A diagnosis of azoospermia – no sperm, a type of male factor infertility – isn’t just shocking for a man, it’s a blow to his masculinity and ego. Some men pride themselves on their virility and ability to father children. “Thank you for your She… Read More »How to Help Your Husband Deal With the Shock of Male Infertility
Are you ready to be a single mother? These suggestions are inspired by one of my Blossom readers. “I want a baby so badly,” Lisa says. “But I’m single. What do I do?” In Choosing Single Motherhood: The Thinking Woman’s Guide, Mikki Morrissette addresses the… Read More »Things to Consider When You’re Single and Want a Baby
If you’re thinking about sperm donation and artificial information, you should learn what a sperm donor does!
This info is from a terrific book called A Baby at Last! The Couple’s Complete Guide to Getting Pregnant – From Cutting-Edge Treatments to Commonsense Wisdom.
“The frequency of artificial insemination of donor sperm has changed dramatically, thanks to the introduction of ICSI (intrauterine insemination),” write the authors of A Baby at Last! “Even when a man has a very low sperm count or low motility, or no sperm at all in the ejaculate, doctors can isolate a single sperm from the ejaculate or retrieve sperm from the testicles to inject directly into an egg.”
My husband calls this procedure “cracking a nut.” In medical circles, they call it TESE or testicular sperm extraction. But, if you don’t want to go that far in search of sperm – surgery to extract a single sperm – you might want to look for a sperm donor at a sperm bank instead.
The following info on sperm donors and sperm banks is from A Baby at Last! The Couple’s Complete Guide to Getting Pregnant–from Cutting-Edge Treatments to Commonsense Wisdom – a terrific source of information on getting pregnant, whether or not you’re coping with infertility.Read More »How Sperm Donation for Artificial Insemination Works
“Assisted reproductive technology has helped many childless couples to become parents,” writes Dr Miriam Stoppard in Conception, Pregnancy & Birth. “Originally in vitro fertilization (IVF) was the only form, but now there are a number of techniques aimed at helping a couple conceive and give birth to a healthy child. The rewards are wonderful, but the emotional costs can be high. Any couple considering assisted reproductive technology needs expert support.”
Many fertility clinics won’t provide treatments or assisted reproductive technology unless the couple has talked to a counselor or psychologist (and that can cost extra, depending on the type of infertility treatment). For more information on getting pregnant and healthy pregnancies, click Conception, Pregnancy & Birth: The Childbirth Bible for Today’s Parents
Read More »What is Assisted Reproductive Technology? Definitions of 8 Infertility Treatments
“Many people have focused on the role of assisted reproductive technologies in multiples and have not fully appreciated that fertility drugs alone are responsible for one out of every five multiple births,” said Alan R. Fleischman, M.D., medical director of the March of Dimes. “Controlled ovarian hyperstimulation drugs are widely prescribed, and some health care professionals — and their patients — are not aware of the serious risks of fertility drugs to women and their babies. There is a very high possibility of multi-fetal pregnancy resulting from use of these drugs, and that brings a high risk of prematurity and lifelong health problems for the babies as a consequence.”
This doesn’t mean we should avoid fertility treatments or assisted reproductive technologies, but it is something to be aware of! Talk to your fertility specialist for specific info that relates to you and your chances of getting pregnant. Click Creating Life Against the Odds: The Journey from Infertility to Parenthood to learn how one obstetrician/gynecologist used assisted reproductive technologies to get pregnant. And, read on for the full press release from the March of Dimes…Read More »How Fertility Treatments and Drugs Contribute to Multiple Births
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is type of fertility treatment that helps couples coping with infertility get pregnant. It’s also known as an “assisted reproductive technology.” Since I’m undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) soon, I’ve been researching this infertility treatment until I can’t stand it anymore! Here’s what… Read More »What is In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Fertility Treatment?
Infertile couples may find surrogacy parenthood is the best way to conceive a baby. These tips for surrogate mothers and parents (usually couples coping with infertility) are from a woman with a great deal of experience as a surrogate mom…
Before the tips, a quip about raising kids:
“Biology is the least of what makes someone a mother,” said Oprah Winfrey.
It’s not who gives birth to a child that makes someone a mother! True parenthood is about raising, loving, teaching, and preparing your kids for their own lives. To learn more about surrogacy, read Pathways to Parenthood: The Ultimate Guide to Surrogacy
And, here are tips for surrogate parenthood from an experienced surrogate mother…Read More »Surrogate Mothers and Parents – Tips for Surrogacy Parenthood
A glimpse into surrogate motherhood — and how and why women get pregnant for infertile couples. Here, a surrogate mother describes how she helps couples coping with infertility have their own families.
First, a quip about motherhood:
“Mother love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible.” – Marion C. Garretty, quoted in A Little Spoonful of Chicken Soup for the Mother’s Soul.
It may seem impossible to go through a healthy pregnancy and delivery, and give the baby to another couple to raise…but that’s what surrogate motherhood is all about! Mother love extends beyond loving one’s own children to providing the opportunity for infertile men and women to have their own families.
Below is a glimpse into surrogacy; for more information on surrogate motherhood, read Surrogate Motherhood: Conception In The Heart (pictured)