility Show. Tickets cost £10. 

www.fertilityshow.co.uk for more information 

• 

I N A R S 

F R E E 

S E M 

S E M 

I N A R S 

• 

F R E E 

Fertility World Show 

23 - 24 March 2012 

– London Olympia, UK 

I N A R S 

• 

F R E E 

S E M 

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 

FREE SEMINARS by industry experts covering a host of 

fertility issues and topics including: 

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’. 

• 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.fertility-world.co.uk to book your FREE TICKET 

feel good 

feel good

FEATURE | winter retreats 

WORDS | GIORGIO SEVERI 

WINTER 

RETREATS 

Why not get away this winter? 

Hotels and airfares are cheap, 

sweaty summer crowds are a 

distant memory, this is a perfect 

time to relax and rejuvenate. 

Wyoming / USA 

Perched on the edge of East Gros Ventre Butte, overlooking 

snow covered meadows and surrounded by the spectacular 

mountain ranges is the Amangani Resort. A discreet and luxurious 

hideaway near Jackson Hole offering highly personalized 

service in a very romantic setting. Elegant suites complement 

the natural setting of sandstone walls, floor-to-ceiling picture 

windows with majestic views of the Grand Tetons, woven 

cowhide chairs, soaking tubs, fireplaces and modern elements. 

All meals are taken at the casual Grill with a picturesque 

backdrop of mountain views. Its daily menus present creative 

American cuisine using the freshest local ingredients. Relax by 

the fire in the cosy bar and lounge or outside on the terrace. 

From the high-ceilinged corridors to the idyllic outdoor 

pool, this place is all about class and privacy, not to mention 

breath taking views. Hotelier Adrian Zecha has resorts like 

this around the world, from Bali to Bora-Bora, and while the 

designs are tailored to the landscape, the approach is the same: 

personal service, luxury, and all the little touches such as iPod 

cradles in every bedroom so you can bring your favourite music 

and kick start your new year-new you revived and refreshed! 

Learn More: www.amanresorts.com / +001 307 734 7333 

» 


13


Madonna di Campiglio / Italy 

Founded many centuries ago by a monk named Raimondo, Madonna 

di Campiglio was originally a refuge for wayfarers and lost travellers. 

Fast forward a thousand years later and everything has changed but 

the scenery is still as enchanting as ever. And, inviting hotels are still 

ready to satisfy your every need with the kind of warmth that is 

disappearing in modern times. In short, Madonna di Campiglio is 

still the queen of style, with elegance that is mirrored in the breathtaking 

panorama. And it is one of the most popular spots among 

those who truly know their mountain resorts. 

Right in the center of the village is the Chalet Dolce Vita, an 

elegant 4 star superior hotel that is the ideal choice for all discerning 

guests in search of a special and unique place, different from the 

other hotels in the area. The lounge, with its fireplace, creates a 

warm atmosphere, or dining at the Dolomièu restaurant with 

its tempting delicious mountain dishes. In the house spa you can 

reinvigorate your body and your soul with the ample choice of 

treatments, aromatherapy, music therapy, Turkish bath, sauna and 

swimming pool with Jacuzzi.. 

Learn More: www.chaletdolcevita.it / +39 0465 443191 



What does Boston IVF do? 

A global leader in cutting-edge reproductive technologies 

and exceptional patient care, Boston IVF compassionately 

assists individuals and couples achieve their dream of 

starting a family. With more than 30,000 babies born 

since 1986 and each of our physicians on staff at Harvard 

Medical School, we are among America’s most experienced 

fertility centres. 

What services does Boston IVF provide? 

If you live outside of the USA and have questions about your 

fertility, Boston IVF has answers. Couples from all corners 

of the globe travel to Boston IVF to achieve their dream of 

building a family. Through a combination of appointments, 

phone consultations and local care, international patients 

can meet with our renowned fertility specialists. 

How can Boston IVF help? 

Boston IVF is a leader in reproductive science and has 

a history of “fi rsts” – including the fi rst donor egg 

pregnancy and the fi rst IVF/ICSI baby in New England. 

Our cutting-edge reproductive endocrinologists specialize 

in all aspects of fertility services, including: 

• IVF with donor egg 

• Same sex couples options 

• Gestational surrogacy 

• PGD 

• Embryo adoption 

• Second opinions & difficult cases 

FERTILITY FINANCING 

AVAILABLE 

Logistics 

Located just 14 miles from Boston’s Logan International 

Airport, Boston IVF will assist in securing reservations 

at a hotel close by to make sure your stay is as convenient 

and relaxed as possible. Call to inquire about our 

International Travel Package which includes 

discounted rates at local hotels. 

Length of stay 

We will help to coordinate all the necessary testing with 

the help of your doctor at home. Generally, most trips 

to our clinic last approximately two weeks. 

The city of Boston 

During your stay you will have the opportunity to tour 

the world-class city of Boston. Rich in history, culture and 

countless fi ve-star restaurants, Boston is renowned as a 

“must-see” vacation destination. Your hotel concierge can 

assist you in experiencing what our great city has to offer. 

How can patients initiate a fertility 

evaluation at Boston IVF? 

Simple actually. Our Patient Liaison, Rhonda Gannon, 

is available by phone or email Monday to Friday to speak 

with individuals who have questions about their fertility 

or would like to schedule an initial consultation. 

Rhonda can be reached by calling 001 781-434-6500 

or via email by going to www.bostonivf.com 

Helping build families for over 25 years 

www.bostonivf.com 

@BostonIVF 

BostonIVF

The Zita West 

Clinic 

The The Zita West Clinic is is the the 

UK’s largest integrated 

clinic for for reproductive 

health, combining 

the the latest medical 

thinking with expert 

complementary treatments. 

The desire for a 

child is one of life’s 

Each year, our our specialist team of of doctors, 

midwives, nutritional therapists and and 

complementary practitioners help help hundreds 

of of couples driving to to get get pregnant, both both forces 

naturally and and 

through assisted means - - most of of whom have tried 

previously CRGH has for for been months assisting and and years couples without with success. specialist 

We We advice also also help help and many treatment more, who who for are are over going twenty through years, IVF, IVF, to to 

improve obtaining their outstanding chances of of success results, through which expert place preparation us 

and and as leaders support. amongst fertility clinics in the UK. 

Fertility, At CRGH conception, we provide pregnancy environment and and birth are are where whole-body you 

events will feel and and comfortable, an an integrated relaxed approach and to to supported preparing for for by them our can, can, 

we we experienced believe, pay pay team dividends, of staff, helping and to we to improve tailor every not not just detail just your your of 

fertility, your treatment but but your your pregnancy to suit your and and individual the the long long circumstances, 

term health and and 

potential giving you of of your your the very baby too. best too. chance of success. 

How WHY USE we CRGH? 

can help: 

• Just • Just Pre-implantation decided to to try? try? Genetic Diagnosis 

• Boost State your your of the fertility Art and Laboratory and improve your Techniques 

your pregnancy 

• Phenomenal Success Rates 

• • Want to to know how how fertile you you are? are? 

• Individual Treatment Regimen 

Take Take our our tailor-made fertility MOT MOT 

• Donor Egg and Sperm Banks 

• • Finding 7-day-a-week it it difficult Service to to get get pregnant? 

• Identify Centrally and and help Located help resolve your your problem 

• • Planning on on having IVF? IVF? 

Help Help increase your your chances of of success 

• • If If IVF IVF fails fails 

Help Help with with next next steps. How How to to move on on 

The New Wing 

• • Eastman Suffering Dental from Hospital 

recurrent miscarriage? 

Help 256 Help Gray’s to to find Inn find Road a way a way through 

London WC1X LD 

Services we we offer: 

t. 020 7837 2905 

t. 020 7837 3675 

f. 020 7278 5152 

e. info@crgh.co.uk 

• • Gynaecology • • Nutrition 

• • Counselling 

• • Midwifery • • Acupuncture • • Massage 

• • Embryology • • Hypnotherapy • • Fitness 

See us at THE FERTILITY SHOW / STAND 13 

Nov 4th & 5th 2011, Olympia, London 

Zita Zita West Clinics Ltd Ltd 

37 37 Manchester Street, London W1U W1U 7LJ 7LJ 

Tel Tel 0207 0207 224 224 0017 0017 Fax Fax 0207 0207 224 224 0062 

www.zitawest.com 

www.crgh.co.uk 

TO TO MAKE AN AN APPOINTMENT: 020 7224 0017 

1 in 10 

Get expert 

women in the UK live 

fertility with PCOS, it’s the 

information 

leading cause of 

infertility in women 

and support 

online with 

Boots WebMD 

Let us support 

you in taking the 

first step. 

Do you have any of the following? 

irregular periods 

Visit Visit www.bootswebmd.com 

and and search search weight ‘fertility’. ‘fertility’. problems 

acne and oily skin 

mood swings 

hair loss 

excess hair 

If you do, then you could have Polycystic Ovary 

Syndrome (PCOS), and should make an 

appointment to talk to your GP 

Verity is the UK charity for women with PCOS, 

for more information and support: 

www.verity-pcos.org.uk 

blog.verity-pcos. 

org.uk 

twitter.com/ 

veritypcos 

facebook.com/ 

veritypcos 

youtube.com/ 

veritypcos 

Charity No.1097599 | Company No. 04404798 

verity-pcos.org. 

uk/forum 

feel good 

feel good


Stockholm / Sweden 

Despite the cold, Stockholm in the winter is a beautiful 

place. In fact it might be because of the cold that makes 

it so special. During those few hours of daylight, the 

city is alive with action. People bundled up and out sightseeing. 

Some even just enjoying the cold winter on a walk 

or a run. And the winter landscape couples Stockholm’s 

beautifully lit urban center with its natural scenery 

covered in snow and ice. 

Just 15 minutes from central Stockholm, is the Hotel J 

situated on the shore amidst marinas to the southeast of 

the city, though it feels like a smart New England yacht 

club. Bright interiors, lots of natural wood, crisp cottons in 

navy and white, and plentiful nautical references, from the 

signal flags to model boats, polished masts and rigging. 

Step inside the Hotel J on a wintry day and find a perfect 

refuge from any storm: friendly young staff, and a spacious 

lounge and breakfast area that’s fragrant with wood smoke 

from the open fire and lilies in huge vases. Help yourself to 

leaf tea and fresh brioche, or a G&T from the honesty bar, 

and sink into an armchair to relax by candlelight. Dine on 

fresh seafood in nearby Restaurant J, gazing out towards 

Stockholm’s lights glinting in the distance – pure bliss! 

Learn More: www.hotelj.com / +46 8 601 30 00 


17


CELEB NEWS 

Fertility news amongst the flashbulbs 

WORDS | SOPHY GRIMSHAW 

A-LIST 

FAMILY 

MATTERS 

Heart of Glass star Debbie Harry has been 

showing a keen interest in the possibility 

of adoption at the young age of 65. 

Blondie’s Debbie Harry was 

adopted as a toddler and now, 

Harry, who is 65, says she is 

considering adopting a child 

herself. She recently told The Guardian: 

“I’ve thought of adoption, which I think 

I’d be really good at. There [are] lots of 

children needing homes.” 

The singer says she benefitted infinitely 

from having a loving adoptive family, 

although as a child she used to sometimes 

fantasise about discovering that her 

biological mother was Marilyn Monroe. 

(She did in fact track down and meet her 

mother as an adult, but the pair didn’t 

pursue a relationship). 

Of her views on motherhood when she 

was younger, Harry told The Telegraph: “I 

didn’t think I’d have the patience to be a 

really good mother – it’s hard work. Plus 

I’ve always been a working person, and that 

and all the travelling I do probably had 

something to do with my decision.” Perhaps 

she’ll decide that now is the time, after all? 

Good times at last for actress Amanda 

Holden, who announced on her official 

No jitters: Beyonce has said that she 

is not feeling at all nervous about the 

forthcoming new arrival with hubby Jay Z 

website in August that she is delighted 

to be pregnant. She are her partner Chris 

are “expecting a little girl.” They have 

one daughter, Lexi, but Amanda suffered 

a miscarriage seven months into her 

last pregnancy. 

In a statement on her website, she wrote: 

“The first half of this year has been 

unbelievably difficult for us and so we are 

beyond delighted to share this news with 

you. My first priority is of course my family. 

[...] I have taken medical advice and 

although I am a strong girl and this is ‘once 

again’ a good healthy pregnancy I will 

absolutely not be taking any risks.” 

Also pregnant again after a tough time is 

singer-turned-fashion-designer Lilly Allen. 

She has suffered miscarriages in the past; 

most publicly when she was six months 

pregnant and in the middle of launching 

her clothes store Lucy In Disguise, in 

October 2010. 

Lily, who married Sam Cooper earlier 

this years, spoke to London’s Evening 

Standard about how she is handling being 

pregnancy this time around, saying “I’m 

being really closely monitored so I come to 

London every Thursday for a scan. The 

doctor keeps telling me to take it easy. 


Instinctively I always want to be involved 

in everything. But with this pregnancy, 

especially with what happened last time, 

I’m getting to the point where I think, 

f**k everything. It’s the one time in my 

life I’m allowed to do nothing.” 

She also laughed at her own anxiety 

levels over the pregnancy, saying: “I was 

terrified the other night in bed. I wake up 

a lot at the moment and at one point I 

touched Sam’s face and it was freezing 

cold. I was screaming. ‘Sam! Sam! Oh my 

God, my husband’s dead! I’ve sorted 

everything out and now it’s all over!’ He 

woke up and said, ‘All the windows are open.’ 

Lady Gaga has been talking about how 

she relishes her role as godmother to Elton 

John and David Furnish’s son, Zachary. The 

baby was born via a surrogate on Christmas 

Day 2010. “Zachary’s so beautiful. I gave 

him a bath the other day. It’s so very sweet 

[...] he’s the most beautiful boy ever,” she 

told Jonathan Ross. “It’s so funny because 

we have this little boat for pouring water to 

rinse soap off Zachary, and as I’m pouring 

it, Elton is singing Tiny Dancer and I’m 

thinking, this kid has no clue that his father 

is such a legend!” She says the couple have 

adjusted well to their new lifestyle of 

parenthood. “I could not see a happier 

family than I see in them.” 

If you watch the American TV channel E! 

then you’ll be familiar with longtime 

presenter Giuliana Rancic, who has been 

open and candid about her failed attempts 

to become pregnant. At press time she is 

in the midst of a third cycle of IVF. 

“If someone is telling you, ‘I can get you 

Lily Allen 

Elton John and David Furnish 

are adjusting well to their 

new lifestyle as parents 

to baby Zachary. 

Zachary’s so beautiful. I gave him a 

bath the other day. It’s so funny because 

we have this little boat for pouring water 

to rinse soap off Zachary, and as I’m 

pouring it, Elton is singing Tiny Dancer 

and I’m thinking, this kid has no clue that 

his father is such a legend!. - Lady Gaga 

pregnant,’ then we’re trying it,” she told 

US Weekly. “I love kids. I want a big family.” 

If this third round of IVF fails, she and 

her partner will consider alternatives 

including adoption. Her husband Bill 

Rancic explains: “We’re not opposed to 

adoption, but at this point we’re going 

down the IVF path. “If the time comes, we 

will visit [adoption] as a possibility.” 

