Fertility Road Issue 04
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EUROPE'S NO.1 FERTILITY MAGAZINE<br />
ISSUE <strong>04</strong> | JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2011 £3.95/€4.95<br />
YOUR PATH TO PARENTHOOD<br />
ZITA<br />
WEST<br />
EXCLUSIVE<br />
READER<br />
Q&A<br />
WWW.FERTILITYROAD.COM<br />
DOWN'S<br />
SYNDROME<br />
The tests explained<br />
NEW YEAR<br />
NEW YOU<br />
Fitness, health<br />
and fertility<br />
“Having children<br />
Jo Joyner<br />
ISSUE<br />
is a gift”<br />
<strong>04</strong> WWW.FERTILITYROAD.COM<br />
COOKING TO CONCEIVE CO-PARENTING FERTILITY CONSULTANTS
FERTILITY ROAD<br />
CONTENTS<br />
In this issue...<br />
46<br />
24<br />
37<br />
Cover image © Brendan O’Sullivan/ScopeFeatures.com<br />
52<br />
16 NEW YEAR, NEW YOU<br />
How to ensure you get the most out of your<br />
New Year fertility pledge<br />
20 DOWN’S SYNDROME<br />
<strong>Fertility</strong> <strong>Road</strong> puts some numbers behind the science<br />
to explain the testing procedure in full<br />
24 JO JOYNER<br />
The Eastenders star speaks exclusively to <strong>Fertility</strong> <strong>Road</strong><br />
in a full-length interview that reveals her path to parenthood<br />
37 EXPERT WITNESS: ZITA WEST<br />
The UK’s leading fertility expert answers your questions<br />
in her regular <strong>Fertility</strong> <strong>Road</strong> slot<br />
40 FAMILY AND CO.<br />
Hazel Davis examines the growing trend<br />
of challenging the traditional family model<br />
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:<br />
FERTILITY ROAD SCIENCE:<br />
Genetic counselling, Cranial osteopathy<br />
CONSULTANTS FOR CONCEPTION:<br />
Behind-the-scenes with Lotus Blossom<br />
NUTRITION:<br />
Cooking to conceive with Dr Marilyn Glenville<br />
CELEBRITY WORLD:<br />
<strong>Fertility</strong> news amongst the flashbulbs<br />
www.fertilityroad.com<br />
03
The Zita West<br />
Clinic<br />
The The Zita West Clinic is is the the<br />
UK’s largest integrated<br />
clinic for for reproductive<br />
health, combining<br />
the the latest medical<br />
thinking with expert<br />
complementary treatments.<br />
Each year, our our specialist team of of doctors,<br />
midwives, nutritional therapists and and<br />
complementary practitioners help help hundreds<br />
of of couples to to get get pregnant, both both naturally and and<br />
through assisted means - - most of of whom have tried<br />
previously for for months and and years without success.<br />
We We also also help help many more, who who are are going through IVF, IVF, to to<br />
improve their chances of of success through expert preparation<br />
and and support.<br />
<strong>Fertility</strong>, conception, pregnancy and and birth are are whole-body<br />
events and and an an integrated approach to to preparing for for them can, can,<br />
we we believe, pay pay dividends, helping to to improve not not just just your your<br />
fertility, but but your your pregnancy and and the the long long term health and and<br />
potential of of your your baby too. too.<br />
How we can help:<br />
• • Just Just decided to to try? try?<br />
Boost your your fertility and and improve your your pregnancy<br />
• • Want to to know how how fertile you you are? are?<br />
Take Take our our tailor-made fertility MOT MOT<br />
• • Finding it it difficult to to get get pregnant?<br />
Identify and and help help resolve your your problem<br />
• • Planning on on having IVF? IVF?<br />
Help Help increase your your chances of of success<br />
• • If If IVF IVF fails fails<br />
Help Help with with next next steps. How How to to move on on<br />
• • Suffering from recurrent miscarriage?<br />
Help Help to to find find a way a way through<br />
Services we we offer:<br />
• • Gynaecology • • Nutrition • • Counselling<br />
• • Midwifery • • Acupuncture • • Massage<br />
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Zita Zita West Clinics Ltd Ltd<br />
37 37 Manchester Street, London W1U W1U 7LJ 7LJ<br />
Tel Tel 0207 0207 224 224 0017 0017 Fax Fax 0207 0207 224 224 0062<br />
www.zitawest.com<br />
TO TO MAKE AN AN APPOINTMENT: 020 7224 0017<br />
Top foods to eat to<br />
boost your fertility!<br />
A healthy weight and well-balanced diet for both<br />
men and women before you conceive will boost<br />
your fertility, ensure you are at the best of your<br />
health during pregnancy and make sure that you<br />
have the energy you will need when your baby<br />
finally arrives.<br />
Laura McLoughlin,<br />
Tesco Diets Nutritionist<br />
What’s important?<br />
Folate<br />
Why? Helps prevent neural tube defects in your developing<br />
baby. Foods: A 400mcg daily folic acid supplement, leafy<br />
green veg, beans and citrus fruits.<br />
Iron<br />
Why? Boots your iron stores to prepare for increased iron<br />
needs during pregnancy. Foods: Red meat, pulses, dried<br />
fruits and leafy green vegetables.<br />
Vitamin C<br />
Why? Improves iron absorption in your stomach and boosts<br />
immunity. Foods: Citrus fruits, kiwi fruits, berries, peppers<br />
and leafy green vegetables.<br />
Calcium<br />
Why? Essential for your baby’s development and helps to<br />
protects mother’s bones. Foods: Dairy, leafy green veg, dried<br />
fruit, sesame seeds, beans and chickpeas.<br />
Alcohol<br />
Cutting it out will boost fertility, remove any alcohol related<br />
risks when you do get pregnant and limit your intake of<br />
“empty” calories for a healthy weight.<br />
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*10 weeks for the price of 8 at a cost of £2.99 per week. To avail of this offer you must go<br />
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2<br />
D<br />
w
ISSUE <strong>04</strong> | JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2011 £3.95/€4.95<br />
<strong>04</strong> WWW.FERTILITYROAD.COM<br />
FERTILITY ROAD<br />
CONTRIBUTORS<br />
Introducing the <strong>Fertility</strong> <strong>Road</strong> panel of journalists and experts…<br />
EUROPE'S NO.1 FERTILITY MAGAZINE<br />
YOUR PATH TO PARENTHOOD<br />
ZITA<br />
WEST<br />
EXCLUSIVE<br />
READER<br />
Q&A<br />
COOKING TO CONCEIVE CO-PARENTING FERTILITY CONSULTANTS<br />
ISSUE <strong>04</strong> - JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2011<br />
Group Publishers:<br />
Jeff Crockett, Giorgio Severi<br />
WWW.FERTILITYROAD.COM<br />
DOWN'S<br />
SYNDROME<br />
The tests explained<br />
NEW YEAR<br />
NEW YOU<br />
Fitness, health<br />
and fertility<br />
“Having children<br />
ISSUE<br />
Jo Joyner is a gift”<br />
Welcome to the new issue of <strong>Fertility</strong> <strong>Road</strong>, Europe’s number one<br />
fertility magazine. First things first, how are the New Year’s resolutions<br />
going? Well, if they’re less ‘going’ and more ‘gone’, remember that<br />
getting yourself in the best physical and emotional shape for starting<br />
a family is an ‘all year round’ task! So to help you retain momentum,<br />
we’ve put together an extensive guide that will not only offer advice<br />
on what pledges to make, but will aim to solve the bigger problem -<br />
namely, how to stick to them!<br />
We’ve got brilliant interviews with Jo Joyner and our resident fertility<br />
expert, Zita West, and present the usual cross-section of features,<br />
encompassing everything from the issues surrounding Down’s<br />
Syndrome to the emotional plusses and minuses of co-parenting.<br />
<strong>Fertility</strong> <strong>Road</strong> aims to inform and inspire in a way that is direct, honest<br />
and empathetic, whilst breaking down the science by being written in<br />
good old-fashioned plain English. So we hope you’ll enjoy the issue, and<br />
look forward to seeing you again in two months... James Evans, Managing Editor<br />
Business Advisor:<br />
Alessandro Severi<br />
Managing Editor:<br />
James Evans<br />
Contributors:<br />
Kelly Rose Bradford, Hazel Davis,<br />
Carrie Dunn, Andy Greeves, Siobhan O’Neill,<br />
Johanna Payton, Cathryn Pugh, Zita West<br />
OUR WRITERS...<br />
OUR EXPERT...<br />
Zita West is a renowned expert in her field, having successfully assisted<br />
thousands of couples through the trials and challenges of conception.<br />
Zita writes exclusively for <strong>Fertility</strong> <strong>Road</strong>, answering an array of reader<br />
questions and concerns, imparting the kind of knowledge that sees her<br />
regarded as the UK’s leading light in pregnancy and fertility.<br />
Art Editor:<br />
Damian Browning<br />
Interim Sales Manager:<br />
Ms. J Watson<br />
European Sales:<br />
Susan Calatayud, Pier Minole<br />
Public Relations:<br />
Edith Collins<br />
Legal Advisor:<br />
W Burson & Co.<br />
Client Liason Officer:<br />
Debbie Hanson<br />
Printed by:<br />
Buxton Press<br />
Advertising Enquiries:<br />
sales@fertilityroad.com<br />
Contact details:<br />
<strong>Fertility</strong> <strong>Road</strong> Magazine<br />
Suite 318, Building 50,<br />
Argyll <strong>Road</strong>, London SE18 6PP<br />
Tel: 020 8316 8923<br />
Email: info@fertilityroad.com<br />
www.fertilityroad.com<br />
Follow us on Twitter<br />
www.twitter.com/fertilityroad<br />
Hazel Davis lives with her partner and two dogs in West Yorkshire. She writes<br />
on a variety of topics for The Guardian, The Independent, Daily Mail, Financial<br />
Times, Practical Parenting, Early Years and the music press. She has a particular<br />
interest in lesbian and gay parenting and fertility issues and sings in a choir.<br />
Andy Greeves is based in Dorset and works as Marketing & PR Officer for<br />
the Bournemouth-based Anglo-European College of Chiropractic. His interest<br />
in fertility issues stems from his mother Janet, who is alternative medicine<br />
practitioner, so Andy has heard many happy pregnancy stories as a result!<br />
Siobhan O’Neill is a mum to five-year-old Una and 11-month Aoife. As a writer<br />
she specialises in features about parenting, health and nutrition. As a mum she<br />
specialises in cuddles, snotty noses and messy dinner times. She has written on<br />
the rollercoaster that is parenthood and pre-parenthood for a variety of titles.<br />
Johanna Payton is a journalist, author and broadcaster who has been writing<br />
about fertility, pregnancy and parenting since her son, Eliott, was born six years<br />
ago. Her features have been published everywhere from Grazia to Maternity &<br />
Infant magazines. She has conducted interviews whilst changing nappies!<br />
Kelly Rose Bradford is a writer for the Daily Mail and Daily Express, and a<br />
specialist in parenting and family matters. A huge fan of babies, home-birthing<br />
and cloth nappies, she does not however weave lentils or hug trees. Kelly is<br />
mum to seven-year-old William.<br />
Carrie Dunn is a freelance journalist who has written for publications including<br />
The Times, The Guardian, The Independent, Cosmopolitan and Pregnancy Baby<br />
and You. When she’s not writing, she will be found at the theatre, at the<br />
cricket, or playing World of Warcraft!<br />
www.fertilityroad.com<br />
05
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FERTILITY ROAD<br />
NEWS<br />
The latest developments from the fertility world<br />
Baby born from embryo<br />
frozen for over 10 years<br />
© www.worldwidefeatures.com<br />
Lisa and Adrian Shepherd from Willenhall, West Midlands, are<br />
celebrating the unlikely birth of their third child, Ryleigh – who<br />
is a triplet despite being born 11 years later after her two sisters.<br />
The Shepherds had twins Megan and Bethan in August 1999<br />
after a successful course of IVF treatment. The couple had initially<br />
hoped to give birth naturally following their wedding in 1994, but<br />
Lisa was diagnosed with endometriosis and polycystic ovarian<br />
syndrome, preventing the possibility of natural conception.<br />
At the time of Megan’s birth, the couple opted to keep 12<br />
of Lisa’s healthy embryos frozen with a view to a possible<br />
pregnancy in the future. It was at the start of 2008 that Lisa<br />
and Adrian made the decision to try for another baby, a move<br />
backed by their children. Nearly two years on, Ryleigh Shepherd<br />
was born on November 20, 2010, weighing in at 7lb 10oz.<br />
Funding for the couple’s IVF treatment was provided by<br />
Walsall Primary Care Trust. After 18 months on a waiting list, they<br />
were referred to Midland <strong>Fertility</strong> Services in nearby Aldridge.<br />
Lisa, who is a 37-year-old hotel sales manager, recently spoke to<br />
the media about her delight at the birth of baby Ryleigh.<br />
And as she explained to the Birmingham Mail, Megan and<br />
Bethan are equally ecstatic at having a little sister.<br />
“Both girls were all for us trying for another baby and they adore<br />
their little sister,” she said. “They are like two extra mums.<br />
“We knew there was a good chance the IVF treatment<br />
wouldn’t be successful and we tried to prepare for that. We’re<br />
absolutely delighted at the birth of Ryleigh.”<br />
Amazingly, there are cases of embryos being used successfully<br />
after being frozen for as long as 20 years. A 42-year-old woman<br />
in the US gave birth to a baby boy last October after her embryo<br />
had first been stored in 1990.<br />
TIGHT<br />
RESTRICTIONS<br />
ON HUMAN<br />
EMBRYO<br />
RESEARCH<br />
COULD BE<br />
LIFTED<br />
The UK’s leading medical advisory body<br />
NICE (National Institute for Health and<br />
Clinical Excellence) has published a review<br />
of rules and regulations that govern medical<br />
research in this country. Many scientists have<br />
complained of a ‘red tape’ culture in research,<br />
which they believe is halting or delaying<br />
various medical advancements being made.<br />
Health Secretary Andrew Lansley says<br />
he supports NICE’s suggestions for the<br />
introduction of a new body which will speed<br />
up applications by scientists to conduct research and also make Britain a more attractive venue for drug companies and other<br />
organisations to carry out trials. NICE proposes the creation of the Health Research Agency, which would be a so-called ‘onestop-shop’<br />
for scientists seeking to gain approval for research. The current system sees researchers having to contact various<br />
NHS trusts for permission to recruit patients, which can delay progress by months.<br />
Crucially, the NICE report calls on tight restrictions on human embryo research to be lifted. The review suggests ditching the current<br />
‘special status’ embryos, which would reduce the lengthy application and consultation process in place currently. The current status<br />
can make it difficult for research to be approved in the first place, with permission only granted if work is deemed to be “necessary<br />
for the health of humankind”.<br />
The ‘Rawlins Review’ also recommends that the new agency takes over the current responsibility of the Human Fertilisation<br />
and Embryology Authority and Human Tissue Authority, which are set to be disbanded. Andrew Lansley told the House of<br />
Commons that: “National regulation and local governance of health research are too complex and scattered across too many<br />
different bodies. The government welcomes the report and will consider carefully how to implement its recommendations.”<br />
www.fertilityroad.com<br />
07
FERTILITY ROAD<br />
NEWS<br />
The latest developments from the fertility world<br />
‘HOW MANY<br />
EMBRYOS<br />
SHOULD I<br />
TRANSFER?’<br />
Andy Greeves explores<br />
IVF’s age old dilemma<br />
Deciding on how many embryos to transfer during IVF<br />
remains the most difficult decision for patients and<br />
doctors alike throughout a treatment cycle.<br />
If numbers alone counted for anything, then the<br />
choice between returning one or two embryos would be a no<br />
brainer. Implanting two embryos almost doubles the chance<br />
of having a baby to 42% likelihood, compared to just 27%<br />
likelihood if only one is transferred*.<br />
The early years after IVF’s development in 1978 saw the birth<br />
of many twins and triplets, as doctors transferred multiple embryos<br />
wherever possible in patients to increase the chances of pregnancy.<br />
Sadly, many subsequent multiple births posed problems for both<br />
mother and babies alike.<br />
We now know that twins and triplets born through IVF are far<br />
more likely to arrive prematurely than single babies and, in the<br />
case of multiple births, at least one baby is likely to weigh less than<br />
5lbs. Premature birth and low birth weight can lead to lifelong<br />
health problems for some babies and, at worse, can prove fatal.<br />
Clinics in the UK are permitted by law to transfer no more than<br />
two embryos and some countries across Europe, including<br />
Finland and Sweden, only allow single embryo transfer. Despite<br />
measures to limit the number of multiple births through IVF<br />
because of the implications, the number of women that give birth<br />
to twins or more stands at one in five across Europe.<br />
In 2003, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority<br />
(HFEA) estimated that 126 IVF babies who died during that year<br />
would have survived had they been singleton babies. A study, led<br />
by Yacoub Khalaf of Guy’s Hospital, London, in 2007, found that<br />
IVF can be just as effective with one embryo as two.<br />
Khalaf allowed embryos to develop in culture for five days,<br />
rather than the usual three days, before transfer to the womb.<br />
Nearly 200 Guy’s Hospital patients were treated using the method<br />
with nearly 100 births. The chances of clinic patients having a<br />
successful pregnancy rose from the national average of 35% to<br />
41% in Khalaf’s under-35 patients, while he reduced the multiple<br />
pregnancy rate from 37% to 19%.<br />
“It is a myth that single embryo transfer has to lower the success<br />
rate,” Khalaf commented at the time. “If you select the right patients,<br />
and use blastocyst transfer, it can be just as good. We believe firmly<br />
that a twin pregnancy is not an ideal outcome. People think it is two<br />
for the price of one, but the risks are real and we see heartache time<br />
after time. I would encourage every clinic to look at our results.”<br />
Despite Khalaf and the HFEA’s findings, transferring more than<br />
one embryo into the womb remains commonplace in fertility clinics<br />
in the UK. Indeed, it is estimated that 90% of treatment cycles<br />
in Britain involve the transfer of two embryos. The overriding<br />
assumption amongst patients and medical professionals seems to<br />
remain ‘two is better than one’ as far as embryo transfer goes.<br />
A study recently published in the British Medical Journal has<br />
again brought in to question the safety of multi-embryo transfer<br />
for mother and babies. The research pooled the results of 1,367<br />
women across Europe, who took part in trials comparing single<br />
embryo with double embryo transfer.<br />
While the trial saw an increase in the number of babies born<br />
through double embryo transfer compared to single (42% v<br />
27%), it also emphasised the problems that can arise through<br />
double embryo transfer.<br />
In total, 30% of babies born in this trial from double embryo<br />
transfer were born prematurely compared to just 13% of single<br />
embryo transfer IVF babies. After taking natural factors like the<br />
mother’s age and weight into account, the risk of prematurity in<br />
double embryo transfer rose to 33%. 28% of babies were also<br />
born using double embryo transfer, while only 8% of single embryo<br />
babies were.<br />
Many experts, including fertility scientists Peter Braude at<br />
King’s College, London, and William Ledger of Sheffield University,<br />
are calling on the UK government to outlaw double embryo<br />
transfer in IVF treatment. Mohamed Taranissi, Medical Director<br />
of the Assisted Reproduction and Gynaecology Centre (ARGC) in<br />
London, disagrees however. Taranissi believes that banning double<br />
embryo transfer would reduce the number of twins born<br />
through IVF only slightly, but would significantly reduce the<br />
number of babies born through the technique overall.<br />
For the average couple using IVF, the debate over double embryo<br />
transfer compared to single embryo transfer can be confusing.<br />
While opinion as to which technique to use remains divided, what<br />
should be remembered is that pregnancy rate is only one aspect to<br />
think about when weighing up your options. The health and wellbeing<br />
of mother and babies is an equally vital consideration.<br />
* Figures from McLernon DJ, Harrild K, Bergh C et al (2010) ‘Clinical effectiveness<br />
