Surrogacy 101

Forever Family (Working Title) A Groundbreaking New Docu-series

Over 1.2 million women in the US seek treatment each year for infertility. 

It is estimated that U.S. citizens adopt around 120,000 children each year.

Since 1976, there have been about 25,000 surrogate births in the USA and more than 250,000 babies have been born using the in vitro fertilization technique. IVF offers infertile couples a chance to have a child who is biologically related to them.

From one of the producers of Extreme Makeover “Home Edition” comes a new one hour docu-series that celebrates couples and individuals who have decided to create their family in a variety of non traditional ways.

Each week our Host, a nationally recognized celebrity who has a experienced a personal journey with adoption or  infertility will meet and interview couples and individuals, who are in various stages of creating new families utilizing one of these fast growing alternative trends of surrogacy, adoption, assisted insemination or IVF.

As the cameras document each heartwarming story, our host may also introduce our audience to other celebrities who themselves have gone through the process and want to share their passion and experience in creating their families using one of the above mentioned alternative approaches.

We are casting couples and individuals who are in various stages of creating a family using alternative means such as: surrogacy, adoption, assisted insemination and IVF.

This is a groundbreaking new docu-series, if you would like to share your story and currently live in the Southern California region, we would love meet with you.

Contact: Sherry Calhoun 818-400-9094 

The Role Of A Therapist During A Donor Egg Cycle by Carole Lieber Wilkins as Posted by Marna Gatlin of PVED

This essay was written by Carole Lieber Wilkins, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice in West Los Angeles. A specialist in the field of reproductive medicine, adoption and family building options since 1986, she became a founding member of Resolve of Greater Los Angeles in 1987 and served on the Board of Directors in various positions for the next 14 years.

Carole is first and foremost a mother via egg donation and adoption. Carole is also an active member of The Mental Health Professional Group (MHPG) which is a part of ASRM. This group is a multidisciplinary group that formed in 1985 with the full support of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). Its mission is to promote scientific understanding of the psychological, social, and emotional perspectives of infertility patients

During a discussion about the roles therapists fulfill with intended parents during DE cycles Carole took the time to write an essay talking about what exactly that role is. - Marna Gatlin

I have been meeting with patients pursuing gamete donation, embryo donation, and surrogacy for many, many years. I don't call them, nor do I consider them to be evaluations or assessments, despite the fact that the clinics do tell patients they need a “psychological evaluation” before proceeding. My attempt to educate clinic staff has not been successful in changing their language, thus, patients often come in defensive and angry. I attempt to put them at ease immediately by telling them the meeting is not an evaluation and it is not my job to decide whether or not they are worthy of becoming parents. Their response is visceral. Shoulders drop, faces relax, and they breathe. Then we can proceed.

I tell patients I see my role as educative in two ways: to talk about the ways in which building a family thru gamete donation is DIFFERENT from having a family the easy and inexpensive way; and to play the role of child advocate.

I tell patients that I try to represent the only person in the family building equation who has no vote, but is the sole reason for the endeavor—the unborn child. The children resulting from all the procedures have no voice in how it all happens, (as no children have a vote in how they are conceived.)

I try to put a spin on what we DO know about how individuals feel who come into families thru donor conception, surrogacy, etc., regardless of the single/married, gay/straight constellation of the family.

We DO know some things that make healthy families and we DO know now from studies of DE and DS offspring how people feel about their means of conception and all that goes with it.

We DO know that it is normal and common for people to grieve the loss of a genetic link to an offspring.

We DO know how most infertility patients feel after being in treatment for a period of time.

Many have recently written about “the brave new world” we are involved in, but I wonder when it will stop being a brave new world. Yes, the stakes keep getting higher as technology tests our ethical boundaries of what can be done, but should it be done. However, surrogacy is now 30 years old. Donor sperm has been around forever and the first child born thru egg donation is now 27. Many people now have “children” through gamete donation who haven’t been children in a long time. In fact, some parents through gamete donation are now grandparents. It’s not that new and we DO know many things to be true.

With some exceptions, the report I send to a doctor reflects the discussion of the many complex issues that accompany complicated family building. Gamete donation families are special needs families, as are adoptive families, and many other kinds of families. This requires unique preparation and knowledge. Special needs are not bad; they’re just special, aka “a little extra.” I call it parenting plus. These families have all the stuff “regular” families have, with a healthy dose of EXTRA.

Even in a brief consultation, we can get a rough idea of whether there is psychopathology (vs. neurosis, thank goodness, or surely most of us would have never become parents), substance or spousal abuse or other issues that would make us significantly concerned about bringing a child into the household. In those cases, I recommend further counseling or whatever is needed. But most of the time, I think, our patients are as unqualified to parent as anyone off the street, only now, because they have been required to see us, they are much better educated about certain aspects of family building and parenting.

When patients leave my office, I hope they have more questions than when they walked in.

I hope they are thinking about gamete donation differently than when they resentfully made the appt. (if required by physician).

I hope they no longer think gamete donation is no big deal.

I hope they are thinking about what it would be like to grow up in a home where your parents didn’t have enough respect to tell the truth about who you are, or where parents were too scared to tell the truth.

I hope they think about the fact that it won’t matter what other people say about gamete donation as long as they as parents are fierce protectors and advocates for the family they created and how they created it, thereby claiming children as one’s own.

I hope my patients leave my office knowing that infertility is a lifelong disease that goes into remission for long periods of time, and then springs up again at the least expected moments.

I hope my patients leave my office armed with the response to the dreaded exclamation:
“I don’t have to listen to you because you’re not my real mother!!”

I want them to leave my office having shifted from being terrified their kid will someday say that to them, to looking forward to it because they are prepared and ready to help guide their child through the muddy waters of trying to figure out who they actually are.

All that in an hour? We do what we can with what little we are given.

Carole LieberWilkins, M.F.T.
Los Angeles, CA
(310) 470-9049
www.LAfamilybuilding.com

Over the Counter Sperm Test Provides Incomplete Information to Measure Male Fertility

In April, Walgreens and CVS will begin selling the SpermCheck Fertility test, a $39.95 over the counter test that determines whether men have a normal sperm count. Fertility experts share that there are other critical factors such as motility (movement characteristics of sperm) and morphology (appearance of sperm) as equally important which are not tested. Additionally, the test measures a normal sperm count at 20 million or more sperm per milliliter of semen while the industry standard for optimal fertility is 15 million, potentially causing unnecessary concern for men with a negative test result. When taking the test, men who test positive for 20 million or more per milliliter of semen see a reddish line in their test results, while those who have less than 20 million per milliliter do not see a result. The test is 96 percent accurate and will be sold at 7,800 stores across the US in April.  

Dr. Ed Marut, Medical Director of Fertility Centers of Illinois, is concerned men will be misguided with their test results. “SpermCheck Fertility exploits the reluctance of men to be evaluated for their fertility properly and may give couples a false sense of hope or cause unnecessary anxiety. The test gives a very simplified result without taking into account additional health conditions. A negative test result may really be normal, while a positive test tells nothing of the other critical parameters of a real semen analysis, such as motility and morphology. Men need to receive a thorough, accurate semen analysis interpreted by a reproductive endocrinologist to accurately maximize chances of pregnancy success.” 

In order to understand male fertility, it is critical to understand the main components involved, which are illustrated below. Couples are also encouraged to complete basic testing for fertility if they have trouble conceiving. Fertility Centers of Illinois offers a fertility check-up for couples which includes bloodwork and a semen analysis evaluated by a board certified reproductive endocrinologist for $90. 

Sperm Health: What Men Need to Know 

• Sperm Count:

It is critical for men to have a healthy sperm count for optimal fertility. Men with at least 15 million sperm per milliliter are well within a normal, healthy sperm count. The average human ejaculate contains about 180 million sperm (66 million/ml), but some ejaculates contain as many as 400 million sperm.

• Morphology: (appearance)

A healthy sperm has an oval head and long tail, allowing for the sperm to be propelled forward effectively. When a sperm has a small, large, misshapen, crooked or tapered head, its ability to fertilize an egg is decreased. Sperm with tails that are doubled, curled or kinky are also unlikely to fertilize an egg. Fertile men have a normal shape and structure to 14 percent of their sperm, but at least four percent is thought to be the lower limit of fertilizing capacity.

• Motility: (movement)

The ability of a sperm to propel itself and move forward is imperative to successful conception. Sperm that are immobile, slow or have inhibited motility due to morphology abnormalities are unable to reach the egg for fertilization. Fertile men have 40 percent or more of their sperm exhibiting healthy motility.

Men with a lower sperm count, low morphology or low motility may need the assistance of reproductive endocrinologists to optimize fertility odds. This can be accomplished through a variety of infertility treatment methods such as methods such as semen processing for intrauterine insemination and In Vitro Fertilization using ICSI (the injection of a sperm into an egg.)

# # #

Fertility Centers of Illinois, S.C., is one of the nation's leading fertility treatment practices, providing advanced reproductive endocrinology services in the Chicago area for more than 30 years.  FCI physicians, embryologists and support staff are stringently chosen based on educational background, medical skills and their ability to collaborate. With a team of 11 nationally and internationally recognized reproductive physicians who treat thousands of patients each year, the practice has earned a reputation for overcoming hard-to-solve fertility issues. FCI is dedicated to medical and clinical excellence and continues to invest in the latest technologies and research. FCI offers a comprehensive range of fertility treatment options including intrauterine insemination, in vitro fertilization, donor egg, gestational carrier, and preimplantation genetic diagnosis, as well as extensive resources to address financial and emotional needs. Fostering a culture for continuous innovation has made FCI home to the annual Midwest Reproductive Symposium which attracts experts in the field of reproductive endocrinology from around the world.  FCI has 10 offices conveniently located throughout the Chicagoland area (Buffalo Grove, Chicago/River North, Crystal Lake, Glenview, Highland Park, Hoffman Estates, Lindenhurst, Naperville, Oakbrook Terrace, and Orland Park). FCI is a member of the Attain Fertility Network which provides discounted fertility treatment programs. For more information visit www.fcionline.com

 

A New Book for the Children of Gestational Surrogates: Surrogacy Helps A Family Grow! by Sharon LaMothe

I am thrilled to announce that my book, Surrogacy Helps Make a Family Grow!, is available on Amazon.com for those living and working in the world of surrogacy. This heartwarming story is written for the children of surrogate mothers who want to explain to them just how and why they are carrying a baby for another family.

I was a surrogate myself when my own kids were ages 3 and 13 and there were no books out there to help me explain this wonderful selfless act to them. Surrogacy Helps Make a Family Grow! is only 30 pages long and filled with colorful illustrations and makes a perfect 'welcome gift' from agencies, clinics and IPs. For women becoming surrogates themselves, this is a great tool to teach their own children about Gestational Surrogacy and how the whole family makes the dream of a baby come true for those in need.



Anyone wanting to buy 20 books or more please e-mail me at SurroMatchFL@aol.com for discount details!

Nobody's Child by Austin Boyd: A LaMothe Book Review

 

Nobody's Child by Austin Boyd was sent to me, along with 2 other copies to share, from Zondervan, for review.

 

 
First their Synopsis: 
For Laura Ann McGehee, her body represents the one remaining financial resource that can save the family farm. For Sophia McQuistion, Laura Ann’s unusual sacrifice fulfills her own dream of having a child. Weaving together bioethics and faith in a heart-rending tale of love lost and loves found, Nobody’s Child dramatizes the ethical question we can no longer ignore in medicine: Just because we can do something … should we? 

About Austin Boyd: He is the award-winning author of the thrilling space suspense trio, The Evidence, The Proof and The Return. An inventor, business entrepreneur, spacecraft engineer, and Navy pilot, he weaves real science with true-to-life characters in descriptive page-turning suspense. Austin and his wife, Cindy are the parents of four adult children and live  in Huntsville, Alabama where he manages an engineering and design company, and serves the community through Crisis Pregnancy ministries.