Another US TV personality who has been 

talking openly about her fertility struggles 

in Rosie Pope, who stars in the Bravo reality 

series Pregnant in Heels, about her highend 

maternity concierge service and baby 

clothes boutique. Having had two sons naturally, 

she struggled to conceive a third. “I 

discovered I had a heart-shaped uterus and 

after surgery didn’t ovulate again,” she told 

Celebrity Baby Scoop. “After various different 

medications to try and kick start the 

engine, it didn’t work and we moved to 

IVF.” The result? She is now pregnant. 

And finally… one of the stranger celebrity 

fertility stories we’ve seen in the news this 

year was a series of rumours that a newly 

pregnant Beyonce was wearing some kind 

of prosthetic baby bump in order to make 

her own, natural pregnancy bump appear 

larger. The story is, almost self-evidently, 

totally fabricated (who comes up with 

this stuff?) but things did get to the point 

that Beyonce’s rep felt the need to comment 

and try to draw a line under things. 

“Stupid, ridiculous and false” is how the 

star’s publicist Yvette Noel-Schure summed 

up the story. 

Other celebrities who’ve been the subject 

of made-up ‘fake bump’ rumours in the 

past include Victoria Beckham and Katie 

Holmes. We think people peddling this 

one should give it a rest now! That said, 

if you are looking for a prosthetic pregnancy 

belly, they are out there; see 

www.moonbump.com. 


19

FEATURE | nutrition 

WORDS | COLETTE BOUCHEZ & DR. NIELS LAUERSEN 

Whether you’re trying to get pregnant naturally or looking to boost the success of 

your next IVF or insemination, nutritional experts and authors Colette Bouchez & 

Dr. Niels Lauersen – say this tasty, tangy combination of easy spicy beef stew and 

whole wheat flaxen biscuits can help optimise both male and female fertility and 

boost your chances for getting pregnant faster and easier! 


There is perhaps nothing more warm and inviting on a 

blustery winter day than comfort foods – including a 

spicy warm bowl of stew and fresh baked biscuits. And 

while most folks don’t think of these tasty treats as 

“fertility foods” you may be, surprised to discover just how 

healthful and helpful these foods can be! 

When it comes to beef stew it’s the lean protein of the meat that 

is going to help regulate ovulation and keep your cycles normal. 

Indeed studies show that when protein intake is insufficient 

menstrual cycles can become irregular or even stop. By comparison, 

when protein intake is high, ovulation occurs more regularly, 

which, depending on your age, could mean you have an egg 

available for fertilisation every single month. And this will increase 

your conception odds. That said, because the saturated fats in 

beef can be harmful to fertility it’s important that use the leanest 

cuts of meat you can afford, trim away all visible fat, and limit 

your intake to no more than 3 lean protein meals per week. 

In addition to its protein power, the carrots, sweet potatoes and 

tomatoes in this stew offer a powerful fertility boost for both men 

and women. All three are bursting with a nutrient family known 

as “carotinoids”, the best known of which is beta carotene. Used 

by the body to manufacture vitamin A some consider carotinoids, 

particularly beta carotene, to be the single most important 

nutrient for fertility. Why? 

First, when vitamin A is deficient your brain might not receive 

the message from your ovaries to release LH – or lutenizing 

hormone, which is necessary to trigger ovulation. But even if you 

should ovulate, adequate vitamin A is necessary to create a 

healthy embryo – and to build a strong uterine lining – and both 

can help reduce your risk of miscarriage. 

Moreover, in a study published by the European Society of 

Human Reproduction and Embryology researchers found that 

beta carotene is among the most essential nutrients in follicular 

fluid – that’s the liqud that surrounds every egg and helps it 

develop. Because follicular fluid gets its supply of beta carotene 

directly from your blood stream, when levels are low, egg growth 

and development are affected. 

In men, testosterone production relies on vitamin A – and without 

it, sperm can’t be produced. Moreover, the lower testosterone goes, 

the greater the number of abnormal sperm produced - which means 

the risk of miscarriage increases. Perhaps most important, 1/3 of 

each sperm is composed of beta carotene –so it’s easy to see why it’s 

key to male reproductive health. In addition, the lycopene and 

lutien found in the tomatoes offer men an extra boost, helping to 

increase production of more healthy sperm. 

Finally, what goes better with a hearty bowl of stew than fresh 

made biscuits? Well it’s these super fertility whole wheat and flax 

biscuits! First, the whole wheat flour is loaded with fiber – which 

helps reduce inflammation and regulate blood sugar, both of 

which impact other hormones involved in reproduction. More 

important: The addition of flax seeds means you will also get a 

hearty helping of Omega 3 fatty acids – a key nutrient able to 

boost both male and female fertility! 

HearTy and Spicy Beef and VegeTaBle 

ferTiliTy STew – 6 SerVingS 

Ingredients 

• 2 lbs lean beef, cubed 

• 3 cups of baby carrots or sliced carrots (frozen is okay) 

• 1 onion, diced into larger squares 

• 3 medium potatoes, sweet potatoes or yams, chunk cut. 

• 2 large tomatoes cut into chunks 

• ½ to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or black pepper for less tang) 

• 1 teaspoon oregano 

• 2 ½ cups low sodium, organic or natural beef broth 

• 1 can of tomato soup 

Prep Time: 30 minutes 

Cook Time: 2-3 hours 

1. Preheat oven to 275°F. 

2. In a large casserole dish with lid combine the meat and 

vegetables and toss. 

3. In 2 quart bowl blend the broth and the tomato soup, and add 

spices. Mix thoroughly. 

4. Pour the liquid mixture over the meat and vegetables, which 

should be completely covered. There should also be plenty of 

liquid in the dish itself. If there is not, then add more broth. 

5. Cover the dish and bake for 2 hours. Check the meat – it should 

flake easily with a fork. If it does not, cook for 30 minutes more 

and check again. 

6. If liquid has begun to evaporate, add one to two cups more of 

broth or some water, and stir the mixture. 

7. To thicken into a richer sauce, dissolve 2 tablespoons of corn 

starch or rice flour in cold water, and mix into the liquid; cook 

for 10 more minutes or until gravy thickens. 

Optional: 

Add garden peas as an added source of essential vitamins. 

You can freeze leftovers by adding the cooled stew to self-seal 

plastic bags and pop them in the freezer. 

To reheat place the bags in the microwave for 5 minutes, or drop 

them in boiling water for 8 minutes. 

» 


21

FEATURE | nutrition 

Whole Wheat & Flax Fertility Biscuits 

– MaKes 8 Biscuits 

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups whole wheat flour 

(if possible whole wheat pastry flour) 

• 4 teaspoons baking powder 

• ½ teaspoon salt 

• cup of whole milk (or skim milk) 

• ¼ cup ground flax seeds or flax seed meal 

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter - cubed 

• cup water 

Prep Time: 10 minutes 

Cook Time: 12 minutes 

1. Coat an 8 x 8” square brownie pan with cooking spray. 

Whole wheat flour is loaded 

with fiber – which helps reduce 

inflammation and regulate 

blood sugar, both of which 

impact other hormones involved 

in reproduction. 

6. Using a ¼ cup scoop, place the dough in your hands and roll 

gently to form a ball. ( Do not over roll or it will cause the 

biscuits to be hard). Place the ball into the greased pan and use 

a fork to lightly flatten. 

7. Bake for around 12 minutes until the tops are golden brown. 

2. Preheat oven to 450 

3. Into a large bowl place the flour, baking powder, salt and flax 

seed and mix well. 

4. Add the butter and use an electric hand beater to “cut” the 

butter into the flour mixture. The result should be crumbs of 

butter coated with flour. 

5. With the mixer still running, add the remainder of the milk, and 

the water and continue to mix. If the mixture seems dry add 

water by the tablespoon until it “eases”. The end result should 

be a dough-like texture that does not cling to the beaters. 

Colette Bouchez and Dr. Niels Lauersen remain two of the 

strongest voices in international women’s health care. Together 

they have authored over 25 books, including two international 

best sellers on fertility. They are also the co-creators of the 

internationally acclaimed website GettingPregnantNow.org. 

Their latest book is Eat-Love-Get Pregnant: A Couple’s Guide 

To Boosting Fertility and Having A Healthy Baby 

www.EatLoveGetPregnant.com 

Recipes: Colette Bouchez/Niels Lauersen, MD 


The Zita West 

Clinic 

The Zita West Clinic is the 

UK’s largest integrated 

clinic for reproductive 

health, combining 

the latest medical 

thinking with expert 

complementary treatments. 

Up to 70% success rate 

Anonymous egg donors 

No waiting period 

First world fertility clinics 

Affordable currency conversion 

Gift ov life South Africa has been able to 

restore hope to so many United Kingdom 

couples and individuals needing egg donor IVF. 

Gift ov life specialises in assisting UK recipients 

that are in need of donor eggs for conception. 

Our UK recipients select a South African Egg Donor 

angel from our large database of available donors and 

travel to South Africa for the egg donation procedure. 

For more information on our specialised 

UK PACKAGE, , please contact us at 

uk@giftovlife.com or visit www.giftovlife.com 

We look forward to welcoming you 

to our world of hope restored. 

Each year, our specialist team of doctors, 

midwives, nutritional therapists and 

complementary practitioners help hundreds 

of couples to get pregnant, both naturally and 

through assisted means - most of whom have tried 

previously for months and years without success. 

We also help many more, who are going through IVF, to 

improve their chances of success through expert preparation 

and support. 

Fertility, conception, pregnancy and birth are whole-body 

events and an integrated approach to preparing for them can, 

we believe, pay dividends, helping to improve not just your 

fertility, but your pregnancy and the long term health and 

potential of your baby too. 

How we can help: 

• Just decided to try? 

Boost your fertility and improve your pregnancy 

• Want to know how fertile you are? 

Take our tailor-made fertility MOT 

• Finding it difficult to get pregnant? 

Identify and help resolve your problem 

• Planning on having IVF? 

Help increase your chances of success 

• If IVF fails 

Help with next steps. How to move on 

• Suffering from recurrent miscarriage? 

Help to find a way through 

Services we offer: 

• Gynaecology • Nutrition • Counselling 

• Midwifery • Acupuncture • Massage 

• Embryology • Hypnotherapy • Fitness 

Zita West Clinics Ltd 

37 Manchester Street, London W1U 7LJ 

Tel 0207 224 0017 Fax 0207 224 0062 

www.zitawest.com 

TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT: 020 7224 0017

FEATURE | celebrity adoption 

WORDS | GIORGIO SEVERI 

Fans of Sex and the City 

may remember that 

Kristin Davis’ character in the series, Charlotte, 

adopted a baby girl after struggling with 

infertility, then also fell pregnant naturally. 

Now the single actress, 46, has adopted her 

first child, daughter Gemma Rose Davis. And, 

as you’d expect, she couldn’t be happier. 

reviously linked to several high-profile partners including actors Jeff 

Goldblum, Alec Baldwin and Liev Schreiber, in more recent months Kristin 

Davis has been single, at an age where conceiving naturally is unusual. 

Her adoption of daughter Gemma is as a single parent. She had previously 

told the New York Times “I don’t quite know how I’m going to get kids, but I’d love 

to be a mom.” There are more links to adoption in Kristin’s background than just the 

obvious Sex and the City connection, as she was herself adopted by her mothers 

second husband at a young age. 

Born on February 24, 1965, in Boulder, Colorado, Kristin Davis’ parents split 

up shortly after her birth. Kristin moved to Columbia, South Carolina, with her 

psychology professor father, when he transferred to a local university. Though she 

has three stepsisters from her father’s first marriage, she was raised mostly as an 

only child, which she claims led to her independent streak. 

Drama first piqued Kristin Davis’ interest at the age of 10, when she had a part in 

a community theatre production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. But in the 

Bible belt, where she was raised, her acting aspirations took a backseat to other 

extracurricular activities. “There was always a lot of alcohol,” Kristin has said, » 


» 

www.fertilityroad.com 25


Adopting a child is something I have 

wanted for a very long time... Having 

this wish come true is even more 

gratifying than I ever had imagined. 

describing an addiction to alcohol that started early on and 

persisted. She has now been sober for over a decade. 

As a child, Kristin headed to New York often to see theatrical 

plays with her family, and she felt the pull of the city early on, 

finding its buzz both exciting and scary. Not surprisingly, she 

eventually attended Rutgers University in New Jersey and later 

moved to New York upon graduation. She set her sights on 

classical and contemporary theatre. 

During this time, Kristin suffered through the age-old Hollywood 

actress cliché – the real-life role of a waitress waiting for a break. 

Nevertheless, she soon landed a role in a regional production of 

Much Ado About Nothing, which gave her a confidence boost and 

pushed her to continue chasing her dream. 

It wasn’t until 1998 that Kristin was thrust into the limelight 

when she cast as one of the four girls in HBO’s hit sitcom Sex and 

the City. She was initially considered for the lead role of Carrie 

Bradshaw, but eventually was cast as Charlotte York, the show’s 

romantic, prude art dealer. The series became an international 

hit and made stars of Kristin and co-stars Sarah Jessica Parker, 

Kim Cattrall and Cynthia Nixon. 

Kristin also used her newfound fame to help charities like the 

B-list, which funds female candidates running for public office, 

and since 2004, has been and ambassador for Oxfam. A tireless 

champion for vulnerable women, Kristin has made visits to Africa 

with Oxfam, travelling to Mozambique, South Africa and Uganda to 

gain a better understanding of gender issues 

and poverty. The actress visited women who 

are rebuilding their lives after being displaced 

by the fighting in war-torn Uganda. She 

met victims of domestic violence as well as 

those affected by HIV/AIDS. Most recently 

she has visited the Dadaab refugee camp 

(pictured above) in Kenya, witnessing the 

devastating impact of the East Africa drought. 

She also saw how projects that support small businesses run by 

women have enabled families to raise their standard of living. 

Kristin has used her voice on behalf of the communities she 

visited and has called on World Leaders to act on maternal 

mortality, which claims the lives of over half a million women in 

developing countries each year. She has also lobbied decisionmakers 

to raise awareness about the need for more doctors, nurses 

and treatment clinics so that millions of people living with HIV/ 

AIDS can get the treatment they need. 

Witnessing the plight of many of these children on her recent 

trip to Dadabb reinforced her understanding of adoption, citing 

Angelina Jolie as an inspiration “I admire anyone who adopts 

children. I’ve met Angelina [Jolie]. I don’t know her well but 

what she has done is fantastic.” 

It was only shortly after returning to the States that Kristin 

announced the adoption of a beautiful baby girl to the press 

telling People magazine: “This is something I have wanted for a 

very long time. Having this wish come true is even more gratifying 

than I ever had imagined. I feel so blessed.” Confirming also 

that her daughter was adopted domestically from within the 

USA, she kept Gemma Rose’s adoption out of the news until 

the process was complete and her daughter was settled. 

Her SATC co-star Sarah Jessica Parker is quoted as saying: 

“I’m so happy for her [baby] and I just could not be happier for 

Kristin. It’s a wonderful situation. I know she’s wanted to have » 


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


STARS 

WHO’VE 

ADOPTED 

Adoption isn’t the right option for all would-be parents, or for all children 

in care. But when it works, it’s wonderful. Fertility Road takes a look 

at some of the public figures who have families thanks to adoption. 

Madonna 

It was a surprise to some when Madonna 

decided to adopt, as she already had two biological 

children, Lourdes Leon, now 15, and Rocco 

Ritchie, 10. But the star’s desire to expand her 

family and keen interest in the plight of children 

in the country of Malawi, in south east Africa, led 

to her adopting a son and a daughter from the 

region. Her son David Banda was formally adopted in 2008, and her daughter 

Mercy James joined the family a year later. In Malawi an estimated one million 

children have been orphaned by AIDS. 