of elective single versus double embryo transfer: meta-analysis of individual patient<br />
data from randomised trials’.<br />
08 fertility road | january - february
FERTILITY ROAD<br />
FERTILITY FINDS<br />
The latest gadgets, gismos, applications and supplements…<br />
Pregnancy Companion iPhone App<br />
The Pregnancy Companion iPhone App is the first all-encompassing iPhone application<br />
for women expecting a new baby. It’s beautifully designed, and organised in a very fun,<br />
easy to use way that will inform and enlighten you on your path to parenthood.<br />
Pregnancy Companion is written and designed by two board-certified<br />
obstetricians with over 25 years of experience and more than 8,000<br />
deliveries. It offers week-by-week illustrated updates on developmental<br />
changes in you and your baby, a built-in calendar, extensive answers<br />
to pregnancy-related questions and ‘at-a-glance’ lists of what to<br />
expect and prepare for during different stages of your pregnancy.<br />
There’s also information about nutrition, drugs, safety, weight,<br />
plus alternative therapies; and for when the big moment arrives,<br />
comprehensive lists detailing what to buy for your baby. This all-inone<br />
app is available now.<br />
PRODUCT<br />
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Price 65p from iTunes or visit www.pregnancycompanionapp.com<br />
First Response<br />
- Early Result Pregnancy Test<br />
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Pregnancy Test enables you to get your<br />
result quicker than you would with any<br />
other pregnancy kit. It is so sensitive that<br />
most pregnant women have enough of<br />
the pregnancy hormone, hCG (human<br />
chorionic gonadotropin), to be detected<br />
as early as six days before the day of<br />
your missed your period. First Response<br />
detected hormone levels consistent with<br />
pregnancy in 62% of women six days<br />
before the day of missed period, and in<br />
78% of women five days before. For early<br />
alert, First Response is true to its name!<br />
Price 2-pack for £7 from all good chemists<br />
Kush<br />
- Breast Support<br />
The Kush Breast Support is now available<br />
in the UK following its launch in the US.<br />
Kush is used as a non-invasive comfort<br />
and support in the breast area for<br />
women with C-Cup or larger breasts<br />
(both natural breasts and implants)<br />
and who sleep on their sides. Kush is<br />
suitable for pregnant and breastfeeding<br />
women, and is endorsed by US plastic/<br />
reconstructive surgeon Dr Peter L Tucker,<br />
MD, and chiropractic physician Henry E<br />
Rice. Kush is available in three sizes and<br />
seven colours.<br />
Price £29.99 plus p&p from<br />
www.thekushcompany.com<br />
The Diet Plate<br />
- Portion control made easy<br />
It is well documented that carrying too<br />
much weight can affect fertility, though<br />
Diet Plate is portion control made easy.<br />
After all, being the right weight for your<br />
height will give you the best chance<br />
possible of becoming pregnant or getting<br />
onto the NHS list for IVF treatment. Diet<br />
Plate is a weight management solution<br />
consisting of a portion control plate and<br />
bowl, in female, male and child versions,<br />
which is calibrated to give you the right<br />
proportions of food groups and just the<br />
right amount of calories.<br />
Price £21.99 plus £3.99 p&p from<br />
www.thedietplate.com<br />
10 fertility road | january - february
FERTILITY ROAD<br />
NEWS<br />
‘SAVIOUR<br />
SIBLING’ IVF<br />
THERAPY USED<br />
FOR THE FIRST<br />
TIME IN UK<br />
Anine-year-old girl from the UK, born with a rare<br />
form of anaemia known as ‘Fancomi’, has been<br />
saved from the life-threatening disease through<br />
the use of IVF.<br />
The girl was born with Fancomi anaemia, after<br />
inheriting it from her parents who were unknown carriers<br />
of the faulty gene. She developed bone marrow failure as a<br />
result. A worldwide search was unsuccessful in trying to find<br />
her a suitable bone barrow donor and tests on her older<br />
brother proved that he was unsuitable.<br />
The family, who wish to remain anonymous, discovered<br />
that embryos could be screened to find a potential suitable<br />
donor match for the girl. Doctors at the Care Clinic in Nottingham<br />
did exactly that and after overcoming selected legal hurdles,<br />
the couple were able to proceed with the birth of a so-called<br />
‘saviour sibling’.<br />
Upon the birth of their new baby boy, doctors stored<br />
umbilical cord blood - which contains stem cells and recently<br />
collected bone marrow - from him to give to his sister. The girl<br />
is recovering in hospital at Addenbrooks in Cambridge and is<br />
expected to be back at school in the near future.<br />
This case is a first in the UK. In 2003, Michelle and Jayson<br />
Whitaker from Derbyshire travelled to the United States to<br />
carry out the same practice as British law prevented it at the<br />
time. They needed a ‘saviour sibling’ to prevent the death of<br />
their son, who also had a dangerous form of anaemia.<br />
Simon Fishel, Managing Director of the Care Clinic, told The<br />
Guardian: “We are delighted at this outcome for this family. This<br />
is absolutely a positive life-giving medicine... Many specialists<br />
do not know that this procedure is available in Britain – patients<br />
are told to have more children and that with luck one might be<br />
a suitable donor, or they are told they have to go abroad.”<br />
The clinical procedure cost £10,000, which was paid for by<br />
the couple’s local primary care trust.<br />
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fertility<br />
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and support<br />
online with<br />
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FERTILITY ROAD | Duo<strong>Fertility</strong><br />
AS EFFECTIVE AS<br />
IVF, AT A FRACTION<br />
OF THE COST<br />
Exciting new research offers renewed hope<br />
to couples wanting a natural pregnancy…<br />
<strong>Fertility</strong> <strong>Road</strong> readers who are considering IVF would<br />
have been very interested in some amazing research from<br />
Duo<strong>Fertility</strong> that hit the headlines at the end of 2010.<br />
A paper presented at the prestigious 2010 World<br />
Association of Reproductive Medicine Annual Congress revealed<br />
99 couples using Duo<strong>Fertility</strong> who had either previously undergone<br />
IVF or who were awaiting their first IVF procedure, demonstrated<br />
pregnancy rates after six months of use that were as good as a<br />
cycle of IVF, and at a fraction of the cost. Not surprisingly, this<br />
was picked up by the national media and widely reported, as the<br />
implications are potentially exciting, both for couples with fertility<br />
problems and for the NHS.<br />
One particularly interesting part of the research was that pregnancy<br />
rates in older women (age 37 and over) appeared to be higher<br />
with Duo<strong>Fertility</strong> than with IVF. This may be due to the reduced<br />
physiological stress of using Duo<strong>Fertility</strong> compared to hormonal<br />
downregulation and stimulation induced during a cycle of IVF.<br />
A further interesting finding was that women with secondary<br />
infertility (namely, women who had previously had one or more<br />
child) also had significantly higher pregnancy rates with Duo<strong>Fertility</strong><br />
than with IVF (28.5% compared to 21.5% for a cycle of IVF). This<br />
may be, in part, because Duo<strong>Fertility</strong> maximises the chances of<br />
natural conception, which of course relies on the couple being at<br />
least partially fertile. In the case of secondary infertility, more often<br />
than not, fertility is likely to have already been proven.<br />
This research is particularly encouraging in light of the length of<br />
time taken for the typical UK couple to receive NHS-funded IVF -<br />
three years (for cases of unexplained infertility).<br />
It means couples can use Duo<strong>Fertility</strong> whilst<br />
waiting for IVF with their chances of conceiving<br />
being at least as good as for the IVF procedure<br />
itself. Duo<strong>Fertility</strong> is also considerably less<br />
invasive and less stressful compared to a cycle<br />
of IVF, and much less costly.<br />
Duo<strong>Fertility</strong> was developed by Cambridge<br />
University scientists who invented a new way<br />
to detect and analyse the physiological<br />
parameters that determine when a woman is<br />
most fertile up to a week in advance, as well<br />
as confirming that ovulation has occurred.<br />
Because it is fully automated it cuts out the<br />
need for time-consuming measuring. Better<br />
still, by removing any human error it provides<br />
extremely accurate results even in women with<br />
irregular cycles or with hormone-imbalance<br />
conditions like PCOS.<br />
At the heart of the unique Duo<strong>Fertility</strong><br />
approach is a tiny sensor worn under the arm as<br />
a patch. This minute sensor takes thousands of<br />
precise readings throughout the day. Every few<br />
days this data is downloaded to the handheld<br />
reader at the touch of a button and fertile<br />
days can be seen up to a week in advance. The<br />
reader can also be plugged into a computer,<br />
allowing your complete fertility cycle to be<br />
seen on screen – including fertile days and<br />
confirmation of ovulation.<br />
Every time you download data to your computer,<br />
it downloads securely to the Duo<strong>Fertility</strong><br />
<strong>Fertility</strong> Centre where it is analysed by Duo<strong>Fertility</strong>’s team of<br />
highly-qualified fertility consultants. This means every Duo<strong>Fertility</strong><br />
customer has access to fertility experts who know their fertility<br />
cycle in great detail and can act as fertility coaches to provide<br />
invaluable, personalised help and support. Every user also receives<br />
a comprehensive fertility report which provides detailed insights<br />
into their fertility cycle. This should prove invaluable in discussing<br />
fertility with doctors and specialists.<br />
So confident are the makers of Duo<strong>Fertility</strong> in their system that<br />
they offer a ‘get pregnant in 12 months or your money back’<br />
guarantee, subject to standard conditions (see product information<br />
for more details). So the best-case scenario is that you could soon<br />
be enjoying a natural pregnancy as Duo<strong>Fertility</strong> is proven to be at<br />
least as effective as IVF at a fraction of the cost. Duo<strong>Fertility</strong>’s<br />
team of highly qualified fertility consultants will be pleased to<br />
answer your questions - why not get in touch now?<br />
Duo<strong>Fertility</strong> is available direct from the company via their website.<br />
<strong>Fertility</strong> <strong>Road</strong> readers will not only enjoy individual support from a highlyqualified<br />
fertility expert, but should also be eligible for the unique<br />
Duo<strong>Fertility</strong> money-back guarantee. www.duofertility.com/FertRd<br />
The help and support you need to get pregnant - naturally<br />
12 fertility road | january - february
FERTILITY ROAD<br />
CELEB NEWS<br />
<strong>Fertility</strong> news amongst the flashbulbs<br />
A-LIST<br />
FAMILY<br />
MATTERS<br />
Paying someone to put little<br />
needles in you may seem crazy,<br />
but Mariah Carey swears that<br />
she has acupuncture to thank<br />
for her twin pregnancy.<br />
After a miscarriage in 2008, 41-year-old<br />
Carey and husband Nick Cannon have<br />
struggled to get pregnant again. Recently,<br />
she has been taking the hormone Progesterone<br />
to boost fertility and increase her chances<br />
of carrying a pregnancy to full term, and has<br />
combined that with Chinese medicine.<br />
That has meant daily acupuncture treatments<br />
“all over her body,” reveals Cannon.<br />
“I think it helped her quite a bit, because it<br />
was a good de-stressor.” Carey confirms<br />
that it helped her to relax: “I was getting<br />
acupuncture, like, once a day at least. It<br />
was on a schedule, everything. For the first<br />
time in my life, I spent time in one place.”<br />
In fact, Carey credits last issue’s cover<br />
star Celine Dion – also a Chinese medicine<br />
devotee - for prompting her to try acupuncture<br />
to help her get pregnant. “Celine was<br />
talking about acupuncture. I used to get<br />
acupuncture, and I had<br />
never thought of it<br />
with regards to the<br />
‘trying to conceive’<br />
situation,” she says.<br />
Whatever you think of alternative medicine<br />
(and irrespective of the fact medical experts<br />
are yet to find scientific evidence to suggest<br />
that it makes a difference to the chances of<br />
a pregnancy succeeding or not), it certainly<br />
seems to have worked for them – they’re<br />
having twins this spring. Seeing his wife’s<br />
face when they learned the treatments had<br />
worked “was priceless,” Cannon says. “We<br />
definitely cried. We still cry all the time. It’s<br />
an emotional journey.”<br />
Another journey of a different kind<br />
reached its culmination on Christmas Day,<br />
when rock legend Sir Elton John and husband<br />
David Furnish became the parents<br />
of a baby born to a surrogate mum from<br />
another woman’s donor egg in the USA.<br />
According to friends, the couple have<br />
agreed that they will be equal parents, and<br />
will not be announcing which of them is the<br />
biological father, though they may tell little<br />
Zachary if the question arises in the future.<br />
They had previously looked into adopting<br />
two HIV-positive babies from the Ukraine,<br />
but were blocked because the country does<br />
not recognise same-sex marriage, so instead<br />
they are now putting their efforts into<br />
finding the boys another loving home.<br />
14 fertility road | january - february
The pair said, via a spokesperson: “We<br />
are overwhelmed with happiness and joy<br />
at this very special moment. Zachary is<br />
healthy and doing really well, and we are<br />
very proud and happy parents.”<br />
And it appears that Elton and David have<br />
been seeking advice on parenting from<br />
celebrity friends who faced their own fertility<br />
issues - Sarah Jessica Parker and her husband<br />
Matthew Broderick, who had their toddler<br />
twins Marion and Tabitha by a surrogate<br />
mother. “Sir Elton and David had become<br />
extremely interested in surrogacy by the<br />
time they spoke to Sarah and Matthew,” a<br />
friend of the couple said. “Even so, they<br />
were able to give them an insight into how<br />
they coped with a high-profile surrogacy -<br />
both the ups and the downs.”<br />
Singer Ricky Martin is another with<br />
twins by a surrogate – he had his twin<br />
boys Matteo and Valentino via surrogacy<br />
in 2008, and has been talking about how<br />
fatherhood has changed him.<br />
“When you are young you are open to<br />
taking risks and are not afraid of anything,”<br />
he says. “Now my priorities are<br />
different. I have children and they are the<br />
most important thing in my life.”<br />
He loves being a parent so much that<br />
he’s now considering extending his family.<br />
“Even though I started with surrogacy,<br />
adoption is probably my next step,” said<br />
the 38-year-old, who had considered adopting<br />
a child before the birth of his babies.<br />
And it seems actor Neil Patrick Harris<br />
and his partner David Burtka are the latest<br />
to welcome twins born via surrogacy. The<br />
How I Met Your Mother star announced the<br />
Neil Patrick Harris & David Burtka<br />
IVF can be stressful for the woman with<br />
all the hormone injections and procedures.<br />
When the fi rst attempt didn’t work, I said to<br />
Penny, ‘Don’t worry, we’ll keep trying’<br />
- Rod Stewart<br />
birth of Gideon Scott and Harper Grace by<br />
tweeting that: “All of us are happy, healthy,<br />
tired, and a little pukey.” He’s since revealed:<br />
“We found an egg donor anonymously<br />
through a hilarious process of looking at<br />
people’s profiles, and then an amazing<br />
surrogate who had helped same-sex couples<br />
before. And then we inserted two eggs,<br />
one with my sperm, one with David’s<br />
sperm and they both took.”<br />
Model and former Strictly Come Dancing<br />
star Penny Lancaster announced at the end<br />
of last year that she and husband Rod<br />
Stewart needed three cycles of IVF to get<br />
them pregnant again.<br />
Stewart says: “IVF can be stressful for<br />
the woman with all the hormone injections<br />
and procedures. When the first attempt<br />
didn’t work, I said to Penny, ‘Don’t worry,<br />
we’ll keep trying’.”<br />
The pair are already parents to a little<br />
boy, Alastair, and had tried for two years<br />
to give him a brother or sister. They’re now<br />
expecting a baby in March and Lancaster<br />
says: “Our son’s happiness made all the IVF<br />
treatments worthwhile.”<br />
But not everyone ends up with a happy<br />
end result, and it unfortunately seems that<br />
the considerable and sometimes unrelenting<br />
pressures of IVF were enough to bring<br />
about the end for Katie Price and husband<br />
Alex Reid.<br />
Katie said recently, “It is a struggle. My<br />
hormones are up and down and I don’t like<br />
needles. My body’s gone through too much.<br />
I know I’m lucky to have three beautiful<br />
children, and if we aren’t successful in our<br />
IVF attempts then we’ll adopt.”<br />
But Alex’s apparent desperation to father<br />
through IVF appear to have loaded excessive<br />
strain on the marriage. He had stated that<br />
having babies (up to four) were the first<br />
thing on his mind when he married the<br />
former model.<br />
www.fertilityroad.com<br />
15
FEATURE | health<br />
WORDS | RICHARD ALDHOUS AND ANDREW LOOSELY<br />
16
There has never been a better time to<br />
really get your body in perfect fertile shape.<br />
New Year’s resolutions often fall by the<br />
wayside because there is no definite end<br />
goal. But improving your body health and<br />
wellbeing for the specific purpose of being<br />
in the best possible shape for conception,<br />
means potentially laying the foundations<br />
for a pledge or resolution that is significantly<br />
more real and long-lasting than the Atkins<br />
diet or a trip to the gym. And the reward?<br />
Well, let’s just say it will change your life…<br />
Even the most important and determined<br />
New Year’s resolutions can fail, and more<br />
often than not it’s because a person’s<br />
willpower finds itself dragged down and<br />
beaten into submission.<br />
Simply, to maintain willpower, you need to maintain<br />
focus. If you are clear in your ambitions and have a<br />
path that is obstacle-free and inviting, then you’re<br />
giving yourself the best chance of achieving your goals.<br />
Of course, temptation will always present itself – we<br />
wouldn’t be human without this emotion – but given<br />
the right planning, it can be pushed to the background<br />
if your drive and determination is secure and certain.<br />
To make that possible we’ve subverted the infamous<br />
Seven Deadly Saviours to Seven Definitive Saviours.<br />
First, we’ll leave Andrew Loosely, author of The Ultimate<br />
<strong>Fertility</strong> Guide, to present his collection of New Year<br />
fertility tips. Then we’ll describe a further seven ways<br />
that will ensure you know how to stick to your pledges.<br />
And if you’re flicking through this issue a few months<br />
down the line, don’t let the fact that the year has<br />
already started put you off, because good fertility<br />
health and habits can be commenced at any time - it<br />
just requires courage, conviction, and a constant belief<br />
that you will achieve your aims…<br />
»<br />
www.fertilityroad.com<br />
17
FEATURE | health<br />
SEVEN NEW YEAR<br />
FERTILITY TIPS<br />
BY ANDREW LOOSELY<br />
If you’re looking to have a baby in 2011, then this is a great time<br />
to start making some resolutions to help increase your chances<br />
of successful pregnancy.<br />
Life generally tends to be a bit calmer after the hectic<br />
Christmas celebrations so it’s a little easier to start reflecting on<br />
areas in your life that you could change.<br />
To help get you started I’ve listed the seven most important<br />
tips for increasing your chances of successful pregnancy whilst<br />
helping your body get in shape quickly.<br />
Follow these tips as often as you can to improve your chances<br />
of successful pregnancy.<br />