 
My take on Nobody's Child:  The book itself was well written and the pages filled with details of farm life in West Virginia along with characters who were believable and endearing. What I think is the crying shame about Nobody's Child is the obvious ignorance regarding egg donation. I probably shouldn't have been surprised as Eggsploitation is one of the references recommended in the back of the book. The segments shared regarding Laura Ann's egg donation and the outcome are particularly hard to swallow because every fear that a donor may have came true in this book. Realizing Nobody's Child is meant to be a dramatization I still felt I was constantly thinking 'what's next'? whenever something went wrong in poor Laura Ann's life. (Most of which stemmed from her egg donation).

 
Twenty years old and very much ashamed of "selling her eggs" to save the family farm and help with medical bills, Laura Ann has everything go wrong from floods and fires to a recipient of one of her egg donations showing up pregnant on her door step. What else could go wrong? How about premature labor, a will that leaves the baby to Laura and finding out that a nurse from the now debunked clinic also has a daughter from Laura Ann's donation! Nope, that is not a spoiler!

 

 I recommend reading Nobody's Child for entertainment only. There is a lot of misinformation regarding egg donation and the whys and hows of the process. Leering doctors and exaggerated side effects aside, Nobody's Child does have a message of where there's a will there's a way. Everything that was thrown at Laura Ann had a solution that worked for her mainly due to the supporting characters and her own deep seeded strength.

Four Different Ways Women Can Give the Gift of Life

I wnted to re-post this because there still is controversial news regarding embryo and sperm donations (not to mention egg donation) I think it's important to focus on other ways women can give the gift of life...(although egg donation is mentioned in this article) I have never been an egg donor, becoming involved in ART in my mid 30's, however, I am on the International Bone Marrow Donor list, give blood regularly, had cord blood saved and, of course, been a Gestational Carrier twice. ( I wouldn't consider the 7 Pounds route that Will Smith took in that role!) Needless to say, these stories are based in the UK but the US offers the same opportunities. Just ask your Dr. for guidance.

  

Sharon 

Four women on why they became donors 

Exclusive: By Alison Palmer 21/07/2009

These women all gave a body part to improve someone else’s life. Here they explain why they were so selfless

Every drop counts

Danielle Holmes, 32 lives with husband Richard in Muckamore, Belfast, with their children Kaya, three, and five-week-old Cayden. Danielle is a manager of a logistics company and Richard is a head chef.

“As my darling son, Riley, born 14 weeks early, lay in an incubator, hooked up to endless wires and tubes I felt so helpless. All I could do was feed his tiny 1lb 11oz body with my expressed breast milk.

Despite bleeds on the brain, collapsed lungs and other complications, he limped on. But four weeks in, with all the stress and heartache, my milk dried up. I was devastated. Doctors said formula milk would be too heavy, but there was a milk bank, breast milk donated by other mothers we could use.

Before I had Riley, I was repulsed by the thought but when you are in the situation we were in, knowing the best thing your very poorly child can have is breast milk, you’re eternally grateful for another mum’s donation. I believe the donated milk gave me another five weeks with Riley before he died after surgery for a bowel infection.

So two years later, when I gave birth to Kaya, I was determined to give something back. I contacted the milk bank at Fermanagh and they sent me special bottles and an insulated box and I began expressing.

Each day, as well as expressing for Kaya, I managed 120ml for the bank which I’d freeze. It doesn’t sound much but the tiniest babies only need a couple of millilitres, so every bit counts. I donated for seven months and hope to again now Cayden is five weeks old.

I mentioned having my long hair cut off on www.baby-greenhouse.co.uk and someone suggested I give it to a charity that makes wigs for children with cancer. It’s amazing you can do something so small, so insignificant to you that can make such a massive difference to another person’s life.”

/ For details of milk banks, visit www.ukamb.org or call 0208 383 3559. To donate hair, see www.littleprincesses.org.uk or www.locksoflove.org

How could I deny someone a life?

 

Leanne Flanagan, 22, of Cardiffis single with no children and works in a supermarket.

“I opened the letter and started to read. It said: ‘To my dear donor. Thank you for giving me the gift of life. My family and I cannot thank you enough. You will never know what you’ve done for me.’

Tears rolled down my cheeks.

When I signed up to be a bone marrow donor, I gave a blood sample and filled in some paperwork but I never thought I’d be a match.

Then, on my birthday the following year, in November 2007, I received a letter saying I was a potential match. I had some blood taken, then a fortnight later I got a letter to say I was a perfect match.

My family weren’t very happy because they were worried about health implications. But for me it was clear. There was someone out there, probably with leukaemia that would ultimately kill them, who knew there was a donor who could save them.

How could I deny them a chance of life?

I opted to give bone marrow through ‘peripheral blood stem cell donation’. It was simple.

For three days a nurse injected me with a special substance to boost my stem cells. Then on the fourth day the Anthony Nolan Trust paid for us to go to Londonwhere I spent five hours hooked up to a machine at University College Hospital.

I had a needle in each arm; one took blood out into a machine that collected the cells, the other put the ‘empty’ blood back in. I felt tired but nothing more.

I knew the whole process was anonymous so, when I received the letter via the trust I was bowled over.

I’ll never know the recipient but just to know there’s someone out there, still hopefully living a happy, healthy life because of me is just wonderful.”

To join the register or to find out more about the process see www.anthonynolan.org.uk or call 0207 284 1234.

It was very humbling

 

Cathy Sidaway, 29, a business development manager, lives in York. She’s single and has no children.

“I was leafing through a paper a couple of years ago when I saw an advert from an anonymous couple who needed an egg donor. I thought I could be that person. It all came at a very poignant time. My friend had suffered multiple miscarriages and a relative has endometriosis and was struggling to get pregnant.

I spent some time on the National Gamete Donation Trust’s (NGDT) forum for those considering donation and called the number.

I had extensive counselling. It threw up all sorts of emotions. I was asked how I’d feel telling my own future children that somewhere they may have a half-sibling. I hope they and any future partner would understand. I also had to go through various medical tests.

It was almost a year by the time, last February, I finally donated via Guy’s Hospital, London. I had to go through a similar process to IVF to create as many eggs as possible.

They collected 14 eggs. It was a little uncomfortable but not awful. Sadly the recipient hasn’t got pregnant yet but I’m hopeful it will work out for her soon.

I donated once more and I’m just about to donate again. I met the woman online and was only going to tell her about the process, but we got on so well I offered to be her donor.

I thought I’d donate four times, but we’ll see. All I know is I can give a woman a shot at motherhood. That’s a very humbling experience.”

For more information see www.ngdt.co.uk or call the helpline on 0845 226 9193.

I knew it could save a life

Rebecca Khan, 29, lives in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, with husband, Kyle, 32, and children, Elena, 23 months and Leah, seven weeks. She works for the NHS – and in recruitment.

“I knew blood in the umbilical cord was live-saving through my work with the blood and transfusion service. I also know it’s hard to find matches for the ethnic community. So, being half-Greek with a half-Jamaican husband, I was desperate to donate. Sadly not all hospitals have a cord blood donation team but mine, Barnet General, does. It wasn’t long before I had a call from the donation team who took me through all the details and helped me fill in a consent form that I kept in my pregnancy notes.

I was devastated when, after Elena’s birth, they hadn’t been able to retrieve a full sample. There wasn’t enough blood in the cord.

So I made sure all the paperwork was in order again when I gave birth to Leah and hoped that this time they’d be successful. They were.

I had an elective caesarean so I didn’t even see when they took the cord away. But it doesn’t matter how you give birth, you can still donate.

Once they cut the cord and establish mum and baby are OK the cord blood team take the placenta and cord. The cells in cord blood can be sent all over the world to help cure patients of life-threatening diseases such as blood cancers and immune disorders.

It’s wonderful that something so useless to you could save a life.”

/For more info about hospitals with a cord blood team or to register to be a donor visit http://cord.blood.co.uk or call 0800 783 5870 or 020 8437 1740.

When Infertility Becomes a “Guy Thing”

How Men Can Combat Declining Fertility Trends

When infertility strikes, it can be a massive source of stress for couples, and many are too quick to assume it’s a female issue.

Alarmingly, the average sperm count for adult males has decreased by 50 percent since 1938 and is currently declining at a rate of 2 percent each year, according to a study in the British Medical Journal. Stress, exposure to environmental toxins and diets deficient in key vitamins and minerals are likely to blame.

“It’s a fact that one in six couples will have difficulty conceiving, but many aren’t aware that almost half the time, it’s the male who is the cause of the problem,” said fertility expert, Dr. Amos Grunebaum. “When couples address this issue, it’s been my experience that the woman is the first to see a specialist to determine her fertility status. It’s a little more difficult to get the man on board with doing the same thing. Some men just don’t want to acknowledge that they may have a fertility problem. As such, they are more reluctant to get tested and I have seen a lot of men delay seeing a specialist or even avoid it completely.”

Unfortunately, Dr. Grunebaum can confirm these disturbing statistics as he has seen sperm counts decline in his 25+ years of practice.  

“From my experience, low sperm count is one of the primary reasons that couples have a difficult time conceiving,” said Dr. Grunebaum, also a medical health advisor for Fairhaven Health (www.fairhavenhealth.com). “Quite simply, the fewer sperm a man produces, the lower the likelihood that one will successfully fertilize the egg.”

However, according to Dr. Grunebaum, there are a variety of ways men can help improve their reproductive health.  

“A diet rich in antioxidants such as Vitamins C, E and Zinc can go a long way in improving sperm health. Exercising regularly plus limiting caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco intake can also help a great deal,” he added.

While low sperm count is known to be a major cause of infertility, for many men, visiting a doctor or clinic to have a sperm analysis done can be a daunting task.

“The testing process itself can be a little embarrassing and even more so when faced with the prospect of exposing their condition to the doctor, nurse or office staff,” he added.

Fortunately, there is now a way to test for low sperm count in the privacy of one’s own home. A new product from Fairhaven Health, the SpermCheck Fertility Test, accurately confirms if a man has a normal count (20 million per milliliter). The test can be completed in a matter of minutes and retails for around $35. Should the SpermCheck at-home test confirm a low count, it’s generally a good indicator that he should see a specialist to help further diagnose the problem.

“There are many benefits from determining early on if sperm count is a problem for you,” Dr. Grunebaum said. “The sooner an issue is pinpointed, the sooner proper treatment can be started. Treatments for male infertility typically include lifestyle changes, vitamin, mineral or herbal supplementation, prescription medication, or even surgical procedures. But before any of that can begin, the couple has to be able to communicate and agree to take action.” 

About Dr. Amos Grunebaum

Dr. Grunebaum is a New York based physician who is double-board certified in obstetrics/gynecology and maternal-fetal medicine (high-risk pregnancy). He is recognized as one of New York's foremost Ob/Gyns as evidenced by his regular inclusion in Castle Connolly's "Top Doctors: New York." Dr. Grunebaum has helped formulate a number of products for Fairhaven Health, a leading manufacturer of products to help couples conceive.

What is FSH?

FSH is the abbreviated name for follicle stimulating hormone.  It is made in the pituitary gland and its secretion is controlled by part of the brain called the hypothalamus.  FSH causes growth of ovarian follicles and causes the follicles to secrete estrogens.  The hypothalamus responds to signals from the ovaries as a guide to its stimulation of the pituitary gland to secrete FSH.  The concentration of FSH changes throughout the menstrual cycle.  The diagram below shows approximate levels of the 2 pituitary hormones which stimulate the ovaries.  On cycle day 3, FSH is at its lowest level during the cycle.  If blood is drawn too close to the time of ovulation, the FSH level will be higher, and may provide misleading information.   