Kristin as Charlotte York Goldenblatt in the Sex and the City 

TV series and movies, pictured with on-screen daughter Rose 

a family for a long time and she deserves that unique 

kind of happiness that children bring.” 

As one of Charlotte’s longed-for daughters in 

Sex and the City was named Rose, there was speculation 

as to whether Kristin might have chosen her 

daughter’s middle name for that reason. Sarah Jessica 

Parker even said she had wondered about it; 

but it’s not the case. “I have always loved Gemma 

and Rose,” Davis tells Hello! magazine. “I have two 

friends whose daughters have Rose as a middle 

name. I was thinking more of them than of my 

Sex and the City daughter’s name. My daughter is 

so beautiful that she’s a gem and a rose.” 

Of bringing her new child home for the first 

time, she said: “When Gemma came to my house 

she was so tiny and precious that I was nervous I 

would hurt her. It’s an amazing thing to be responsible 

for a tiny baby and I just wanted her to have 

the best care and all the love possible... I love taking 

care of Gemma more than I ever imagined.” 

As a single woman adopting her first child, 

Kristin has recruited some help from “the most 

wonderful baby nurse. I don’t know what I would 

do without the expertise she brings.” 

But the actress, who triumphed over alcoholism 

in her twenties and went on to become one of the 

world’s most famous television stars in her thirties 

and forties, would never regret for one minute that 

she didn’t wait to find the ‘perfect’ partner to embark 

on parenthood with. “Some people feel desperation 

about finding the right man. Personally, I don’t.” Of 

her new life with Gemma she says simply: “I feel 

so blessed.” 

Sandra Bullock 

In 2010 actress Sandra Bullock confirmed that she had adopted a son, Louis, 

from New Orleans. Bullock, who won a Best Actress Oscar for her role in 

The Blind Side, was planning to raise Louis together with her then-husband 

Jesse James, alongside James’ three children from a previous relationship. 

Just ten days after the awards ceremony however, reports of James’ infidelity 

led the marriage to breakdown. Following a divorce, Louis is now the main 

man in Sandra’s life, as she raises him as a single parent. “He’s just perfect,” 

says the actress. “I can’t even describe him any other way.” 

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt 

Probably the stars who are most linked to 

adoption in the public eye today, the couple have 

three adopted and three biological children. After 

she filmed Tomb Raider in Cambodia, Jolie, who 

was at that time married to actor Billy-Bob 

Thornton, adopted her first child Maddox from 

the country in 2002. Together with her new 

partner Brad Pitt she went on to adopt daughter Zahara, son Pax, and 

give birth to daughter Shiloh and twins Knox and Vivienne. In November 

2010, to mark National Adoption Day in the USA the couple chose to donate 

$150,000 to SOS Children’s Villages, the world’s largest charity dedicated 

to orphaned and abandoned children. 

Ewan McGregor 

The Trainspotting actor is fiercely private about his family life with his wife 

Eve Mavrakis their two biological daughters (Clara and Esther) and two 

adopted daughters. Ewan met his first adopted daughter Jamiyan, now nine, 

among a group of orphans in Mongolia when he was filming the television 

travel series The Long Way Round. She joined the family in the UK in 2006. 

The couple’s newest daughter is an adopted baby girl who joined the family 

in 2011, and she is also thought be originally from Mongolia. Her name has 

not been announced to the press. 


It’s not surprising, you may need a little hel 

They’re the biggest shoes you’ll 

ever have to fill. fill. 

It’s not surprising, you may need a little help. 

It’s not surprising, you may need a little help. 

Every journey 

is different, every 

treatment individual 

“Come and visit me and Michael Dooley/The Poundbury 

Clinic on Stand number 95 at the Fertility Show" 

Believe 

Believe 

Believe 

Conceive 

Conceive 

Concei 

No one knows better than we do what it’s like to be in your shoes. The Reproductive Medic 

Group has spent the past three decades helping countless infertility couples begin their fa 

No Our one team knows of board better certified than we specialty do what physicians it’s like to trained be your at top shoes. medical The schools Reproductive including Med 

Group Harvard, has spent Johns No one the Hopkins, knows past three Duke better and decades UCLA than helping are we your do countless what best chance it’s infertility like to achieve to be couples in pregnancy. your begin shoes. From their b 

Our interventions team of The board to Reproductive the certified most advanced specialty Medicine technologies, physicians Group trained has we’ll spent help at top you the medical take past the schools three next step decades including on the 

Harvard, greatest Johns journey Hopkins, of your Duke life. and UCLA are your best chance to achieve pregnancy. From 

helping countless infertility couples begin their families. Our team 

interventions to the most advanced technologies, we’ll help you take the next step on th 

greatest The Reproductive of board 

journey of your Medicine certified 

life. Group specialty is Tampa physicians Bay’s exclusive trained fertility at clinic top medical offering the schools 

Attain IVF including Refund Program. Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Duke and UCLA are your best 

The Reproductive chance Medicine to achieve Group pregnancy. is Tampa Bay’s From exclusive basic interventions fertility clinic offering to the most the 

Attain IVF Refund advanced Program. technologies, we’ll help you take the next step on the 

greatest journey of your life. 

INFERTILITY • REPRODUCTIVE ENDOCRINOLOGY • IVF 

No one knows better than we do what it’s like to be in your shoes. The Repro 

Group has spent the past three decades helping countless infertility couples 

Our team of board certified specialty physicians trained at top medical schoo 

Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Duke and UCLA are your best chance to achieve pre 

interventions to the most advanced technologies, we’ll help you take the ne 

greatest journey of your life. 

The Reproductive Medicine Group is Tampa Bay’s exclusive fertility 

Visit us at floridafertility.com INFERTILITY • or REPRODUCTIVE call 813.914.7304 

clinic offering the Attain IVF Refund ENDOCRINOLOGY Program. • IVF 

The Reproductive Medicine Group is Tampa Bay’s exclusive fertility clinic offe 

Attain IVF Refund Visit Program. 

us at floridafertility.com or call 813.914.7304 

RMG_046 ad 4.4375x7.25.indd 1 

RMG_046 ad 4.4375x7.25.indd 1 

INFERTILITY • REPRODUCTIVE ENDOCRINOLOGY • IVF 

Visit us at stand 50 

Visit us at floridafertility.com at the or call Fertility 813.914.7304 Show 

www.bourn-hall-clinic.co.uk 

Visit us at floridafertility.com or call 813.676.8861 

For more information, please contact 

www.pat.hincher@repromedgroup.net

Fertility Plus offers a bespoke complete fertility service in the heart 

of London. We are ethical and unique as we offer a fixed price 

package for a full range of infertility investigations and fertility 

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

We offer the following 

fertility treatments: 

ovulation induction 

intra-uterine insemination (IUI) 

using partner’s sperm 

intra-uterine insemination (IUI) 

using sperm donor 

in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) 

intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) 

sperm freezing 

surgical sperm recovery 

egg freezing 

egg donation 

surrogacy 

embryo donation 

for detailed information please visit our website 

www.fertilityplus.org.uk

FEATURE | ivf and beyond 

WORDS | EMMA CANNON 

Fertility expert Emma Cannon, 

explains how to keep warm, 

optimise fertility and makes 

the most of the winter months. 

Winter gets a bit of bad press, but actually 

it can be a lovely time of year if we 

learn to adjust our behaviour and our 

expectations a little. The thing about 

winter, particularly the past two and apparently this 

one coming, is that it is cold and this has implications 

for our health and our fertility. Forgive me if I sound 

like your mother now but according to the wisdom of 

ancient Chinese Medicine the cold can cause ill health 

and actually impact on our fertility so I want to show 

you simple ways to stay warm and fertile this winter 

and increase your chances of becoming pregnant. 

Below is a little self diagnosis questionnaire to see 

if you are too cold (Cold Type as I call it in my book 

The Baby-Making Bible). 

• Your have an abdomen that is cold to the touch 

• You find it impossible to get warm and are 

always wanting to put the heating on 

• You frequently urinate (internal cold sign) 

• You lack energy and enthusiasm 

• Your tongue has a white coating 

• You have a pale appearance or a slight blue 

tinge around the mouth area 

• You have a sluggish digestion and a loose stool 

• You have a low libido 

• You feel worse in cold weather 

• In women you may have painful or delayed periods 

• All pain is better for a heat application 

• In men you may suffer from, lower back ache with 

lack of libido, your testicles may feel cold to the 

touch and you may have slight urinary incontinence 

» 


31

FEATURE | ivf and beyond 

Affects of cold on fertility 

In Traditional Chinese Medicine it was said that all infertility 

came from the uterus being too cold. This may sound ridiculous 

to you but I still do observe in many of my fertility patients that 

they have an abdomen that is cold to the touch. Of course just 

having a cold abdomen does not mean you are infertile but 

being too cold can cause problems. 

The problem with being too cold or having a cold uterus is 

that when things are cold they contract and become hard and 

unreceptive and the blood flow to the area is inhibited so from 

an energetic point of few it is more fertile to have a warm and 

receptive uterus with a sufficient blood flow. This way a fertilised 

embryo is more likely to implant and take up residence in your 

womb. I recently had a woman come to see me who had always 

had problems with delayed and painful periods. 

After questioning it transpired that she loves out door 

swimming and even in the winter swims in very cold water. I 

diagnosed that she had an internal pattern of cold which was 

obstructing the flow of menstrual blood making in delayed and 

painful. She came regularly for three months for acupuncture with 

hot needle techniques (where herbs are placed on the needles and 

a lovely feeling of warmth penetrates the body), she also took care 

to not swim in cold water. Within three menstrual cycles her 

periods had regulated and she no longer suffered from pain. 

Of course just having a 

cold abdomen does not mean 

you are infertile but being too 

cold can cause problems. 

What makes you cold? 

Some people will simply have a tendency towards being a Cold 

type and others will have coldness thrust upon them! Mostly this 

is a short term thing like if you get chilled to the bone while out 

walking, but sometimes the coldness can penetrate deep within 

the body and be harder to shift, other ways include 

• Eating too much raw food - one of mans great break throughs 

was fire and recent fads in eating raw food are just that - fads! 

• Eating too much cold food 

• Drinking too much cold water - again fashion now dictates that 

we need at least 2 litres of water everyday. I think it’s unlikely 

we would have been designed this way since there would have 

been times in our evolution when very little fresh water would 

have been available to us and we would have had to get our 

moisture from nuts and berries and seeds. 

• Drinking and eating directly from the fridge 

• Spending too much time exposed to cold air. Have you 

noticed how cold it is in super markets these days - not good! 

Air conditioning too can be too artificially cold. 

• Certain medicines are very cold in energy; anaesthetics, 

antibiotics, antidiuretics, antacids and tranquillizers. 

How to warm up 

DO 

• Drink teas such as ginger tea 

• Eat warming foods 

• Boil up your chicken bones for chicken soup and add 

warming spices like ginger and coriander 

• Stay cosy and cuddle up with a fire and lots of blankets 

• Add warming essential oils to your bath such as cardamom, 

orange, bergamot and ginger 

• Sleep away from draught and air vents 

• Practice dynamic yoga poses and breathing exercises 

such as panting 

• Go to bed early and have more sex 

(I told you there were good bits about winter). 

DON’T 

• Jump straight into a hot bath when very cold in 

order to warm up. You need to thaw out slowly. 

• Drink too many cold liquids 

• Eat cold and raw food. 

• Go swimming in cold water particularly when 

you have your period 

Emma Cannon is the author of You and Your Bump and has 

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

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

32 fertility road | winter 2011-12 

* The advice in this article is meant to supplement medical advice and diagnosis and not 

replace it. If you are struggling to conceive or have any medical symptoms described in 

this article it is important to discuss it with your GP or healthcare provider.

treatment option? 

Are you going 

round and 

round 

trying 

in 

circles 

IVF 

right 

the 

find 

to 

Do you feel like nobody understands what you are going through? Well now you are on the right track, as you have found Barbados Fertility Centre, 

a centre of excellence for IVF located on the tranquil and beautiful Caribbean island of Barbados. The natural beauty of the island forces you to unwind 

while the experts handle your treatment. Barbados Fertility Centre has been awarded the gold seal of approval from JCI International, the US based 

health care accreditation body so you can rest assured that our patient safety standards and operating procedures have passed stringent tests. You 

will also be pleased to learn that our treatment costs are a lot lower than private treatment in the UK and we can start scheduling your treatment straight 

away with no waiting lists. If you still need convincing that you need to talk to Barbados Fertility Centre then you you will be delighted to know that we 

achieved 71% pregnancy rate using Blastocyst on women under 35 in 2009. We pride ourselves on individualised patient care and use the latest in 

cutting edge technology that is not widely available in the UK to give every patient their best possible chance of success. So stop going round in circles 

and let the international team at Barbados Fertility Centre take over. 

For further information please call our IVF Nurse Co-ordinator on 001 246 435 7467 or go to our website www.barbadosivf.org 

Organization Accredited 

by Joint Commission International 

Quick and Easy Pregnancy! 

“ 26 Days that have changed Thousands of Lives “ 

YOUR PERSONAL PERMANENT CURE FOR INFERTILITY! 

Counter infertility 

Get pregnant the natural way 

Quick and easy pregnancy, even 

within the first month of use 

Give birth to a beautiful healthy baby 

How and why doctors support 

Ineffective Treatments and Drugs? 

FREE 

Report 

Limited 

Time Only! 

How-You-Get-Pregnant Is Here To Help YOU 

– That’s why we strongly advise you to 

visit the website NOW and read the ebook 

before consulting your doctor! 

www.How-You-Get-Pregnant.com

Q&A | zita west 

EXPERT 

WITNESS 

WITH 

ZITA WEST 

Once again, our leading fertility expert 

Zita West has taken the time to answer 

questions sent in by readers through the 

Fertility Road website. If you would like 

Zita’s advice on a fertility matter, please 

email in to info@fertilityroad.com 

Q 

I have regularly suffered from irregular cycles. Am I at a 

definite disadvantage when it comes to being able to 

conceive? Or are there methods I can put in place to help? 

– Sophy Allans, 33, Dorchester 

A 

Irregular cycles can impact on the time it takes to get 

pregnant certainly as you are not having as many periods and 

also making it difficult to know the time in the month best to 

try to conceive.What is important is that the cause of your irregular 

cycles is explored. There are many factors that can bring about 

irregular cycles, including your age and lifestyle factors including 

your weight and stress levels. 

If you come off the pill, that can also cause irregular cycles to begin 

with. You could also have an underlying medical problem, such as an 

underactive or overactive thyroid. 

There are methods you can put in place to help reduce the impact 

of irregular cycles or likelihood of suffering with them in the first 

place. As with most medical issues, diet and exercise are vitally 

important. I would recommend a diet of bright fruit and vegetables 

which contain antioxidants, as this helps maintain a balanced 

metabolism. Problems with metabolism can impact on fertility and 

pregnancy cycles. 

Foods which are high in Omega 3s and iron are also recommended 

as they are proven to help keep your reproductive health strong. 


35

Q&A | zita west 

Q 

My husband and I have just decided to start trying 

for a baby, yet he has suffered from underlying 

stress in the past which has caused him to take 

time off work. As fate would have it he has just been offered 

a job in New York and the chance is there for us both to 

move out to the States for a minimum of two years. I realise 

that this move wouldn’t be conducive to good fertile health, 

but should we really pass the move up? 