1. Eliminate Stress<br />
The number one contributing factor to infertility is stress. Avoid<br />
it if and where possible, or change the way you approach it.<br />
Persistent low-grade stress is the most harmful. Try to take some<br />
time out for yourself every day and allow yourself periods where<br />
you relax completely and calm your mind down so that you feel<br />
at ease. Literally empty your mind of things to do, let it go quiet<br />
and just drift. You could do this in the bath or just sitting down<br />
somewhere peaceful and without interruptions.<br />
Do this every day and you’ll quickly notice a difference in how<br />
you feel. Try some simple meditation or fertility hypnosis CDs too.<br />
2. Quit Smoking<br />
We all know that smoking is bad for us but when it comes<br />
to fertility issues its negative effects are even more<br />
profound. Smoke decreases the oxygen level in your blood<br />
and so less oxygen is carried to your cells. Without a good<br />
supply of oxygen they cannot work properly. If your<br />
body doesn’t work at its optimum level then, it<br />
follows, you will reduce your fertility success too.<br />
3. Reduce Alcohol Intake<br />
Ideally, you should stop consuming alcoholic drinks at least two<br />
months before actively trying for a baby.<br />
There are many issues with alcohol when thinking about<br />
improving fertility. One aspect is that it weakens your body’s<br />
energy due to it being a poisonous substance. This means that<br />
your body has to work extra hard to get rid of the waste from the<br />
alcohol and this uses up more energy. The more energy you use,<br />
the less energy there is for other functions within the body, and<br />
so the reproductive system becomes less efficient.<br />
4. Avoid Pain Relief Drugs<br />
A recent study at Oxford University has shown that pain relief<br />
drugs stop ovulation and therefore reduce the chances of<br />
conception. Where possible, move to natural pain relief and use<br />
treatments such as acupuncture to treat the cause of the pain.<br />
5. Stay Warm<br />
Keep your lower back, lower abdomen, legs and feet warm at all<br />
times. Wear plenty of clothes so the skin in this area feels warm to<br />
touch. This is a powerful principle of Oriental medicine and it works<br />
very well. The reason for this is that when the lower abdomen and<br />
lower body become colder, the blood cannot circulate as efficiently<br />
through this area and the blood supply to the uterus is also impeded.<br />
This normally results in pain at the beginning of your period.<br />
Keeping these areas warm allows the blood to circulate more<br />
freely and more efficiently to the uterus, which increases the<br />
success rate of implantation.<br />
6. Go Organic<br />
Eat organic food where possible, particularly meat, to avoid harmful<br />
pesticides and growth hormones that upset your natural hormone<br />
balance. Sadly, our food and water today is quite contaminated and<br />
many people are not aware that this is a contributing factor towards<br />
unexplained infertility.<br />
Our bodies absorb the growth hormones in non-organic meat and<br />
this causes our own hormone levels to come out of balance. This<br />
negatively affects the reproductive system and reduces the chances<br />
of pregnancy.<br />
Our bodies are simple and need natural and clean foods that<br />
are not laden with synthetic, manmade chemicals. Eat organically<br />
to redress the balance.<br />
7. Reduce Carbs<br />
Try to reduce your intake of simple carbohydrates<br />
- flour-based foods such as pasta and bread.<br />
These products convert to sugar rapidly in the<br />
body and cause problems with your blood sugar<br />
level, which affects your insulin level. This is linked to<br />
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and of course diabetes, along<br />
with other issues relating to infertility or conception problems.<br />
All vegetables contain carbohydrates (but a complex<br />
type which are good for you). Just eat lots<br />
of vegetables, particularly green leafy ones<br />
and some red and white meat too, for a<br />
completely natural and balanced meal.<br />
18 fertility road | january - february
5. Rate Your Progress<br />
Mentally ‘download’ progress every couple of days, and<br />
again at the end of each week. Go back to your original<br />
aims and ensure that you are where you want to be.<br />
If you are falling behind, construct a plan so that you<br />
are able to catch up. While it’s important not to be too<br />
harsh on yourself, the reality is that you are the only<br />
person who can really help you achieve what you want.<br />
6. Offer Yourself Rewards<br />
Your resolutions may be depriving you of some things<br />
you have come to know and enjoy, but that shouldn’t<br />
prevent you from giving yourself a pat on the back in<br />
other ways. List a set of potential incentives, and award<br />
yourself one at the end of each significant milestone.<br />
The tips on the previous page should help you avoid the more damaging<br />
factors in your environment and lifestyle. However, knowing what to<br />
improve and being able to stick to it are two very different things. Here is<br />
our guide to ensuring you can maintain to your new regime:<br />
1. Be Ambitious<br />
The glass is always half full, and positive thinking will do your fertility hopes<br />
no harm at all. Think big, picture your ultimate aims, and always come back<br />
to that image when you feel things might be going against you. Dreams and<br />
aspirations are inspiring and the things that motivate us to get out of bed each<br />
morning. Write these down and discuss them with a partner or friends.<br />
7. Talk to Others<br />
In 2011, the global communication angles are greater<br />
than ever. Support is available at every turn, with people<br />
spread all across the world experiencing similar emotions<br />
to yours. Always be willing to reach out and share your<br />
experiences. While the empathy is undoubtedly good for<br />
others, it is ultimately the most rewarding for yourself.<br />
2. Take It One Step at a Time<br />
While it’s important to be ambitious, you must be realistic at the same time. The<br />
best way to achieve this is to segment your hopes so that you can tackle them<br />
in bite-sized chunks. Create action steps and address each one individually –<br />
what do you need to do to overcome this; where and how will you begin?<br />
3. Set a Time<br />
It’s human nature to let things drift, so be determined and<br />
stubborn in setting yourself deadlines which need to be<br />
adhered to. You need to constantly remind your subconscious<br />
that this is a set process of goal-setting and goal-hitting.<br />
4. Chart Your Progress<br />
The best way to record and interpret your efforts is to note down your<br />
progress at every step. Create lists, charts, graphs… whatever works for you,<br />
but ensure you keep material up-to-date as a constant reminder of the<br />
journey you are on.<br />
FOR MORE INFORMATION:<br />
To find out more about The Ultimate <strong>Fertility</strong> Guide,<br />
visit www.naturalfertilityexpert.com<br />
TELL US<br />
ABOUT YOUR<br />
EXPERIENCES:<br />
We’d be delighted to hear how your New Year’s resolutions go this year. No<br />
matter what stage of the process you are at, our readers would love to share in<br />
your experiences along the way. If you’d be interested in documenting your year<br />
ahead, please write in to <strong>Fertility</strong> <strong>Road</strong> magazine at editor@fertilityroad.com<br />
www.fertilityroad.com<br />
19
FEATURE | Down’s Syndrome<br />
It’s a fear of every parent-to-be, where a single additional<br />
chromosome can make a life-changing difference. Hazel Davis<br />
breaks down the science behind the Down’s Syndrome tests...<br />
You’ve been trying for what feels like 100 years to<br />
have a baby. When you finally make it the elation is<br />
indescribable. You did it. You got there! But as any<br />
parent will tell you, the fertility worry was nothing<br />
compared with every other worry to come - screening being the first.<br />
If you’re over 35, chances are your doctor or midwife will have<br />
talked to you about the possibility of screening for Down’s Syndrome.<br />
Down’s syndrome is defined by the presence of an extra<br />
chromosome (number 21). Around one in every 500 babies is<br />
born with Down’s Syndrome.<br />
Many parents-to-be decide not to take the tests at all and accept<br />
whatever hand fate deals them. Others want the test for peace of<br />
mind and others will make a big decision based on the results.<br />
Anyone who’s ever endured the tests (this author being no<br />
exception) will know that they can be a veritable minefield of<br />
confusion and panic. The sonographer will tell you that they are<br />
“only an indication” and so you gravitate towards forums populated<br />
by people who toddle on with scare stories and (invariably) lower<br />
nuchal fold measurements than yours. Now and again someone will<br />
wander on and say, casually, “Of course all my scans were fine and<br />
I now have a healthy, happy Down’s Syndrome baby”. Gulp.<br />
A nuchal translucency (NT) test is a screening test that estimates<br />
the risk of your baby having Down’s Syndrome. Diagnostic tests,<br />
such as CVS or amniocentesis, will give you a definite diagnosis<br />
(though these carry a small risk of miscarriage).<br />
The NT scan looks at the collection of fluid under the skin at the<br />
back of the baby’s neck. It’s usually measured between 11 and 13<br />
weeks (after 14 weeks this excess fluid may have been absorbed).<br />
Many Down’s Syndrome babies have been shown to have an increased<br />
amount of fluid. An NT measurement of up to 2mm is considered<br />
normal at about 11 weeks and up to about 2.8mm by 13 weeks<br />
and six days. The NT normally grows in proportion with the baby.<br />
Currently the NT scan is only offered routinely in some NHS<br />
antenatal clinics. Very few hospitals offer the NT scan combined<br />
with the blood test. Those that do often don’t factor in the nasal<br />
bone (tests have showed that the presence of a nasal bone<br />
decreases the risk of Down’s Syndrome).<br />
Professor Howard Cuckle is Adjunct Professor of Obstetrics and<br />
Gynaecology, Columbia University, New York, USA, Emeritus<br />
Professor at the School of Medicine at the University of Leeds and<br />
director of Genome Ltd (Leeds Screening Centre). He has been<br />
doing Down’s Syndrome screening for 20 years and testing in the<br />
first trimester for the last decade.<br />
He says, “We like to use as many markers as possible and there are<br />
around 20 or 30 of these, some of which only have a small benefit.<br />
Our policy is that if you can afford it, why not use them all?”<br />
The most powerful marker is the nuchal translucency (NT)<br />
thickness but, says Professor Cuckle, “all of the markers are relatively<br />
poor, it’s just that NT is the best. You make progress by<br />
combining them.”<br />
20 fertility road | january - february
words | Hazel Davis<br />
© Science Photo Library<br />
The old wives’ tale is that only older mothers<br />
give birth to Down’s Syndrome babies but, says<br />
Professor Cuckle, age is the worst marker of all. The<br />
risk does increase exponentially with age but on its<br />
own it’s not enough. The risk associated with age,<br />
he explains, is probably to do with aging female sex<br />
cells. “You use up your best cells first and you have a<br />
diminishing pool of cells as you get older”.<br />
Next to the NT measurement, the strongest markers<br />
are the biochemical markers. The strongest of these<br />
being PAPP-A (pregnancy-associated plasma protein<br />
A) and free-beta hCG. And it’s these which are used in<br />
the combined test along with the AFP and uE3 (slightly weaker<br />
markers). In a foetus with Down’s Syndrome, PAPP-A levels are<br />
roughly halved, hCG levels are doubled, the NT is increased by<br />
two thirds and AFP and uE3 are reduced by a quarter. All these<br />
things, says Professor Cuckle, vary independently of each other<br />
and have to be added together to make any sense.<br />
Studies have shown that these biochemical markers can<br />
vary according to a number of factors. For example, serum<br />
marker levels tend to be decreased in heavier women and<br />
increased in lighter women. AFP levels tend to be about<br />
20% higher, free ß-hCG levels about 10% higher and PAPP-A<br />
levels about 60% higher in Afro-Caribbean women than in<br />
Caucasian women.<br />
The old wives’ tale is that only<br />
older mothers give birth to Down’s<br />
Syndrome babies but age is the worst<br />
marker of all. The risk does increase<br />
exponentially with age but on its<br />
own it’s not enough.<br />
Free-beta-hCG levels tend to be about 10% higher and uE3<br />
levels about 10% lower in women who have become pregnant<br />
as a result of IVF compared with non-IVF pregnancies. AFP and<br />
uE3 levels tend to be low in women with insulin dependent<br />
diabetes mellitus and PAPP-A and free-beta-hCG levels tend to<br />
be about 20% lower, with inhibin levels about 60% higher in<br />
women who smoke.<br />
At the Leeds Screening Centre, Professor Cuckle and his<br />
colleagues have developed a Contingent Screening Test, whereby<br />
if the results are abnormal then you stop there and have a CVS.<br />
If they’re normal then there’s no point doing any more. This is<br />
thought to be cost effective and also allows prospective parents to<br />
be reassured in the first trimester.<br />
»<br />
www.fertilityroad.com<br />
21
FEATURE | Down’s Syndrome<br />
around the same time with the NHS test<br />
suggesting I had a 1:15 chance of Down’s<br />
Syndrome and the private scan indicating a<br />
1:42,000 chance. The shock of the different<br />
results aside, I was so relieved I had gone<br />
for the second scan otherwise I may have<br />
made a rash decision.”<br />
However, Professor Cuckle warns against<br />
having two tests. “If you’ve had an abnormal<br />
result, ‘regression to the mean’ (if a variable<br />
is extreme on its first measurement, it will<br />
tend to be closer to the average on a second<br />
measurement) means that you’re likely to<br />
get a better result the second time, even in<br />
the same lab. It’s really best to use all that<br />
information together.”<br />
And you have to weigh up exactly what<br />
you’re going to do with all this information<br />
when you get it. If whether your baby has<br />
Down’s Syndrome has no bearing on how<br />
you continue your pregnancy is it worth<br />
putting yourself through unnecessary<br />
stress ‘just so you know’? If you are going<br />
to make life-changing decisions based on it,<br />
then you (and your partner) need to be very<br />
clear on them before you embark. How you<br />
felt before pregnancy could differ radically<br />
once you have been carrying for 10 weeks.<br />
And then there’s the effectiveness of the<br />
scans and people giving the scans. Position<br />
of the foetus is important when measuring<br />
the NT, says Professor Cuckle, and should<br />
not be too close to the uterine wall as this<br />
can cause confusion. Where the sonographer<br />
puts the electronic callipers and how<br />
they measure is also important. Moreover,<br />
nuchal fluid comes and goes and can have<br />
completely gone by 14 weeks.<br />
“There is a degree of subjectivity in a<br />
screening test too,” says Professor Cuckle.<br />
“NHS screening is routine stuff but private<br />
screening is usually done by foetal specialists<br />
and use more markers.”<br />
Which begs the question, what’s the<br />
point of having a scan which doesn’t look<br />
at all the markers? Well, says Professor<br />
Cuckle, “it’s better than not doing anything”.<br />
However, he does feel the NHS needs to<br />
improve its service: “At the moment they<br />
should be doing more contingent screening.<br />
More advanced ultrasound (such as checking<br />
for nasal bone) or some more biochemistry<br />
is needed.”<br />
As anyone who’s had these tests will<br />
know, once you’re in the system it’s hard to<br />
relax. Professor Cuckle agrees, “It’s like<br />
There is a degree of subjectivity in a<br />
screening test, NHS screening is routine<br />
stuff but private screening is usually done by<br />
foetal specialists and use more markers.<br />
having leaky gutters in your house. They<br />
may not have been a problem for 10 years<br />
but once you know about them you wish<br />
you’d never started. Most people offered<br />
these tests take them, then if they get a<br />
positive (for Down’s) result they start to<br />
worry and have an invasive procedure<br />
which turns out to be negative. Then they<br />
wish they’d never bothered. You’re bound<br />
to feel it was never worth doing.”<br />
Five months pregnant Kelly Baker, 34,<br />
from Huddersfield, had a high nuchal fold<br />
reading (3.3mm) at her NHS combined<br />
test scan. “The sonographer said it was<br />
higher than she would like but to wait for<br />
the blood results. Because I couldn’t bear the<br />
thought of waiting two weeks to find out, I<br />
went for an additional private combined<br />
test. The two sets of results came back<br />
Thirty-seven-year old Cheshire-based mumto-be<br />
Sarah Swinton thinks that testing<br />
can add unnecessary stress when it’s not<br />
needed. “I took all the tests I possibly could.<br />
I was given a very high chance of Down’s<br />
Syndrome so, after weeks and weeks of<br />
worry I had an amniocentesis which turned<br />
out to be fine and now I have a healthy<br />
baby boy. I am angry with myself for having<br />
any of the tests and wish I had just had<br />
faith instead.”<br />
What is clear is that, much like every<br />
other aspect of pregnancy and parenting,<br />
what is right for one couple may not be<br />
right for another, but presenting yourself<br />
with as many options as possible is<br />
undoubtedly the best thing – only then<br />
can you move forward with confidence<br />
and, where allowed, contentment.<br />
www.fertilityroad.com<br />
23
FEATURE | celebrity<br />
words | Andy Greeves<br />
24 fertility road | january - february
POSITIVE<br />
MOTHERLY<br />
ATTITUDE<br />
Two years ago Jo Joyner was at a difficult junction on the<br />
‘<strong>Fertility</strong> <strong>Road</strong>’, having discovered that IVF was her and partner<br />
Neil Madden’s only viable means of having a baby of their own.<br />
The couple’s determination and positive thinking during an<br />
emotion period was to be rewarded with two little miracles – twins<br />
Edie and Freddie – who were born in December 2009. <strong>Fertility</strong> <strong>Road</strong><br />
talks exclusively to the EastEnders actress about her IVF journey.<br />
© Brendan O’Sullivan/ScopeFeatures.com<br />
From an early age, Jo Joyner learned there was<br />
real value in the old saying that ‘strength comes<br />
through adversity’.<br />
“When I was a child, my father was diagnosed<br />
with leukaemia,” she recalls. “It was a very scary time<br />
for the family, but what strikes me looking back is his<br />
determination to get better. My father is a very practical<br />
and logical businessman and the last person that you<br />
would think would trust ‘blind faith’. When he was ill<br />
though, that’s exactly what he did. He adopted this mental<br />
approach where he constantly thought and talked about<br />
how he was going to get better.<br />
“He pulled through and is now fit and well. I have to<br />
say I took a lot from his positive mental approach, even<br />
though I was only a kid.”<br />
Within minutes of meeting Jo, it’s obvious that the<br />
influence of father Peter has had more than just a passing<br />
impact on her life. The actress radiates warmth and remains<br />
upbeat even when discussing difficult personal issues,<br />
most notably her and her husband’s difficulties in starting<br />
a family of their own.<br />
“We had been trying to get pregnant for a number of<br />
years but from the outset, we knew it would be difficult,”<br />
says Jo.<br />
“Neil had a problem with one of his testicles which<br />
was injured during childhood, and that was a potential<br />
obstacle from the start.<br />
“After a few years when I was struggling to conceive, we<br />
went along to see a specialist to look into the problem<br />
further. After a number of tests we were given the news<br />
that IVF would be our only option if we wanted to have a<br />
baby of our own. While we were fairly clued up on the<br />
possible problems we may have been facing, you never<br />
expect someone to turn around and tell you that your<br />