It is also important to note that there are several companies providing “kits” to measure FSH.  Different labs may use different “kits” and the same sample may provide slightly different results.  It is important to know what the standards for the lab are in order to interpret the results.  

An ovarian follicle consists of an egg and a surrounding cluster of cells called granulose cells.  All the eggs a woman will ever have were placed in her ovaries when she was a very early pregnancy in her mother’s uterus.  Soon after that initial installation of these very immature eggs, eggs start to die off and no more eggs replace those which are lost.  The estimate is that about 90% of the original egg number is lost by the time a woman is born, and the attrition continues the rest of her life, until she runs out of eggs. 

The granulose cells surrounding the eggs have several functions.  One is to help maintain the eggs in a sort of suspended animation until it is time to continue egg maturation.  During each month, several eggs start to mature, but typically only one is released in the process of ovulation.  The remainder of the eggs undergoing the maturation process die.    

Another function of granulose cells is to secrete hormones.  During the early part of the menstrual cycle, granulose cells secrete estrogens.  After ovulation, they also secrete progesterone.  There is another pair of hormones secreted by granulose cells.  They are called inhibins.  In addition to the weak inhibition of FSH by estrogens, inhibins strongly inhibit FSH secretion by the pituitary gland.  As a woman runs out of eggs, she also runs out of granulose cells and her production of both estrogens and inhibins declines.  As circulating levels of inhibins falls, FSH secretion rises.  Therefore, high FSH levels imply that a woman is either running out of eggs, or she no longer has available eggs.  Fortunately, today, we can offer a woman who no longer has useable eggs the services of an egg donor to help achieve a pregnancy. 

Dr. Jacobs is a Reproductive Endocrinologist, practicing in Carrollton, Texas, a northern suburb of Dallas.  He completed his residency training in obstetrics and gynecology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, and remained at that institution to become its first fellow once Baylor achieved accreditation for an advanced training program in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility.  Dr. Jacobs has served on the faculty of several medical schools and was director of Reproductive Endocrinology at Texas Tech Health Science Center in Amarillo.  Currently, in addition to his clinical activities caring for infertile patients and those with recurrent pregnancy loss, he is Chairman of the IVF committee at Baylor Medical Center in Carrollton.  

Barry Jacobs, M.D., 4323 M. Josey Lane, Suite #201, Carrollton, TX 75010 www.texasfertility.com
Phone: 972-394-9590 Fax: 972-394-9597

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Great Symposium for Infertility and Reproductive Professionals: START ART

Infertility is a challenging and rewarding field of nursing, and one that is evolving rapidly and dramatically, requiring nurses and other healthcare practitioners to constantly remain current with the latest state-of–the ART technology. Those in practice, as well as nurses in transition, accept that this ever changing arena requires an ongoing commitment to pursue new information, techniques, and best practices. And, equal in priority, is the IVF nurse’s sensitivity to parents’ quest to create families and the fragility of early embryonic life.

 The Annual REI Nursing Congress: Scientific & Therapeutic Approaches To Assisted Reproductive Technology (STARTARTSM) provides a unique and comprehensive educational opportunity, featuring critical updates on the latest advances in reproductive medicine, from procedures and protocols to psychosocial and legal issues. The goal of this Congress is to provide late-breaking information and cutting-edge techniques to improve ART outcomes - a goal that is matched by the IVF nurses’ skills, compassion, and caring that make this field so remarkable.

This activity is intended for the education of nurses, nurse practitioners, and other healthcare professionals specializing in reproductive medicine and assisted reproductive technology. (It's great for surrogacy and egg donation agency owners too!)

During lunch on both Thursday, August 4 and Friday, August 5, participants will have the opportunity to join accredited sessions of interactive roundtable discussions. Topics will be posted at the meeting registration desk, where participants may sign up for discussions of issues of special interest. A moderator or faculty member will lead each group. (I am, once again, planning to lead a round table on the topic of Gestational Surrogacy.)

Register HERE https://www.123enroll.com/STARTART

I hope to see you there!!

 Sharon

Looking for an Affordable Surrogacy Consultant? Check out LaMothe Surrogacy Consulting, LLC

LaMothe Surrogacy Consultants are dedicated to giving Intended Parents and Surrogates the education and tools needed to make knowledgeable and fact based decisions regarding their Third Party Family Building Options. The old adage 'you don't know what you don't know' is very true in the case of surrogacy arrangements. Deciphering all of the overwhelming information, surrogacy programs, laws, and relationship concerns are what our expert consultants are trained to do. They will take the stress of figuring out how this 'whole thing works'.                     

The key to many Intended Parents success in utilizing surrogacy as a family planning option is their Private In (your) Home Surrogacy Consulting which is offered to those who reside in Seattle, Washington, Rochester, New York, and Orlando, Florida (and surrounding areas for an additional travel fee). This comprehensive program is for those who desire to have the Surrogacy Process explained in the comfort and privacy of your own home. This program includes up to five hours of in-person consultation for up to 4 people and the materials to help with the decision to move forward with a Third Party Family Building Plan.

LaMothe Surrogacy Consulting is NOT a matching service. They do not match Intended Parents, Recipient Couples or Singles with Traditional Surrogates, Gestational Carriers or Egg and Sperm Donors. Instead LSC prepare Couples and Singles, based on individual needs, to find their way through the maze of Third Party Family Building Options. LSC works to provide information and education on how the surrogacy process works, who are the professionals that Intended Parents will meet and hire and the questions that they need to ask during each step of the surrogacy journey.

Managing Surrogacy Relationships

The options of starting a family through surrogacy are peaking. Demand and competition are driving the clinical costs down, and it's more affordable for couples who want their own biological child or who want to raise a newborn through the gift of surrogacy and egg donation.

The giver of the gift of surrogacy and the people who are accepting it have needs and expectations of how the relationship should develop. If a comprehensive plan hasn't been made, then complications can arise.

Let's start by giving a hypothetical situation.  Mr. and Mrs. Smith need the help of a surrogate.  They accept the offer from a friend, Mary.   They feel comfortable with this friendship and trust that this woman will take care of herself during the pregnancy.  Mary asks for a certain amount of money to cover costs during pregnancy, and the Smiths agree.  In the back of their mind, Mary is being "paid" to carry their baby.

Mary gets pregnant via in vitro fertilization (IVF) and is now carrying twins for the Smiths.  The Smiths call her every day to see how she is. They ask if they can do anything. They want to attend all the appointments.  They ask the OB if Mary's working, eating, sleeping and sexual activities are OK for their babies.

Mary feels overwhelmed and micromanaged.  After all, she has given birth before, and she knows what she is doing.  Resentment sets in. Soon she is avoiding phone calls and gritting her teeth through appointments, and her husband is wondering what in the world they got themselves into!  The Smiths feel her pulling away and become worried and start to mistrust her actions.  They have a right to ask these questions.  After all, they are "paying" her, and she is carrying their children.  The rest of the pregnancy is filled with stress on both sides, as Mary now can't wait to give birth and get these people off her back.

The babies are born healthy and strong, and the Smiths take them home.  Now Mary hardly EVER hears from them. It may be months before she even sees them, and they used to be close friends.  She feels used and left behind, forgetting how she felt during the pregnancy.  Regret sets in.

 As for the Smiths, they are coping with two new lives!  They are not getting the sleep they used to and bills from the surrogacy and new babies are piling up.  Their lives have been turned upside down, and they can barely get time alone with each other let alone make calls to Mary.

 Discussing Expectations

Can you see what happened?  No one really discussed expectations. The before, during and after pregnancy relationship needs were not met, and therefore, a bad taste has been left behind where the beauty of families working together to bring a much-wanted child into the world should have been.

Before anyone makes the choice of surrogacy, certain aspects need to be thoroughly thought out and discussed. Here is a short list:

*     Should a family member be asked to be a surrogate?

*     Would a friend be a good choice? (If the answer is yes in either of these categories, then there is a separate list of concerns to think about.)

*     What race, religion and marital status would you like a surrogate to be?

*    What is the working status preference of a surrogate?

*     What do you envision your role in the pregnancy?

*     What are your expectations as to the amount of contact with the surrogate during and after the pregnancy?

*     What are the financial expectations, and how will that be handled?

These questions are just the tip of the iceberg, but they open up a dialog and can make a huge difference in a surrogate relationship.

Having someone to mediate is also helpful.  A successful surrogate arrangement can be done independently, but having a third party assist you with relationship management can be invaluable.  Having a third party to handle the escrow account can be a great relief on both the intended parents and surrogate.  Mixing the topics of money and babies is a sticky situation at best and should be avoided - if possible - in order to concentrate on the pregnancy and the surrogacy relationship.  A well-managed escrow account can make all the difference.

Common Questions Regarding Third Party Family Formation Through Surrogacy

What do I do once I have found a surrogate?

There are several steps that need to be taken before and after you locate your surrogate.  Before your search, you need to have an idea of how much the entire process is going to cost and then assess your financial situation.  You need to know if you are going to use your eggs or need an egg donor.  Do you know the laws in your state, or do you need to go to another state?  Do you have a clinic to assist you and an attorney to assist you with contracts?

After you have educated yourself on these issues, you need to have your surrogate medically and psychologically screened through the clinic of your choice.  Contracts need to be drawn up, and support needs to be in place for the rest of the surrogacy pregnancy.

Are there legal issues surrounding surrogacy, or can I just orchestrate this on my own without legal counsel?

States regulate assisted reproductive technology procedures in a variety of ways.  For example, some forty-two states have a statutory scheme that addresses artificial insemination.  But only thirty-five of those 42 states clarify parentage.  There are only five states which recognize some regulation of egg donation.  Most states permit reasonable compensation for egg donation, but there is one state which prohibits compensation of any form.

Surrogate or gestational arrangements are addressed to some degree by at least twenty-three states, with one state prohibiting such arrangements.  Health insurance coverage for ART is required in twelve states.  And finally, Federal law provides some regulation of ART laboratories and requires that pregnancy rates for in vitro fertilization and egg donation cycles be reported to the Centers for Disease Control.  Further, professional societies like the ASRM lay out professional standards and guidelines for their professional members.

So you see, there are many issues surrounding assisted reproduction, not the least of which is ensuring that the contract confirms to state law so that the intended parents' names are placed on the birth certificate.  There are independent surrogates who have orchestrated these arrangements on their own.  However, when you research the web you can see many arrangements where carriers have withheld infants or Intended Parents have failed to pay medical bills and/or compensation.  Either of these behaviors are unacceptable.

A surrogacy arrangement is a two sided arrangement where problems can and will arise.  When a problem arises, your best protection will be a contract that provides a road map to resolve that problem.  We believe that the best interests of the parties and the baby is ensured before the transfer by using an attorney who is skilled in this area. 

What are my rights once the surrogate is pregnant?

Your rights are limited by the contract you have with your surrogate. She is pregnant with your baby but retains full control of her body. That is why mutual trust and the legal agreement are so important. 

I want to be a surrogate, what are my rights?

Like the intended parents, your rights are limited by the contract you have entered into.  There are, however, certain things which you shouldn't have to worry about.  First, you shouldn't have to worry that you are being billed for medical procedures.  Second, you shouldn't be worried that your credit rating is being affected.  Third, you should not have to worry that your monthly reimbursement for your time and risk will be late or not paid.  You are the surrogate, not an investor in a birthing process.

You should expect to walk away from a successful surrogacy without having to pay anything out of your pocket and having received everything that was promised in the contract.  Conversely, your intended parents should not have to worry that you will act in a manner detrimental to the pregnancy.  Since every Surrogacy Agreement has a section which would require you repay the intended parents for detrimental actions, it is important for you to have an independent attorney review the contract on your behalf.  