– Sarah Higgins, 36, Manchester 

A 

Stress has a massive impact on hormones and, as a result, 

fertility in both men and women. Relocating would 

obviously be a stressful experience for you both but it is 

not for me to say whether or not you should take up the move. 

There are measures your husband could take to overcome stress 

if you made the move and hopefully your dream of pregnancy 

could still be realised in the States. 

Twenty minutes of deep relaxation every day is a great stress 

buster and you can meet experts who are able to show you 

precise techniques for this kind of relaxation. I’d suggest 

your husband exploring whether you move or not, as it will 

undoubtedly affect his overall wellbeing. 

QWould having sex twice a day during my ‘window’ 

have any real greater effect on my chances of getting 

pregnant than having sex just once a day? Thanks. 

– Vicki Holland, 35, Cardiff 

A 

Having sex once a day is more than enough. Twice a day 

can put a lot of pressure on your partner. Healthy sperm 

can live for 3-5 days inside you, so aim to have sex at 

least 3 times a week to ensure that there is plenty of sperm in the 

fallopian tube ready to meet the egg once it’s released. A healthy 

diet and lifestyle is very important also as this can have an impact 

on the quality of the egg and sperm. 

Q 

During my last treatment I suffered from moodswings 

and headaches. Is there anything I can 

take to reduce my symptoms to drugs? 

– Debbie Clark, 29, Dover 

A 

Fertility medication and IVF treatment affects different 

women in different ways. Some can suffer little side effects, 

whereas others will commonly experience things like 

mood swings and headaches. 

Preparation for IVF treatment is essential and you should 

look to go into it in the best shape possible. As I mentioned 

previously, diet and exercise are two key factors in reducing your 

likelihood of side effects. Getting lots of sleep and keeping well 

hydrated are other important elements you should consider to 

help reduce problems. 

QMy partner and I have been trying for a baby for nine 

months, with success. We are both in our early 30s 

and you hear so many horror stories about the IVF 

process taking many years. I’m worried time may be running 

out. Is there a ‘right time’ to start making IVF enquiries? 

– Tanya Davis, 33, Newcastle 

A 

It may be worth at this stage visiting your GP to begin 

some basic fertility investigations, but the most important 

thing when you are trying to conceive is to always ensure 

that you are having sex at the right time. If you have been having 

sex at least three times a week, providing the sperm is good, it will 

last inside you for three to five days. This means you are ensuring 

that there is enough sperm ready and waiting in the fallopian tubes 

for when you ovulate. 

Looking at your lifestyle is crucial as well. Being over or 

underweight may impact on your fertility, it’s important to 

remember that cutting out alcohol or cigarettes can lessen the 

amount of time it takes to conceive. 

If you have any questions for our Expert Witness please 

visit www.fertilityroad.com 

Zita West has given specialist fertility 

and pregnancy advice for over 25 years, as 

a midwife, an acupuncturist, a nutritional 

advisor and as an author and consultant. 

She has also written numerous books on fertility 

and pregnancy, with her latest title - Zita West’s 

Guide to Fertility and Assisted Conception - now available. 

For more information on Zita, her London clinic or books, 

visit www.zitawest.com 

More 

ABoUT 

ZITA 

WeST 


EGG DONATION 

AGENCY 

baby2mom is a world 

class egg donor agency 

based in South Africa. 

Giving the gift of life, fulfilling dreams! 

Extensive knowledge and 

experience in the facilitation 

of egg donation programs 

Professional and affordable 

egg donor service 

Our egg donation database 

ensures an optimal match 

for all persons 

Association with 

reputable fertility clinics 

Anonymous and confidential 

egg donation assistance 

No waiting list for 

egg donors 

Fast Turnaround 

Jenny Currie, founder of baby2mom 

www.baby2mom.co.za 

E. info@baby2mom.co.za

FERTILITY ROAD | Oregon Reproductive Medicine 

INTELLIGENT PROFILE 

UNITED 

STATES 

OF 

DONORS 

One of the most eminent infertility centres in the United 

States is experiencing a new following - European 

gay couples wanting to have a baby. 

Oregon Reproductive Medicine, located on the 

West coast in Portland, has nearly unmatched pregnancy success 

rates, likely the reason that same sex couples are choosing to start 

or grow their families at the Northwest centre. 

Oregon Reproductive Medicine’s four physicians, all specialists 

in reproductive endocrinology, work with patients from all over 

the globe in their well-known donor egg programme. 

“About half of our patients who want to have a baby via 

donor egg are from outside Portland,” Brandon J. Bankowski, 

MD, MPH, says. 

While Oregon is a popular tourist destination for international 

travellers, Bankowski believes that patients are coming to Portland 

for one reason, and it isn’t to see the Pacific Ocean! 

“They want success. That’s patients’ number one priority 

regardless of where they live in the world. And in their research 

about success rates, IVF, donor egg and gestational surrogacy 

programmes, they find Oregon Reproductive Medicine,” John S. 

Hesla, MD, says. 

The most recent data available from the US government shows 

that donor egg pregnancy success rates at Oregon Reproductive 

Medicine are nearly 80%, placing them near the top of all US 

infertility centres. 

European gay couples, often unable to proceed with using a 

donor’s eggs and surrogate in their home countries, are more and 

more looking to the United States for options. In the past, many 

patients selected centres in New York City and Boston because of 

their proximity to Europe. But today it’s common for these future 

dads to look closer at the data available through www.SART.com and 

base their selection on where they are most likely to have success. 

“It is a big decision to proceed with using a donor and working 

with a surrogate in the United States. So it’s imperative that patients 

do their homework and select a practice that is most likely to make 

their dream come true, and at a cost they can afford,” Jonathan 

Kipp, marketing director at Oregon Reproductive Medicine, says. 

Oregon Reproductive Medicine’s costs are often appealing to gay 

and straight European patients. The centre’s price plans are typically 

lower than infertility centres in larger US cities. Compensation for 

egg donors and surrogates also tends to be more affordable in 

smaller US cities, Kipp says. 

Some gay couples visiting Portland to become parents are 

nervous at first. After all, they are not only about to become 

parents but they are in a foreign country. 

“But they soon realise that being at Oregon Reproductive 

Medicine in Portland, Oregon, is about the best place they could be 

to move forward with their dream of a baby,” Kipp says. “We are 

confident that they’ll fall in love with Portland while they experience 

our unmatched personalised care.” 

Portland, home to a sizeable gay population including many 

couples with children, is considered one of the most gay-friendly 

cities in the US. 

“We are always happy to welcome our European patients,” Hesla 

says. “We not only have the opportunity to introduce them to an 

amazing part of the United States, but we get to watch their 

biggest dream come true. It doesn’t get better than that.” 

For additional information about Oregon Reproductive Medicine’s 

services, or are interested in scheduling an appointment, contact: 

2222 NW Lovejoy. St., Suite 304, Portland, Oregon USA 97210 

Phone: 877-567-4994 or 503-274-4994 

www.oregonreproductivemedicine.com 


Feature | same sex parenting 

words | Louisa Ghevaert 

International Surrogacy: 

a legal minefield? 

Growing numbers of people are turning to surrogacy 

as a way of building a much wanted family. Readily 

accessible information about foreign surrogacy 

destinations on the internet, celebrity endorsement 

of surrogacy and an expanding global surrogacy sector can make 

an international surrogacy arrangement seem very appealing. 

However, the legal issues are complex and this can create all 

manner of problems in the absence of a carefully crafted legal 

action plan. 

The difficulties 

• There is no international unification of surrogacy law and 

English law will not automatically recognise a foreign birth 

certificate or a foreign parentage order naming intended 

parents as the parents of their surrogate born baby. 

• Complex citizenship and nationality laws can create an 

international conflict of law, leaving a baby born abroad to a 

foreign surrogate mother in a legal black hole with no citizenship 

anywhere in the world and no entitlement to travel papers to 

get home safely to the UK after the birth. 

• English law confers legal parenthood upon a surrogate mother 

(and her husband or civil partner), meaning intended parents 

have limited or no legal status for their baby at birth. 

The legal criteria and court 

process for a parental order, which 

confers legal parental rights on 

intended parents and extinguishes 

the legal status of the surrogate 

parents, is a complicated and 

lengthy post birth process. 

• English law expects intended parents to pay no more than 

reasonable pregnancy related expenses to a surrogate mother 

(due to the public policy ban against commercial surrogacy in 

the UK) in direct conflict with commercial surrogacy laws and 

payments that apply in foreign surrogacy destinations. 

• The legal criteria and court process for a parental order, which 

confers legal parental rights on intended parents and 

extinguishes the legal status of the surrogate parents, is a 

complicated and lengthy post birth process. 

» 


39

FEATURE | same sex parenting 

Key legal steps 

Parents contemplating an international surrogacy arrangement 

need to tackle various legal issues and steps and ensure: 

• They can travel home safely to the UK with their surrogate born 

baby after the birth, with a focus on the right travel papers and that 

they are not lulled into a false sense of security about this by inaccurate 

information from a foreign clinic or surrogacy organisation. 

• They comply with the relevant legal issues in their foreign 

surrogacy destination and that they seek advice and assistance 

from a reputable specialist lawyer there. 

• They understand what legal status they will initially have for 

their surrogate born baby in the UK (if any) and the importance 

of putting specialist Wills into place to help protect their baby. 

• They fulfil the legal criteria for a parental order and understand 

the court process, including the documents and information 

they will need to provide to the English court, the relevance of 

payments made to their surrogate and her overall involvement 

in the legal process. 

Travelling home to the UK with baby 

It is vital that intended parents put together a workable immigration 

action plan so they can bring their surrogate born baby home 

safely to the UK after the birth. In the absence of the right travel 

papers or entry clearance into the UK, a surrogate born baby 

could end up stranded abroad, intended parents could face stiff 

questioning at the border by immigration officials or at worst a 

surrogate baby could be turned away at the border or placed under 

stringent immigration control at the point of entry. 

Immigration laws are complicated and applications for a 

passport or travel authorisation for a surrogate born baby can be 

challenging and time consuming. Some foreign destinations may 

also require DNA evidence that an intended parent is genetically 

connected to their baby before they will process his/her application 

for a passport or travel papers. 

Intended parents should therefore plan well in advance of the 

birth and engage with the local British Embassy or Consulate in 

their foreign destination country in good time and seek specialist 

advice from an immigration lawyer. Intended parents should also 

plan for a temporary stay in their foreign destination country 

whilst they wait for their surrogate born baby’s passport or travel 

clearance to be processed and ensure they keep in close contact 

with their local British Embassy or Consulate during this time. 

Why obtain a parental order? 

Intended parents need to engage with English law and obtain a 

parental order after the birth to secure parental rights for their 

surrogate born baby in the UK and legally protect their family. 

One or both intended parents will initially lack legal 

parenthood for their baby, since English law treats the surrogate 

mother (and her husband or civil partner) as baby’s legal parents 

at birth. A parental order reassigns legal parenthood from the 

surrogate parents to the intended parents and permanently 

extinguishes the surrogate parents’ legal status for English legal 

purposes. In the absence of a parental order application, intended 

parents could be committing a criminal offence in caring for 

their baby in the UK and they could become the subject of intervention 

and action by social services. 

Intended parents need to 

engage with English law and 

obtain a parental order after 

the birth to secure parental 

rights for their surrogate born 

baby in the UK and legally 

protect their family. 

Intended parents will not initially have parental responsibility 

for their surrogate born baby in the UK and they will lack the 

legal authority to make decisions to secure his/her welfare, 

including consent to medical treatment or immunisations and 

this can be picked up by a GP, medic, health visitor, teacher or 

child-carer at any point and referred on for investigation by social 

services. Intended parents will also lack the legal authority to 

apply for a school place, give valid legal consent for their surrogate 

born baby to undergo a religious ceremony or manage finances 

on his/her behalf. The grant of a parental order confers parental 

responsibility upon intended parents and cures this legal and 

practical issue following a foreign surrogacy arrangement. 

As intended parents lack full (or any) legal parental rights for 

their surrogate born baby in the UK pending the grant of a parental 

order, they should execute specialist Wills. This will enable a 

surrogate born baby to inherit from his/her intended parents and 

enable intended parents to appoint their chosen trustees to 

manage their estate for their baby’s benefit during his/her 


Expect Miracles Surrogacy 

childhood. (The law surrounding the appointment of legal 

guardians for a surrogate born baby is complex, although it is 

better than not for intended parents to appoint legal guardians 

in their Will pending the grant of a parental order). 

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

The parental order process 

Intended parents must meet prescribed legal criteria to be 

eligible to apply for a parental order, as follows: 

• Intended parents must be over eighteen and living together 

in an enduring family relationship, marriage or civil partnership 

(meaning single people are ineligible to apply). 

• One or both intended parents must be genetically connected 

to their baby (meaning intended parents cannot conceive 

with donor embryos). 

• One or both intended parents must be domiciled in a part of 

the UK. Intended parents with a multi-national character or 

international connections (including expatriates and foreign 

nationals working in the UK) must take particular care over 

this and ensure they can meet the domicile criteria before 

entering into a surrogacy arrangement. 

• Any parental order application must be submitted within six 

months of their surrogate born baby’s birth (this deadline 

cannot be extended in law). 

• Intended parents must have their surrogate born baby in 

their care at the time they apply for a parental order and at 

the time the order is granted. 

• The surrogate mother must consent to the grant of a parental 

order (as well as her husband or civil partner) and her consent 

is not valid until a minimum of six weeks after the birth. 

• Intended parents must pay no more to a surrogate than her 

reasonable pregnancy related expenses or the English court 

must retrospectively authorise a commercial payment. Any 

authorization of a commercial payment by the court requires 

careful in-depth consideration on a case by case basis taking 

into account the public policy restriction against commercial 

surrogacy in the UK. 

• 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 

pink we 

dding 

gs 

mag 

ga 

az 

ine 

APP NOW 

AV 

VA 

ILA 

BLE 

iPad, iPhone, and Android 

Fi 

nd us in the app store 

s and at: 

www. w. 

pin 

kwe 

dd 

di 

in 

ng 

gs 

mag 

az 

zi 

in 

e.co 

m 

Any parental order application following an international 

surrogacy arrangement is likely to be a legally complex and 

demanding process, involving several court hearings over a 

period of months. Upon the grant of a parental order, the 

English court will arrange for a British birth certificate to be 

issued naming the intended parents as their child’s parents and 

it places the intended parents in the legal position they would 

have been in had they conceived and given birth to their baby 

by natural means. International surrogacy is not, however, for 

the faint-hearted and there is no substitute for doing your 

homework at the outset and obtaining expert legal help to 

tackle the legal minefield. 

Louisa Ghevaert is internationally recognised as a leading 

expert in fertility and parenting law and has litigated some of 

the most well known fertility law cases in the UK. Louisa heads 

the fertility law team at Porter Dodson Solicitors. 

For more infomation telephone +44 (0)207 222 1244 or visit 

www.porterdodsonfertility.com

FEATURE | health 

WORDS | ANDREW LOOSELY 

The fertility journey can often be a confusing road with a complex information 

to make sense of. The process can sometimes be difficult because it’s hard to 

know what the right action is for you and your partner. Andrew Loosely shares 

his tips he has learnt over the pass 10 years to help you get on the right track. 

Eliminate and Reduce Stress 

The number one contributing factor to infertility is 

stress according to trials carried out by researchers at 

Emory University in Atlanta.The results showed that 

stress increased the release of stress hormones in your 

body, which significantly reduces ovulation and your chances of 

successful conception. Many other clinical trials have shown 

similar results, with imbalances in hormones such as Cortisol (a 

stress related hormone), which hinders your ability to conceive. 