only option is to have IVF treatment.”<br />
The news was tremendously upsetting. Jo contemplates<br />
back over the vast array of emotions the couple went<br />
through in the immediate aftermath of being told of their<br />
limited childbirth options.<br />
“The news was difficult to take. We were obviously both<br />
frightened and deflated, as a couple, but you carry with<br />
you as well individual emotions, thoughts, and feelings.<br />
You fight through problems together, but there is a lot of<br />
self-contemplation, definitely. My husband held the belief<br />
that he would be able to change the problem we had, that<br />
everything would be alright and that we wouldn’t need<br />
IVF. I, on the other hand, realised we would absolutely<br />
have to go down the IVF path if I wanted to get pregnant.<br />
I was resigned to that fact right from the start.”<br />
After receiving the news in August 2008, Jo and Neil<br />
began looking for more information on the issues of fertility<br />
and IVF. What struck them was the lack of material available<br />
on the subject, along with a raft of misassumptions that<br />
people often made. »<br />
www.fertilityroad.com<br />
25
FEATURE | celebrity<br />
“I remember looking for a publication like<br />
<strong>Fertility</strong> <strong>Road</strong> during my initial experiences<br />
with IVF but to no avail,” she recalls. “I couldn’t<br />
believe how difficult it was to find anything<br />
on the topic of fertility, bar Robert Winston’s<br />
fantastic books. Everything else was formal<br />
material that was available from the NHS and in<br />
the fertility clinics. Obviously nobody approaches<br />
this as a light-hearted topic, but I would have<br />
welcomed something like this magazine back then,<br />
something that feels a lot more personable and real.<br />
“Another thing that struck me in the<br />
early stages was how much people assume<br />
they know about fertility issues and how,<br />
most of the time, this knowledge is completely<br />
wide of the mark. I think there is<br />
an over-assumption, even in the medical<br />
profession, that fertility issues always lie<br />
with the women. In this case and so<br />
many others, they can lie with the man,<br />
or even both partners.<br />
“At the time, I remember a number<br />
of people saying things like, ‘you are very<br />
young to have IVF’. I found such comments<br />
very frustrating. You have IVF treatment because it is a physical<br />
requirement and that is irrespective of your age at the time.<br />
There is a general misconception and prejudice that IVF is only<br />
for women who were ‘too busy’ to have a baby in their twenties<br />
or thirties, and that women over 40 are the only ones that have<br />
it. Of course, that is complete nonsense and it would be good if<br />
there was greater understanding of the real<br />
reasons for needing IVF.<br />
“Lots of people also say to me that now<br />
I’ve had a baby through IVF I should be able<br />
to conceive naturally. That’s another misunderstanding,<br />
because while pregnancy can<br />
improve conditions like Endometriosis and<br />
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, it was not the<br />
solution for the problem Neil and I had.<br />
“Of course, I just smile politely when people<br />
say these kinds of things. You don’t want to go<br />
in to the finer details of the issues we had.”<br />
Christmas 2008 was a significant moment<br />
in Jo and Neil’s journey. By now, the couple had made decisions<br />
regarding their next move as far as IVF and the potential of<br />
starting a family.<br />
“It was decided around then that we would be pursuing IVF in<br />
the New Year. That Christmas was one of hope and positivity as<br />
we focused on what we could achieve over the next 12 months.<br />
For many years I’d longed to do the simple family things at Christmas<br />
like putting stockings out for my little ones. I felt robbed of<br />
that in a way. I remember standing at the top of our garden and<br />
talking to Neil about how 2009 would be a lucky year for us.<br />
“We threw a massive party at the end of 2008 as we’d made the<br />
conscious decision this was the last year we would be able to throw<br />
an ‘adult gathering’, and the following year we’d have a baby to<br />
look after instead. That felt like a seminal moment.”<br />
Of all dates, it was Mothers’ Day in 2009 when Jo underwent her<br />
first IVF treatment at London’s Lister Hospital. As she was childless<br />
and under 35 at the time, she qualified for<br />
treatment on the NHS. With a long waiting list,<br />
the couple opted for private treatment though<br />
as both believed time was of the essence.<br />
At the start of their journey, Jo and Neil<br />
agreed they would only use IVF up to a<br />
certain point and were open to adoption if<br />
they were ultimately unable to have children<br />
of their own.<br />
“We had discussed adoption and agreed<br />
that we didn’t have to have ‘mini me’s’. Neil<br />
and I said that we would have a few attempts<br />
at the IVF treatment and if it didn’t<br />
work, we would look to adopt instead. I<br />
think it’s always important to go into these<br />
things with a number of plans – we had<br />
these, and we were comfortable.<br />
“I had seen examples on the internet where<br />
women appeared to lose sight of quite what<br />
they were doing, either because the process<br />
was so long, or through hormonal imbalances<br />
and the flux of emotions experienced through<br />
the IVF process. There were women I’d read<br />
about who were on their eighth or ninth treatment<br />
cycle. Neil and I knew from the outset that wasn’t for us.<br />
“We talked about the fact there was a one in three chance of<br />
our treatment being successful. Therefore, we needed to have a<br />
few attempts to guarantee we’d done everything in our powers<br />
for me to try to get pregnant. After three attempts though, I was<br />
adamant that I would stop the treatment and adopt instead.<br />
There is a general misconception<br />
and prejudice that IVF is only for women<br />
who were ‘too busy’ to have a baby in<br />
their twenties or thirties, and that women<br />
over 40 are the only ones that have it.<br />
Of course, that is complete nonsense.<br />
“I told Neil that he would have to be strong and would need to<br />
remind me that if I got caught up in the emotion and hormonal<br />
train of thought that three attempts were what we agreed and I<br />
had to stick to that.<br />
“I think I’m quite a logical thinker and I didn’t want anything<br />
to cloud what I believed was an informed decision that both Neil<br />
and I had made.”<br />
Despite having had her fertility treatment privately, Jo says<br />
she would have been more than happy to undergo IVF on the<br />
NHS had it been available sooner. She believes IVF to be a right<br />
that should be open to wide range of women, not just the few,<br />
and is perplexed at the cuts to UK fertility services in 2010.<br />
“The budget restraints on the NHS have been very drastic.<br />
There are certain trusts now which only administer IVF treatment<br />
to women exclusively between the ages of 30 and 35.<br />
Some don’t even offer treatment at all.<br />
»<br />
26 fertility road | january - february
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FEATURE | celebrity<br />
Jo with Eastenders on-screen fiancé Greg played by Stefan Booth<br />
“Offering treatment to a very tight age range is very disappointing.<br />
Again, we see a stereotypical attitude emerging<br />
here. The message that is being sent out is that women aged<br />
under 30 are too young to decide that they want a family, and<br />
that those over 35 are ‘past it’. That’s a dreadful message.”<br />
Jo underwent an IVF treatment known as ICSI (intra-cytoplasmic<br />
sperm injection), which works by injecting a single<br />
sperm cell directly in to an egg. She has vivid memories of her<br />
emotions and feelings during the process, one that, thankfully,<br />
would result in the birth of twins Edie and Freddie.<br />
“The years that we went through prior to going down<br />
the IVF route were a million times more scary than the IVF<br />
procedure itself,” she says. “I’ve always been something of a<br />
control freak and the IVF treatment at least offered the hope<br />
that I could shape my own destiny. If I followed what I was<br />
meant to do, we had a chance of me getting pregnant, whereas<br />
there was no chance beforehand.<br />
“I’m not a particularly squeamish person, but of course<br />
no-one really likes needles. I did the short protocol and from<br />
what I understand now, I think I went down the best route.<br />
Diabetics have to inject themselves every day, as do people<br />
with other illnesses. After a while, it just becomes a part of<br />
your routine.<br />
“Towards the end of the process, you do start to feel a bit<br />
like a junkie, albeit with none of the perks! You’re like a human<br />
pin cushion, injecting yourself and having various blood tests.<br />
After a while that can become painful. All along the process<br />
though, you keep thinking ‘I’m doing this because I have to’.<br />
That helps you keep focused, despite the hardship.<br />
“I don’t think I ever got worried about the physical<br />
or emotional aspects of injecting myself, until the<br />
very final day I had to do it when I totally fell apart.<br />
I think I’d bottled everything up and often when<br />
you see the end in sight with something, suddenly<br />
the raw emotion comes out. My husband had to do<br />
my last injection, but that was my only major issue<br />
throughout the process.”<br />
It was around nine weeks after finishing the treatment<br />
that the couple were told the magical news that<br />
Jo was pregnant. As her father had taught her decades<br />
ago, the power of positive thinking was to prove crucial<br />
to the actress in securing another happy outcome.<br />
“I did a lot of positive thinking throughout the<br />
process; I suppose you could almost call it visualisation.<br />
I remember after the initial IVF treatment, I’d<br />
sit in the bath and picture my embryos dividing. I<br />
had positive thoughts about the embryos being<br />
strong, about everything working as it should; it<br />
was quite empowering in a way.<br />
“I’m a big believer in the power of the mind and<br />
think you can make yourself ill through negative<br />
thinking as much as you can help make yourself<br />
well through positive reflection.”<br />
Another source of positivity for Jo throughout the<br />
experience was her husband Neil.<br />
“Neil was absolutely fantastic throughout the entire<br />
process. He was very supportive and we needed<br />
each other to come through it, as it was hard going at times.<br />
“He felt helpless in some respects and kept saying ‘I wish I<br />
could take a hit [injection] for the team’. In usual circumstances,<br />
it is difficult for a man to watch his partner go through pregnancy,<br />
as there is the obvious pain and discomfort associated.<br />
It’s a situation where men have to take a bit of a backseat and<br />
that can be very worrying for them.<br />
“Going down the IVF line is like having a protracted labour<br />
in a way, as every step is hard for the man watching on and<br />
there’s rarely a let-up in that.<br />
“Neil had these feelings of helplessness but was a rock for<br />
me. Hopefully I was able to support him too.”<br />
After a few months, Jo and Neil’s pregnancy delight was<br />
doubled when they received news they were due to become<br />
parents to twins.<br />
“It’s a bizarre thing to say, but I had this real gut feeling we<br />
were going to have twins. I went along for the ultrasound scan<br />
and so it proved. There were two little faces showing up on the<br />
screen, although worryingly only one heartbeat at the time.<br />
“We were told about Disappearing Twin Syndrome, where<br />
basically one foetus suddenly aborts at the early stage of the<br />
pregnancy. Apparently this is quite a common phenomenon<br />
in both normal and IVF pregnancies. We had to go back for<br />
another scan a few weeks later to see if we were going<br />
to have one child or two. I remember having this utter<br />
confidence in the time leading up to the scan that we were<br />
on for twins and I was right.<br />
“It wasn’t until we finally had this second ultrasound scan<br />
(after 12 weeks) that it was confirmed we would be having<br />
© BBC<br />
28 fertility road | january - february
Jo with co-star Lisa Millett in the new three-part BBC comedy Candy Cabs.<br />
© BBC/Splash Media Tv<br />
Having children really is a gift,<br />
and it does involve frustration and<br />
heartache, but I promise the rewards<br />
are worth it many times over.<br />
twins. That feeling of real adulation, which you’d usually get at the<br />
start of a normal pregnancy, suddenly came over me. I think you<br />
do a lot of holding your breath throughout the IVF process and you<br />
are always taught to be cautious. In the whole experience, this was<br />
the first time we could really let go a bit and celebrate.”<br />
Jo worked on EastEnders up until the 33rd week of her pregnancy.<br />
“I was happy to keep moving and working as I was in good<br />
health,” she smiles. “It was only really four or five weeks before<br />
the birth that I really felt like I had to calm things down. People<br />
ask me how I managed to learn lines during this time, but that<br />
was a doddle. The real challenge was managing to stay on my feet<br />
on set while waddling around like a duck!”<br />
Despite 14 weeks of morning sickness, which she describes<br />
as being like “a three-month hangover,” Joyner did not seek any<br />
alternative therapies to assist with the side effects of IVF or the<br />
pregnancy.<br />
“I didn’t use complementary therapies, unless you<br />
count burgers and other junk food! To be fair though, I<br />
was working through most of my pregnancy and it was<br />
probably only a lack of time that prevented me from<br />
exploring alternative treatments. I know they can help<br />
a lot of people.”<br />
On December 7, 2009, Jo gave birth to Edie and<br />
Freddie by Caesarean section in a two-hour labour.<br />
Both twins were healthy, though weighing in slightly<br />
below the average weight for newborns at 5lb 11oz and 6lb 11oz<br />
respectively. The family have just spent their second Christmas<br />
together and already Jo is noticing that the twins have distinct<br />
personality traits.<br />
“They are like chalk and cheese, they really are,” she jokes.<br />
“Edie is a typical girl and is very precise and neat in everything<br />
she does. She likes to be quite independent and tries to do things<br />
for herself, whereas Freddie sits there with his mouth open and<br />
expects everyone to run around looking after him! You can really<br />
see their personalities coming out – it’s hilarious, but ultimately<br />
very special, and we know how lucky we have been.<br />
“Having children really is a gift, and it does involve frustration<br />
and heartache, but I promise the rewards are worth it many times<br />
over. People should always stay positive and believe that things<br />
will work, because you never know what difference that positive<br />
attitude can have...”<br />
www.fertilityroad.com<br />
29
FEATURE | travelling for treatment<br />
Travelling for treatment:<br />
FERTILITY<br />
CONSULTANTS<br />
30 fertility road | january - february
Why putting your faith in recognised experts could be the<br />
most important decision you make…<br />
While the age of the internet and email<br />
has made our lives easier to a degree<br />
that would have been unimaginable<br />
some 20 years ago, it has at the<br />
same time brought with it a mass of information that,<br />
at times, makes the pursuit of clarity considerably<br />
more difficult.<br />
And while we’ll undoubtedly accept any source – be<br />
that online or anywhere else – when looking up the<br />
weather forecast or the latest films at the cinema, in<br />
the case of fertility, it’s essential not only that the<br />
information we’re given is concise, understandable and<br />
relevant, but that we can invest the same kind of trust<br />
in it that will be shown in us by our offspring.<br />
It is for that reason, and many others, that more and<br />
more people suffering the problems of infertility are<br />
employing the services of fertility consultants.<br />
All across the world, these specialists work to break<br />
down complicated and overwhelming choices that<br />
In general, how big is the<br />
fertility consultancy industry?<br />
In the US, where we are based, the infertility industry<br />
is a $4billion a year industry. The need for patient advocacy<br />
has grown substantially over the past decade. I also<br />
find that with more choices, advanced technology and<br />
greater resources, clients are willing to pay costs upfront<br />
as they understand that by streamlining the journey<br />
through egg donation and surrogacy, they can save substantial<br />
costs, valuable time and emotional energy.<br />
What are the typical concerns<br />
that people come to you with?<br />
Situations vary, but typically in egg donation, clients<br />
are seeking that special candidate that suits their criteria,<br />
shares similar qualities, or matches ethnic backgrounds<br />
and intelligence.<br />
In surrogacy arrangements, my clients are typically<br />
seeking a candidate who they feel they can develop a<br />
I went through my own infertility<br />
struggle. I really had to navigate the ups<br />
and downs of the infertility process alone,<br />
and I was totally overwhelmed, lost,<br />
emotionally and physically spent, and just<br />
knew there had to be a better way…<br />
- Mindy Berkson, Lotus Blossom Consulting<br />
need to be made throughout the infertility journey,<br />
offering guidance and support at a time when their<br />
expertise is needed most.<br />
<strong>Fertility</strong> consultants work to guide a way through<br />
the confusing statistics and excessive costs, while at<br />
the same time helping families over the emotional<br />
stumbling blocks that often present themselves. With a<br />
fantastic and established network of physicians, agencies<br />
and legal specialists, the aim is to leave clients in a<br />
controlled and calm frame of mind – after all, aren’t<br />
those the best conditions in which to conceive?<br />
We chatted to Mindy Berkson, creator of Lotus Blossom<br />
Consulting, about the role of the assigned fertility expert<br />
in 2011, and found out the real reasons behind why<br />
and how an increasing number of patients are putting<br />
their faith in the consultation process…<br />
strong bond with and is someone they feel able to<br />
trust; one who is committed to the process and perhaps<br />
has her family’s support and encouragement throughout<br />
her journey.<br />
With IVF, most of my clients want to understand the<br />
whole process - what questions they should be asking<br />
their physicians, IVF success rates and how to emotionally<br />
and financially deal with the situation.<br />
International clients are always concerned about<br />
the US healthcare system and how to identify health<br />
policies to help mitigate financial risk factors.<br />
Do you have a ‘typical’ client?<br />
My typical clients are women who have consciously<br />
chosen to delay childbearing for advanced education<br />
and career, and having found the right partner, »<br />
www.fertilityroad.com<br />
31
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FEATURE | travelling for treatment<br />
they then have trouble conceiving. I also have several clients<br />
- both single men and single women, as well as same sex couples<br />
- choosing to explore their own family building options.<br />
What is the process?<br />
There is no set process that I follow as each of my consultations<br />
are customised to meet the needs of each couple. My style, just as<br />
it would be with many other consultants, is to be very hands on,<br />
and I spend a considerable amount of time getting to know<br />
my clients before making referrals and gathering appropriate<br />
resources for each situation. One consistency that I find with all<br />
my clients is that throughout our work together we address<br />
the financial, physical and emotional aspects associated with<br />
exploring surrogacy, egg donation and IVF treatment in general.<br />
How do you gather the information<br />
in order to pass it on to clients?<br />
I found my passion for this industry based on my personal<br />
experience through infertility, but I truly built my niche company<br />