How involved will I, the intended parent, be with the growing pregnancy?

You are as involved as you and your surrogate agree to be.  Often times you can be fully involved by attending all doctor's appointments and having several visits with your surrogate and her family.  When time constraints and geographic location make that type of closeness impossible, you can use the telephone and email as alternate forms of communication. 

Can I be present at the birth?

If you and your surrogate have agreed that you can attend the birth then that is what you can expect.  All of these issues are agreed to and placed on your legal agreement before the surrogate goes to transfer. 

What if the surrogate won't give up the child?

You hardly ever hear of a gestational surrogate trying to keep a child. In a gestational surrogacy, with no genetic connection to the infant, there is a presumption that the court will automatically place the baby with the Intended Parents.  A traditional surrogacy is different because the Carrier is biologically related to the child.  A court of law will have to terminate her rights, replacing her name with that of the Intended Mother.  The intended father, meanwhile, being biologically related to the child, will have his name immediately placed on the birth certificate. 

Will the surrogate have any rights to the child once the baby is born?

A traditional surrogate will go through a termination and thus will lose any rights.  In most states, a gestational carrier never had rights because she has no genetic connection to the child. 

How do I tell my child about the surrogate mother?

The answer depends on the child and the family structure.  Just as in an adoption, the determinate will be when the child possesses the maturity to understand the implications of surrogacy.  Most likely it will be many years to come before you are faced with that question. There are several books called Love Makes a Family that help parents share the story of their childrens' conception via egg donation, surrogacy or adoption. 

Above are general questions that are often asked by Intended Parents.  If you have any questions that you feel need to be answered please visit LaMothe Surrogacy Consulting and contact us through our Contact Us Page. 

Remember to discuss these and other issues you may have with your own legal advisor or mental health professional.

How Can I Find a Qualified Traditional Surrogate or Gestational Carrier?

 

 
Please note: You must ask your infertility clinic or Reproductive Endocrinologist for their list of qualifications in order for a Traditional Surrogate or Gestational Carrier to enter into their program. Do this before you start your search. Health issues, weight, age and uncomplicated pregnancies are just a few of the many requirements and qualifications.   

There are many ways to locate a Traditional surrogate (TS) or Gestational Carrier (GC). You need to consider all your options and ask yourself what will be the most comfortable for your personal situation and life style. 

1) Tell friends and family that you are looking for a surrogate, and find someone through word of mouth.   

2) Search the Web. There are several places online that have women advertising to assist infertile couples through surrogacy.

 3) Contact a clinic or attorney and get a referral to an agency/matching service, or contact an agency directly.  

4) Find a Surrogacy or Egg Donation consultant to lead you in the right direction and offer tips, advice, and to agencies with a great track record.

5) Ask a family member or friend directly to carry your child for you.

TODAY The Surrogacy Lawyer Radio will interview Sharon LaMothe, author of “Surrogacy Helps a Family Grow,” and Tracy Armato, Conceptual Options Program Director

 

The Surrogacy Lawyer Radio Program Presents “Talking about Surrogacy to the Children of Surrogates”

On October 21, The Surrogacy Lawyer Radio will interview Sharon LaMothe, author of “Surrogacy Helps a Family Grow,” and Tracy Armato, Conceptual Options Program Director

When a woman decides to become a surrogate mother, she will have many conversations: with members of the surrogacy agency team, the intended parents, the medical and legal professionals involved in her care and with her spouse or partner and other adult relatives and friends, to name a few. But one of the most important conversations she will have is with her children, so she can explain the surrogacy process to them.

On the Thursday, October 21 episode of The Surrogacy Lawyer: Your Guide to IVF and Third Party Reproduction, Theresa Erickson, Esq., will be discussing how surrogate mothers should talk to their children about their pregnancies for another family. Ms. Erickson will interview Sharon LaMothe, a former gestational surrogate and author of the upcoming book Surrogacy Helps a Family Grow, and Tracy Armato, program director of Conceptual Options, The Surrogacy and Egg Donation Center and past surrogate. This episode will air on at 11AM PST/2PM EST on Voice America.

Sharon LaMothe is currently the owner of Infertility Answers, Inc., and the creator of two blogs about third party reproduction.  She also owns LaMothe Services, LLC, an assisted reproductive technology business solutions service. Tracy Armato is responsible for overseeing the daily operations of Conceptual Options. Having been a gestational surrogate, Tracy has viewed third party reproduction from both angles and is a key support figure for surrogates.

 “As a surrogacy lawyer and owner of a surrogacy and egg donation agency, I am excited about this new tool to help surrogate mothers talk to their children about the amazing gift they are giving another set of parents,“ says attorney Erickson. “Having open and honest conversations about third party reproduction is essential, whether you are a surrogate or egg, sperm or embryo donor. I look forward to advancing the conversation about this important topic.”

 About Theresa Erickson, Esq.

Ms. Erickson is the managing partner of Erickson Law and the founder and chair of Conceptual Options, The Surrogacy and Egg Donation Center. In addition, Ms. Erickson is the author of the newly released Surrogacy and Embryo, Sperm, & Egg Donation: What Were You Thinking? Erickson was motivated to write her second book so she could educate potential intended parents, as well as the women who become surrogates and egg donors, about what all parties need to know if they are going to become involved in third party reproduction.

Attorney Erickson is a globally recognized expert in this specialized area of law and is a board member of the American Fertility Association and the legal director of Parents Via Egg Donation. For more information, please visit www.ericksonlaw.net and www.conceptualoptions.com.

Surrogacy and Embryo, Sperm, & Egg Donation: What Were You Thinking?: Considering IVF & Third-Party Reproduction by Theresa M. Erickson: A LaMothe Book Review

I was very excited to receive my copy of Surrogacy and Embryo, Sperm, & Egg Donation: What Were You Thinking?: Considering IVF & Third-Party Reproduction by Theresa M. Erickson. What I expected was a book filled with guidelines and tips for those who are venturing for the first time into the unknown territory of Third Party Family Building and I was not disappointed!

 

Education and research is key when considering any third party reproduction route and there are several books out on the market that can assist Intended Parents in making a sound decision. But along with reading books like Surrogacy and Embryo, Sperm, & Egg Donation: What Were You Thinking? visiting website's and researching all options, it is wise to surround oneself with seasoned professionals in the field of Assisted Reproductive Technology. Theresa Erickson is one of those highly sought after reproductive attorneys that can provide sound advice and guidance just as she provides in her books.

 

Surrogacy and Embryo, Sperm, & Egg Donation: What Were You Thinking? is divided into four 'fertility options' as stated in the title but there is so much more to be discovered here. With chapters on Disclosure, Reproductive Tourism, Agency vs Independent and Online Matching, Trust and Escrow Accounts, and much more, this book is a must read for any Intended or Recipient Parent considering working with a third party to build their family.

 

About the Author Theresa Erickson:

 

Theresa M. Erickson is one of the few attorneys in the United States who practices exclusively in reproductive and family formation law. The managing partner of Erickson Law, APLC, she is also the Founder and Chair of Conceptual Options, The Surrogacy and Egg Donation Center, and lives in San Diego, California.

Sharon LaMothe of Infertility Answers and LaMothe Services to Attend the ASRM Meeting in Denver

The American Society of Reproductive Medicine is holding it's 66th annual meeting in Denver this month! I will arriving in Denver Sunday the 24th and staying until Wednesday the 27th. I am thrilled to be attending the Opening Ceremony Sunday evening and networking with some of the most hard working and knowledgeable professionals in the Infertility Field. Some of the  seminars I will be attending include Open Vs Closed Gamete Donation, Wrinkled Parents; Medical, Ethical and Psychological Issues of Parenting at an Older Age, and Infertility as a Public Health Priority. There are so many opportunities to meet people that I have "friended" on Facebook or accepted into my network on LinkedIn. If you would like to meet with me, just send me an e-mail at SurroMatchFL@aol.com or give me a call at 727-458-8333.

 

As for MY clients that I consult with, please know that I attend these events, meetings and seminars around the country so that I can share what I have learned with you through my blogs, posts, and conversations. In this time of social networking, spending hours online and answering e-mail,  I believe that it is so important to have face-time with clients and other professionals in this ever growing field of infertility.

 

Please contact me if you plan to be attending the ASRM or visiting Seattle, WA where my offices are located. If you need my consulting services remember that our first conversation is free so that we can assess how best to use my expertise to help you reach your goals.

 

I hope to hear from you soon or better yet meet you in person!

Sharon LaMothe

727-458-8333

Why I'm So Special, A Book About Surrogacy by Carla Lewis-Long: A LaMothe Book Review

If you are looking for a simplistic way to explain to your toddler about his or her birth from surrogacy,then Why I'm So Special, A Book About Surrogacy by Carla Lewis-Long is a great place to start. Approximately 40 pages long, Why I'm So Special focuses on a Mom and Dad who wanted a baby and after much trying they head for a doctor who tells them about surrogacy. Once the Mom and Dad meet their surrogate, Bonnie, the baby 'is put into Bonnie's tummy' and it starts to grow. With simple language and great illustrations, any toddler will come away with the feeling that he or she was already planned and Mom and Dad were able to make their dream come true by finding someone to help them. (In this case a Gestational Carrier)

Egg Donor and Surrogate Agency Fees in the USA by Guest Blogger Gail Sexton Anderson of Donor Concierge

All egg donor and surrogacy agencies charge a variety of fees to provide you with an egg donor or surrogate, and to ensure that all legal and psychological needs and certain insurance needs are covered. The following is a general range of egg donor and surrogacy agency fees. Note that fees may vary quite a bit from one agency to the next. Generally speaking, egg donor agency administrative fees tend to be in the $4,000–$8,000 range. This does not include the egg donor’s fee, medical fees, or egg donor expenses. Some agencies give you a bundled fee that includes legal fees, psychological fees, insurance fees, and agency administrative fees. Others charge a separate fee for each service or ask you to pay each fee directly to the service provider. These fees are usually nonnegotiable. Most egg donor and surrogacy agencies spend a lot of money to recruit donors and don’t have a high profit margin. The other fees for legal, psychological, and other services are fairly standard and, again, have no wiggle room. A new trend with a few egg donor agencies is to break fees down to include matching and coordination fees. Some agencies are starting to contract out the cycle coordination fee to independent agencies who will handle the details of the cycle. These cycle coordinating or management agencies often handle and the donor’s fee, booking travel arrangements and distribution of expense reimbursement. Egg donor fees are the greatest variable. An egg donor’s fee can range from $4,000 to $10,000, if the agency is abiding by American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) guidelines. The donor’s fee could be as high as $30,000. Generally, you need not pay that much to get what you want in an egg donor. With surrogacy, the fees are higher because you’re dealing with a longer, more complicated process. It is a little harder to compare administrative fees, but it is pretty safe to assume that you get what you pay for. If the surrogacy agency has an extremely low administrative fee, the agency may be just a matching service. That is, they have surrogates to match, but you will need to handle the details on your own. Full service surrogacy agencies charge an administrative fee of $16,000–$21,000. You want a program that will support you from match to birth and beyond. Some agencies are more hands-on when handling cases than others. Surrogate fees can vary from $18,000 to $35,000 and up. Surrogates do so much for what breaks down to a few dollars a day. These wonderful women more than earn their compensation for the wear and tear on their bodies and the strain on their families. Expect most surrogates to receive compensation for expenses plus incentive for attending monthly support group meetings. Basic Egg Donor Agency Cost The following fees do not include medical costs for services or medications required: • Administrative fee for the egg donor program: $4,000–$8,000.* • International fee: $500–$2,000. • Egg donor fees: $5,000–$20,000. • Egg donor expenses: $600–$6,000 (if travel is required). • Legal fees: $750–$950. • Egg donor insurance: $400–$500. • Egg donor psychological screening: $400–$1,000. Depends on the level of testing. Expect the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) at a minimum. Usually intelligence testing will cost you more. Basic Surrogacy Agency Cost The following fees do not include medical costs for services or medications required: • Administrative fee for the surrogacy program: $5,000–$23,000. • International fee: $2,000. • Surrogate fee: $18,000–$35,000. • Allowance for surrogate: $200 per month. • Surrogate support group meetings: $100 per month. • Legal fees: $2,000–$8,000. Depends on the extent of the attorney’s duties. If they manage the trust/escrow account, expect the fee to be on the higher end. • Psychological fees for surrogate evaluation and support: $1,000–$4,000 (depending on how involved the psychologist is). • Maternity clothing allowance for the surrogate: $600–$1,000. • Embryo transfer fees: $750. • Fees for multiples: Expect to pay more for a twin pregnancy, and more still for triplets and additional multiples, due to additional bed rest required for the surrogate. Information provided by Gail Sexton Anderson of Donor Concierge (http://donorconcierge.com) Since 1998, Gail Sexton Anderson, Ed.M., has dedicated her career to helping intended parents from all walks of life build families. She founded Donor Concierge as a compassionate approach to helping intended parents sort through the myriad of egg donor and surrogacy options. Gail has developed working relationships with many excellent egg donor and surrogacy programs, fertility attorneys, and mental health professionals specializing in third party fertility counseling she has known and trusted for years. This enables her be a great resource for her clients for any additional help they may need as they build their family. Gail holds a master’s degree in counseling from Harvard Graduate School of Education. She is an empathic listener who brings a calming influence to what can often be an emotionally stressful process.

