This is a guest blog written by Dr. Kim Garbedian There’s been an increase in talk about the role vitamin D plays in our health. Vitamin D has been linked to a variety of autoimmune diseases and cancers (breast and colorectal). Recent studies suggest that vitamin D may play a role in fertility. It… Read more »
IVF: choosing the best embryo, and the best day for embryo transfer
An IVF cycle should result in the retrieval of mature eggs. The eggs will be allowed to settle for a few hours, and then, that afternoon, fertilized with sperm. Choosing the best embryo The next day -day 1- each healthy embryo will still be a single cell, now at the two-Pro-Nucleii (2PN) stage. It… Read more »
What’s the difference between my ovarian reserve and egg quality?
Your egg quantity is also known as your ovarian reserve. It’s not quite the same thing as egg quality. But when you have a good ovarian reserve, you most likely will have some good quality eggs in there too. You were born with millions of immature eggs. Most of the immature eggs will be housed… Read more »
How does an AMH test help me?
AMH is the best test that we have for understanding your ovarian reserve. There are other tests available (FSH levels, and ultrasound) but they are not as accurate. AMH is the hormone that is made by the cells surrounding each of your resting eggs. This means that the more eggs that you have, the higher… Read more »
Is there hope with my own eggs using the estrogen priming protocol or is it truly time to consider donor eggs?
There is no universal “best” protocol. However, there may be a best one for you. You can run a natural start cycle, which simply means that you come in at the beginning of your menstrual cycle, say on day 3, and if there are no cysts, you start taking stimulating medication. This simple approach is… Read more »
So what is happening with IVF funding in Ontario?
We are still in the phase of rumour and hearsay. “Funded IVF” requires a number of institutional structures to work properly. Is this going to be a tax credit, or through OHIP? Will there be age or diagnostic criteria? How does the funding apply if couples wish to transfer more than one embryo? There are… Read more »
I am 28 and I have just been diagnosed with the lowest AMH possible. I’m starting aggressive IVF. Is age on my side with good quality eggs?
AMH predicts quantity, not quality. The best predictor for egg quality is being under 35 years of age. Yes! Age is on your side. Anti Mullerian Hormone is released by cells involved with the growth of antral follicles and correlated to the number of active antral follicles you have. Usually with IVF, we hope to… Read more »
Who’s at risk for Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome and what do you do?
OHSS happens when ovaries become inflamed, sometimes because they’re stimulated with medications. To some degree, ovaries are always inflamed a little bit. But in some people, the inflammatory fluid becomes excessive. The fluid collects in the abdomen, making it very uncomfortable to breathe. Worse, that fluid shouldn’t be there. The end result is a real… Read more »
What are the recent developments in implantation? (Part Two: Embryo grading)
This post is part one of a series where we will discuss how embryos, the uterus and overall health impact implantation. We judge embryo quality in three ways: the number of embryos present, embryo grading, and PGS. In this post, we’ll talk about embryo grading. Stretched over the first 96 hours of development, we… Read more »
Are my fertility issues my fault?
Throughout human history, we human beings have had a tendency to blame sick people for their condition. From heart attacks to irritable bowel disease, HIV to Ebola, these conditions share this in common: a tendency for society, and even the ill individuals themselves, to blame the afflicted. Disease and illness are looked at as a… Read more »