through my deep-seeded background in venture capital. I used<br />
this experience to build strong strategic alliances with egg donor<br />
and surrogate recruiting agencies nationwide, creating mutually<br />
beneficial referral sources with physicians and cultivating relationships<br />
with attorneys, insurance agents, financial and estate<br />
planners and immigration attorneys nationwide.<br />
These positive and fruitful relationships have enabled me to<br />
build networks and teams of unbiased professionals all across the<br />
US to offer my clients the best resources all under one umbrella.<br />
What quality control mechanisms<br />
do you have in place?<br />
The most relevant and important quality control mechanism<br />
that I have in place is my ability to vet the recruiting agencies<br />
that I drive significant business to. I require each agency to put<br />
exclusive clauses in their agency contracts. These clauses (exclusive<br />
to LBC clients) state that if, when selected, the surrogate or egg<br />
donor does not pass psychological or medical clearance, then the<br />
agency will refund LBC clients the agency fee. Without these<br />
clauses, I am not willing to work with an agency, as I feel they<br />
should always stand behind their recruited candidate.<br />
This core value has enabled me to:<br />
• work closely with top notch recruiting agencies<br />
• exponentially expand the pool of available egg donor<br />
and surrogate candidates for my clients<br />
• match close to criteria, especially difficult to identify<br />
ethnic donors<br />
• match both surrogates and egg donors typically within<br />
a timeframe of less than two weeks<br />
• mitigate financial risk factors often inherent in agency contracts<br />
What are the advantages of<br />
going to a consultancy rather<br />
than a fertility specialist direct?<br />
<strong>Fertility</strong> specialists are medical professionals. It is important to<br />
get a diagnosis and a treatment plan from a reproductive endocrinologist.<br />
With this plan, resources for egg donation, surrogacy<br />
and all the ancillary pieces then need to be accomplished prior to<br />
beginning a treatment plan.<br />
In my experience, it is essential to carefully build the foundation<br />
financially, physically and emotionally as the process tends<br />
to be overwhelming.<br />
Most clients do not know what questions to ask and, of course,<br />
this limits the knowledge they gain to make informed medical<br />
choices. It is important to set parameters for treatment and also a<br />
budget that includes the end family building goal.<br />
These important decisions comprise realistic expectations,<br />
help to maximise the chance of success and minimise financial<br />
expenditure. This is the information and education that I<br />
provide for my clients in helping them accomplish their pathway<br />
to parenthood.<br />
What other services do you provide?<br />
The services of a consultant are very comprehensive and individualised<br />
to meet the needs of each client, from beginning to birth.<br />
The vast majority of my practice is supporting surrogacy<br />
arrangements which may also include using an egg donor. My<br />
work involves identifying a candidate to meet criteria in a state<br />
that supports friendly surrogacy laws, researching and garnering<br />
various insurance policies or plans to help mitigate financial<br />
risk, and working to analyse this coverage to meet my client’s<br />
individual risk adversity. I also work closely with financial and<br />
estate planners to set a plan to pay for treatment costs.<br />
Simultaneously, I liaise with attorneys to establish the framework<br />
that needs to be drafted in contracts. While the vast majority<br />
of my work is accomplished prior to embryo transfer, I am<br />
available to facilitate and address any issues that may arise during<br />
the pregnancy and after the birth.<br />
How successful has the consultancy been?<br />
My consultancy has been very successful with annual growth<br />
exceeding 30% in year three, 45% in year four and, last year,<br />
growth exceeded 55% from the previous year. In addition, I have<br />
helped to conceive over 440 babies and over 70 percent of my<br />
clients have delivered, or are currently pregnant. At this very<br />
present moment, I have 48 clients expecting.<br />
What are the core values that you hold?<br />
My values have always been to identify the best unbiased resources<br />
that suit my clients’ individual needs - for example, a particular<br />
diagnosis may lead me to refer one physician over another.<br />
Another example is in planning and preparing for a surrogacy<br />
arrangement, whereby I will only share profiles of candidates from<br />
states where I know I can get my client’s name on the birth certificate<br />
at birth or shortly thereafter. Important factors that may affect this are<br />
if the couple is legally married, if it’s a same-sex arrangement, or<br />
whether the embryos created donor gamete.<br />
It seems that the age of the fertility consultant is now, in the US<br />
and globally. The internet is a fantastic resource for sourcing an appropriate<br />
consultant who can assist with many of the demands outlined<br />
above. For more information on Lotus Blossom Consulting,<br />
head to www.lotusblossomconsulting.com<br />
www.fertilityroad.com<br />
33
FERTILITY ROAD | IVF New Jersey<br />
INTELLIGENT PROFILE<br />
MAKING<br />
LITTLE<br />
MIRACLES<br />
COME<br />
TRUE<br />
Starting a family can be one of life’s greatest gifts,<br />
but the complex nature of conception is often<br />
not thought about until there is a problem.<br />
What should a woman do to maximise her<br />
chances of becoming pregnant, and at what point should<br />
she see a doctor?<br />
According to Dr. Susan Treiser MD, PhD and Co-Director<br />
of IVF New Jersey, a full service fertility centre, women<br />
need to be proactive. Dr. Treiser and her team have helped<br />
thousands of patients from around the world achieve their<br />
dream of becoming parents through the latest fertility<br />
treatments. And that’s no surprise, seeing as IVF New<br />
Jersey has among the highest success rates in the United<br />
States according to the Centre for Disease Control.<br />
Latest breakthroughs include in vitro fertilization (IVF)<br />
with Intra Cyto Plasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) for male<br />
infertility. Normally, a man would need a set amount of<br />
sperm to complete in vitro fertilization successfully. With ICSI,<br />
doctors can now use a very small quantity of sperm – or biopsy the<br />
testicles and then use the sperm they collect to do the procedure. Dr.<br />
Treiser explains, “This was such a great discovery for men having<br />
fertility problems. In the past, a minimum number of sperm were<br />
needed, and if men could not create that amount then they could<br />
not succeed with in vitro which made options limited.”<br />
For infertility in women who are often older, where egg quality<br />
and quantity has diminished, using an egg donor with their<br />
husband’s sperm is another option. This procedure allows women<br />
to actually carry their baby through a pregnancy.<br />
“Often, the experience of carrying the pregnancy means so much<br />
to the future mother that using an egg donor is the best solution,”<br />
says Dr. Treiser.<br />
A Gestational Carrier, often referred to as a surrogate mother, is<br />
another option for women who have had their uterus removed, or<br />
have a medical condition that does not allow them to carry a<br />
pregnancy, but still have functioning ovaries. In this situation, the<br />
women’s eggs and the husband’s sperm would be implanted into the<br />
Gestational Carrier. The child is therefore totally genetically linked<br />
to the parents, and the foetus is not linked to the carrier at all.<br />
Same sex couples also have more options, according to Dr. Treiser,<br />
“We are working with same sex couples and in the past we could<br />
only use donor sperm. Now males can use an egg donor and their<br />
own sperm, and females can use donor sperm.”<br />
IVF New Jersey also offers an egg freezing programme. Egg<br />
preservation can be thought of as an insurance policy for women<br />
who know that one day they want children, but who are presently<br />
without a partner or simply not ready for a baby.<br />
IVF New Jersey offers state-of-the-art treatment in a private,<br />
comfortable environment only minutes from New York City. They<br />
strive to provide first-class service without a first-class fee.<br />
IVF NJ has four convenient locations<br />
in Short Hills, Somerset, Hamilton,<br />
and Freehold, New Jersey, and<br />
patient monitoring is also available<br />
in New York City. For additional<br />
information please call<br />
1-800-IVFNJ-44 or visit<br />
www.ivfnj.com<br />
34 fertility road | january - february
Visit the <strong>Fertility</strong> World Show - 15 - 16 April 2011, London Olympia<br />
Visit Visit Visit the the <strong>Fertility</strong> the <strong>Fertility</strong> World World Show Show - - 15 - 15 - 15 - 16 - 16 - April 16 April April 2011, 2011, London London Olympia<br />
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Trying for a baby?<br />
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Considering fertility treatment?<br />
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Q&A | zita west<br />
EXPERT<br />
WITNESS<br />
WITH<br />
ZITA WEST<br />
We’ve once again asked our resident<br />
fertility expert Zita West to answer<br />
questions sent in by readers to the<br />
<strong>Fertility</strong> <strong>Road</strong> website. If you have a<br />
question you’d like answered in the<br />
next issue, why not get in touch?<br />
Q<br />
Hi there - we have been trying for a baby for<br />
three months now and I have still not fallen<br />
pregnant. I was thinking that I would be well on<br />
the way to pregnancy by now, so am wondering how long<br />
we should wait. I am 27, and have led a drama-free life.<br />
– Amy, 27, from Winchester<br />
A<br />
At 27 you are still young. On average it can take a<br />
couple six months to conceive. What you and your<br />
partner can do is look at your lifestyle and, if required,<br />
make changes in terms of your diet, weight, alcohol<br />
intake and exercise.<br />
Furthermore, to help increase your chances of conception,<br />
it is good to have an understanding of your fertile time.<br />
Many young women that I see at the clinic - especially those<br />
who have been on the pill for a long time - do not have a<br />
great understanding of their cycle. It is important to note<br />
your cervical secretions and understand that your fertile<br />
window is six days in total - five days leading up to ovulation<br />
and one day after.<br />
Also, the sperm can survive inside of you three to five days,<br />
so if you are having sex at least three times a week you are<br />
ensuring that there is enough sperm in the fallopian tubes. If<br />
you are still not pregnant after another three or four months it<br />
may be worthwhile having a check-up with your doctor.<br />
www.fertilityroad.com<br />
37
Q&A | zita west<br />
Q<br />
My friend has just undergone a successful pregnancy<br />
via IVF and was blessed with triplets. I know that<br />
the chances of having twins is a lot higher, and<br />
wondered if the chances of having triplets or more is just as<br />
high. I am going to be starting IVF shortly, and would love the<br />
chance to have triplets.<br />
– Dana, 30, from Sittingbourne<br />
A<br />
A twin pregnancy is hard on many women and has its<br />
risks. And the health risks for a triplet pregnancy are even<br />
higher for you and your babies.<br />
Many IVF clinics are now putting only one embryo back after<br />
transfer to reduce the risk of a twin pregnancy. It is much safer for<br />
you and your pregnancy to have one embryo put back at a time.<br />
Don’t underestimate the difficulties you will encounter if you are<br />
pregnant with triplets.<br />
Q<br />
My husband and I are just about to start the IVF<br />
process and are very excited. I am however somewhat<br />
‘glass half empty’ at the moment having experienced<br />
a year of physical problems - everything from persistent viral<br />
illnesses to pulled hernias. I am feeling fragile at a time when<br />
I need to be strong. How can I shake this mental barrier that<br />
seems to have developed out of physical problems?<br />
– Kirsty-Anne Butler, 37, Croydon<br />
A<br />
Your mindset and mental preparation is very important<br />
when it comes to preparing for IVF. You need to decide,<br />
given the physical problems you have encountered this<br />
year, whether you are physically ready to begin an IVF cycle,<br />
and that your relationship is stable.<br />
I understand that at 37 you might feel like you are running<br />
out of time, but it may be worth while waiting a couple of<br />
months - which isn’t long in the scheme of things - to ensure<br />
that you’re not physically run down. Ultimately, you need to be<br />
emotionally strong before embarking on a cycle.<br />
Also look at your diet and ensure that you are getting adequate<br />
vitamin D for a healthy immune system. To overcome<br />
your fragile state of mind think about meditation, visualisation,<br />
yoga and therapies such as hypnotherapy or acupuncture,<br />
which may help you to relax and strengthen your mindset.<br />
A twin pregnancy is hard on<br />
many women and has its risks.<br />
And the health risks for a triplet<br />
pregnancy are even higher for<br />
you and your babies.<br />
And ensure that you are getting adequate rest - never underestimate<br />
the power of a good night’s sleep to get the body and mind<br />
back on track.<br />
Q<br />
I am now about to max out a third credit card in<br />
pursuit of IVF success. It has become an addiction<br />
and a part of my life I don’t want to have to admit<br />
might never be fulfilled, but I don’t feel as though I can stop.<br />
Is my debt (£20,000) normal, or to be worried about?<br />
– Vera Olatunde, 36, Birmingham<br />
A<br />
I’m always concerned when I hear that a couple are<br />
putting IVF on their credit cards as this can often create<br />
more anxiety and stress, which is not healthy for the<br />
mind or body. You need to discuss with your IVF doctor what<br />
your chances of success are as you may have underlying issues<br />
that are affecting you from having a successful cycle. It’s never<br />
worth getting into debt.<br />
If you have any questions for our Expert Witness please visit<br />
www.fertilityroad.com<br />
Zita West has given specialist fertility<br />
and pregnancy advice for over 25 years, as<br />
a midwife, an acupuncturist, a nutritional<br />
advisor and as an author and consultant.<br />
She has also written numerous books on fertility<br />
and pregnancy, with her latest title - Zita West’s<br />
Guide to <strong>Fertility</strong> and Assisted Conception - now available.<br />
For more information on Zita, her London clinic or books,<br />
visit www.zitawest.com<br />
More<br />
ABOUT<br />
ZITA<br />
WEST<br />
38 fertility road | january - february
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FEATURE | co-parenting<br />
WORDS | HAZEL DAVIS<br />
The laws for same-sex parenting changed last year. Ring out the bells.<br />
But what if you’re in a happy same-sex couple but still want a father or<br />
mother-figure in your child’s life? For some gay couples, the obvious<br />
answer is co-parenting.<br />
Co-parenting can involve two, three or four parents<br />
who wish to have a child together. In a co-parenting<br />
agreement each parent shares responsibility for the<br />
child’s upbringing. It means that gay or single men<br />
who wish to become fathers can serve more of an active parental<br />
role than just being a sperm donor. It also means that lesbian<br />
couples can have a male figure in their child’s life.<br />
But, as with anything outside ‘the norm’, the process can be<br />
fraught with difficulty.<br />
One of the most important factors to consider is who the legal<br />
parent of the child is. In UK law the birth mother will always be<br />
listed as one of the child’s legal parents. But the second parent<br />
can vary according to whether the mother is single or in a civil<br />
partnership. If you’re to be the second parent, there are measures<br />
you can take.<br />
Anne-Marie Hutchinson OBE is a solicitor specialising in surrogacy<br />
and assisted birth law at Dawson Cornwall. She thinks it’s<br />
important to get this straight before conception.<br />
“Agree what your respective roles will be before you start the<br />
whole process,” she says, “both in parental responsibility and<br />
financial responsibility terms”. It’s worth bearing in mind that<br />
no agreement before birth is binding but, says Hutchinson, “a<br />
properly constructed agreement will carry some weight (unless<br />
an exceptional event takes place like the sperm donor didn’t disclose<br />
something important like an illness or criminal history).”<br />
An unmarried father will not have paternal rights unless he is<br />
named on the birth certificate (as from 2003) or is granted those<br />
rights by the legal parent. If he later applies, the court will apply<br />
the ‘best interest’ and this can be time-consuming, so it’s better to<br />
work this out beforehand. It’s worth bearing in mind that the<br />
mother can apply for maintenance, a lump sum or even a property<br />
settlement from the father if he is an unmarried father.<br />
It’s advisable, says Hutchinson, for the parents to make a will<br />
and decide what to do with any inheritance. If the agreement<br />
is that the legal father isn’t going to make provision then it’s<br />
important to leave a note stating this in the event of any claim.<br />
40 fertility road | january - february
The civil partners of the legal parents have no rights<br />
over the child but they can be acquired by a Parental<br />
Responsibility Agreement conferred by the legal<br />
parents. If they aren’t civil partnered and are cohabiters,<br />
the child needs to have lived with them for 12 months<br />
before a claim can be made.<br />
Hutchinson says that, though not legally an issue,<br />
it’s a good idea to decide at this stage things like<br />
religion, whether all parents agree on matters of<br />
education, etc. “It just irons out difficulties later on.”<br />
Or, she adds, “You may have a new co-parent joining<br />
in at a later date so you should state what status any future<br />
parents would have. It’s not romantic but it’s very important.”<br />
Simon Craddock is a partner specialising in family at Brethertons<br />
solicitors. He says, “I had a case where the parent with<br />
day-to-day care of the child was not the biological parent. This<br />
led to a court dispute as the biological parent wished to impose<br />
their rights as the only parent with parental responsibility. To<br />
complicate matters further there was an international element.<br />
This created difficulties as the child was living abroad with the<br />
non-biological parent.”<br />
The key to avoiding problems like this, agrees Craddock, “is<br />
for the couple at the outset to define how they are going to hold<br />
parental responsibility. This is normally by way of a shared residence<br />
order/adoption.”<br />
The key to avoiding problems is<br />
for the couple at the outset to define<br />
how they are going to hold parental<br />
responsibility. This is normally by way of<br />
a shared residence order/adoption.<br />
Often the immediate joy that a newborn child brings, together<br />
with the understandable fatigue, means that going to a lawyer to<br />
cement such arrangements is often seen as unnecessary, costly<br />
and may create doubts about the relationship. Such planning,<br />
however, says Craddock, “will save a lot of long-term heartache<br />
for some unlucky couples who separate.”<br />
For many gay men, co-parenting is the best answer.<br />
Rob Spriggs is a 43-year-old musician from London. He is father<br />
to two-year-old Matilda whom he ‘shares’ with Matilda’s birth<br />
mother Ella and her partner Kate.<br />
“I have known I was gay from about the age of six,” he says,<br />
“but I didn’t come out until I was 25. Part of this was because<br />
I always wanted children. It never occurred to me that it would<br />
be possible to have children in my position.”<br />
»<br />
www.fertilityroad.com<br />
41
A Caring Approach<br />
to Egg Donation<br />
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or call us at US (310) 601-3132.