What is a Mock Cycle/Endometrial Biopsy?

In order to assess the uterus for implantation an endometrial biopsy may be performed on a mock cycle.

Purpose: Assure normal uterine development for Embryo implantation

Endometrial Biopsy

Background

The uterine lining, or endometrium, undergoes a specific sequence of changes after ovulation during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle in order to develop a receptive environment for the developing embryo.  Estrogen followed by progesterone secretion by the ovaries is crucial for the proper development of the lining.  Abnormalities of uterine lining development, or luteal phase defects, may be documented with an endometrial biopsy.  The may be associated with abnormal implantation.

Patient Protocol

1. Call the office with the onset of menses.

2. Call the office to schedule the biopsy 18 days later.

What to Expect

The biopsy is somewhat like a pap smear.  After introducing a speculum into the vagina, the cervix will be wiped with betadine to cleanse it.  A small catheter is then introduced into the cervix and the biopsy is performed.  It takes a few seconds.  If you would like, you may take some Anaprox or your RE can give you a local anesthetic.

Most patients tolerate the procedure well and feel it is similar to the HSG.

 

All About Sperm Antibodies by Dr. Barry Jacobs

It is possible to develop antibodies to sperm.  Almost always, sperm antibodies are generated by the man producing the sperm.  Most commonly, sperm antibodies are generated after vasectomy.  The areas of the testicles where sperm are formed, and the entire tract that delivers the sperm as ejaculate is immunologically isolated from the rest of the body.  Proteins on the surface of sperm are never in contact with the body to either be recognized as part of “self” or, under normal conditions, be deemed as foreign material.  Performing a vasectomy interrupts the normal barrier between the portion of the body which produces sperm and conducts them to the exterior at the time of ejaculation.  Once the barrier is breached, the body’s immune system discovers a new set of proteins, and believes them to be foreign invaders.  Therefore, the immune system begins to make antibodies.  Antibodies are large proteins which attach to sperm, and can interfere with motility or cover the head of the sperm, so as to interfere with the acrosome reaction. 

To explain the last term, the sperm head is covered by a packet of enzymes called the acrosomal cap.  As part of the process the sperm undergoes to be able to fertilize an egg, the outer membrane of the acrosomal cap breaks down, releasing the enzymes.  Enzymes of the acrosomal cap change the membrane covering the sperm head behind the acrosomal cap allowing the sperm head membrane to fuse with an egg cell membrane.  Once fusion of these 2 membranes occurs, the boundary between sperm head and egg disappears, and chromosomes of the sperm enter the egg to fertilize it.  If the sperm head is covered by antibodies, none of these processes can occur.

Trauma to the male reproductive tract can also cause a defect in the barrier between the sperm production area and the immune system.  Men are vulnerable to sports injuries.  Occasionally, a testicle can twist on its blood supply.  The result can be painful loss of a testicle, but even if the testicle can be saved, there is likely to be damage.  Even less commonly, a testicle my not descend from the fetal abdominal cavity into the scrotum.  In addition to the increased risk of developing an aggressive cancer, if not surgically corrected, there is potential for injury to the structure of the testicle.

How do we go about testing for antibodies?  The really reliable test is a kit available to specialist in male fertility.  It is the ImmunoBead® test.  Antibodies to the 3 basic groups of human antibodies are coated on microscopic latex particles.  A suspension of these latex particles are incubated with sperm form the male patient.  If there are antibodies on the sperm, the latex particles are caused to clump together by antibodies to the antibodies on the sperm.  This direct ImmunoBead® test is very sensitive and specific for antibodies made by a man to his own sperm.

Very rarely, a woman will make antibodies to her husband’s sperm.  The cause of such circumstance is highly speculative.  We really do not know the cause.  There is a test for that.  If a woman does have antibodies to sperm, those antibodies will be in circulation in her blood.  If we incubate her serum with donor sperm that are known not to have antibodies, her antibodies will attach to the donor sperm.  Now, we can perform an ImmunoBead® test to look for antibodies.

Problems with sperm antibodies can be overcome.  By far, the most reliable way to do that is to use the technologies of in vitro fertilization (IVF).  If we remove sperm and eggs to the laboratory, antibodies a woman may make to her husband’s sperm will not have a chance to attack the sperm.  Just performing intrauterine insemination to bypass cervical mucus is not very reliable.  Antibodies will be in her uterus and fallopian tubes, too.  Much more commonly, the man has produced antibodies to his own sperm.  In such a case, it will likely be necessary to really help the sperm by literally injecting them into the eggs.  This process is called intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection or ICSI.  ICSI is commonly performed today for a variety of male factor issues.  

We have come a long way from the early days of the Franklin-Dukes test to try to identify problems related to antibodies to sperm.  We have a much better understanding of the problems, and much improved means of treatment.  Even so, many myths endure, often delaying meaningful management.    

 

      

Dr. Jacobs is a Reproductive Endocrinologist, practicing in Carrollton, Texas, a northern suburb of Dallas.  He completed his residency training in obstetrics and gynecology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, and remained at that institution to become its first fellow once Baylor achieved accreditation for an advanced training program in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility.  Dr. Jacobs has served on the faculty of several medical schools and was director of Reproductive Endocrinology at Texas Tech Health Science Center in Amarillo.  Currently, in addition to his clinical activities caring for infertile patients and those with recurrent pregnancy loss, he is Chairman of the IVF committee at Baylor Medical Center in Carrollton.  

Barry Jacobs, M.D., 4323 M. Josey Lane, Suite #201, Carrollton, TX 75010 www.texasfertility.com
Phone: 972-394-9590 Fax: 972-394-9597

Twins X3 by Fran Pitre: A LaMothe Book Review

Now here is a book I could not put down! Twins X3 by Fran Pitre is a story not to be missed. Fran is very candid when retelling the tale of her life thus far. Did she use Assisted Reproductive Technologies? Yes she did, as far as the Catholic Church would allow, using a slew of medications and finally GIFT (gamete intrafallopian transfer.) She talks about the difficulty of becoming pregnant, having premature babies, her relationships with her in-laws and other family members, her bouts of anxiety and depression.  While it's like reading a personal journal, Fran explains, in detail, just what each medical procedure is, why she and her husband decide to try it or why they didn't (think IVF), and how it is to live with three sets of twins. At the end of the book she even has parenting tips. Throughout each chapter are photos of her family and although they are not the best quality you can certainly relate better to these very real life characters. This book is obviously written from the heart not only to chronicle her own life story but, it seemed to me, a huge book (545 pages) of Thanks! Fran thanks everyone from the medical staff, hospital nurses, friends, relatives and teachers often throughout her story. Let's face it, when you are pregnant with one set of twins and have two sets at home, you need a lot of help!

 

Anyone struggling with infertility, a parent with children or a Catholic that has questions regarding fertility treatments would surely find something to relate to in Twins X3 by Fran Pitre.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A note from Fran herself!

 

Dear Sharon,

I wanted to email you a personal reply to thank you for such a wonderful review of my book. Your review truly brought me to tears. My hope is that with your advice through this review, your readers will be inspired to read my book and know that they are not alone in their journey through infertility, and will learn that childless couples really can become parents and see their dreams become reality.

As a side note, I gathered by your statement of the "not-the-best-quality photos" that you unfortunately must have received one of the copies from a printing run where the printing calibration was off. I had noticed this on a few copies, notified Xlibris (my publisher/printer), and was guaranteed that from that run on, each book had crisp, clear photos. Since then, I received a shipment where the photos were perfect ... and that's coming from myself as a graphic designer.

I just want to tell you that in regards to your review so that your readers don't expect anything less than the best product should they decide to purchase a book.

Again, thank you so much for your warm, supportive, very positive review of my book!

Blessings,
Fran Pitre
author: TWINS x 3

Birthing a Mother The Surrogate Body and the Pregnant Self by Dr. Elly Teman University of California Press, 2010: A LaMothe Book Review

Finally! A book that explores the relationship between surrogates (gestational carriers) and their Intended Mothers. Well written and full of real life examples, Dr. Teman draws on anthropological fieldwork among Jewish Israeli women and shares with her readers what many of us in the Third Party Family Building industry want all surrogates/carriers and their Intended Mothers to know: that being a Gestational Carrier has complex and varied emotions attached, not to the fetus but more likely to the intended mother and that, for the most part, the carrier is disassociated from the baby growing in her womb. Tamar, a surrogate, says it best "And that's why I say, I didn't just give birth to a baby, I gave birth to a mother." Shlomit, an Intended Mother also states, "I always say, my mother gave birth to me the first time, she gave me life. But my surrogate gave me life a second time."   

Birthing a Mother is divided into four unique parts: Dividing, Connecting, Separating, and Redefining. The entire work here is brilliant and, as a past Gestational Carrier myself, I can relate to the many stories shared within each part quite easily. A reference of "a child through the mail" caught my attention and I thought about my first Intended Mother who, because of distance, was not a 'partner' in the pregnancy the way that she might have wanted. Perhaps she thought of her twins as mail order until I flew down to her so she could take part in the last few weeks of the pregnancy.
 
I am sure that Intended Parents will see their thoughts and fears reflected in Birthing a Mother The Surrogate Body and the Pregnant Self and be able to use this information learned to understand their own intimate relationship with their Gestational Carrier.

Mom and Dad and The Journey They Had! Written by Molly Rose Siobhan Summer and presented by Guess Who? Multimedia and Pacific Fertility Center Los Angeles: A LaMothe Book Review

Mom and Dad and the Journey They Had!    

I had the wonderful privilege to review Mom and Dad and The Journey They Had! Written by Molly Rose Siobhan Summer and presented by Guess Who? Multimedia and Pacific Fertility Center: I really didn't know what to expect as the story begins with a 'traditional' family preparing to add child number two. They sing and dance all the while getting ready for their very special delivery. Near the end of this story, which starts out focusing on the importance of preparing to bring a baby home, Mom and Dad sit down with the soon to be 'big brother' and tell him about the problems they had conceiving him. In a very matter of fact manner the parents share how they went to a doctor and found a young woman to donate her egg. The main focus of the conversation is how he was the one they had been waiting for all along. The message was so subtle that really all a child listening to this story hears is that "you were always wanted and always loved and we were waiting for YOU".

