When is the optimal age (medically and financially) to freeze my eggs?

Posted & filed under Aging, Eggs, News.

Many women are curious about freezing their eggs — preserving their fertility because they aren’t ready or able to start a family, but want to keep the option open for the future. This Chatelaine article delves into new research with regards to timing your egg freezing. The analysis found that women who pursue egg freezing in their early or… Read more »

Important announcement: OHIP-covered IVF cycle to launch December 2015

Posted & filed under Aging, IVF, News, OHIP.

The Ontario government has finally announced its plans for OHIP-funded IVF. In summary, starting in December 2015, the government will fund one cycle of IVF for women under 43 years of age. The government also reversed its recent move to cut funding for certain OHIP-covered fertility monitoring services (such as blood tests), which is a big… Read more »

Panel advises excluding women over 42, severely obese women, from OHIP-covered IVF

Posted & filed under Aging, IVF, News, OHIP.

OHIP-covered IVF was expected to roll out in Ontario months ago. To meet the province’s expectation of launching in 2015, things are going to have to develop quickly. And we’re already seeing that happen, with news about a panel’s advisory re: OHIP-covered IVF recently surfacing. (If you aren’t caught up, I recommend reading my post on… Read more »

3 situations where you’ll want to consider IVF

Posted & filed under Aging, Eggs, IVF, Sperm, Tests, The Basics.

Nobody wants to do IVF. Whenever a couple or individual arrives at a fertility clinic, the strong goal is to work as naturally as possible to maximize the chances for pregnancy. My suspicion is that this comes down to two reasons. Financial, yes, but importantly, emotional: For all of us, the plan was to achieve… Read more »

What are the guidelines for known sperm donation?

Posted & filed under Aging, IVF, Sperm.

Health Canada does not support known-donor, fresh-sperm insemination. The rationale is to protect the health of women involved. Guidelines are clear that couples must be having sexual intercourse before a fertility clinic can use a fresh sample in an insemination. We can help you monitor your cycle – we can even make sure you have… Read more »

We’re considering using an anonymous sperm donor. How does it work in Canada?

Posted & filed under Aging, IVF, Sex, Sperm, The Basics.

Health Canada has guidelines in place to allow women to have safe access to donor sperm. However, there are some logistical challenges limiting choice. There is only one Canadian sperm bank: ReproMed, based in Toronto. To allow for a greater variety of sperm available to Canadians, Health Canada has allowed for the importation of non-altruistically-donated… Read more »

New data on non-donor egg freezing success rates!

Posted & filed under Aging, Eggs, IVF, Uncategorized.

Egg freezing is a relatively new procedure where a woman’s eggs are collected, frozen, and stored with the intention of later use. Women who are not yet ready to start a family may choose to freeze their eggs to keep the option on the table for longer. There has been significant promise, but also significant… Read more »

What impact does aging have on male fertility?

Posted & filed under Aging, Sperm, The Basics.

Getting older has its advantages. But many men over 45 worry about the impact their age will have on the quality of their sperm, and the health of children they may be responsible for. Sometimes, these are valid concerns. But there are things you can do about it. 1. Get a sperm test with DNA… Read more »

“How serious are those scary statistics about a woman’s fertility as she ages?”

Posted & filed under Aging, The Basics.

Age does predict egg quality with greater accuracy than any other factor. That’s why IVF success rates are usually sub-categorized by the woman’s age. The oldest patient I helped achieve pregnancy through a fresh IVF cycle with her own eggs was 45 when she delivered; a colleague of mine diagnosed a (very surprised) 51 year old with “stomach… Read more »