FEATURE | co-parenting<br />
CORION<br />
FERTILITY<br />
CLINIC<br />
The Corion <strong>Fertility</strong> Clinic is a state of<br />
the art clinic in Mumbai, India, known<br />
for its excellence in donor egg IVF and<br />
gestational surrogacy with a success<br />
rate of more than 70% for Donor Egg<br />
Surrogacy, and more than 50% for IVF<br />
cycles with Surrogacy.<br />
We talked for about three years before<br />
doing anything and maybe we shouldn’t<br />
have waited so long, but you do really need<br />
to make sure you communicate.<br />
The clinic is also renowned for being LGBT<br />
friendly and offers its services to single<br />
as well as gay and lesbian parents.<br />
Dr. Kaushal Kadam is the Medical<br />
Director of Corion and has been running<br />
the Surrogacy programme for the last<br />
five years. With her wealth of knowledge<br />
and her empathic approach, she has<br />
helped many patients from all over the<br />
world return home with a family.<br />
You can find out more about the Corion<br />
<strong>Fertility</strong> Clinic at the website below,<br />
alternatively, write to Dr. Kadam at<br />
drkaushi@gmail.com. As she says, "At<br />
Corion, our patients are taken lovingly<br />
'from Conception to Cradle'."<br />
www.corionfertilityclinic.com<br />
Rob met Kate 10 years ago and became good friends with her and<br />
her then-partner. They approached him and asked him if he was<br />
interested in having a child with them. “I said yes and it was going<br />
to be something we’d look at in the future,” says Rob. The couple<br />
split and it never really happened. Kate met Eleanor and after<br />
some time together considered a family and asked Rob again. Kate<br />
was going to be the carrier but medical complications and two<br />
years of trying meant that Ella ended up being the birth mother.<br />
The trio didn’t enter into the decision lightly. Says Rob, “We went<br />
to a gay parenting support group for six months just to thrash the<br />
idea about. We really wanted to make sure it was a good idea and we<br />
didn’t want to ruin our own relationship. I also didn’t, at the time,<br />
know any children of gay parents and how it would affect the child.”<br />
Rob’s partner of 11 years, who is based in Leeds, came along to<br />
some counselling sessions when he was in the capital too though he<br />
didn’t want the same level of involvement as a parent. Says Rob, this<br />
was tricky to negotiate but they eventually managed: “I think Dennis<br />
wasn’t sure where he’d fit into the arrangement and he maybe thought<br />
I was being coerced but eventually he saw what it meant to me.”<br />
Rob’s involvement in his child’s life is such that he was present at<br />
the birth, lived with the couple for a month before Matilda was born<br />
and until recently when he moved, was just a 10 minute walk away.<br />
“It was good for us as a family to be a unit,” he says. “Obviously it<br />
had its difficulties but it did work. It was amazing to be there all<br />
the time and if I had just come in for some of the week I would<br />
have felt like an intruder.” Now Matilda stays with him two nights<br />
a week and they do things together as a family at weekends.<br />
Rob, Kate and Ella drew up a parenting agreement. “We knew<br />
it wasn’t legally binding,” says Rob, “but we all signed it. We put<br />
in all the stuff we could possibly think of, we looked at other<br />
people’s and went online.”<br />
What’s clear is that if the couple breaks up, everyone will<br />
remain part of Matilda’s life. But there still remains a blurred area<br />
for the non-birth parent.<br />
Says Rob, “The law’s really good for single-sex couples but I am on<br />
the birth certificate as the father. Kate isn’t. If she was to adopt<br />
Matilda, which we have discussed, then I would have to relinquish<br />
my role as parent. That’s a tricky one to deal with.”<br />
One of the most beneficial things for the family has been their<br />
regular monthly parenting meetings. Says Rob, “It sounds a bit silly<br />
but communication is key. We talk about everything; what’s been<br />
good, what’s been difficult. Everything. It really helps clear the air.”<br />
He recommends that to any prospective co-parents, and counselling.<br />
“If you can involve someone else in the discussions then<br />
it’s really helpful.”<br />
Talking is key, he says, “Some of it is of no use at all. We talked<br />
for about three years before doing anything and maybe we<br />
shouldn’t have waited so long, but you do really need to make<br />
sure you communicate.”<br />
For Rob, Kate and Ella, the arrangement has worked really well<br />
and they are planning to have a second child: “It’s really the most<br />
amazing thing I have ever done and I am so grateful.” »<br />
www.fertilityroad.com<br />
43
FEATURE | co-parenting<br />
TAKE<br />
PRIDE<br />
Erika from Pride Angel, a dedicated<br />
resource for matching sperm donors,<br />
egg donors and co-parents<br />
worldwide, explains the dos and<br />
don’ts of choosing a reputable<br />
sperm donor website.<br />
Sperm donor websites are increasing in popularity with<br />
many people now searching for a sperm donor or<br />
co-parent online. This has been fuelled by the shortage<br />
of donors within the UK, along with many NHS authorities<br />
cutting back on IVF treatment, and many trusts refusing to fund<br />
treatment for single and lesbian couples. Are these websites really<br />
a health risk or a personal choice that could benefit the welfare of<br />
any future children and parents?<br />
Using a known sperm donor<br />
There has been a social and cultural shift in recent times towards<br />
women wishing to meet a known donor. Some may say this is<br />
because of high fertility costs, or maybe the shortage of donors.<br />
Others state it is because women are thinking of their children’s future<br />
in that they would rather personally meet a likeminded individual<br />
who is happy to stay in touch as an uncle-type figure, omitting the<br />
longing of their child to meet an unknown donor. There has been<br />
extensive research to show that children who know the identity of<br />
their donor and the truth about their conception from an early age<br />
are more secure with their own identity as they become adults.<br />
Anonymity law and future children<br />
The change to the anonymity law in 2005 was certainly a positive<br />
thing for donor-conceived children, allowing them to trace the<br />
identity of their donor at the age of 18. However, we are still to really<br />
discover the effect this will have on the thousands of children who<br />
may be wanting to meet their biological father in the future. They<br />
may find that the donor is simply not interested in being contacted.<br />
There is also the worry that the donor may not be the kind of<br />
person the mother would wish for their child to meet - after all,<br />
she may have only received basic details such as height and eye<br />
colour by which to choose her donor originally.<br />
There is also the real concern of genetic attraction<br />
which especially affects parents and children who have<br />
never met before adulthood. The effect of this could be<br />
potentially catastrophic.<br />
When these effects do come to the forefront in the<br />
year 2023 - 18 years after the new law was introduced in<br />
2005 - will it be decided that children were better off not<br />
really getting this information? Would it not therefore be far<br />
better for donor-conceived children to have known of their<br />
donor from the beginning?<br />
Websites working alongside fertility clinics<br />
Sperm donor websites assist in the much needed recruitment<br />
of donors, and help bring together co-parents and the creation<br />
of alternative families in a way in which clinics are less able.<br />
By working alongside the authorities and regulated clinics, websites<br />
can therefore provide a much needed service, providing<br />
they are educating their users about any health risks and legal<br />
considerations.<br />
A spokesman for the HFEA is advising people to only use sperm<br />
donor websites which direct their users to a licensed clinic, ensuring<br />
that complete health screening is completed and that a record of<br />
the donor’s name is kept on file.<br />
Choosing a reputable sperm donor website<br />
When choosing to use a sperm donor website to find a donor<br />
or co-parent it is important to ensure that they are providing the<br />
necessary health screening and legal advice, as well as directing<br />
users to regulated fertility clinics for treatment.<br />
Pride Angel is one of the leading worldwide connection sites,<br />
with over 4,500 members, primarily aimed at the gay and lesbian<br />
community. They are dedicated to providing quality information<br />
regarding health screening and fertility law in a user-friendly way.<br />
All our profiles are continually screened to ensure users are<br />
not offering ‘natural insemination’ or requesting an ‘anonymous’<br />
donor. Nor is payment for donations allowed to be offered or<br />
requested. If any donor attempts to contact more than 10 different<br />
recipients, an email is automatically sent, highlighting the ‘no<br />
more than 10 lives birth law’ in the UK.<br />
We are committed to providing a user-friendly service, whilst<br />
ensuring that we do everything within our power to make it a<br />
safer environment for our members. We also offer email support<br />
for users requiring help and further information.<br />
Users should never consider using a donor who offers natural<br />
insemination, even if they offer artificial insemination as well. The<br />
health risks of such ‘promiscuous’ donors is too great.<br />
Unfortunately, there remain a number of connection services<br />
that do not monitor profiles and restrict messages, encouraging<br />
prolific donors. These factors are really important to consider<br />
when choosing a connection service to find a known donor<br />
or co-parent.<br />
Good sites provide the ultimate gift without which co-parenting<br />
arrangements would not happen, while many lesbian couples<br />
and gay men would not have the chance to experience the joys<br />
of parenthood.<br />
For more information regarding finding a co-parent, health<br />
screening, home insemination and fertility law visit and<br />
register for FREE at www.prideangel.com.<br />
44 fertility road | january - february
FERTILITY ROAD | California <strong>Fertility</strong> Partners<br />
INTELLIGENT PROFILE<br />
A PARTNERSHIP<br />
THAT COUNTS...<br />
For many, the prospect of travelling abroad to combine the<br />
promise of raising a family with the opportunity to relax<br />
is an exciting one. And with the first considerations<br />
always being quality, care and professionalism, many<br />
believe that the US offers something that cannot be found elsewhere.<br />
Certainly, when you have a clinic that boasts 25 years experience<br />
yet is based in the sun-drenched, fashionable and fantastically<br />
cultural city of Los Angeles, it is a combination that is really<br />
quite unique.<br />
To enable a couple to truly envelop themselves in a life-changing<br />
trip means slipping into an environment that heightens the senses,<br />
offers a distraction from the scientific and emotional stresses, and<br />
provides an experience that is truly one to remember.<br />
With that in mind, California <strong>Fertility</strong> Partners firmly believe that<br />
they have cracked the combination code. It’s a clinic that undertakes<br />
extensive surrogacy and egg donor options, and one that has<br />
always focused attention on the lesbian and gay parenting market,<br />
calling upon experience at the highest level of family planning.<br />
For Dr. Guy Ringler, one of the co-partners of the practice, and<br />
recipient of the American <strong>Fertility</strong> Association’s Visionary Award<br />
for 2010, believes the clinic’s Los Angeles base represents something<br />
rather special.<br />
“Patients arriving in Los Angeles from around the globe will find<br />
an exciting cosmopolitan city with something to offer everyone.<br />
From the mountains to the seashore, the area provides a physically<br />
beautiful landscape, the finest in art, music, shopping, restaurants,<br />
and a creative community filled with passionate people from many<br />
diverse backgrounds.<br />
“But it’s our longstanding reputation for excellence and a<br />
commitment to providing high quality care in a personalised and<br />
caring environment that makes us stand out. In short, it’s important<br />
to work with people who care about you and<br />
your success. We do that, always.”<br />
Dr. Ringler’s attention to detail and commitment<br />
to providing the highest quality of care possible<br />
results in some of the highest pregnancy rates<br />
possible today. Factors such as the young age of<br />
egg donors, closely monitored ovarian stimulation,<br />
thorough screening of gestational carriers,<br />
excellent culture conditions, and meticulously<br />
conducted embryo transfers all contribute to his<br />
high level of success.<br />
It’s thanks to this that Dr. Ringler has been<br />
able to help gay patients from around the world<br />
achieve their dream of having children through<br />
his care.<br />
“The acceptance of gay parenting in our society<br />
continues to improve,” he continues. “Twenty<br />
years ago the path to parenthood for gay men<br />
was uncharted and there were few resources<br />
available to help individuals find their way.<br />
“Today, thanks to the work of many dedicated<br />
professionals in the fields of reproductive law,<br />
reproductive medicine, and support organisations,<br />
there are established treatment protocols and<br />
legal foundations to allow all individuals the<br />
opportunity to build families.”<br />
Dr. Ringler and his colleagues work with<br />
some of the finest egg donor, sperm donor, and<br />
surrogacy agencies in the United States. All candidates undergo<br />
extensive medical, psychological and genetic screenings before<br />
treatment calendars are planned.<br />
That’s why California <strong>Fertility</strong> Partners has been one of the<br />
leading centres for reproductive medical care in the United States<br />
for over 25 years. And it explains too why the base’s physicians<br />
and scientists are internationally recognised for their expertise,<br />
not to mention a reputation for providing the highest quality and<br />
personalised care.<br />
Guy continues, “As societal acceptance evolves, the demand for<br />
high quality reproductive care by gay men and women increases in<br />
the United States and around the world. All patients at California<br />
<strong>Fertility</strong> Partners find an atmosphere of warmth and caring from<br />
their initial visit until graduation to their obstetrician.<br />
“Each patient is assigned to their own specially trained nurse to<br />
help guide them through the treatment process and to assist in<br />
communication between all parties. An organised team of caring<br />
professionals at all levels helps to ensure the finest care and the<br />
best treatment outcome.<br />
“At California <strong>Fertility</strong> Partners all exams and procedures are performed<br />
by your physician, not a technician or someone unfamiliar<br />
with your case. This sets us apart from other centres and allows for<br />
greater attention to detail and continuity of care. It’s this edge,<br />
along with a fantastic outer environment, that really makes us a<br />
perfect choice for couples.”<br />
To find out more, call California <strong>Fertility</strong> Partners on 001 310 828<br />
4008, contact Dr. Ringler directly at GRingler@aol.com or head to<br />
www.californiafertilitypartners.com<br />
www.fertilityroad.com<br />
45
FEATURE | nutrition<br />
WORDS | DR MARILYN GLENVILLE PHD<br />
Since there are recognisable and widely published links between good eating and<br />
good health, we asked leading nutritionalist Marylin Glenville to showcase for us<br />
two recipes that are packed full of nutrients and perfect for male and female fertility.<br />
46 fertility road | january - february
One of the most important nutrients for fertility is zinc.<br />
It is vital for the health and maintenance of the<br />
reproductive hormones in men and women. It is<br />
found in high concentrations in the sperm, being<br />
used to make the outer layer and tail.<br />
A number of ingredients in these two recipes contain good amounts<br />
of zinc including salmon, lentils, onions, beetroots and seaweed.<br />
The salmon and walnuts also contain good levels of Omega 3<br />
fats which are important for fertility. Omega 3 fats can prevent<br />
blood from clotting inappropriately and so can be beneficial to<br />
women who have problems with implantation or recurrent<br />
miscarriage. For men, semen is rich in prostaglandins, hormonelike<br />
substances produced from these fats. Research has shown that<br />
men who have problems with abnormal sperm tend to have lower<br />
than normal levels of beneficial prostaglandins.<br />
Good levels of antioxidants are important for healthy eggs and<br />
sperm and especially important if the woman is over 35, as<br />
antioxidants can help with improving the quality of the eggs.<br />
Antioxidants such as beta-carotene, vitamin E, zinc and selenium<br />
are high in all the coloured vegetables included in these recipes<br />
including carrots, sweet potatoes and beetroots, and there are also<br />
antioxidants in the sesame seeds and garlic.<br />
The B vitamins including folic acids are important for fertility, as<br />
well as having a healthy baby. In these two recipes they are found<br />
in the sweet potatoes, seaweed, salmon, lentils and parsnips.<br />
One of the most important<br />
nutrients for fertility is zinc. It’s vital<br />
for the health and maintenance<br />
of the reproductive hormones<br />
for men and women.<br />
The seaweed flakes are a ‘super food’ in that they contain good levels<br />
of certain trace minerals including zinc, manganese, chromium and<br />
selenium, as well as macro minerals such as calcium, magnesium,<br />
iron and iodine. If you buy the flakes they are easy to use and can<br />
be sprinkled on rice, pasta or porridge.<br />
My recommendation is always to buy organic where possible<br />
and then you do not need to peel the root vegetables - they can just<br />
be washed. Many of the nutrients are concentrated under the skin<br />
so you get more goodness from those foods. But in addition, you<br />
are reducing your exposure to xenoestrogens (‘foreign oestrogens’)<br />
from the pesticides used in the growing of the vegetables which<br />
can have a negative effect on fertility for both men and women.<br />
As you can see, with just two delicious recipes you can be making<br />
a big impact on your fertility by providing many of the fertilityboosting<br />
nutrients that your body needs to help you conceive. »<br />
www.fertilityroad.com<br />
47
FEATURE | nutrition<br />
HERBED QUINOA SALAD WITH<br />
ROASTED VEGETABLES – SERVES 4-6<br />
SEARED SALMON WITH GREMOLATA<br />
– SERVES 4<br />
© Christine Bailey<br />
This is aromatic herb flavoured quinoa topped with sweet roasted<br />
vegetables and a garlic herb dressing. Dubbed the ‘supergrain’,<br />
quinoa is an excellent protein-rich, gluten-free grain and makes<br />
a delicious alternative to rice or couscous. This is a perfect Mediterranean<br />
inspired dish, wonderful for picnics and packed lunches.<br />
Why not top it with a little herb Greek yogurt for added effect?<br />
• 180g/6oz/generous ¾ cup of quinoa grain<br />
• 500ml/16floz/2 cups of homemade vegetable stock,<br />
or use a vegan low salt bouillon powder<br />
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks<br />
• 2 courgettes thickly sliced at an angle<br />
• 2 red onions, cut into large chunks<br />
• 2 red, 2 yellow peppers, cut into quarters<br />
• Freshly ground black pepper<br />
• 1-2 garlic cloves, crushed<br />
• 6 tbsp of olive oil<br />
• A handful of chopped basil leaves<br />
Yogurt dressing<br />
• 150ml Greek yogurt<br />
• 2 tsp of lemon juice<br />
• 1 tbsp of chopped basil leaves<br />
1. Place the quinoa and bouillon powder in a pan and cover with<br />
the water. Bring to the boil then simmer covered on a low heat<br />
for 15 minutes. Take off the heat and leave to stand for a further<br />
10 minutes.<br />
2. Mix together the oil and garlic.<br />
3. Heat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. Place the vegetables in a<br />
large roasting tin and drizzle over half the oil. Season with a little<br />
black pepper and roast for 40 minutes until the vegetables are<br />
tender and slightly charred.<br />
4. Make the yogurt dressing by mixing together the yogurt, lemon<br />
juice and chopped basil. Season to taste.<br />
5. Break up the quinoa with a fork and spoon on to a serving platter.<br />
Place the roasted vegetables on top and drizzle over the remaining<br />
garlic oil. Scatter with basil leaves and top with a little herb yogurt.<br />
Gremolata is an Italian mixture of parsley, lemon zest and garlic. It<br />
is a wonderful punchy flavouring for fish dishes, quick to prepare<br />
and full of antioxidants. This works perfectly with oily fish such as<br />
salmon but is equally delicious drizzled over vegetables.<br />
Storage: Prepare the gremolata in advance and store in the fridge until<br />
required. Leftover salmon can be kept in the fridge for one or two days.<br />
• Large handful of fresh flat leaved parsley, finely chopped<br />
• Juice and grated zest of 1 lemon<br />
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed<br />
• 3 tbsp olive oil<br />
• 4 salmon fillets, with skin<br />
• 8 red and yellow cherry tomatoes, halved<br />
1. Mix together the parsley, lemon juice and zest, garlic and 2 tbsp<br />
of oil in a bowl.<br />
2. Pour a little oil over the salmon fillets and season with black<br />
pepper. Heat a frying pan until hot. Sear the salmon, skin–side<br />
down for 2-3 minutes until golden. Turn over and cook for a<br />
further 4-5 minutes until cooked through.<br />
3. Place the tomatoes in a bowl and coat with a little of the<br />
gremolata. Spoon on to a serving plate and top with the salmon.<br />
Drizzle the remaining gremolata over the salmon.<br />
Dr Marilyn Glenville PhD is the UK’s leading nutritionist<br />
specialising in women’s health. She is the Former President of<br />
the Food and Health Forum at the Royal Society of Medicine<br />
and the author of a number of internationally bestselling<br />
books including Getting Pregnant Faster, Fat around the Middle<br />
and The Natural Health Bible for Women.<br />
Dr Glenville works in a gynaecology clinic in London and also<br />
in Tunbridge Wells. If you are interested in a consultation, you<br />
can contact Dr Glenville’s clinic on 0870 5329244, or by email<br />
at health@marilynglenville.com.<br />
For more information go to www.marilynglenville.com<br />
www.fertilityroad.com<br />
49
INTRODUCING...<br />
<strong>Fertility</strong>World<br />
<strong>Fertility</strong> <strong>Road</strong> is proud and excited to announce<br />
that we have partnered up with the Destination<br />
Health Show in London Olympia on the April 15<br />
and 16 2011 to bring you <strong>Fertility</strong> World, where<br />
we have a dedicated area of the show discussing<br />
all matters of fertility and conception.<br />
As a visitor to the show you<br />
will be surrounded by some<br />
of the leading clinics from<br />
around the world who<br />
specialise in fertility<br />
treatments, with experts<br />
on hand to answer your<br />
every question.<br />
<strong>Fertility</strong> In partnership World withis a part of<br />
coming April 2011.<br />
BOOK<br />
TODAY<br />
SAVE<br />
£5<br />
DestinationHealth
<strong>Fertility</strong> <strong>Road</strong> is also running the ‘<strong>Fertility</strong> <strong>Road</strong><br />
Seminar Theatre’, where doctors and fertility<br />
experts will offer free group discussions<br />
and talks throughout the day...<br />
• Maximising your chances of getting pregnant<br />
• Choosing a fertility clinic<br />
• Going overseas for fertility treatment<br />
• How the NHS can help with fertility costs<br />
• Same-sex fertility treatment<br />
• The donor and surrogacy route<br />
• Natural methods for boosting fertility<br />
• <strong>Fertility</strong> information resources<br />
So make sure you put us in your diary, and we look forward<br />
to meeting you at the show! For more information please visit<br />
www.destinationhealth.co.uk or www.<strong>Fertility</strong><strong>Road</strong>Show.com<br />
or contact us on info@fertilityroad.com - 0208 316 4323<br />
HOW TO GET TO<br />
FERTILITY WORLD<br />
LOCATION<br />
Olympia 2, Hammersmith <strong>Road</strong>,<br />
London W14. Olympia is located<br />
in the centre of London on<br />
Hammersmith <strong>Road</strong>, near<br />
High Street Kensington<br />
BY UNDERGROUND<br />
District Line service from Earls<br />
Court to Kensington Olympia<br />
BY TRAIN<br />
Kensington Olympia is serve<br />
by a daily shuttle service from<br />
Clapham Junction to Willesden<br />
and the Connex South Central<br />
Service from Gatwick to Rugby.<br />
BY BUS<br />
Olympia is served by routes 9,<br />
9a, 10, 27, 28, 49 & 391. All stops<br />
within easy walking distance.<br />
BY TAXI OR CAR<br />
Olympia is easily accessible<br />
from Central London and the<br />
West End. Parking is available<br />
(charged by the hour).