I highly recommend this very engaging and heartwarming musical to any family who used assisted reproduction (egg donation) to have a baby of their own.

Sharon LaMothe
Infertility Answers, Inc.
http://infertilityanswers.org/
LaMothe Services, LLC
http://lamotheservices.com/

Girlfriend to Girlfriend, A Fertility Companion by Kristen Magnacca~ A LaMothe Book Review

 

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read Girlfriend to Girlfriend after reviewing Love & Infertility: Survival Strategies for Balancing Infertility, Marriage and Life (2004) last year. Girlfriend to Girlfriend, A Fertility Companion by Kristen Magnacca was published in 2000 but the story and insights are still relevant today. Kristen shares her own infertility journey along with her frustrations and experiences and at the end of each chapter she shares tips that she learned along  the way. Some examples are learning to temper your optimism and remain hopeful, be your own advocate, having a fertility game plan, and nurturing yourself before during and after every procedure and surgery. Thoughout the entire book, Kristen tells you like it is and at the very end something magical happens, she is pregnant! And because she is pregnant, don't expect information on how to move past being childless and onto the land of acceptance. That just isn't part of this book...at least not from a personal prospective.  

 

Kristen Magnacca, is an author, speaker and consultant who over the last decade has had a wide range of experiences with both individuals and organizations. Kristen has developed the reputation as a valued resource and an expert on helping companies, individuals and couples clarify what matters most to their success and then creating the plan of action for achievement.

 

Girlfriend to Girlfriend, A Fertility Companion by Kristen Magnacca is a great read especially if you feel the need for extra support  while you are going through your own treatments. Knowing someone who has actually walked the path of infertility and won while learning from that experience can be invaluable as well as inspiring and comforting.

 

 

Tuesday is Tele-Coaching Night ~ Kristen Magnacca and Sharon LaMothe will discuss Third Party Family Building!! Come join us!

Kristen Magnacca is a noted author, coach, motivational speaker and expert on the emotional aspects of infertility. 

Advisor, Supporter, and Friend to Women Struggling with Infertility

While there is an ample supply of medical experts who offer advice and information to the two million women across the nation who experience infertility each year, there are few who can address the mental and emotional crisis known all too well by women who are being medically treated for infertility. Kristen Magnacca, author of Girlfriend to Girlfriend: A Fertility Companion (First Books Library, 2000) and Love & Infertility: Survival Strategies for Balancing Infertility, Marriage and Life (LifeLine Press, 2004), is the advisor, supporter, and friend infertile women need.

Please join Kristen and Sharon LaMothe on May 11, 2010!!

New Offering from Kristen Magnacca on the Second Tuesday of Each Month! Complimentary ~ Tuesday is Tele-Coaching Night ~

Time

6:30PM-7:30 PM EST (3:30 PM PST)

Location

Comfort of your own home!

Description

Beginning May 11th and every second Tuesday of each month join me for a complimentary Tele-coaching session.

Sharon LaMothe will join Kristen on May 11th to discuss Third Party Family Building!

Whether you are beginning your fertility treatments or beginning a new cycle call in and hear strategies, tid-bits and insights on how to move forward with ease.

RSVP to info@kristenmagnacca.com.

Making Babies: The Definitive Guide to Improving Your Fertility and Reproductive Health by Jason Jackson N.D. ~A LaMothe Book Review

Some books that come to me in the mail don't hold much of a surprise for me. They are just what they seem, at least if you judge the book by it's cover. Making Babies: The Definitive guide to improving Your Fertility and Reproductive Health by Jason Jackson N.D. certainly has a lot more to offer then I expected. To start, Jason Jackson runs a successful Natural Medicine practice from Brisbane, Australia. He has lectured and consulted extensively on numerous health topics throughout Australia and overseas. Mr Jackson specializes in reproductive health and infertility and is recognized as one of Australia's leading Naturopaths in this area and is an authority in the field of Clinical Nutrition and Herbal Medicine.

 

The introduction is what really captured my attention: "Over the thousands of years that humans have been able to reproduce, it has been only the last fifty years or so in the industrialized world, with its nutrient-depleted foods, genetically engineered agriculture, chemical processing, drugs, radiation and pollution, that we are now observing massive impacts on our ability to bear offspring, particularly in affluent Western societies." The last fifty years?

 

With chapters on Male and Female Reproductive Overviews, Preparing for Conception, Stress and Fertility, and yes, Medically Assisted Reproductive Technology (which is considered 'Plan C') I found that Jason Jackson was very adept at covering everything that one would need to know to do just that, Make Babies.

 

What I was really happy about were the detailed black and white photos depicting not only the human anatomy but also of fibroids, PCOS, IVF Procedure and quite a few more that add value to each chapter.

 

I recommend Making Babies The Definitive Guide to Improving Your Fertility and Reproductive Health by Jason Jackson N.D.  as a guide to your fertility wellness as well as a great infertility resource.

Daddy and Pop: By Guess Who? Multimedia and Pacific Fertility Center Los Angeles: A LaMothe Book Review

 
"You have to have a Mom! How can you be born if you didn't have a Mom?" This a question that every child will need to answer at some point in their life if they have a Daddy and a Pop that make up their own loving family. With the Love Makes a Family Book Series, Daddy and Pop help their little girl, Jessie, answer those questions in a very matter of fact way.  She learns that her Daddy and Pop wanted her so much that they chose an Egg Donor and a Gestational Surrogate to bring her into the world and into their arms.

 

Because of my own experience carrying twins for a gay couple (using donor eggs), I can relate to the telling of this story. Books like Daddy and Pop are perfect for younger children and will help them understand how they arrived in the world and prepare them for the inevitable questions that they will face from their peers. I personally hope that books with positive massages like these would be read when they are as young as 2 or 3 so that they will not be taken by surprise like little Jessie was, a first grader, in this story.

 

Daddy and Pop is part of Guess Who? Multimedia's musical book series, celebrating families made possible by egg and sperm donation, surrogacy, and adoption.

 

Sharon LaMothe
Infertility Answers, Inc.
http://infertilityanswers.org/
LaMothe Services, LLC
http://lamotheservices.com/

Number Seven of the Top 14 Mistakes for Surrogates and Carriers to Avoid: Not insisting that the IP's have at least one visit with a psychologist

We are at the halfway point of 14 Mistakes to Avoid For Women Considering Becoming Surrogate Mothers or Gestational Carriers! Thank you for all of your comments. I love receiving your personal messages as well as those on Facebook and elsewhere...I will try to touch on all of the concerns as we go though these 'mistakes'! Here is #7!

 

 

Mistake #7-Not insisting that the IP's have at least one visit with a psychologist who is recommended by the clinic

 

Why you should insist: As most of us are aware, surrogates, carriers and egg donors are psychologically screened as a standard of practice here in the United States. But less often do you hear of Intended Parents being required to seek out a mental health professional before they proceed with their third party family building plans. (They will have to in WA state when the new surrogacy laws pass though!) This is a disservice to the Intended Parents as well as their surrogate, you.

 

In my utopia world, all parties, the surrogate/carrier, her partner and the Intended Parents would all have at least one session together lead by a mental health professional well versed in reproductive technology, surrogacy and the loss of fertility. Everyone would be open and honest about their feelings and intentions and even the hardest issues would be explored. All within the 55 minute time frame.

 

As that is unlikely to happen, at least not in most cases, I believe that Intended Parents should seek out a psychologist or mental health professional (one that perhaps their clinic could recommend) and make an appointment. This is one more step that will be sure to bring you, as the surrogate, and your IP's closer. One more building block to a happy relationship as you explore this journey called Surrogacy. Intended Parents can really open up and talk about their fears, concerns and issues knowing that this councilor is trained to guide them through their questions and offer answers and support. Just as a surrogate must, Intended Parents need to be really sure that this is the route they want to take in building their family. They can also be reassured that they are on the same page as their partner and if there are issues that need more time, then the signing of contracts can wait until they are totally sure. Much better finding out at this point then after a successful transfer, don't you think?

 

Sharon LaMothe
Infertility Answers, Inc.
http://infertilityanswers.org/

The Legalization of Gestational Surrogacy in Washington State? Not This Year! HB2793 has Been Killed in the Senate!!

Pack your bags, Intended Parents....it's not the news we wanted to hear in Washington State! HB2793 (the bill regarding the legalization of Gestational Surrogacy in WA) did not pass the Senate. Apparently Senator Murray killed the bill when he spoke out against it in caucus and it never came up for a vote. All those waiting here, in WA State, with bated breath to build their family via Gestational Surrogacy will have to travel out of their home state and find carriers elsewhere! Or find a family member or friend that will be a 'compassionate' surrogate with no hope of reimbursement or compensation for anything other then medical and other direct expenses.

 

I am feeling particularly saddened for all of those Intended Parents who will make the sacrifice in order to have a family at all, by traveling out of Washington and having to maintain a long distance relationship with all parties involved, namely their surrogate/carrier. Hopefully when this bill is reintroduced in 2011 we will all be ready to calm concerns, show support, and move past whatever issues some may have regarding building a family through gestational surrogacy here in WA State.

 

Until then there are those who are very adept in assisting out of state couples on how to chose an agency and then, from there, a surrogate or carrier. There are those who consult and share knowledge and information and can educate Intended Parents on what to look for and expect from a surrogacy program. If you need guidance and support, it is available! Don't give up hope!

 

For Surrogacy Consulting here in WA state you can contact LaMothe Services, LLC http://lamotheservices.com/ for personal, in home consultations. For others, there is our phone and e-mail support program as well as http://infertilityanswers.org/ as an information resource for Third Party Family Building Options which is free to all.

 

 

Sharon LaMothe

If at First You Don't Conceive: A Complete Guide to Infertility from One of the Nation's Leading Clinics by Dr. William Schoolcraft, MD, HCLD: A LaMothe Book Review

  If at First You Don't Conceive: A Complete Guide to Infertility from One of the Nation's Leading Clinics by Dr. William Schoolcraft, MD, HCLD, will not be available for release until March 16, 2010 but I have had the pleasure of receiving an advanced copy and highly suggest that you pre-order yours now!

There are two hundred and sixty five pages in If at First You Don't Conceive: A Complete Guide to Infertility from One of the Nation's Leading Clinics and each and everyone of them are worth reading. If you have just found out that you have a problem with fertility, this must be the first book you read. Not only does Dr. Schoolcraft talk about being your own best advocate he writes about the most common fertility challenges, the most common solutions for those challenges and covers the emotional challenges as well. I love the fact that he includes stories from his patient's which makes you feel connected to what this book is all about, validation, education, support and solutions.

If you are not familiar with Dr. WILLIAM SCHOOLCRAFT, MD, HCLD, he is a fertility specialist and researcher and is the director of the Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine.


Sharon LaMothe
Infertility Answers, Inc.
http://infertilityanswers.org/
LaMothe Services, LLC
http://lamotheservices.com/

Number Six of the Top 14 Mistakes for Surrogates and Carriers to Avoid: Not insisting that all compensation per the contract be deposited into an escrow account before the first transfer

We are already on Mistake #6 of the 14 Mistakes to Avoid For Women Considering Becoming Surrogate Mothers or Gestational Carriers! I hope that I have some Intended Parents reading these too! Truly IP's should see the benefits to them as well as their Surrogate or Gestational Carrier.

 

Mistake #6-Not insisting that all compensation per the contract be deposited into an escrow account before the first transfer 

 

Why you should insist: There is a lot of money involved in a surrogacy arrangement and only a portion is earmarked for the surrogate. I know when I told my mother the first time in 1998 that I was going to be a Gestational Carrier she asked if I were getting $100,000! That was the only amount SHE would consider doing 'such a far out' thing for!