Women with hectic jobs are most at risk and are often most in 

denial about the stress in their lives, but it dramatically affects 

men too. Spend some time thinking about how your day-to-day 

life is constructed and see if you can make some changes to 

reduce any stressful areas. It is helpful to differentiate between 

external stress and internal stress; Internal stress arises when you 

are not able to achieve the goals you set yourself while external 

stress is created by relatives, friends, and work pressures. 

Treat yourself and take some time out for a change of scenery 

or why not go away with your friends. It is well known that you 

relax more when you go away. Search the internet for little trips 

away and weekend breaks. It will give you something to look 

forward to, and of course it will do you the world of good. 

Quit Smoking 

We all know that smoking is bad for us but when it 

comes to fertility issues its negative effects are even 

more profound. Smoking may result in underdeveloped 

eggs or sperm and it may also affect the genetic 

makeup of the unborn baby if you do conceive whilst smoking. 

The American Society for Reproductive Medicine found that 

the prevalence of infertility is higher, and the time it takes to 

conceive is longer, in smokers compared to non-smokers. Active 

smoking by either partner has adverse effects, and the impact of 

passive cigarette smoke exposure is only slightly smaller than for 

active smoking. 

Research indicates that cigarette smoking is harmful to a 

woman’s ovaries, and the degree of harm is dependent upon the 

amount and the period of time a woman smokes. Smoking 

appears to accelerate the loss of eggs and reproductive function 

and may also advance the time of menopause by several years. 

It was also shown that men who smoke have a lower sperm 

count and motility and increased abnormalities in sperm shape 

and function. The advice is that smoking should be discouraged 

for both male and female partners in couples with a history of 

infertility or recurrent miscarriage. 

42 

fertility road | winter 2011-12

Stop Caffeine 

As nice as it may be to sit down for a cup of tea or 

coffee, it isn’t helping your fertility. Caffeine has a 

negative effect on fertility and should be avoided where 

possible according to recent research. Common sources 

of caffeine are: tea (green, white and black), coffee, fizzy drinks and 

some other products. Always check the back of the product label if 

you are unsure. Try to replace these products with other natural 

drinks that are free from caffeine. Try to also avoid decaffeinated 

tea and coffee as they contain other unpleasant ingredients. 

Research published in the British Medical Journal shows that 

even one cup of coffee a day causes an imbalance in sex hormones, 

which compromises sperm and egg health. In women, the uterine 

lining is also affected, which may stop implantation of a fertilised 

egg and may also be a cause of early miscarriage. 

Caffeine consumption during pregnancy is associated with an 

increased risk of fetal growth restriction and this continues 

throughout pregnancy. Sensible advice would be to reduce caffeine 

intake before conception and throughout pregnancy. 

My personal recommendation to my clients is to stop consuming 

caffeine completely whilst trying to conceive, and not to start 

again until they stop breast-feeding. 

more animal, fish and plant fats in your diet 

Evidence from studies as far back as the 1940’s shows 

that animal and plant fats (if not refined) are good for 

us and are a vital source of nutrients and cholesterol, 

which we need to keep our own cholesterol in check. 

The idea that eating fat makes you fat and gives you high 

cholesterol is a myth, but you must avoid hydrogenated oils and 

refined fats and oils. 

Low fat diets are detrimental to health and will affect your 

fertility and chances of having a baby. The reason lies in the effect 

that fats have on your cholesterol level and having no fats in your 

diet causes a deficiency and imbalance of the cholesterol, which 

is connected to poor hormone production and release. This can 

cause problems with ovulation as discovered by researchers at 

Harvard School of Public Health 

Their study showed that women who ate more than two portions 

a day of low fat foods were 85 per cent more likely to be infertile, 

due to ovulatory disorders, than those who only ate it less than 

once a week. They also discovered a variety of other issues relating 

to a lack of fats in the diet. 

The advice is to have a little natural plant oil or animal fat in 

your diet every day to increase your fertility health. » 


43

A CAR THAT’S AS MODERN AS 

YOUR FAMILY. 

THE NEW FORESTER. 

Unlike most cars the Subaru Forester has the World’s only Boxer Diesel engine which has a low centre of gravity, 

which helps you roll less on corners and remain stable, even on more challenging roads. It also has a Symmetrical 

All-Wheel Drive system, which helps it stick to the road when you need it most. 

So you can rely on the Subaru Forester to keep the whole family safe, wherever you’re going, whatever the weather. 

Call 08430 222074 

visit subaru.co.uk/safe 

or text ‘forester’ to 60800 

Forester range fuel consumption in mpg(l/100km): Urban from 29.1 (9.7) to 37.2 (7.6). Extra Urban from 44.1 

(6.4) to 50.4 (5.6). Combined from 37.7 (7.5) to 44.8 (6.3). CO 2 

emissions from 174 to 167 (g/km).

Consumption of alcohol 

can reduce your fertility by as 

much as 50%. To give yourself 

the best chance, you should 

ideally stop consuming alcohol 

at least three months before 

you start trying for a baby. 

The Effects of Alcohol 

Consumption of alcohol can reduce your fertility by as 

much as 50% as proven in clinical trials and revealed 

in a Danish study. To give yourself the best chance, you 

should ideally stop consuming alcohol at least three 

months before you start trying for a baby. If you have already 

started trying then aim to stop drinking alcohol as soon as possible. 

You will instantly start to increase your possibilities of success. 

The Danish study showed that women who drank less than 5 

standard glasses of wine per week (approximately 5 units) were 

twice as likely to conceive within six months, compared to women 

who drank more alcohol. 

Alcohol consumption affects both partners causing damage to 

egg and sperm quality. In men it can increase abnormal sperm, 

decrease sperm count and reduce the motility (movement) and 

also volume of the sperm. 

Alcohol exhausts your body’s energy, as it’s a very toxic 

substance that requires a large consumption of energy to remove 

it efficiently, and also to counterbalance the negative effects it 

causes on your body. Where possible both partners should avoid 

it for 3-4 months in advance of trying for a baby, and most 

definitely throughout pregnancy and breast-feeding. 

AVoid Pain Relief 

A study at Oxford University has shown that pain 

relief drugs interfere with ovulation and may even 

stop it completely in some women. This would be 

sufficient to cause what looks like infertility. Once the 

drugs are stopped your body will balance itself over a few cycles 

and ovulation should begin again. In some cases Progesterone 

levels can also be negatively affected when using these drugs. 

This could and has been shown to lead to miscarriage and also 

problems with implantation after the egg is fertilised. 

If you can, try to avoid taking pain relief if you are trying to 

conceive. If you suffer with pain during your period or at other 

times of your cycle, you may find that using another treatment 

such as acupuncture will be much more conducive. Period pain is 

generally due to a lack of circulation of the menstrual blood 

and once it starts to flow efficiently, the pain will stop. Acupuncture 

is known to increase blood flow through the uterus and this 

will stop the pain. My clients report less pain within one menstrual 

cycle, and no pain by about three to six cycles depending on the 

severity they first experienced. No painkillers are used after the 

cycle has been balanced. 

• 

What to do next 

If after reading these tips you feel a bit overwhelmed, just remember 

that this is only for a time period and it will most definitely help 

towards your goal of having a baby. Some of my clients struggle with 

making the necessary lifestyle changes at the beginning of their 

treatment, but the ones that manage it generally conceive within six 

months of starting the programme. 

My suggestion to you is to stop any of the above that you may be 

doing, and focus on the long-term outcome. You’ll also experience 

much better health. 

• 

Case study – unexplained infertility 

After one miscarriage and several years of trying to conceive, 

resulting in a diagnosis of unexplained infertility, I started to 

work with this couple at my clinic. They were fully onboard with 

the programme and made all of the necessary lifestyle and dietary 

changes that were suggested to them. They didn’t smoke but 

liked to have a drink at times and there was also room for 

improving their diet. After just six weeks of following the above 

advice along with the other components of the treatment 

programme, they conceived. Nine months later they delivered a 

healthy happy little girl. 

To read their full success story on my website please visit: 

www.NaturalFertilityExpert.com and go to the Success Stories page. 

Andrew is the creator of The Baby Creating Plan and has been 

using acupuncture to treat thousands over the last ten years. He 

helps couples to conceive naturally and alongside IVF, and with 

great success. To claim your FREE copy of his book, The Ultimate 

Fertility Guide, please visit www.NaturalFertilityExpert.com 


45

Trying for a ba 

Register for your 

Trying for a baby? 

FREE 

Need help, 

TICKETS 

advice, support 

to to 

Need help, advice, support 

and information? 

and information? 

World 

Visit the Fertility World Show on 

23 - 24 March 2012 at Olympia London 

and meet the people who could help you 

achieve your ultimate dream! 

Visit the Fertility World Show on 

23 - 24 March 2012 at Olympia London 

and meet the people who could help you 

achieve your ultimate dream! 

22 22 - 23 - 23 October 2011 2011 NEC NEC Birmingham UK UK 

“The essential event for for anyone 

If you are planning to start a family but are having difficulties, then you must 

visit the Fertility World Show - the one stop exhibition for all the help, advice 

and information you need to have a baby. 

considering fertility treatment” 

n Attend 

If you 

talks 

are 

from leading 

planning 

fertility experts 

to start a Find out if 

but 

you have 

are 

a problem 

having difficulties, then you must 

n Discover natural and complementary treatment n Learn about the many treatments available 

If you visit to If help are you the conceive planning are Fertility planning to World start to start Show a family a nfamily - Discover the but one how are but the stop having are NHS can having exhibition help difficulties you get difficulties access for to then all the then you help, you must advice must 

n Gain one-to-one advice from leading fertility experts fertility treatment 

visit n Discover and visit Fertility information the 

Fertility 

many 

World 

ways you 

World 

can you - 

boost 

the 

your need - one the 

fertility 

one stop nhave Find 

stop exhibition 

the a perfect 

exhibition baby. IVF and 

for 

Fertility 

all for 

Clinic 

the all help, the help, advice advice and and 

information 

n Learn how fertile your are 

you need need to have to have a baby. 

n Meet overseas fertility clinics 

a baby. 

Register for your FREE ENTRY at www.fertility-world.co.uk 

n Attend n Attend talks talks from from leading leading fertility fertility experts experts 

n Meet n exhibitors Find Meet out exhibitors if offering you have offering a a wide problem a wide 

n Discover n Discover natural natural and complementary and complementary treatments 

treatments range n Learn range of services about of services the many treatments available 

to help to to you help conceive you you conceive 

n Discover n Discover how the how NHS the can NHS help can you help get you access get access to to 

n Gain n Gain one-to-one one-to-one advice advice from leading from leading fertility fertility experts experts 

fertility fertility treatment treatment 

n Discover n Discover the many the the many ways ways you can you boost can boost your fertility your fertility 

n Find n the Find perfect the perfect IVF and IVF Fertility and Fertility Clinic Clinic 

n Learn n Learn how fertile how fertile your are your are 

n Meet n overseas Meet overseas fertility fertility clinics clinics 

n Identify n Identify conception conception difficulties difficulties 

n Same n Same sex parenting sex parenting advice advice and help and help 

In association with: 

Register for for your your FREE FREE ENTRY ENTRY at at www.fertility-world.co.uk 

FREE SEMINAR P 

n Maximising your ch 

n Choosing a fertility 

n Going overseas fo 

n How the NHS can 

Online media partne 

Hosted Hosted by: by: 

In association In association with: with:

y? 

FREE 

ENTRY 

SAVE 

£10 

REGISTER 

REGISTER 

NOW ! 

NOW ! 

FREE SEMINAR PROGRAMME 

n Maximising your chances of getting pregnant 

n Choosing a fertility clinic 

n Going overseas for fertility treatment 

n How the NHS can help with fertility costs 

n Same sex fertility treatment 

n The donor and surrogacy route 

n Natural methods to to boost your fertility 

n Fertility information resources 

Online media partners: 

Internation Medical 

Travel Journal


GUIDES/MONITORS 

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

WORDS | ORIANE CHAUSIAUX 

Fertility monitors can be reassuring and empowering – putting you 

in control of your fertility. But with so many to choose from at very 

different prices, the choice can appear bewildering. Which is right for 

you? Fertility Road gives you the rundown on all the main contenders. 

Early Days (0-6 months) 

If you have been trying for a baby for a short time, and have 

regular cycles you’re best advised not to spend too much money 

now and let nature take its course. Concentrate on understanding 

your fertility cycle by keeping a diary and observing fertility clues 

(changes in your body). You might find fertility ‘Apps’ a useful 

low cost option. If you are over 35, or have irregular cycles, you 

may not want to leave things to nature. Try ovulation tests such 

as ClearBlue, or First Response (£10-15). They’re simple to use 

and can estimate ovulation dates. If you have not managed 

to conceive after 4 cycles using these tests, we suggest moving up 

to the next level. 

Beginning to get worried (6-12 months) 

If you’ve been trying for 6 months, you have a 50% chance of 

being diagnosed as infertile after a year. So it makes sense to start 

taking a closer look at what help is available. If you have not yet 

tried LH tests, you could try using them for a couple of months. 

Many couples will want to start monitoring things in greater 

details as this may help the diagnosis of a problem preventing 

conception In that case, Fertility Road would recommend 

the ClearBlue monitor or DuoFertility. The ClearBlue monitor is 

a standalone monitor whereas the DuoFertility comes with 

expert support. 

Infertility confirmed (12 months onwards) 

In your second year, you should visit your GP to get a few tests 

and try to identify the cause of the delay in getting pregnant. 

During this year, you may not get fertility treatment if no major 

problems are found. The ClearBlue Fertility monitor and the 

DuoFertility monitor would be an investment worth making at 

this stage. 

More details about each of the monitors: 

Fertility monitors fall into four main categories: 

1 

Ovulation Tests 

Ovulation Tests such as Clearblue and First Response rely on 

measuring the surge in luteinising hormone (LH) that occurs just 

prior to ovulation. Plus points include a clarity and simplicity. A simple 

yes/no answer for identifying your two most fertile days is given 

by dipping the test stick in urine and waiting a few minutes for the 

answer. On the negative side they can be somewhat messy to use 

and their accuracy may be questionable if you have been trying for 

a baby for over 6 months. If you are one of 20% of women with 

hormone irregularities, then they cannot be expected to work. Finally, 

they do not confirm ovulation. So even if you get a positive 

response, you do not know if or when you ovulated. 

• Clearblue Fertility Monitor £90-100 


Further up the price scale, the Clearblue Fertility Monitor work 

in a similar manner as the single use tests, however the monitor 

will learn about your cycle and prompt you on the best day to 

test. As this monitor relies on reading hormones in urine, it 

suffers from the same failings as ovulation test strips. 

Importantly, it doesn’t confirm that ovulation occurs. 

2 

Monitoring Basal Body Temperature (BBT) 

Many GPs recommend that couples try to establish their 

fertile days by monitoring the rise in body temperature as 

ovulation approaches. Options range from simple thermometers 

costing under £20 through to a range of computerised temperature 

monitors such as Cyclotest and Babycomp costing up to 

£400. As changes in temperature can be minute, a digital thermometer 

which can read up to 0.01 degree may give more accurate 

information than relying on the human eye. 

If temperatures are taken at the same time every day on waking, 

then an accurate record of your fertility cycle and indication of 

ovulation can be charted. However, it can be difficult taking temperatures 

at the same time every day - ideally around 6-7am. Any 

movement on waking will contribute to a rising body temperature 

– as will any illness or disrupted sleep. Some fertility monitors such 

as Cyclotest allow you to add in additional clues such as cervical 

mucus and LH surges to possibly enhance the results. 