FERTILITY ROAD<br />
GUIDES/ SUPPLEMENTS<br />
Helping you plan for every stage of your journey...<br />
WORDS | CATHRYN PUGH<br />
WHAT<br />
SUP?<br />
Taking supplements before<br />
and while you are trying<br />
to conceive can boost your<br />
chances of having a healthy baby.<br />
Scientific research has shown that male and female fertility<br />
can be increased through the use of supplements. Many<br />
experts also agree that even a so-called ‘healthy diet’<br />
may not contain the nutrients we require. For women,<br />
hormonal balance is important for regular ovulation and taking<br />
supplements can ensure you have normal menstrual cycles,<br />
which will increase the chances of conception. For men, healthy<br />
sperm formation, quality and motility are central to reproductive<br />
wellness and male fertility.<br />
Many supplements are packaged up in fertility support formulas<br />
such as Sanatogen or FertilAid, of which there are different types<br />
for men and women. Most have the same basic ingredients – zinc,<br />
selenium and other vitamins - which all play an important role<br />
in fertility.<br />
Zinc is the nutrient that has been analysed the most in relation<br />
to conception, as it is necessary for a woman’s body to attract and<br />
hold the reproductive hormones oestrogen and progesterone. It<br />
also improves the quality of a man’s sperm. A zinc deficiency can<br />
cause chromosome changes in both a woman and her partner,<br />
leading to reduced fertility and an increased risk of miscarriage.<br />
Vitamins C and E are powerful antioxidants and vitamin E in<br />
particular has been linked with an increase in fertilisation rates for<br />
couples undergoing IVF treatment, when the man has taken it.<br />
Studies show that vitamin C enhances sperm quality, protecting<br />
sperm and the DNA within it from damage. Some research has<br />
indicated that certain types of DNA damage in the sperm can make<br />
it difficult to conceive in the first place, or it can cause an increased<br />
risk of miscarriage if conception does take place.<br />
Long known to safeguard the health of the unborn baby, by<br />
reducing the risk of spinal cord defects and premature labour, Folic<br />
Acid which is a form of vitamin B, is now thought to also aid<br />
conception. A study involving more than 18,000 women in the<br />
US showed those who took it regularly had a 40% lower risk of<br />
suffering problems producing eggs - the second biggest cause of<br />
female infertility. In fact, all of the B vitamins are essential to get<br />
the body ready for conception. Research has shown that giving B6<br />
to women who have trouble conceiving increases fertility and vitamin<br />
B12 has been found to improve low sperm counts.<br />
Another supplement that improves the quality of a man’s sperm is<br />
the antioxidant, selenium. It maximises sperm formation and makes<br />
them stronger. It also benefits women, as it helps to protect their<br />
body from highly reactive chemical fragments called free radicals.<br />
For this reason, selenium can prevent chromosome breakage, which<br />
is known to be a cause of birth defects and miscarriages.<br />
In addition to nutrient supplements, herbal treatments are aimed<br />
at restoring hormone imbalances, and encouraging ovulation if it is<br />
not occurring. The herb of choice for increasing fertility is Agnus<br />
Castus or ‘Chasteberry’. In one study, 48 women diagnosed with<br />
infertility took Agnus Castus daily for three months. Seven of them<br />
became pregnant during that time and 25 of them regained normal<br />
progesterone levels. It is particularly helpful for those women with<br />
high prolactin levels, because it stimulates the proper functioning of<br />
the pituitary gland which controls the hormones.<br />
However, Agnus Castus is not recommended for everyone. If you<br />
are using drug treatments or going through assisted conception<br />
(such as IVF) don’t take any herbs unless they are recommended by<br />
a qualified practitioner.<br />
The important thing to remember is that there are numerous<br />
supplements that couples can take to try to boost their fertility, but<br />
treatment plans do need to be adjusted to suit your individual<br />
needs. It also takes at least three months for immature eggs to<br />
mature enough to be released during ovulation, and the same<br />
amount of time for sperm cells to develop ready to be ejaculated.<br />
This means that when trying to improve your fertility, you need to<br />
start taking supplements and looking after yourself properly at<br />
least four months before conceiving.<br />
52 fertility road | january - february
Free <strong>Fertility</strong> Report by Dr Marilyn Glenville PhD<br />
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Your free report will show you how certain nutrients can:<br />
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• Improve your health before conception<br />
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In a scientifi c study, over 80% of couples who have used Dr Marilyn Glenville’s methods conceived naturally and had healthy babies.<br />
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FERTILITY ROAD<br />
GUIDES/FINANCE<br />
Helping you plan for every stage of your journey...<br />
Clinical trials<br />
You may be eligible to participate in clinical trials. These trials are<br />
closely monitored by doctors and are one great way to get in on<br />
treatments that you might otherwise not be able to afford. Speak<br />
to both your insurance company and to your fertility specialist<br />
about possible options.<br />
Using the experience of others<br />
It has never been easier to gain insight and intelligence from other<br />
people, thanks to the internet. Financing fertility does require a lot<br />
of research, but talking to others who have undergone infertility<br />
treatment can be done quickly and effectively, and may lead to<br />
some considerable savings along the way.<br />
While financing fertility is undoubtedly difficult to plan, it can<br />
also be notorious to stick to, particularly when the emotional<br />
lure of a family means the heart overrides the head.<br />
But if you can agree on a timeframe and points along the<br />
path that you won’t go past, then the aspect of financing for<br />
fertility need not be the scary monster that it is sometimes<br />
portrayed as. Here are some key guidelines…<br />
Budget<br />
You’ll budget for the roof over your head, for food, travel and<br />
holidays, and fertility should be the same. Of course, costs will<br />
largely depend on the type of treatment and fertility testing<br />
involved and you won’t know what really lies ahead until you<br />
see a fertility specialist in order to understand what treatment is<br />
necessary and the fees involved. Such fees would involve those<br />
associated with fertility tests, diagnostic (advanced) procedures,<br />
fertility medications, fertility procedures for male-factor fertility<br />
and assisted reproductive procedures, and don’t rule out additional<br />
sums, such as hospital fees, consultation costs, plus screening<br />
charges prior to infertility treatment.<br />
Your fertility specialist may be able to refer you to an appropriate<br />
financial counsellor.<br />
Financial Assistance<br />
It is important to perform research and look into any financial coverage<br />
or assistance that may be available to you. Something like IVF<br />
is rarely covered by insurance options, but rather than assume that<br />
avenues are blocked, it’s worth researching the possibilities.<br />
Some health insurance policies cover selected fertility procedures<br />
but not others – for instance, many health insurance plans will help<br />
finance aforementioned fertility test costs and diagnostic procedures,<br />
but only about a quarter of all insurance plans will cover ART.<br />
And for couples worried about the added cost of multiple births,<br />
some insurance schemes will pay out in the instance of twins,<br />
triplets or even greater numbers arriving into the world.<br />
Using the NHS or going private?<br />
The NHS offers couples seeking infertility treatment one fertility<br />
financing option. However, there are certain eligibility criteria<br />
that couples must meet in order to get funding from this type of<br />
infertility insurance.<br />
As ever though, waiting lists are a big issue, along the speed of<br />
supplementary and additional procedures. In addition, infertility<br />
coverage that will be available under the NHS will largely depend<br />
on the criteria presented by the respective Primary Care<br />
Trust in the region. This, in turn, means that fertility financing by<br />
the NHS still largely varies, and is dependent largely on location.<br />
It is because of this that about three quarters of infertile couples<br />
choose to go private.<br />
But the NHS is looking to more stringently implement the guidelines<br />
set forth by NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence),<br />
which ensure that patients will be offered up to three cycles of IVF<br />
or ICSI on the NHS, if they fulfil the following criteria:<br />
• The woman is aged between 23 and 39 years of age<br />
at the time of treatment.<br />
• Either partner has had fertility problems for three years or more.<br />
• Either partner has a diagnosed infertility problem such<br />
as a blocked fallopian tube or an absence of sperm.<br />
Partial treatment coverage by the NHS can still decrease fertility<br />
costs significantly, as well as other treatment fees. This means that<br />
there could be a significant decrease in the total cost of infertility<br />
treatment packages including the cost of fertility drugs, scans and<br />
consultations. With NHS funding, infertility treatment costs are<br />
typically reduced by £1,000 to £2,500.<br />
Reach out to family and friends<br />
Family help is often the solution for many couples. If you are comfortable<br />
doing so, express your financial difficulties and your needs<br />
with family members. Know your facts before you do - including<br />
how much money you would need for fertility treatments, and for<br />
what length of time. Then, see if anyone is willing to help. But<br />
remember, the price of fertility treatment is only ever a rehearsal to<br />
the forthcoming costs of raising children!<br />
www.fertilityroad.com<br />
55
FERTILITY ROAD<br />
GUIDES/ ALTERNATIVE<br />
Helping you plan for every stage of your journey...<br />
But take note, self-fertility to the reproductive organs must only<br />
be performed before pregnancy and not during your period, and<br />
techniques must be done correctly, so it’s worth reading up in<br />
detail or taking expert advice on exactly how it will benefit you,<br />
because everybody reacts differently.<br />
The recognised massage techniques<br />
in self-fertility massage are as follows<br />
• Chi Nei Tsang<br />
• Deep Tissue Massage<br />
• Myofacial Release<br />
• Acupressure<br />
• Reflexology<br />
• Castor Oil Therapy<br />
MY<br />
MASSAGE<br />
THERAPY<br />
Massage is one of the best natural remedies to<br />
eliminate those feelings of stress and anxiety so<br />
associated with fertility, and has been scientifically<br />
proven to trigger the release of endorphins – the<br />
body’s natural pleasure providers.<br />
Even gentle stroking can be used to produce feelings of comfort<br />
and wellbeing, while a deeper massage can help you to relax,<br />
affecting positively body systems so as to control heart rate, blood<br />
pressure, respiration and digestion.<br />
Relaxation – and the reduction of stress hormones such as<br />
cortisol and norepinephrine, which weaken your immune system<br />
– is crucial in the battle to maintain a body that is in its best<br />
fertile state, and massage is a great way to restore peace of mind<br />
throughout a potentially fraught time in your life.<br />
<strong>Fertility</strong> massage (as shared massage or self-massage) encompasses<br />
several complex massaging techniques, the combination<br />
of which can have a tremendously beneficial effect in terms of<br />
increasing blood flow and nutrients to the organs, mainly due to a<br />
freeing of tissues that can become overgrown and cause obstructions,<br />
for instance in the fallopian tubes.<br />
It can also help relieve symptoms that result from a painful<br />
menstrual cycle, not to mention the knock-on effects of cysts,<br />
fibroids and endometriosis.<br />
Many women report immediate positive after-effects, though<br />
given that you are putting your body through a cleansing period,<br />
there can result complaints in terms of a slightly heavier period,<br />
soreness, or increased bowel movements. But in the grander<br />
scheme of things, these are merely indicators that your body is<br />
ridding itself of old adhesions, clogged matter and blood clots.<br />
There are a number of oils typically associated with fertility,<br />
including clary sage, lavender and tea tree. You should always<br />
seek advice before using an oil though given potential allergies or<br />
There are a number of oils<br />
typically associated with fertility,<br />
including clary sage, lavender<br />
and tea tree. You should always<br />
seek advice before using an oil<br />
though given potential allergies<br />
or breathing complaints.<br />
breathing complaints, and oils should always be diluted in a carrier<br />
oil such as apricot kernel oil, sunflower oil or sweet almond oil.<br />
More and more alternative oils have come onto the market<br />
over the course of the last decade, each aimed at different areas<br />
of the body and each providing varying levels of impact and<br />
relief, depending upon your requirements. These range from the<br />
use of basil (an invigorating fragrance that helps in staying alert<br />
and clearing the mind), to ginger zingiber (a traditional Chinese<br />
remedy that has a warming effect and aids digestion) to neroli<br />
(AKA orange blossom, which is calming and soothing during<br />
times of stress), or good old-fashioned rose (known as the ‘queen<br />
of oils’ for its affinity to the female system and sweet floral aroma).<br />
Finding the right oil is essential in creating a massage therapy<br />
that works for you and your circumstances. There are countless<br />
reference sources available, but remember to consult expert<br />
advice at whatever stage of the fertility journey you are at, to<br />
ensure that you choose something that is tailored to you, and will<br />
offer maximum therapeutic impact.<br />
56 fertility road | january - february
HARLEY STREET FERTILITY CENTRE<br />
MAURITIUS<br />
HAVE YOUR TREATMENT AND HOLIDAY ON A TROPICAL ISLAND!<br />
<strong>Fertility</strong> Problems?<br />
Having difficulty in conceiving?<br />
Repeated IVF failures?<br />
Why not enjoy the sunshine and<br />
beautiful beaches in Mauritius while<br />
having your fertility treatment in total<br />
confidentiality?<br />
Why pay more in Europe, when you can<br />
have the same expertise and<br />
technology including a 10-day holiday<br />
in a tropical paradise?<br />
The Centre is headed by Dr Rajat Goswamy,<br />
FRCOG, who has been providing IVF<br />
treatments since 1982 in UK and is renowned<br />
for innovations in IVF, Ultrasound and Keyhole<br />
surgery. He and his international team have<br />
been providing fertility treatments on the<br />
island since 2002.<br />
The Centre takes great care in providing a high<br />
standard of services using the latest<br />
techniques, in a caring, relaxed and supportive<br />
environment maintaining privacy and dignity.<br />
Harley Street <strong>Fertility</strong> Centre<br />
Address : Georges Guibert Street Floréal<br />
Telephone : (230) 686 2525 - Fax : (230) 697 85 72<br />
Email : hsfcmauritius@intnet.mu<br />
The Centre provides a wide spectrum of <strong>Fertility</strong><br />
treatments including:<br />
• IVF - In Vitro Fertilisation<br />
• ICSI - Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection<br />
• Assisted Hatching<br />
• Testicular Sperm Extraction<br />
• Aneuploidy screening<br />
Success rates at the Centre for these treatments<br />
have been consistently above 40 %<br />
• Laparoscopic Surgery for<br />
Endometriosis<br />
and Polycystic Ovaries (PCO)<br />
• Hysteroscopic Surgery for fibroids, polyps, and<br />
intra-uterine rine adhesions<br />
These keyhole surgical procedures are<br />
performed at<br />
Fortis Clinique Darné.<br />
Pregnancy rates following these procedures match<br />
those obtained with the artificial reproductive<br />
techniques listed above.<br />
For further information about us, and on treatment<br />
packages which include hotel accommodation, visit<br />
our website : www.harleystreetfertility.comww.harleystreetfertility.comw
SCIENCE | genetic counselling<br />
WORDS | AMY VANCE<br />
GENETIC<br />
COUNSELLING<br />
EXPLAINED<br />
Amy Vance, MS, GCC, and founder<br />
of Bay Area Genetic Counselling<br />
explains the importance of genetic<br />
counselling and family history risk<br />
assessment for ovum donors.<br />
What is Genetic Counselling?<br />
Genetic counselling is the process of helping people understand<br />
and adapt to the medical, psychological and familial implications<br />
of genetic contributions to disease. This process integrates:<br />
• Interpretation of family and medical histories to assess<br />
the chance of disease occurrence or recurrence.<br />
• Education about inheritance, testing, management,<br />
prevention, resources and research.<br />
• Counselling to promote informed choices and adaptation<br />
to the risk or condition.<br />
• The purpose of the genetics consult for ovum donors<br />
• Ovum donors are typically screened through the use of a<br />
family history questionnaire as part of their profile, usually<br />
focusing only on first degree relatives and grandparents.<br />
The majority of questionnaires omit half-siblings, nieces,<br />
nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins.<br />
Most gamete donor programmes do not utilise genetic counselling<br />
services for family history risk assessment (hereafter called genetic<br />
risk assessment, or GRA) and do not obtain a three generation<br />
pedigree (family history). If a donor has a positive genetic test result,<br />
many donor agencies do not refer for genetic counselling and do not<br />
adequately address the implications for the donor and her family.<br />
The benefits to intended parents<br />
Having a thorough review and interpretation of the family medical<br />
history helps ensure that intended parents have not only complete<br />
information but also interpretation of potential risks to their offspring.<br />
A copy of the family tree is provided to the intended parents for<br />
their records. For a couple using an anonymous gamete donor,<br />
this may be the most detailed information they receive about the<br />
medical history of their offspring’s family.<br />
Sometimes there is new information that comes up during the<br />
genetics consult that was not elicited by the profile, or there is<br />
a genetic test result on the donor which is positive. These are<br />
difficult circumstances that, on occasion, lead to the intended<br />
parent deciding not to go forward with the donor. Knowing this<br />
information prior to a pregnancy and having the opportunity to<br />
make decisions accordingly is important.<br />
Risk assessment includes:<br />
• Donor’s pregnancy history<br />
• Donor’s health history<br />
• Family history of mental retardation or birth defects<br />
• Personal or family history of stillbirth/miscarriage/<br />
neonatal death<br />
58 fertility road | january - february
ISSUE <strong>04</strong> | JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2011 £3.95/€4.95<br />
<strong>04</strong> WWW.FERTILITYROAD.COM<br />
Specific conditions occur<br />
more commonly in different<br />
ethnic groups. All are inherited in<br />
an autosomal recessive fashion,<br />
both parents have to be carriers<br />
for the same condition in order<br />
to have an affected child.<br />
Why is ethnicity important?<br />
In almost every population or ethnic group, certain genetic<br />
conditions occur more frequently than in the general population.<br />
Once a genetic mutation occurs in an individual or population,<br />
it is conserved from generation to generation over many<br />
years as people mate and marry with partners from the same<br />
geographic region or racial background as themselves. Specific<br />
conditions occur more commonly in different ethnic groups. All<br />
are inherited in an autosomal recessive fashion, meaning that<br />
both parents have to be carriers for the same condition in order<br />
to have an affected child. The only way to know if someone is a<br />
carrier for a recessive disorder is to have carrier screening.<br />
Why don’t all ovum donors have<br />
a genetic risk assessment?<br />
There are currently no regulations requiring a genetics consultation/family<br />
history risk assessment for ovum donors. In<br />
my practice I have attempted to promote awareness and<br />
utilisation of the GRA for ovum donors.<br />
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In summary, family history risk assessment for ovum donors<br />
by a genetic counsellor using a three generation pedigree<br />
provides enhanced information to the ovum donor programme<br />
to allow them to better screen their donors. It allows recipient<br />
couples to make informed decisions about potential genetic<br />
risks prior to donor selection and pregnancy and allows them to<br />
take advantage of technology such as PGD. It enhances the<br />
quality of service that is provided to the intended parent. At<br />
this time, some donor agencies do provide a GRA for matched<br />
donors. This information may be collected and provided to<br />
the IVF doctor for review with the intended parent or sometimes<br />
it is provided to the intended parent.<br />
Intended parents can empower themselves by asking their<br />
donor agency/IVF centre whether a GRA has been performed,<br />
and whether they can obtain a copy for their records. If a<br />
GRA has not been performed, intended parents can<br />
request that this occur. If more intended parents see the<br />