 

Needless to say, Surrogates and Carriers do not get that kind of money for this priceless service! A first time surrogate can be compensated from between $16k to $22k more or less depending on Insurance and Multiples. Still that money isn't given up front. The usual arrangement is monthly installments while pregnant to support the pregnant surrogate. There is maternity clothing to be purchased, and child care to pay for and perhaps lost wages and housekeeping to be reimbursed. Where is all of this money coming from?

 

The Intended Parents of course! Some may insist on paying it out of their own pocket on a monthly basis but how reliable is that? What if there is an accident and they can't write a check? What if the IP's are on vacation? What if the funds are 'lost in the mail' or late for some reason? What does that lack of timely payment do to a surrogacy relationship?  Well, I can tell you, it's not pretty!

 

On the other side of this coin, surrogates need to be reimbursed for several things during her pregnancy. She may have over the counter medication receipts, co-pays for office visits, or is due some gas reimbursements and every time she asks her IPs for something 'extra' they feel nickeled and dimed to death even though these items are reimbursable as stated in the contract.

 

Avoid all of these hard feeling and the need to mix money and babies by depositing the surrogate compensation with a reliable escrow agent! Someone else will manage the payments. If something happens to the IP's the surrogate will still be compensated. She needn't go to her IP's for every little receipt she has and when they do talk it can be about the growing baby! So much better for everyone involved! 

Number Five of the Top 14 Mistakes for Surrogates and Carriers to Avoid: Being 'talked into' agreeing to issues that are fundamentally against your personal ethics/religion or life style

 

This happens more then we would like to think...we make compromises even after we research the issues. Really think about what you are agreeing to! It can make all the difference in your relationship!

 

 

Mistake #5: Being 'talked into' agreeing to issues that are fundamentally against your personal ethics/religion or life style i.e. abortion, selective reduction, working with IP's that you don't feel comfortable with, etc.

 

What you have to be careful about: When the excitement of meeting new Intended Parents,"clicking" with them and heading toward the possibility of signing your contract overrides your personal ethics, a step back needs to be taken! I have talked with many a surrogate who don't believe in aborting a Downs Syndrome child, for instance. Yet the Intended Parents want the Downs testing done. Does that mean that they will ask her to abort if the tests come back positive? Who knows. But if she would never abort no matter what then she needs to make sure her IP's know that. Although the baby belongs to the Intended Parents it is the Surrogates body...and no one can make her abort anything at anytime. As a matter of fact, no one can make her carry the baby either. Row vs Wade is alive and well in the Surrogacy World.

 

The lesson here is that Intended Parents and Surrogates need to be on the same page with all of these ethical, legal and religious issues. Communication is key! Don't try to please your 'perfect but for' Intended Parents....Don't rush into a situation just because you have been waiting so long to be matched or this is the first couple that has come to you...take time to think of what you want and then go from there.

Sharon LaMothe
Infertility Answers, Inc.
http://infertilityanswers.org/

Sharon Speaks in Denver! LABS-Inc~Focus on Infertility

I had the pleasure of being invited last month to speak in Denver at LABS Inc. about the Infertility Industry. It was my pleasure to share with the entire executive and marketing staff a power point presentation entitled Focus on Infertility, A Comprehensive Overview.

 

Allow me to share a little about LABS Inc. LABS was founded in 1979 as Immunological Associates of Denver (IAD). The laboratory offered testing to physicians and hospitals in Colorado. Growth occurred as local transplant centers began using IAD services to support organ transplantation. Over the years LABS has become one of the premier transplant medicine reference laboratories in the country. Testing is focused on donor eligibility determination and final product safety; infectious disease testing, microbiology, histocompatibility and environmental monitoring. You can visit their site at http://labs-inc.org/

 

Since LABS Inc. has committed itself to working with infertility clinics, the company wanted to educated its staff on what Intended Parents go through after they are diagnosed with Infertility. They wanted to learn about the obstacles that are faced by all parties involved with Surrogacy, Egg Donation, Sperm Donation and Embryo Donation. A company like LABS Inc. willing to invest in this type of education for their staff really needs to be looked at closely. They are dedicated, educated, FDA compliant, reliable and serious about helping too keep costs down for the clinics as well as Intended Parents who use their services.

 

I had a tour of the Denver lab and was really impressed at how efficiently it was run. They have the test results back in the hands of the Doctors within 24 hours! The people were friendly and obviously interested in helping the infertility patient the best way they could.  

 

Working with companies like LABS-Inc. is truly a pleasure and I thank them for inviting me to share what I know about the people involved in the Infertility Industry!

 

If you would like me to speak at your conference, seminar, or arrange for staff education on the subjects of Infertility, Surrogacy, or all things Third Party Family Building, please contact me at the number below. I would love to hear from you!

 

Sharon LaMothe
Infertility Answers, Inc.
http://infertilityanswers.org/
LaMothe Services, LLC
http://lamotheservices.com/

727-458-8333

Numbers Three and Four of the Top 14 Mistakes for Surrogates and Carriers to Avoid: Using an 'old' or past contract and Not having your own legal representation when reviewing your surrogacy contract

We are on number 3 and 4 with our 14 Mistakes to Avoid For Women Considering Becoming Surrogate Mothers or Gestational Carriers. These two go together very well and end up to be one of the more common mistakes. All in the name of 'saving money'!

 

 

Mistake #3 and #4-Using an 'old' or past contract and Not having your own legal representation when reviewing your surrogacy contract.

 

 

Why you should have a new contract drawn up and insist that you have your own attorney: If you have your old contract then that tells me you have been a surrogate in the past or at least were in a surrogacy arrangement. It's great that you like and feel comfortable with what you have agreed upon in your old contract however circumstances have changed! You have new Intended Parents. They may reside in another state, they certainly have different contact information and they have different needs. People use old contracts to save money but most times it just doesn't work out that way! More money is spent when one finds out that not all of the IP's wishes are covered or something you might need could have been overlooked in the rush to have something to sign and get ready for that all important (and expensive) transfer. This goes hand in hand with GET AN ATTORNEY! One for each party involved. Someone who KNOWS reproductive law.  (Not your brother-in-law who is a divorce attorney or their cousin who is a death row lawyer!)

 

If you liked your old contract so much, supply a copy to your new attorney and he or she can add in your wishes/requirements and all that will then be explained to your new Intended Parents by their OWN lawyer! This is a must to ensure that everyone is on the same page. A surrogate must have their own representation to avoid conflict of interest. Trust me, the cost to your IP's for you to have your own attorney is much less then if YOU have to hire your own attorney because of a dispute in the contract after you are pregnant!

 

Sharon LaMothe
Infertility Answers, Inc.
http://infertilityanswers.org/

Sharon LaMothe: Editorial Review Board for Pregnancy Corner

 http://www.pregnancycorner.com/about/editorial-review-board/sharon-lamothe.html

 

I have accepted the privilege to sit on the Editorial Review Board for Pregnancy Corner. Launched in July 2009, the goal of PregnancyCorner.com is to provide accurate, up-to-date and unique content related to pregnancy. All content on PregnancyCorner.com is reviewed by top obstetricians and gynecologists, as well as other specialists within the childbirth industry, who have donated their time and experience to ensure Pregnancy Cornor provides consumers accurate and unbiased information.

 

I am looking forward to reviewing articles and watching Pregnancy Corner grow! Please take a moment to check it out! http://www.pregnancycorner.com/

Sharon LaMothe
Infertility Answers, Inc.
http://infertilityanswers.org/
LaMothe Services, LLC
http://lamotheservices.com/

Number Two of the Top 14 Mistakes for Surrogates and Carriers to Avoid: Not having a face to face meeting before any contracts are signed

On ward with our 14 Mistakes to Avoid For Women Considering Becoming Surrogate Mothers or Gestational Carriers.

 

 

Mistake #2-Not having a face to face meeting before any contracts are signed

 

Why you need to have a face to face meeting: Yes people do live far a part (even overseas) at times and traveling can be tough but that is no excuse to ignore the need to meet your Intended Parents face to face before you sign a contract and agree to carry a baby for them. These are the people that you are going to have a long term relationship with. Would you ever consider becoming a mail order bride? I think not! Then don't put yourself in the position of not meeting your Intended Parents until you are at your transfer or, heaven forbid, pregnant.

 

We all know that a phone call, e-mail, and, yes, even Skype can help a long distance relationship thrive but consider all you notice when you actually see someone in person! How they present themselves, what their handshake feels like, what their mannerisms are like, how you react to them and how they react to you. Chemistry can make or break a relationship and as we are all well aware!

 

Remember you are never a little bit pregnant and regrets after the fact do not make for an enjoyable surrogacy journey!

Sharon LaMothe
Infertility Answers, Inc.
http://infertilityanswers.org/

Number One of the Top 14 Mistakes for Surrogates and Carriers to Avoid: Giving out personal information

 
Last month I posted 14 Mistakes to Avoid For Women Considering Becoming Surrogate Mothers or Gestational Carriers. I have had quite a few questions and suggestions. Over the next few days I will be going through each "mistake" and explaining the reason why it made the top 14!

 

Your comments, as always, are welcome!

 

Mistake Number 1-Giving out personal information, especially before a contract is signed,  such as social security numbers and release of medical information to anyone but the attorney, psychologist or clinic.

 

 

Why you shouldn't do this: As we are all aware, there are scams being run on both sides of the fence these days. Who's to say that someone pretending to be an Intended Parent is just looking for an easy mark for identity theft! You need to protect yourself and your family. You may be eager to get yourself matched and on the way to a contract but please don't give out your personal information to just anyone. Your Intended Parents don't need to know your Social Security Number. The clinic is the one that needs to see your medical records. If you worked with a psychologist in the past then have those records sent from your old Dr. to your new one. The message here is to be aware of who you are trusting and how much you know about them. Don't risk your identity for anyone!

 

Sharon LaMothe
Infertility Answers, Inc.
http://infertilityanswers.org/

LaMothe Services, LLC is Announcing the Launch of the Redesigned Blog, The Business of A.R.T.

LaMothe Services, LLC is announcing the launch of the redesigned blog, The Business of A.R.T. Found under the URL http://theagencyangle.blogspot.com/, the Business of A.R.T. is aimed at professionals in the Assisted Reproductive Technology industry who don't have the time to scour the internet looking for ways to improve their visibility within the current market.


Not only does The Business of A.R.T. blog share articles regarding social networking, branding, marketing and self promotion written by some of the top gurus in the marketing industry, Sharon LaMothe also writes about her own experiences as a surrogacy agency owner sharing tips on starting an agency, working from home, and business structure just to name a few of the more informative posts.

" Whereas LaMothe Services, LLC is designed for clients who desire to hire an assistant, of sorts, who is an expert within the infertility industry to guide and advise them, the blog, The Business of A.R.T. is a perfect compliment for those who simply need to catch up with the newest marketing and networking opportunities available." says Sharon LaMothe

For those not familiar with Sharon LaMothe, she is the Past Owner of Surrogacy Consultants of Florida, LLC and most recently the Owner of Infertility Answers, Inc. (http://infertilityanswers.net/) and is the author of the blog(s) Surrogacy 101 (http://infertilityanswers.typepad.com/surrogacy_101 and http://surrogacy101.blogspot.com/).

Sharon's responsibilities as an agency owner included interviewing new Surrogates, educating and assisting Intended Parents and Surrogates, managing relationships, writing packet forms, intake sheets, brochures and website content, marketing and advertising. Prior to owning SCF, Sharon worked with an adoption/surrogacy attorney. Sharon has also been a Gestational Surrogate, giving birth to twin girls in March of 2000 for a Florida couple, and in January 2005, gave birth to girl/boy twins for a New York couple.