• Cyclotest (£170) or BabyComp (£400) 

3 

Saliva-based tests 

Prior to ovulation, a woman’s saliva seen close up may 

begin to form a distinct fern-like pattern indicative of the 

fertile days. However, most clinicians doubt the accuracy of 

using saliva analysis to identify fertile days. The level of clinical 

evidence to support the efficacy of this technique is far from 

convincing. Simple microscopes allow you to look for ferning. 

Digital monitors such as OvaCue monitor electrolytes in saliva. 

• Babystart Saliva Microscope £20 or OvaCue Monitor £200 

4 

Automated ovulation detection + support 

DuoFertility starting at £149 for the monthly plan is 

expensive and you may wish to try cheaper options during 

your first year of trying for a baby. But you may feel DuoFertility 

justifies the expense. Firstly, DuoFertility is fully automated – all 

you have to do is wear a lightweight sensor under your arm 

while you sleep. DuoFertility gives a week’s notice of peak 

fertility and confirms when ovulation has occurred. You also 

enjoy individual support from fertility consultants. New clinical 

evidence has clearly shown that, for infertile (but not sterile) 

couples DuoFertility can be more effective than a cycle of IVF 

when used for 12 months. 

• DuoFertility (from £149) 

Conclusion 

On balance, we believe that ClearBlue and First Response 

ovulation tests are the first choice early on due to their simplicity 

and relatively low cost. From six months onwards the accuracy 

of these tests has to be questioned. After 6 months of trying 

DuoFertility offers the most in-depth support. The combination 

of simplicity in use, expert support, compelling clinical evidence 

and a ‘get pregnant or your money back guarantee’ add up to an 

impressive package. 

Elite Private Clinic 

* 

Investigations of infertility Inv 

IVF, ICSI, laser assisted I 

hatching, blastocyst hatc 

transfer 

Ovum/sperm/embryo donation - 

reasonable reaso 

price & anonymous 

donors 

Obstetrics & Gynaecology Ob 

Laparoscopic and 

hysteroscopic operations hy 

(adhesions, (adh 

endometriosis and 

adenomyosis!) 

* 

Sangla 63, Tartu, Estonia 

Phone:+372- 7409 930 

www.elitekliinik.ee 

head@fert-c.ee


GUIDES/ MEDICATION 


WORDS | BUSHRA SHEIKH 

SAVE MONEY 

ON YOUR IVF 

MEDICATION 

If you are suffering from infertility 

problems, then you will probably know 

how expensive fertility medication can 

be and how hard they are to obtain from 

your local pharmacy. Here are a few tips 

on how you can save money and pointers 

of what’s important to be aware of. 

Always ask your clinic to separate your 

treatment from your medication 

Most clinics can provide you with your prescription for a small 

charge so you can use other pharmacies to purchase your 

medication; this could save you hundreds of pounds as buying 

your medication directly from the clinic will usually cost more. 

Do you need everything on your prescription? 

Your prescription may contain medication you already have or 

even medication you can buy over the counter. Once your 

prescription has been issued, check it to see that you are only 

buying medication which you require. 

Online fertility pharmacies? 

Ordering your fertility medication online can be a great way to 

compare prices, but there are risks. It always best to check if the 

online website has a bricks and mortar pharmacy attached to it 

and if there is a contact number you can call. Ordering from 

abroad is not normally recommended as drug preparations differ 

from country to country and if something goes wrong during the 

process you can be left helpless. Always check with the local governing 

authority that the pharmacy is legitimate. 

Can your GP write it? 

Some prescriptions contain the contraceptive pill and even antibiotics, 

your GP may give you an NHS prescription for these items 

which you can then take to any pharmacy. 

Spread the cost 

Due to the high cost of IVF Treatment you may require your 

medication in batches. This is a service which some pharmacies 

can provide. This means that you can order medication from your 

prescription as and when you need it which makes paying for 

your treatment easier. 

Hidden costs 

Be sure to check that there are NO hidden costs involved before 

committing to or making payment. Always ask for a written 

quotation so you know exactly what you will be charged for, 

some companies may try to add on delivery charges per item etc. 

Some pharmacies will only 

dispense from UK clinics 

Don’t worry if your prescription is from a non UK doctor, 

Fertility2u.com is a specialist fertility pharmacy they work with 

clinics from around the world and have UK certified doctors 

ready to help. 

Does your medication need 

cold chain delivery? 

Always ask which type of delivery method will be used to 

transport your medication to you. Some items may require a cold 

chain delivery so ask if ice packs/insulated packaging will be used. 

Piece of mind 

It is always good to know if the pharmacy is regulated by the 

General Pharmaceutical Council. This means that inspections are 

carried out on storage, handling and dispensing of all medication 

on a regular basis. 

Using a specialist fertility pharmacy can be the easiest way to 

get your medication because they understand the needs of fertility 

patient better. Also they’re prices are usually lower as they have 

better relationships with manufacturers and suppliers. 

Bushra Sheikh is the Director of Pharmacy and Clinical Services at 

Fertility2u, a well established UK based pharmacy with an extensive 

knowledge in the pharmaceutical field. Working closely with European 

clinics they are committed to providing medication at competitive 

prices. For more information please visit www.fertility2u.com 


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 

• 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


GUIDES/ALTERNATIVE 


WORDS | ANDREW LOOSELY 

TO THE 

POINT 

Originating in China approximately 2,500 years ago, acupuncture 

has been used with great success for improving fertility and treating 

Gyneacological issues. PCOS, endometriosis, cysts, fibroids and 

blocked fallopian tubes are all treated with the use of acupuncture 

in China and now in Europe too. Andrew Loosely tells us more. 

Many people are unaware that acupuncture has been 

in the UK since the mid 1700’s. Whether you are 

trying to conceive naturally or with the help of 

ART (assisted reproduction technologies such as: 

IUI, IVF, ICSI or egg donation), acupuncture is one of the essential 

components that should be included in your strategy to help 

increase your success. There has been a selection of clinical trials 

carried out over the past ten years showing that acupuncture 

increases pregnancy rates by up to 70%. 

It is a safe, effective treatment that can be used on it’s own for 

natural conception and also alongside any assisted method, as it 

does not interact with any medication being used. 

What is acupuncture? 

Treatment involves the use of very fine needles, which are inserted 

into the body at specific acupuncture points. Usually anywhere 

between 6 and 20 points are used for one treatment and these are 

chosen by your practitioner after having a detailed consultation to 

establish what needs to be adjusted in your body. The needles are 

usually left in place for 20-30 minutes whilst you enjoy some 

relaxation time. Needles are usually inserted in the abdomen, legs, 

arms and hands for most fertility treatments. 

Does it hurt? 

The experience of acupuncture should be a gentle and pain-free 

one and most people are amazed that it doesn’t hurt. If you are 

a little nervous of needles you don’t need to worry, as it’s very 

pleasant compared to having an injection. 

A relaxing sensation is quickly experienced, which will leave 

you feeling refreshed and relaxed for the rest of the day. Once the 

needles are inserted, a natural chemical called Endorphins is 

released by your body that makes you feel calm and at ease. 

My clients frequently fall asleep during the treatment! 

How acupuncture works 

There are several ancient and modern theories about the mechanisms 

involved in acupuncture treatment. The current theory is 

that when a needle is inserted into the body a variety of messenger 







chemicals send messages to your brain. Once received your 

brain sends further messages to specific parts of your body 

enabling it to heal itself. This results in a rectification of the 

underlying problem. For the past 1,500 years the Chinese 

have been using a similar theory for fertility acupuncture, to 

understand how specific points can alter the way in which 

your body works. 

When properly understood this is applied to even the most 

complex fertility situation and generally with excellent results. 

The positive effects of this treatment for combating fertility 

problems has been well documented in China and now in 

Europe too with more clinical trials being carried out. 

Is acupuncture only for natural conception? 

Acupuncture can be used to help with all fertility related 

problems, whether it’s a physical problem such as: PCOS, 

Endometriosis, Cysts, Fibroids, Blocked Fallopian tubes or 

poor sperm quality and function; and unexplained infertility 

when nothing has been found to be physically wrong. 

It is also very effective for increasing the success of ART and 

can be safely used alongside any of these treatments to destress 

you and also help your body to enhance what is required 

at that time of your cycle. 

How often should you use acupuncture? 

The frequency of treatment really depends on the severity and 

urgency of your situation and this needs to be assessed with 

your practitioner. Some fertility practitioners use acupuncture 

on a fortnightly basis and some use it weekly. From my 

personal experience over the past decade, I believe that 

fortnightly is not frequent enough for treating most fertility 

related issues. Treatment needs to be at least once a week if it 

is supported with lifestyle changes and other treatments such 

as herbal medicine but if not, then twice a week if possible. 

Without doubt acupuncture is the way forward for supporting 

fertility treatment due to the ease at which it can be 

used and the lack of side effects. It has an immediate relaxing 

and de-stressing effect on your body and mind, which science 

has now proven to be a big defining factor for couples with 

fertility problems. 

CASE STUDY Acupuncture and IVF 

After four years of trying to conceive with three miscarriages 

and failed IVF cycles, this lady came to see me at my clinic. 

She did not want to repeat IVF and wanted to try naturally 

by using my treatment programme. Her previous IVF cycles 

had not been supported with acupuncture and all resulted in 

miscarriages at around ten weeks. 

She had weekly acupuncture sessions with me and conceived 

after eight weeks of treatment. She gave birth to a healthy boy, 

and a year later had a daughter without needing any treatment. 

To read her full story visit: www.NaturalFertilityExpert.com and 

go to the Success Stories page. 

Andrew is the creator of The Baby Creating Plan and has been 

using acupuncture to treat thousands over the last ten years. He 

helps couples to conceive naturally and alongside IVF, and with 

great success. To claim your FREE copy of his book, The Ultimate 

Fertility Guide, please visit www.NaturalFertilityExpert.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 






Kristin Davis 

Adopts a new 



TOP TIPS 

FOR WINTER 




ADVERTISE 

HERE! 

BOY 

OR 

GIRL 

Should you 

be allowed 

to choose? 


CALL US ON 

+44 (0)208 316 4323 

OR E-MAIL US AT 

ADVERTISING@FERTILITYROAD.COM

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. 

Egg Donation Agency 

Professional 

International 

Egg Donor 

Services 

Video conference consultations available. 

join the 

adoption 

revolution 

At New Family Social we believe in giving 

homes to children who need them. 

There is a huge community of LGBT people 

across the UK forming permanent families 

by adoption. It’s the most rewarding thing in 

the world. Join us now for advice, 

and to talk to others in your area. 

www.baby2mom.co.za 

visit nefertility.com or call +001 203.325.3200 

Call us on 0843 2899457 or visit our website: 

Conveniently located just north of NYC 

1275 Summer Street, Stamford, CT. 

newfamilysocial.co.uk 

We make your Surrogacy and 

Egg Donation Simple and affordable! 

Full Service Surrogacy and Egg Donation from a renowned agency at a lower cost. 

Don’t pay your Agency more than you 

compensate your Surrogate! 

Simple Surrogacy should be your surrogacy and egg donor agency: 

l one of the largest surrogacy and egg donation agencies in the U.S. 

l excellent reputation helping our clients achieve success for 10 years 

l expedited matching with our database of available surrogates 

l quality services and personal attention at affordable prices 

l speak with previous clients of our program 

l over 32 babies already expected for 2011 

l have helped many International Gay couples complete their families 

Visit our web site to learn more. See how Simple Surrogacy 

in the United States is the best option for creating your family. 

We look forward to making your parenting dreams come true! 

For more information please visit us at www.simplesurrogacy.com, 

or www.simpledonations.com Call us toll-free at 1-866-41-SURRO 

to speak with our Executive Program Director for a free consultation. SimpleSurrogacy.com

FERTILITY ROAD | DuoFertility 

DUOFERTILITY 

CELEBRATES 

200 

PREGNANCIES 

23 

233 

2011 proved especially newsworthy for DuoFertility. The company not only 

announced an important milestone in pregnancy numbers, but the revolutionary, 

high-tech fertility monitor also starred on BBC’s Britain’s Next Big Thing. 

T 

his hit TV programme followed DuoFertility’s 

incredible journey from inspired invention by 

Cambridge University scientists, through to gaining 

a major order from high street giant Boots. 

Now a new clinical paper has been published showing that 

DuoFertility used for 12 months by hundreds of couples eligible for 

IVF proved more effective than a cycle of IVF – at a fraction of the 

cost 1 . DuoFertility believe that the results are so compelling that 

they encourage couples who are considering IVF to contact them first. 

Each pregnancy is an important milestone 

DuoFertility share the happiness of every couple who enjoy a natural 

pregnancy using their product. As Dr Oriane Chausiaux, DuoFertility’s 

lead fertility expert told Fertility Road. “We have a close relationship 

with our customers who we help and advise so it’s only natural to 

feel elated when they share their good news with us.” 

Dr Shamus Husheer, the inventor of DuoFertility agrees. “We 

recently brought together a number of pregnant customers and 

DuoFertility babies as part of our 200 pregnancy celebrations. 

Seeing their happiness was a joy – we feel so privileged to have 

played a part in helping their dreams come true”. 

Happy DuoFertility users... 

Caitlyn & Robin’s story: “DuoFertility helped me get pregnant in one 

full cycle” 

Caitlyn (39) and Robin (42) both worked in the Police – which 

often meant stressful shift patterns. When the time came to try 

for a family, Caitlyn discovered she was not ovulating and her 

doctor prescribed clomid. She used DuoFertility to show exactly 

when she was ovulating – and to highlight the optimum time to 

try and conceive. She fell pregnant after her first full cycle of use. 

Jessica and Mark’s story “I knew if I was ever going to get a decent 

night’s sleep again – this was the product for me.” 

Jessica (30) had really long cycles and found it difficult to 

know when she was ovulating. She tried manual temperature 

measurements at 5am without much success. Jessica was 

delighted that DuoFertility took the stress and worry out of 

knowing when she was fertile. She too became pregnant within 

her first cycle on DuoFertility. 

Elsie and Paul’s story “I was considering IVF – the DuoFertility 

expert told me it wasn’t necessary. She was right!” 

Elsie (41) and Paul (33) discovered DuoFertility at the Fertility 

Show. They were especially impressed at the level of support they 

received - as well as the ease of use and accuracy of prediction. 

Their decision to try DuoFertility first before going for IVF paid 

off as six months later Elsie was pregnant! 

A complete programme designed 

to help you conceive 

There are two ways to subscribe to DuoFertility: 

• One-off payment for a 12 month programme: £495 (includes 

get pregnant in 12 months – or your money back guarantee*) 

• Nine month programme on our monthly payment plan: £149 

(+£49/month for 8 months) 

Whichever way you chose to join DuoFertility, we are committed 

to helping you get pregnant. 

DuoFertility is now available from Boots or direct from the 

DuoFertility website. For more information please visit 

www.duofertility.com 

Two FREE Pregnancy Tests for Fertility Road readers Visit www.duofertility.com/FertRd for more details 

1. Chausiaux O et al. Pregnancy Prognosis in Infertile Couples on the DuoFertility 

Programme Compared with In-Vitro Fertilisation/Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection. 

European Obstetrics & Gynaecology 20:11:2;92-94 


55

ISSUE 2 

OUT 

NOW!! 

