When is it time to use donor eggs?

Posted & filed under Eggs.

If you’re over the age of 37, and your AMH is less than 2 pmol/L, your ovarian reserve will likely not support a reasonable attempt at IVF. IVF demands a relatively high number of eggs to be made available to the lab. The ideal number is between twelve and twenty. If numbers are going to… Read more »

What are my chances of success with IVF?

Posted & filed under IVF, Tests.

The easiest and most obvious answer is to ask your fertility doctor. If you live in a major city in Canada, you’ll have access to a quality fertility clinic to provide you with an answer. Unfortunately, in many cities, there’s only one fertility clinic. Seeking a second opinion can be stressful and difficult. Here’s one… Read more »

Calgary’s controversy about mixed-race donor selection

Posted & filed under IVF, News, Sperm.

I’m sure you’ve read in the news this week about a Calgary fertility clinic that refused a patient the ability to select donor sperm from a different ethnic background than hers. Dr. Calvin Greene, the Regional Fertility Program clinic’s administrative director, was quoted by the Calgary Herald last week, “I’m not sure that we should… Read more »

It looks like Ontario will be covering IVF.

Posted & filed under IVF, News.

It hasn’t passed yet, but with a majority government and no changes to the proposed budget, Ontario plans to cover IVF. The devil is always in the details, of course. From the budget: “The government will provide additional support for people in this province who want to become parents by expanding coverage of infertility services… Read more »

Ontarians donating unused embryos from IVF

Posted & filed under Eggs, IVF.

Our friend Erica Berman, PhD, sent us something interesting: a unique embryo donation program run by Beginnings. Essentially, embryos are donated by families who have gone through fertility treatments and no longer have a need for them. It works a lot like open adoption—biological parents choose intended parents as recipients of the embryos. The process… Read more »

IVF or Frozen Embryo Transfer?

Posted & filed under Eggs, IVF.

In my experience, frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycles are not as successful as fresh. However, rates can vary from clinic to clinic; it’s possible that some teams may have frozen rates comparable to fresh rates. There are some theoretical advantages to frozen cycles: for example, hormone levels with FET can be much more normal (and… Read more »

When should you do IVF?

Posted & filed under IVF, Tests, The Basics, The Journey.

Nobody wants to do IVF. Whenever a couple or individual comes to a fertility clinic, the goal is to work as naturally as possible to maximize the chances for pregnancy. So IVF can feel like a scary direction, both financially and emotionally. But if it’s been more than six months of trying naturally together, there… Read more »

NDP reject Liberal budget, Ontario’s IVF funding now uncertain

Posted & filed under News.

In a recent post, we covered the possibility of partial IVF coverage in Ontario. That possibility hung on the provincial budget, and whether Ontario’s government agreed to pass it. Today the Ontario NDP rejected the Liberal budget, triggering a provincial election this June. After the election, a new budget will be implemented and we’ll learn… Read more »

Update on Ontario’s coverage of IVF

Posted & filed under News.

In our last post, we discussed the exciting new developments towards partial coverage for IVF treatment in Ontario. We have a small update: we’ve heard that IVF coverage will be tabled with the May 2014 budget. If the NDP choose to support the Liberals on the budget, it’ll pave the way for coverage to begin… Read more »

Breaking: Ontario proposes covering some IVF treatment

Posted & filed under Eggs, News.

Starting in 2015, Ontario’s expert panel has proposed covering 1 cycle of IVF treatment per patient, as well as several other measures to improve access to fertility services. This is very good news for fertility patients, as IVF can often provide pregnancy rates 20x or higher than IUI or other treatments can. No, IVF is… Read more »