value in the GRA and request that it be done, it may become<br />
standard practice in the future.<br />
Bay Area Genetic Counselling provides risk assessment to<br />
gamete donors and all couples undergoing IVF at Zouves<br />
<strong>Fertility</strong> Centre. Contact Amy at amy@bayareagc.com or by<br />
calling 001 415 453 4384 www.bayareagc.com<br />
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SCIENCE | osteopathy<br />
THE GOVERNING<br />
BODY<br />
Osteopathy is the treatment of muscles, ligaments, nerves<br />
and joints in assisting the body’s natural healing ability.<br />
It involves gentle, manual techniques in order to ease<br />
pain, reduce swelling and improve mobility. It can<br />
also alleviate backaches during pregnancy, emotional problems,<br />
exhaustion, impotence, infertility, and menstrual pain along.<br />
Cranial osteopathy, concentrated on the skull, has in the past<br />
been reserved for helping babies and children after the experience<br />
of birth, or those of other ages suffering skull injuries. Yet increased<br />
research into alternative therapies suggests that this technique<br />
could have huge benefits for couples looking to start a family.<br />
Cranial osteopaths work on detecting stress points, releasing<br />
energy from these areas in order to bring about relief. This subtle<br />
type of osteopathic treatment uses gentle techniques to release<br />
stresses within the body and the head. It uses the body’s ‘Involuntary<br />
Motion’ - a rhythmical shape change present in body tissue.<br />
All types of osteopathic therapists are trained to feel subtle<br />
body motions and they can easily locate areas where there are<br />
restrictions or congestions.<br />
Osteopathy in preconception<br />
There are many specialist osteopaths, and the best of those will<br />
quote up to a 25% success rate for treatment leading to an overcoming<br />
of fertility problems. The belief is that your body can be<br />
slightly twisted and misaligned, something which can make muscles<br />
‘catch’ on arteries, thereby blocking the flow of blood and hormones.<br />
Of course, many women do fall pregnant despite these twists<br />
and catches, but for others, unexplained infertility has been<br />
alleviated. And even those who don’t fall pregnant can find that<br />
unbalanced hormones and misalignments in something like the<br />
neck can have effects on longstanding pains in the body.<br />
Osteopathy and acupuncture<br />
Osteopathy and acupuncture are both closely linked in that one is<br />
said to lead naturally to the other, due to the shared relationship<br />
and movement of the body and blood flow, something that can be<br />
obstructed by posture and alignment.<br />
Evidence suggests that there is a strong connection through the<br />
middle of the body which can become unaligned through childhood<br />
illness, accidents or stress. If uncorrected, it can exacerbate problems<br />
in other areas of the mid-line, most notably the pelvis, where the<br />
reproductive system is based. This is why people with infertility<br />
issues are likely to notice positive changes through this therapy.<br />
And remember, osteopathy can be either on the area or via the<br />
use of cranial point contact, which realigns the plates of the skull.<br />
Osteopathy for mothers<br />
A mother slowly adapts to carrying 20lbs of baby, water and<br />
placenta during pregnancy, and this obviously places a great strain<br />
on the body that can manifest itself in a number of different ways.<br />
Osteopathic treatment has, for some patients, been shown to<br />
alleviate stresses in the following ways:<br />
• In helping the body cope with the increasing weight<br />
of the baby and fluid.<br />
• In preparing the mother for the demands of labour.<br />
• In assisting the mother’s recovery after the pregnancy and delivery.<br />
• In helping to limit the pressure of post-birth lifting, carrying and<br />
general strains on the spine and pelvis at a time when the body<br />
is fragile and trying to adapt back to its pre-pregnancy state.<br />
• In helping to reduce other aches and pains, plus Sciatica<br />
and Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction<br />
Finding a good Osteopath<br />
As always, word of mouth is one of the best ways to source any<br />
specialist, particularly when it comes to alternative therapies.<br />
Otherwise, consult an official body such as the General Osteopathic<br />
Council.<br />
A good osteopath will recommend abandoning treatment if<br />
the patient does not feel any considerable improvement after<br />
three or four sessions, though a large percentage of patients<br />
report impressive benefits throughout all stages of the fertility<br />
and pregnancy progress.<br />
www.fertilityroad.com<br />
61
READER STORY | letter from the heart<br />
‘‘<br />
LETTER<br />
FROM THE<br />
HEART:<br />
PALI’S<br />
STORY<br />
Pali Panesar, 39, had 13 cycles<br />
of IVF before surrogacy provided<br />
her dream result…<br />
I<br />
am<br />
39 and my husband, Swarn, is 42, and the path to<br />
parenthood has been a 12-year journey for us, but one<br />
that finally gave us a happy ending in 2010.<br />
Right back at the start, around the time of the Millennium,<br />
we tried as couples do, each month hoping for the right<br />
result and expecting everything to click. A year or so passed, and<br />
with nothing happening we realised it was time to visit our GP.<br />
Our inability to fall pregnant was unexplained, and the longer it<br />
went on the further away my dream of three children seemed<br />
to become. I had a couple of procedures, a laparoscopy and a<br />
hysteroscopy, but with nothing really prevailing.<br />
We had to move on, so went private and took our first IVF<br />
cycle when I was 31. We were hopeful and positive that it would<br />
produce a good number of eggs. I had quite a large dropout rate<br />
but still had quite a few to transfer.<br />
Nothing happened the first time, but on cycle number three I<br />
actually did fall pregnant, only to suffer a heartbreaking miscarriage<br />
at 11 weeks. I picked myself back up again and continued along<br />
the road taking different treatments and, after cycle eight, changed<br />
clinics from where I had been in Harley Street, visiting Cyprus and<br />
north India, yet continued to encounter negative results.<br />
It was tough going. After so many disappointments, the idea<br />
of surrogacy came along, as did adoption. I had got to the point<br />
where I thought ‘I just cannot physically do any more’. Anyone<br />
who has been through this will know the emotions involved –<br />
the time off work, the trauma, the depression, each time believing<br />
and hoping. I was long past the point of my dream scenario of<br />
wanting three children; just one would be a blessing.<br />
After attending meetings about adoption we didn’t think<br />
we were ready to jump onto that ladder. Given that my<br />
husband and I are Indian, the adoption agency made it clear<br />
that they would rather place babies with parents who have their<br />
similar cultural and religious background. We felt we were at a<br />
disadvantage because there are very few Indian babies in the<br />
UK who come up for adoption.<br />
The idea of international adoption actually led us on to<br />
thinking about surrogacy. We’d ruled it out before but now<br />
weren’t so sure we should. We did a bit of soul-searching and<br />
answered a few honest questions. I think that has to be done,<br />
whoever you are. You have to ask yourself what you are prepared<br />
to do, and what lengths you are willing to go to in order to<br />
achieve it. Of course, there are so many questions, and you can’t<br />
expect to have all of the answers all of the time, but with the<br />
support of our families we felt this was right for us.<br />
62 fertility road | january - february
We started our research, and India seemed the best option. The<br />
internet was brilliant for giving us a broad cross-section, with<br />
specialist sites such as www.surrogacy.co.uk offering a really<br />
good handle on what surrogacy is about, the mindset involved,<br />
and what goes into it. A number of the American sites were<br />
useful, while the British Embassy in India’s online resource<br />
issues a paper that serves to answer a lot of queries.<br />
We spoke to a few clinics and got the lowdown - it was pretty<br />
much the same thing everywhere. But then we were pointed in<br />
the direction of the The Origin <strong>Fertility</strong> clinic in Mumbai. It was<br />
a new clinic, just three years old, but owners Dr Mane and<br />
his wife were educated and had practised in the UK. Now<br />
even though I’m of Indian blood, I’m a UK-born citizen, and I<br />
know that communication across languages and cultures can<br />
sometimes be difficult. I knew that I couldn’t take that chance<br />
whereby we lost the ability to communicate properly with our<br />
specialists. Using Origin cleared that obstacle.<br />
I actually work in a healthcare company so, in addition, I<br />
knew Origin were affiliated with all the correct bodies in the<br />
UK, and I was happy to put my faith in them.<br />
In some parts of India they believe that the practitioner<br />
knows everything, and that is that. It’s not an attitude that I<br />
could live with given how personal IVF is. In the UK we have<br />
freedom of speech and we can ask questions of the practitioner<br />
at every step along the way - that’s the way we work. If<br />
someone tells you to take three tablets a day, you need to have<br />
the right to ask them why. But Mumbai is very modern, and<br />
the clinic was very Western in its approach. Our consultant<br />
spoke perfect English, his standards were very British, and he<br />
Dr Mane shapes his team based<br />
on his own values. He gave me<br />
and my situation so much time and<br />
listened to everything that I wanted.<br />
operated with a complete set of standards that had to be<br />
followed by everyone he affiliated with. It was such a relief.<br />
And when, after my initial emailed enquiry, Dr Mane picked up<br />
the phone to discuss my situation, I was amazed – what consultant<br />
rings you back from just an email? It was amazing! We had a<br />
conversation for an hour, and given that I was, that day, on my way<br />
out to India for an unconnected matter, I arranged to make a<br />
diversion so that I could visit the clinic. I was still in a big mess<br />
emotionally, and cried a lot when I spoke to them, but we talked<br />
around all the different things. By the end of my visit though I was<br />
convinced I would take my cycle there. We were back on the road.<br />
That was in November 2009, and in February of last year we<br />
went out and did the cycle, using my eggs and a surrogate<br />
mother. It went very well and we were fortunate in that we now<br />
have beautiful twin boys, Ariyan and Jaiden. Although there<br />
were small complications during the pregnancy, everything was<br />
managed fantastically - I couldn’t have hoped for a better end.<br />
Immediately after the procedure, and not knowing what was<br />
going to happen, I remember writing in Origin’s guestbook that<br />
no matter what happened, it was the best treatment cycle I’d<br />
ever had. The attention to detail was incredible and it was<br />
all about my circumstances, not those of others who had<br />
done identical treatments.<br />
Dr Mane shapes his team based on his own values. He gave<br />
me and my situation so much time and listened to everything<br />
that I wanted, to the point that when the twins were due. He<br />
and our surrogate allowed us to be present at the birth.<br />
It was a perfect end to a long journey. To do 13 cycles was<br />
unlike me - I’m not an obsessive person, but with hindsight, I<br />
realise how much I wanted it. We felt as if we had<br />
everything else we needed in life, yet this was the<br />
one missing piece of the jigsaw. We wouldn’t have<br />
forgiven ourselves if we hadn’t done everything<br />
within our power to try to fulfil our dreams.<br />
The support we’ve had away from the clinic was<br />
incredible as well - I’ve got very loving sisters and<br />
they were a pillar of support for me. At times I<br />
couldn’t even talk because it was so close to home,<br />
though through the heartache and the counselling,<br />
I’ve learned that your problems aren’t as bad as you think they<br />
are – you have other things in life and sometimes you need to sit<br />
up and make sure you look at the bigger picture. It’s easy to say<br />
that after the event, and at the time you feel as though you’re a<br />
failure, but it is true.<br />
Infertility is a disability but it isn’t an obvious one. Sometimes<br />
I’d wish that the consultant would come out and give a definite<br />
reason as to why I couldn’t hold on to a pregnancy, but that was<br />
never there. As long as you get to the point though where you<br />
accept you have to try a different route, and as long as you’re<br />
willing to attempt everything that’s within your reach – from<br />
IVF to Chinese herbs and Indian potions – then do so, because<br />
you never know what might happen... and the rewards are better<br />
than you could ever imagine.<br />
The Origin International <strong>Fertility</strong> Centre<br />
Opp Hiranandani Meadows, Off Pokhran Rd 2, Thane (W) 400610,<br />
Mumbai, India. Tel: 0091-22-21712345/40, Fax: 0091-22-21712341<br />
info@theoriginfertility.com - www.theoriginfertility.com<br />
www.fertilityroad.com<br />
63
HEALTHY NATION 2011 – 2-4 MARCH 2011 – KIEV, UKRAINE<br />
The Second International Medical Tourism exhibition comprises<br />
both the tour life & new life that demonstrate trends in the<br />
medical services market in Ukraine and abroad.<br />
Healthy Nation is supported by Cabinet of Ministers, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of<br />
Health, Ministry of Tourism, etc. in Ukraine. The event is the part of the Concept-State<br />
targeted social program Healthy Nation during 2009-2013 years! The program targets<br />
the rise in living standards of Ukrainian nation and its longevity.<br />
Each section of the exhibition includes vast scientific program: seminars and conferences,<br />
master classes of domestic and foreign experts in 11 modern conference halls that can each<br />
accommodate upto 500 delegates, and located in the International Exhibition Center.<br />
The event is obligatory to visit for most of the doctors, specialists and officials in the<br />
healthcare and related fields due to the imperatives of Ministry of Health of Ukraine<br />
and profile Associations.<br />
EMAIL: INFO@TREEX.COM.UA<br />
WWW.TREEX.COM.UA<br />
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science, and in each issue we offer you the stories behind top celebrity names, plus advice, information<br />
and stimulating features from some of the UK’s most accomplished fertility writers, tackling issues<br />
ranging from health, diet, finance and travel, through to law, exercise and same-sex parenting.<br />
EUROPE'S NO.1 FERTILITY MAGAZINE<br />
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64 fertility road | january - february
FERTILITY ROAD<br />
BOOKS<br />
Our review of the latest fertility titles…<br />
Fit for <strong>Fertility</strong><br />
- Michael Dooley<br />
Out now, £6.95<br />
One in six couples have problems conceiving<br />
and many more suffer the pain of miscarriage.<br />
Much of the advice they’re given is<br />
misleading or negative and IVF is often<br />
presented as the only option. In fact, it’s<br />
been shown that an integrated approach<br />
to fertility treatment can achieve the same<br />
success rates as IVF, without medical intervention,<br />
worry and expense.<br />
This is Michael’s approach and is based<br />
on his hugely successful Fit for <strong>Fertility</strong><br />
programme that combines changes to lifestyle,<br />
good nutrition and complementary<br />
therapies. Fit for <strong>Fertility</strong> will allow the<br />
reader to self diagnose and tailor their<br />
programme according to their needs.<br />
His Poundbury Clinic in Dorset also offers<br />
fertility retreats – call 01305 262626.<br />
The Everything ® <strong>Fertility</strong> Book<br />
- Nicole Galan, RN<br />
Out now, £10.99<br />
Infertility can be a frustrating and heartbreaking<br />
disorder compounded by complicated<br />
treatments and so-called miracle cures<br />
on the market. In The Everything® <strong>Fertility</strong><br />
Book, couples can find the medical and<br />
holistic information they need to conceive<br />
and bear a happy, healthy child all in one<br />
convenient guide.<br />
It includes information on the side effects<br />
of the latest fertility drugs, yoga exercises<br />
that aid fertility, birth rates associated with<br />
various treatments and coping methods for<br />
dealing with loss.<br />
With this guide, getting pregnant doesn’t<br />
have to be a stressful process. Armed with<br />
knowledge and reassurance, couples will<br />
be ready to make the choices that work<br />
best for them.<br />
The <strong>Fertility</strong> Diet<br />
- Jorge Chavarro, Walter<br />
Willett and Patrick Skerrett<br />
Out now, £17.99<br />
The <strong>Fertility</strong> Diet reveals the latest scientific<br />
findings from The Nurses’ Health<br />
Study II, confirming that diet has a major<br />
impact on fertility. It is based on eight recent<br />
studies which comprise one of the<br />
largest and longest-running investigations<br />
into women’s health in America.<br />
The study, for which approximately<br />
18,000 nurses trying to become pregnant<br />
provided extensive information about their<br />
diets, lifestyles, health, reproductive histories<br />
and personal lives, has revealed some<br />
major surprises, and this book documents<br />
them in detail.<br />
The <strong>Fertility</strong> Diet reveals that what you<br />
eat and how active you are can definitely<br />
stack the reproductive deck in your favour.<br />
The Ultimate <strong>Fertility</strong> Guide<br />
- Andrew Loosely<br />
naturalfertilityexpert.com<br />
For the first time, after nine years of treating<br />
couples for fertility issues, Andrew Loosely<br />
reveals his successful fertility secrets. He<br />
explains the most important aspects for<br />
preparing your body for conception and<br />
some of the common elements that may<br />
be stopping you from having a baby.<br />
In a simple step-by-step programme, you<br />
will discover how to take control of your<br />
fertility plus learn some of the treatments<br />
that Andrew uses to produce a current success<br />
rate of 79% positive pregnancy in his clinics.<br />
Andrew strongly believes that to allow<br />
your body to conceive there are seven key<br />
areas that need to be in place. These are<br />
revealed to you in this detailed guide.<br />
WIN!<br />
We have copies of the above titles to give away to 15 lucky winners, drawn at random.<br />
To enter, simply email your name and contact number to competitions@fertilityroad.com,<br />
stating your top two preferences of books. Entry closes on February 28, 2011.<br />
www.fertilityroad.com 65
FERTILITY ROAD |<br />
not forgotten<br />
It’s April 1955, and in an Apache Indian reservation north of Tucson, Arizona, in the United States, a 13-year-old<br />
girl is the centre of a gathering to celebrate her coming of age.<br />
She is called Little Cornflower, and is the latest in a long line of subjects who have had rites carried out,<br />
stemming from the legend of the famous White Painted Woman, an Apache Goddess.<br />
The four-day ceremony, conducted under the desert skies, welcomes townsfolk from all around, each<br />
bringing gifts of food. Little Cornflower is accompanied by her sponsor, a woman appointed by her family who<br />
has trained her in the rituals for many months. At one points she is blessed by the shaman, or medicine man. Her<br />
hair is sprinkled with pollen, the symbol of fertility, and she kneels on the sacred white deer rug.<br />
The US government actually made this ceremoney illegal from the start of the 1900s, and it stayed that way<br />
until the publication of the American Indian Religious Freedom Act in 1978.<br />
Neither this publication nor its contents constitute an explicit endorsement by Vibration Media, or by LRN Media, of the products or services mentioned in advertising or editorial content. The editorial<br />
content in this publication does not necessarily represent policies or recommendations of Vibration Media or LRN Media. This publication is not intended to be exhaustive. While every effort has been<br />
made to ensure accuracy, neither Vibraton Media nor LRN Media shall have any liability for errors or omissions. Readers who have questions should consult their healthcare providers or other competent<br />
sources of information and guidance. © All copyright Vibration Media unless otherwise stated. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited.<br />
66 fertility road | january - february
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the expertise and experience of British doctors, working with the world’s best<br />
fertility technology. Our clinic, already the largest in India, is rated in the top<br />
15 worldwide and, as well as being fully air-conditioned, offers WiFi throughout.<br />
The clinic was featured in the BBC World News due to it’s popularity.<br />
Surrounded by the intense cultural draw of Mumbai, The<br />
Origin International <strong>Fertility</strong> Centre is a brilliant<br />
destination for tourists... and for parents-to-be.<br />
Services under<br />
one roof include:<br />
IVF/ICSI<br />
Egg Donation<br />
Surrogacy<br />
Sperm Banking<br />
Embryo donation<br />
Laser Hatching<br />
Blastocysts Transfer<br />
Embryo Freezing<br />
Male factor treatment<br />
Vasectomy/Tubectomy reversal<br />
Advanced Laparoscopy to<br />
treat Fibroids, Endometriosis,<br />
Tubal disease, Polycystic Ovaries<br />
Advanced Hysteroscopy to treat Polyps,<br />
Septum, Adhesions, Tubal disease<br />
The Origin Centre • Opp. Hiranandani Meadows • Off Pokhran Rd No 2 • Thane (W)-400610 • Mumbai • INDIA,<br />
tel: 02079936377, 00912221712345/40 • fax: 00912221712341 • email: info@theoriginfertility.com<br />
www.theoriginfertility.com