We are excited to announce Issue 2 of Pink Parenting 

Magazine, Europe’s No.1 same-sex parenting magazine! 

So, if you already have children or you are thinking of 

planning your family, we have the stories, science and 

all things parenting for the LGBT community! 

Follow us on 

Twitter @PinkParenting 

Facebook @PinkParenting 

www.pink-parenting.com

SCIENCE | sex selection 

WORDS | SOPHY GRIMSHAW 

BOY Y or 

GIRL? 

YOU 

CHOOSE? 

Sexs selection is one of the most controversial issues in the field of 

fertility – should you be able to choose your baby’s gender? Fertility Road 

takes a look at the history of this hot topic and at the science involved. 

The historic preference for male children continues, in 

some parts of the world, to put the lives of girls at risk 

from infanticide on a mass scale. BBC News has 

reported on the trend for newborn baby girls in China 

to be abandoned on rubbish dumps, for example. The preference 

for males becomes apparent before birth, too. In 2010, a report 

by The Economist called ‘Gendercide, the War on Baby Girls’ 

stated that: “In China and northern India more than 120 boys are 

being born for every 100 girls. Nature dictates that slightly more 

males are born than females... But nothing on this scale… It is no 

exaggeration to call this gendercide. Women are missing in their 

millions – aborted, killed, neglected to death.” 

This is in spite of failed attempts at curbing the crisis, such as 

India’s 1996 ban of ultrasound technicians revealing a baby’s 

gender to parents. In short, in some parts of the globe gender 

selection (both before and after birth) is already at crisis levels. 

Female children are seen as a social and financial burden. So 

the development of safe, precise methods for sex selection – 

before birth or even before conception – has inevitably been an 

ethical minefield. 

Some parents have a wholly 

innocent personal preference 

for a girl or a boy.In the UK, sex 

selection is only allowed for 

particular medical reasons. 

Of course, sheer misogyny isn’t the beginning and end of 

the psychology of gender selection. Sex selection can also be 

desirable to prevent inherited diseases. And some parents have 

a wholly innocent personal preference for a girl or a boy. In the 

UK, sex selection is only allowed for particular medical reasons, 

for example, to avoid giving birth to a child with a sex-linked 

genetic disorder like Duchenne muscular dystrophy. These 

diseases affect boys but not girls (girls may still carry the gene 

for the disease but they will not suffer from it). 

» 


57

SCIENCE | sex selection 

The UK outlaws gender selection purely to meet parents’ 

personal preference – ‘elective’ gender selection was banned by 

the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) in 

2003. But the processes remain mainly unregulated in the 

United States, where treatments are in the range of $3,500 to 

$6,000. Some clinics offer a package that includes surrogacy 

and gender selection. 

Barrie Drewitt-Barlow of the British Surrogacy Centre, remarks: 

“Some people feel that if we allow sex selection now, where will 

it stop? Will we be looking to select other characteristics of our 

children, including hair colour, eye colour, and intelligence level. 

But whatever your opinion on using sex selection as a way to 

help “design” your family – and lets face it, gay parents do have a 

“design” model when creating their families – it is here to stay 

and growing in its take-up every year,” he tells Fertility Road. 

“Hundreds of couples travel to the US each year to pay for the 

procedure, the so-called fertility tourists.” 

Gay people tend to be no strangers to discrimination, and so 

gender selection may seem particularly distasteful to some gay 

parents. But as Drewitt-Barlow points out, many gay families are 

built with the help of pioneering reproductive technology, some 

gay families would argue that a baby’s gender is simply one of a 

whole range of personal choices, such as which partner will get 

pregnant and where sperm will be sourced from. There is a fierce 

debate as whether sorting sperm or embryos by gender can be 

regarded as morally different. 

Whatever you think of the ethical implications 

of elective gender selection, for those interested, 

here’s are some of the ways in which its done: 

Of the techniques that reliably affect gender, the most reliable is 

In vitro fertilisation with pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). 

When embryos have reached six to eight cells, one of the cells of 

each embryo is taken away (this doesn’t harm the embryo) and 

its chromosomal makeup is analysed, to reveal whether it’s male 

or female. It’s then possible for only the embryos of the desired 

gender are transferred to the uterus. This is the single most reliable 

method for gender selection; it’s close to 100% accurate. 

Other methods for sex selection are sperm sorting techniques. 

The Ericsson method, for example, is based on the assumption 

that Y-sperm swim faster than X-sperm. Sperm are placed in a test 

tube atop a “column” of increasingly thicker layers of albumin 

(plasma protein), and allowed to swim down into the solution. 

After a certain time period has elapsed, only the fastest sperm 

should have been able to penetrate to the bottom layer, so the 

theory goes that those are the Y sperm that couples need in order 

to conceive a boy, and the others are the X-sperm for conceiving 

a girl. The preferred type of sperm can then be used for IVF. 

Other sperm sorting techniques include Microsort, developed 

by the Genetics and IVF Institute in Fairfax, Virginia (for full 

details see www.microsort.com). It can improve chances for female 

selection to approximately 90%, while the approximate chance 

for a male child is at a slightly lower, at 85%. Sperm is sorted into 

X-bearing sperm and Y-bearing sperm, and only the sperm that 

bear the chromosome for the desired gender (X for a female 

child, Y for a male) is mixed with the eggs to fertilise. 

Top foods to eat to 

boost your fertility! 

A healthy weight and well-balanced diet for both 

men and women before you conceive will boost 

your fertility, ensure you are at the best of your 

health during pregnancy and make sure that you 

have the energy you will need when your baby 

finally arrives. 

Laura McLoughlin, 

Tesco Diets Nutritionist 

What’s important? 

Folate 

Why? Helps prevent neural tube defects in your developing 

baby. Foods: A 400mcg daily folic acid supplement, leafy 

green veg, beans and citrus fruits. 

Iron 

Why? Boots your iron stores to prepare for increased iron 

needs during pregnancy. Foods: Red meat, pulses, dried 

fruits and leafy green vegetables. 

Vitamin C 

Why? Improves iron absorption in your stomach and boosts 

immunity. Foods: Citrus fruits, kiwi fruits, berries, peppers 

and leafy green vegetables. 

Calcium 

Why? Essential for your baby’s development and helps to 

protects mother’s bones. Foods: Dairy, leafy green veg, dried 

fruit, sesame seeds, beans and chickpeas. 

Alcohol 

Cutting it out will boost fertility, remove any alcohol related 

risks when you do get pregnant and limit your intake of 

“empty” calories for a healthy weight. 

Special Offer for Fertility Readers! 2 weeks 

extra free* 

If you are looking to follow a healthy, balanced diet, we offer 16 

personalised diet plans and support from nutritionists to help 

you every step of the way. To find out more and get 2 weeks 

extra free go to www.tescodiets.com/fertility today. 

*10 weeks for the price of 8 at a cost of £2.99 per week. To avail of this offer you must go 

*10 weeks for the price of 8 at a cost of £2.99 per week. To avail of this offer you must go 

through www.tescodiets.com/fertility 

Do you think couples should be able to select their babies’ sex? 

Let us know your thoughts, email editor@fertilityroad.com 


SCIENCE | blastocyst transfer 

WORDS | JOHANNA PAYTON 

The Science behind 

BLASTOCYST 

TRANSFER 

Two leading embryologists 

break down the science 

behind Blastocyst Transfer… 

Image – Thanks to Jennifer and Félix at ProcreaTec 

What is a blastocyst? 

A blastocyst is the name given to an embryo five to six days after 

fertilisation. “Blastocysts look different to the ball of cells you 

see prior to the fifth day,” explains Dr. Alan Thornhill, Scientific 

Director at the London Bridge Fertility, Gynecology and Genetics 

Centre. “On a blastocyst, you can see a clump of cells polarised at 

one side, which will become the fetus, as well as the cells that will 

become the placenta. In other words, differentiation has begun.” 

What is blastocyst transfer 

and how does it work? 

For a blastocyst transfer to take place, embryos are cultured in a 

laboratory incubator until they reach the blastocyst stage, then 

they are transferred to the womb. The procedure for blastocyst 

transfer is similar to a normal embryo transfer, the only difference 

being that the embryos have been given more time to 

develop in vitro (outside the body). This allows doctors to better 

select the embryos most likely to develop into a healthy baby – 

but a blastocyst still needs to implant successfully in the womb 

for a woman to become pregnant. 

“It’s important to know that blastocyst transfer is not about making 

a better embryo,” explains Dr. Thornhill, “it’s about better embryo 

selection. We’re starting with a group of embryos and 

effectively putting them through a test outside the body, looking 

at which embryo does best in a culture system, and then transferring 

the embryo that appears to have the best chance of becoming 

a healthy baby into the womb. 

Lots of people, particularly 

patients over 45, don’t want 

twins, Blastocyst offers the best 

chance of a successful single 

embryo transfer. 

“In the past, it was common practice to transfer every available 

embryo, but we now have rules to reduce the risk of multiple 

pregnancy. If we were allowed to transfer as many embryos as 

we wanted, selection wouldn’t be an issue. But because we can’t 

– and shouldn’t – transfer an unlimited number of embryos, 

selection has become more important.” 

What are the other benefits 

of blastocyst transfer? 

“Lots of people, particularly patients over 45, don’t want twins,” 

says Dr. Jennifer Rayward, director of ProcreaTec International 

Fertility Clinic in Madrid. “Blastocyst offers the best chance of 

a successful single embryo transfer.” 

Dr. Rayward says that going to the blastocyst stage also helps 

when there are doubts about sperm quality. “After the third day, 

we can see male factors being expressed,” she says. “If we’ve been 

getting good quality ‘day two’ embryos, but we’re not » 


59

SCIENCE | blastocyst transfer 

previous IVF cycle, but they failed to 

implant in the womb. 

“It is survival of the fittest, so there are 

criteria applied at the clinic in order to get 

to the blastocyst stage,” says Dr. Rayward. 

“On day three, we’d want to have at 

least five good embryos in order to go to 

blastocyst, because otherwise we’re risking 

having no embryos left by the fifth day. 

“If we got to day three, and you only 

had two good quality embryos, we 

wouldn’t want a patient to take any risks 

by waiting. In that scenario, it’s better to do 

the transfer at that stage, without going 

to blastocyst. You have a better chance if 

you can produce a healthy blastocyst, but 

there are no guarantees you will.” 

Another reason blastocyst transfer is 

so popular is that the receptivity of the 

womb in IVF cycles, particularly when using 

donor eggs, appears to be better after five 

days than after the second or third day. 

getting to the blastocyst stage, the problem 

could be due to the man. Blastocyst 

helps us determine that. 

“Another reason blastocyst transfer is 

so popular is that the receptivity of the 

womb in IVF cycles, particularly when 

using donor eggs, appears to be better 

after five days than after the second or 

third day. Most of the people who travel 

to our clinic from abroad are using egg 

donation because of Spanish law, and 

these people have already been through 

lots of fertility treatment. They want their 

very best chance, and their best chance 

is usually blastocyst.” 

“The main benefit is getting a baby 

quicker because, if it’s suitable for you, 

blastocyst transfer stacks the odds in your 

favour,” says Dr. Thornhill. “If there are no 

genetic problems in the family, the woman 

has a good womb, there are no major 

problems with the man and you can make 

a good blastocyst, then you have an extremely 

good chance of getting pregnant. 

“If you have good quality blastocysts 

left over, and access to a good freezing 

programme, you have a good chance in a 

frozen cycle too,” he adds. 

Who should have 

blastocyst transfer? 

Because blastocyst transfer improves the 

chances of a successful single embryo 

transfer, it is particularly useful for younger 

women with a good prognosis for IVF 

treatment. A doctor may also suggest 

trying blastocyst transfer if you have 

produced good quality embryos in a 

What are the drawbacks 

of the treatment? 

“Of the fertilised eggs that you start with, 

only around 50% make it to blastocyst,” 

Dr Rayward explains. “Then you need to 

think about cost, as blastocyst transfer 

is also more expensive. It involves more 

work for the embryologist and you have to 

have an excellent lab to get to day five.” 

Additional costs vary from clinic to 

clinic, but Dr. Thornhill suggests that you 

can expect to pay an extra £200-£600 

in the UK. 

Dr. Thornhill also says that blastocyst 

transfer may not be for patients who want 

their treatment to be as natural as possible. 

“The longer something is in culture, the 

more risks there are, however small,” he 

says. “Everything is well-monitored in a 

laboratory, but there is slowly accumulating 

evidence that keeping an embryo in culture 

for longer can alter gene expression. Lots 

of things alter gene expression – its part of 

natural development – so this could be a 

normal variation, but until longer-term 

studies have been completed, it’s something 

we’re yet to determine. 

“If someone’s embryos don’t succeed in 

the culture system, that doesn’t necessarily 

mean they will never achieve a pregnancy,” 

adds Dr. Thornhill. “Embryos are meant to 

be in the body, and until a culture system 

is developed that is better than the womb, 

we have to be careful not to dismiss 

patients just because we can’t get them 

to the blastocyst stage.” 

For more information on blastocyst transfer 

talk to your local fertility clinic or visit: 

www.hfea.gov.uk 


PensThatCommunicate_FertilyRoad_Advert-HalfPage:Layout 1 14/7/10 12:07 PM Page 1 

Promote Your Clinic 

with Fertility Pens 

Looking for something different? 

Break through the marketing clutter with a new and 

innovative range of 3D promotional pens. 

The new range provides marketers with a quirky 

alternative to keeping your brand top of mind. 

Whilst most pens simply promote a company or brand 

name, their ever evolving range of pens, like our Floating 

Action Retro or 3D Miniature Character Pens, take this one 

step further to truly bring your brand to life. 

Your logo here 

rASK 

about PVC 

coasters to 

promote your 

clinic 

rADD 

your logo 

& 

CUSTOMIZE 

the colours 

LONDON 

7 Royalty Studios, 105 Lancaster Road 

Notting Hill, London W11 1QF 

E dani@pensthatcommunicate.com 

P +44 (0) 79 57 302 419 

POSTAL 

PO Box 634 Surry Hills, NSW 2010 Sydney Australia 

M +61 418 442 350 

F +61 2 8078 0126 

E luke@pensthatcommunicate.com 

Check out our full range of promo products at 

www.pensthatcommunicate.com 

Are you going 

round and 

round 


trying 

in 

circles 

to 

IVF 

right 

the 

find 

Do you feel like nobody understands what you are going through? Well now you are on the right track, as you have found Barbados Fertility Centre, 


while the experts handle your treatment. Barbados Fertility Centre has been awarded the gold seal of approval from JCI International, the US based 


will also be pleased to learn that our treatment costs are a lot lower than private treatment in the UK and we can start scheduling your treatment straight 


achieved 71% pregnancy rate using Blastocyst on women under 35 in 2009. We pride ourselves on individualised patient care and use the latest in 



For further information please call our IVF Nurse Co-ordinator on 001 246 435 7467 or go to our website www.barbadosivf.org 


by Joint Commission International

READER STORY | letter from the heart 

In this issue’s Letter from the Heart, 

Amanda describes how a chance trip 

abroad changed her life forever. 

‘‘ 

LETTER 

FROM THE 

HEART: 

AMANDA’S 

STORY 

Ever since I was old enough to remember I wanted to 

have my own children. I remember my mother telling 

me “Nani, the way you looking after your sister, you 

would think you were her mother!” I do remember 

being fiercely protective of my sister Kirsten and can recall imagining 

that she was indeed my own child. I was 6 and Kirsten was 

a new born. I would help my mother change her nappies, bathe 

her, read to her, feed her and even put her to bed. 

I think that it’s pretty common for little girls to do that, or 

at least I hope so. Sadly those days ended as we grew up into 

adults and started our own lives respectively. I went to University 

and studied law, wanting a good career for myself, deciding to 

hold out on having children until I was older. Don’t get me 

wrong, I had my fair share of relationships, but the subject of 

children was never brought up. 

That suited me fine; I had a good job as a lawyer, was making 

decent money, had a new man and was enjoying my life. It 

wasn’t until my sister fell pregnant that things began to change. 

Shortly after my sister’s announcement, I announced that I was 

getting married to my partner, David, of 2 years and starting a 

family became a topic of conversation. 

Married Life 

My marriage to David went off without a hitch and shortly after 

that Kirsten gave birth to a baby girl called Daisy. It was such an 

amazing experience for us all. I can remember clearly holding 

the tiny little baby in my arms and I felt the maternal instinct 

overwhelm me, exactly as it had all those years ago with my 

little sister. I was thrilled to be an aunt and doted on Daisy, but 

deep down I wanted it to be me. 

Time went by and even though David and I were trying for a 

baby of our own, it never happened. I was reaching my early 

thirties by now and things were just not going to plan. I always 

thought that I would never have any problems conceiving, after 

all my mother always told me that I was born to be a mother, so 

what was wrong? 

The high of thinking we might be on the road to parenthood, 

coupled with the down of finding out I wasn’t pregnant began to 

affect me not only physically but emotionally as well. I began to 

take my frustrations out on Karl, often blaming him for not being 

able to give the child that I wanted so badly. It was a ridiculous 

allegation to make looking back, but at the time I had not 

accepted in my heart that there was a problem and I looked for 

the nearest person to blame. I even began to resent my sister, 

who by now was pregnant with her third child. 

Disclaimer: The names in this feature have been changed as the author 

wishes to remain anonymous, image is for illustrative purposes only 


Learning to listen 

It wasn’t until shortly after Kirsten gave birth, that I began to 

listen to reason. As I held my sisters son for the first time, she 

told me it was time to seek proper advice on why I wasn’t a 

mummy. I don’t know if it was holding another woman’s baby in 

my arms again, or the acceptance in my heart that something 

was wrong, but I started to cry, like I had never cried before. 

Letting out my emotions like that felt so good, and knew that it 

was time to see my Doctor. 

After explaining my story to my Doctor, he referred me to a 

fertility center here in London where they carried out some tests 

on both me and my husband to see where the problem lay. It 

came as a great shock to us when we were told that the reason 

why I was unable to fall pregnant was because I had a septate 

uterus where my uterus is divided by a muscular or fibrous wall 

called a septum. We were explained that this was a problem that 

affects less than 30% of women, and even then it depended on 

the how separated the uterus was. Our specialist then went on 

to tell us that conceiving naturally was not going to happen, 

and that if we wanted to have a family that we would 

have to look at other alternatives like adoption. 

Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against 

adoption at all, but when digesting what was the 

worst news I had ever had, all I could think about 

was not ever having my own child to hold and love. 

I began to build walls around me again to protect 

myself, but it wasn’t long before I realised that to get 

through this, I would have to face and deal with the 

emotional baggage that came with the news. 

Everyone around me were so supportive in making 

sure that I pulled through this in one piece, and it 

wasn’t till David and I were visiting good friends in Mumbai India 

that things began to take a change. We had been to a few clinics 

back home to discuss our options, but nothing ever really took off. 

While we were staying in India, a friend of ours told us about 

the Origin Fertility Center, and that we should check it out while 

we were here. She told us that her friend had the same issue as 

me, and that she had a child via surrogacy. 

Thinking of the future 

By now my husband was 50 and I was reaching 40, and we had 

been together for over 15 years without ever having a child. I 

remember sitting up till 4 am discussing the pros and cons, the 

possibility that the origin Center might be able to help. Doubt 

and dread flooded through me, while my husband, bless him, 

remained steadfast and talked me into making an appointment. 

How wrong was I is all I can say. From the moment we met 

with Dr. Mane, it was like we had known him all our lives. I felt 

so comfortable with him, almost like he knew what I had gone 

through. He knew the right words to say, and I found myself 

really opening up to him about the pain and the disappointments 

time and time again. 

Dr. Mane suggested that consider surrogacy as an option for 

having our long awaited child. This was something that we had 

not really discussed, but it seemed logical. Why not have 

someone else carry our baby. I don’t know why I had really 

thought about it, but maybe I wasn’t ready to. Dr. Mane 

understood and asked us to come back in a few days, when we 

had had time to think and discuss it all between us. 

Surrogacy as an option 

We left our meeting with our heads buzzing with excitement 

and anxiousness. The first thing I did was call my sister; “We are 

going to have our baby!” I shouted down the phone to her 

“What, are you pregnant?” she said “No, silly, we are going to 

have a surrogate carry the baby for us, what do u think of that?? 

By the reaction I got, I knew that this was the right decision, and 

my heart suddenly felt different, almost as if a weight had been 

lifted. As I hugged my husband, I closed my eyes and could see the 

baby in my arms. It had been such a long time since I had even 

dared to think like this for fear of being let down. 

The very next day, we called Dr. Mane again and made an 

appointment for the very same day. We told him the good news 

and that we wanted to start straight away. Once again, Dr. Mane 

was on call for all our needs. We had to extend our holiday just 

so just that we could get all the procedures done before we left, 

and everything was done without any problems. 

It wasn’t long after we got back home that we got a call from 

Dr. Mane telling us that he had found a suitable surrogate for 

As I hugged my husband, I closed 

my eyes and could see the baby in 

my arms. It had been such a long time 

since I had even dared to think like 

this for fear of being let down 

us. This was great news and couldn’t wait to see if the transfers 

were successful. As it turned out our surrogate fell pregnant 

almost straight away. It would only be another 9 months before 

I was going to be holding my child in my arms. 

9 months to go 

Waiting for the 9 months to pass was like waiting for a train that 

would never arrive. Dr. Mane kept us informed of all the changes 

and even sent us ultra scans of the little baby. We had asked him 

to keep the sex of the baby a secret, but it wasn’t long before we 

could guess, the scans were a give away! He was a little boy! 

Eventually it was time to go back to India to collect our little 

boy. I can’t even begin to explain what emotions I was feeling 

waiting outside for the baby to arrive, and the suddenly, there 

he was, all pink and screaming his little head off. 

It was then that I realised that this was everything I had ever 

wanted. We took Ben home and began life as a proper family. 

Looking back, I can hardly believe the chain of events that took 

place in order for us to have a child, but I do know that if it hadn’t 

been for Dr. Mane and his excellent team, I would probably still 

be despairing that I couldn’t fall pregnant. I owe so much to him, 

we both do, and for that we will be eternally grateful. 

The Origin International Fertility Centre 

Opp Hiranandani Meadows, Off Pokhran Rd 2, Thane (W) 400610, 

Mumbai, India. Tel: 0091-22-21712345/40, Fax: 0091-22-21712341 

info@theoriginfertility.com - www.theoriginfertility.com 


Special offer to all readers of Fertility Road 

Claim your FREE copy of 

The Ultimate Fertility Guide 

“Double Your Chances of Successful Natural or IVF Pregnancy” 

Dear Reader, 

“79% of my clients have conceived by using this programme!!” 

Find out today, how my clients have easily achieved these results by 

getting your free copy of my latest book, The Ultimate Fertility Guide. 

Whether you are trying to conceive naturally or with IVF or other 

assisted methods, this programme can dramatically increase your 

chances of successful pregnancy. 

Some of the things you’ll find in the guide are: 

•Two treatment methods that increase pregnancy success to 79%!! 

•Step by step programmes to follow at home for women and men 

•An important factor that could be preventing you from having a baby 

To optimize your chances of success, sign up for your free guide today 

Best wishes, Andrew Loosely UK Natural Fertility Expert, Harley Street, London 

To claim your FREE copy visit: www.NaturalFertilityExpert.com 

SUBSCRIBE TO FERTILITY 

ROAD TODAY AND SAVE! 

Fertility Road is Europe’s number one fertility magazine, aimed at guiding women and men on the 

path to parenthood. Its lifestyle-feel is a breath of fresh air in an industry sometimes obsessed with 

science, and in each issue we offer you the stories behind top celebrity names, plus advice, information 

and stimulating features from some of the UK’s most accomplished fertility writers, tackling issues 

ranging from health, diet, finance and travel, through to law, exercise and same-sex parenting. 

We showcase the latest developments and present your heartfelt and often optimistic stories. 

SUBSCRIBE NOW! You can subscribe by emailing subscriptions@fertilityroad.com or by following 

the ‘Subscribe Now’ link online at www.fertilityroad.com. Alternatively cut out this form and send 

it in the post to the address listed, attaching a cheque or postal order for the relevant amount. 

Yes, I would like to subscribe to Fertility Road magazine 

Are you going 



Adopts a new 


3 Do issues you feel for like £10.35 nobody understands 6 issues for what £18.30 you are going p&p through? is free* Well now Mobile you are No on the right track, as you have found Barbados Fertility Centre, 


Your while Details: the experts handle your treatment. Barbados Fertility Centre has been Email awarded the gold seal of approval from JCI International, the US based 


Name will also be pleased to learn that our treatment costs are a lot lower than private Signature treatment in the UK and we can start scheduling your treatment straight 


Address achieved 71% pregnancy rate using Blastocyst on women under 35 in 2009. 

Date 

We pride ourselves on individualised patient care and use the latest in 



To receive great offers, news, products and service information 

For further information please call Post our code IVF Nurse Co-ordinator on 001 from 246 Fertility 435 7467 Road, via or go email to our and website SMS www.barbadosivf.org 

please tick this box 

Kristin Davis 

Send subscriptions to: 

Fertility Road magazine, Suite 318, Building 50, Argyll Road, Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, London, SE18 6PP. 

IVF 




right 

round and 




round 

trying 



TOP TIPS 

FOR WINTER 




BOY 

OR 

GIRL 

Should you 

be allowed 

to choose? 

SUBSCRIBE 

TODAY 

AND SAVE 

ISSUE 08 WWW.FERTILITYROAD.COM 


the 

find 

to 

in 

circles 

£££’s 

64 fertility road | winter 2011-12 


by Joint Commission International 

*International subscriptions with incur a small shipping charge, please see www.FertilityRoad.com for details.


BOOKS 

Our review of the latest fertility titles… 

The Ultimate Guide to 

Surrogacy & Home 

Insemination 

- Barrie Drewitt-Barlow 

Out now, £19.99 

This book provides clear and detailed 

advice on all aspects of overcoming infertility 

by using surrogacy. Answering all 

the questions that anyone considering 

surrogacy should ask first, and warns of the 

dangers and pitfalls of proceeding without 

the appropriate support and guidance. 

The book also describes all of the 

scientific and legal processes involved in 

surrogacy, and looks at the financial costs 

and how to minimise these through the 

careful selection of clinics and legal firms. 

It also looks at the emotional issues, and 

how to protect the welfare of all concerned. 

Barrie Drewitt-Barlow is a clinical social 

worker and founder of the British Surrogacy 

Centre. He has been involved in surrogacy 

since 1996, and along with his partner, 

Tony have had five children all via surrogacy. 

The Ultimate Guide to Surrogacy and 

Home Inseminations draws on all of his 

experiences, professional and personal, 

and is essential reading for anyone wishing 

to explore their fertility options. 

Baby-Making 

- Bart Fauser & 

Paul Devroey 

Out now, £16.99 

In the developing world, the choices 

available to couples for fertility treatments 

are wider than ever before. This is a time 

when most types of infertility can be 

treated by modern ‘test-tube’ methods, yet 

reproduction itself has become inextricably 

bound with social and political trends – 

delayed first pregnancy, declining birth 

rates, childbirth beyond the age of 40 – 

fertility treatment is a hot topic. 

The range of new technologies is expansive, 

from embryo selection by genetic 

analysis to egg donation in the over-forties. 

Today, the ‘assistance’ of conception with 

treatments such as IVF reflects a life-choice 

whose context is immediately social, cultural, 

personal, and political. 

Arguing that these new technologies 

allow the ‘design’ of babies in a way which 

is far beyond the spontaneity of nature, 

this books describes new treatments, what 

they can do, and how far they have come 

in shaping our everyday lives. Considering 

the wider implications of fertility treatment, 

its looka at the issues it raises, and evaluate 

how far treatments can, and should, go. 

Grade a Baby Eggs: 

An Infertility Memoir 

- Victoria Hopewell 

Out now, £12.99 

Victoria Hopewell was a forty-something 

divorcee when she met and married a 

long time bachelor whose ninety-year-old 

parents were anxiously waiting for a 

grandchild. The problem was, even though 

Victoria had two young daughters from a 

previous marriage, her intense desire to 

create a baby with her new husband was 

thwarted by her own body. Her eggs were 

aging faster than her healthy hormones 

and youthful appearance would suggest. 

Desperate for a child, willing to undergo 

every procedure from Lupron shots through 

egg harvesting and IVF, she is blocked at 

every corner from achieving her dream. 

Finally she journeys toward the use of 

a donor egg, but no eggs are available, 

and she is placed on a lengthy hospital 

waiting list. Victoria and her husband 

then embark on a surrealistic egg hunt to 

find their own donor. Follow her insider’s 

account of the hidden world of egg donation 

– where women’s eggs are bought 

and sold over the internet. Grade A Baby 

Eggs is a must read for anyone considering 

IVF or the donor egg option. 

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 January 2012. 


FERTILITY ROAD | 

not forgotten 

EARLY 

ADOPTERS 

In ancient Rome, adoption of boys was very 

common, especially in the upper classes 

where the need for a male heir was vital to 

carry on the family name. Adoption also 

served to cement ties between families, and 

more importantly, acted as a mechanism for 

ensuring a smooth succession whereby the 

Emperor would adopt his chosen successor. 

This was very much the case with Trajan, 

who ruled as emperor of Rome for 18 years. 

Born in 53AD, he followed in his father’s 

footsteps in becoming a distinguished Roman 

Soldier and at the age of 44 was unexpectedly 

adopted by the Emperor Nerva. 

Nerva came to power after his predecessor 

had been murdered, but his position was 

uncertain as he did not gain the support of 

the Roman armies. So he adopted Trajan, a 

well respected military man, to gain the trust 

and respect of the army. Unlike many of his 

predecessors Trajan ruled with moderation 

and respect for his people. 

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 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. 


Delivering 24 chromosome 

aneuploidy screening 

The formation of an egg or a sperm with the correct quantity 

of genetic material is a complex process that can result in 

the incorrect number of chromosomes in a fertilised egg, 

a condition termed aneuploidy. 

With increasing maternal age a woman’s chance 

of suffering aneuploidy-related miscarriage increases 

significantly. In addition, many scientists believe that failure 

of IVF cycles is highly correlated with aneuploidy. 

24sure uses advanced molecular techniques which are 

now widely used in cytogenetics. These methods have 

been adapted to screen oocytes and embryos for 

aneuploidy prior to implantation. 

24sure is developed by 

BlueGnome Ltd, a leader in 

the field, and is now available 

through leading IVF centres 

in over 15 countries. 

For more information see 

www.24suretest.com 

BlueGnome, Cambridge, UK 

email: info@24suretest.com 

toll free US: 1-800-418-9656 

international: +44 (0) 1223 844441

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 

*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 08

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

Delete template?

Save as template?