Sharon's educational background includes a Social Services major which encompassed classes in Crisis Identification and Intervention, Interviewing and Counseling, Communication in Groups and Organizations. Sharon's continuing education classes include Total Quality Management (TQM) and Shared Decision Making. She has offered her unique perspectives and expertise by holding round table discussions and speaking on the topic of Surrogacy for SMART ART, RESOLVE, American Fertility Association, Fertile Dreams and by arranging staff development luncheons and meetings with various clinics, hospitals and law offices. Sharon is married with two children and currently resides in Seattle, WA.

Says LaMothe "I encourage anyone who is interested in growing their company, especially in our current economy, to subscribe to The Business of A.R.T. at the http://theagencyangle.blogspot.com/. This blog will most certainly save you time and money and will most likely motivate you to try out new marketing and networking opportunities."

All About Frozen Embryos

Although Infertility Answers has some of the information below located on our site...Miracles Waiting has much more to offer. Click on any of the links below to visit their website. 

How are embryos created during an In Vitro Fertilization cycle? At what stage are embryos frozen? What is an oocyte?  Is it the same as a gamete? What is the difference between an embryo and a pre-embryo? What is a 2PN embryo? What is a Zygote?  What are Blastomeres? What is a Morula? What is a Blastocyst? How does implantation occur? What is assisted hatching? Is it better to transfer 8-cell embryos or blastocysts? How are embryos frozen and stored after an IVF cycle? How long does it take for embryos to thaw? How does the thawing process work? Will all the embryos survive the thaw? How long after they are thawed are embryos transferred? How long can embryos be frozen and still be viable? Will frozen embryos be as likely to produce a pregnancy as fresh embryos after they are thawed? Can embryos be frozen more than once? What are the factors thought to affect embryo quality? How are embryos graded? What is “normal development” for an embryo at the time of transfer? What is PGD? Is it possible to have genetic tests performed on embryos that have been frozen? Is it possible to tell the gender of an embryo? What is the typical success rate with frozen embryo transfer? When do embryos implant in the uterus? What are the symptoms of implantation? How soon can I take a pregnancy test? What factors can be used to assess the likelihood that an FET will be successful? Are children born from frozen embryos normal?

 

Sperm Donor X

I wanted to share with you a trailer that was sent to me for a film made by Deirdre Fishel, a Brooklyn based independent documentary filmmaker. She recently made a personal film about her process (and that of three other women) to parent solo using donor sperm.

Apparently the film is nearly finished, but before she can put it out in the world where it can hopefully be a positive contribution to the changing family paradigm, they need to raise the last bit of money. For this purpose they have put a trailer on line and created the possibility for individuals to donate.

I would appreciate it if you would have a look at:

http://mindseyeprods.com/spermdonorx.htm

Frankly, I found it fascinating and well worth the few minutes it takes to watch. You have the option to donate if you would like as well.

Would love to hear your comments!

Sharon LaMothe
Infertility Answers, Inc.
http://infertilityanswers.org/

What to Expect from a Psychological Evaluation

 

 You may be asked to meet with a psychologist for a “psychological evaluation”.  A psychologist is different from a psychiatrist.  A psychiatrist has a medical degree (M.D.), and they primarily prescribe medication, although some also conduct psychotherapy.  A psychologist has a doctorate in psychology (a Ph.D. or Psy.D.), and they provide evaluations and conduct psychotherapy.   

If you are interested in serving as an egg donor or traditional surrogate, the aim of the psychologist is twofold.  The psychologist would like to gather as much information as possible so the recipient couple is prepared.  For example, should there be a family history for learning disabilities, the recipient couple can learn about possible warning signs.  Consequently, should their child develop academic difficulties, the recipient couple could then proceed with appropriate treatment.  It is important to remember that psychologists know there is no perfect person and that it is extremely rare for a person to have a family history devoid of any psychological problems.  The psychologist is trained to remain neutral, and is interested in providing acceptance and support.  A well-seasoned psychologist knows it is more credible if a person has had a bump or two along the road and/or if a donor/surrogate speaks of at least one relative who has experienced some sort of psychological problem.  It is best to be honest.  It is far better to honestly portray yourself and your family than to cover up what you fear could disqualify you.  It is likely you will be disqualified if you are inconsistent in your responses.   The psychologist is also interested in determining your stability.  Couples who seek out an egg donor or surrogate are very serious about wanting a successful outcome.  Some couples have tried to have children for five or even ten years, by the time they reach this step.  It is imperative you are certain you can and want to take this journey to completion.  The psychologist will try to determine whether or not you will follow through by not only asking you about your feelings about serving as an egg donor/surrogate, but also by looking for patterns of stability in your past.  The psychologist will also spend time discussing with you the psychological ramifications of serving as an egg donor/surrogate.  This portion of the interview is for your benefit.  Regardless as to your motivation, helping a couple have children is a wonderful gift.  Your desire to be a part of the miracle of life puts you in a very special, cherished category.  You deserve to understand how this experience might affect you.  It is also important you learn enough about this process in order to make the right decision for you.  Should you have any questions, please ask them.  Serving as an egg donor/surrogate is a decision that will affect you for the entirety of your life.  It will most likely be comforting for you to receive answers to any questions you might have. 

 If you are interested in serving as a gestational surrogate, it is likely you will be asked to meet with a psychologist.  Many of the same questions will be asked.  Although your genetic history will not come into play, the psychologist will want to get to know you, so s/he can describe you to the intended parents.  Additionally, the psychologist will be interested in determining if you will be able to provide a safe environment, both physically and environmentally, while you carry a couple’s baby.  The psychologist will also want to prepare you in many different ways.  Not only are there many issues to consider during your pregnancy, but it is of utmost importance to prepare you for what you might feel when you release a child to the intended parents.  This is one of the most selfless and beautiful gifts you can give to others.  At the same time, it can leave a tremendous void.  The psychologist will want to prepare you and your partner to make sure that as you think through your decision, you can determine what is best for you.

You may be asked to take a personality test.  Most often, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, 2^nd Edition (MMPI-2) is administered.  This is a long inventory that consists of approximately 500 true-false questions.  The test is sensitive to test-taking style.  Oftentimes, potential donors/surrogates feel nervous and at some level, feel they must be close to perfect. It is not true that you have to be nearly perfect to be chosen.  Nevertheless, this mindset sometimes leads people to “fake good”, or present themselves in an overly favorable light.  “Validity scales” will reveal this test-taking style, and you could invalidate your results.  This could disqualify you.  It is good to know that the inventory allows for “normal” stress, occasional sadness and anxiety, and for human frailties.  Besides the “validity scales”, the inventory also yields “clinical scales”, which group together to form a “profile”.  The profile describes your characteristic ways of interacting with the world.  If you respond in a manner that is open and honest, it is likely your profile will yield interesting information for you.  Many psychologists are willing to discuss your results with you, should you ask.

Recipient couples, also known as intended parents, are sometimes asked to attend an interview with a psychologist.  They are sometimes asked to take an MMPI-2.   For those of you who are considering using an egg donor, the interview with a psychologist is to make sure you have considered what it might feel like in the future, to have a child who is not fully genetically related to you.  Additionally, the psychologist may ask questions to determine your financial and emotional stability.  This is not done in a judgmental or critical manner.  Rather, this would be to help you plan well for yourselves, especially if you have never had children.

If you are considering using a surrogate, the clinical interview for the intended parents is designed to prepare you for the emotional and financial issues that may come up.  There are many things to consider when using a surrogate, such as whether or not you will provide health insurance, life insurance, or home support in case your surrogate becomes bedridden with a pregnancy. Additionally, it is wise to think ahead with regards to how you might handle a poorly formed fetus, or multiples that jeopardize the life of the mother and/or the babies.  Lastly, it is a good idea to discuss what expectations you have with regards to a relationship with the surrogate both during and after a pregnancy.  A trained psychologist can guide you through this dialogue, and inform you so you can make the best decisions for this very important and life-altering event.

 

Dr. Barbara Feinberg is a licensed psychologist.  She received her doctorate in clinical psychology from Florida Institute of Technology in 1985.  Dr. Feinberg has been practicing psychology in Tampa, Florida for over twenty-two years.  Dr. Feinberg works with adults and children.  Areas of treatment include infertility support, as well as coping with depression, anxiety, panic attacks, marital concerns, divorce and behavioral problems.  Dr. Feinberg also provides gifted and learning disabilities evaluations.  Additionally, she has specialized in reproductive issues for over ten years.  She has spoken around the state of Florida on psychological and emotional issues that pertain to infertility. Dr. Feinberg provides psychological evaluations for egg donors, traditional and gestational surrogates, and intended parents.  She works in conjunction with several egg donor agencies, surrogacy agencies and attorneys around the United States.  You may contact Dr. Feinberg at 15961 North Florida Avenue, Suite A, Lutz, FL   33549, or DrBarb222@aol.com. 

Tips: Working with your clinic

 

Below is a short list of documents and tips that you and your clinic will need to facilitate your ART case.

 

 

1. Your clinic will need to have the contract signature page at the very least (they may require the entire contract) on file or an affidavit from the contractual attorney, indicating that the contract is complete and has been signed by all parties.

 

2. The medical information forms need to have been signed by all parties and given to your clinic for their files.

 

3. The Surrogate Mother/Carrier is the patient. Information on medication, transfer, and follow up must be conveyed to her through the clinic and not the Intended Parents although they should be informed as well.

 

4. The Intended Parents need to make sure that they have a credit card on file with the clinic for all medication and procedures that involve the Surrogate Mother/Carrier and/or Egg Donor.

 

5. The Surrogate Mother/Carrier or Egg Donor should receive NO BILLS. She is not responsible for any payment of bills and this is usually stated in the contract between the Intended Parents and Surrogate/Egg Donor.

 

6. IVF costs should not be attempted to be billed through the Surrogate Mother/Carrier's insurance. (Blood tests, pap smears, OB appointments etc. are usually ok.) Remember the Surrogate Mother/Carrier is not the infertile woman and billing her for IVF costs can cost her the insurance policy and possibly pose insurance fraud accusations. Medicaid should not be used under any circumstance.

Budgeting for Infertility by Evelina Weidman Sterling and Angie Best-Boss: A LaMothe Book Review

 

Especially important in our current financial crisis, Budgeting for Infertility is a timely and accurate depiction of what it takes to pay for Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) to complete a family. I found this book not only assists with budgeting but also educating Intended Parents on all aspects of ART including treatment terms, how to choose a clinic, finding affordable fertility medications, understanding the financial options and even exploring adoption. I especially liked reading the comments from Intended Parents who know first hand what it's like to travel down the road of infertility treatments. I highly recommend this book for anyone starting out, or even in the middle of their own personal infertility journey. Well worth buying and passing along.

 

Synopsis

Having a baby can be one of the most wonderful times of your life -- but if you need help to conceive, it can swiftly become a staggeringly expensive undertaking. With the average cost of infertility treatments ranging from $35,000 to $85,000 in the United States (most of which is not covered by insurance companies), many women and couples find themselves having to make difficult choices about building their families.

Getting a grip on your finances is one of the few things you can do to regain control of this process. Infertility experts Evelina Weidman Sterling and Angie Best-Boss have created the ultimate guide to ensuring the most cost-effective care with the highest chances for success. With anecdotes, interviews, and advice from both doctors and patients, you can easily apply these specific money-saving strategies to your own unique situation. Learn how to:

- Select a fertility clinic with a high rate of success

- Convince your insurance company to cover more of the costs

- Track down the most affordable fertility drugs

- Travel abroad for cheaper care or international surrogacy

- Avoid the scams and unnecessary expenses every step of the way

Personal and professional, Budgeting for Infertility is an invaluable resource that shows you how to pay for infertility treatment...and still have money in the bank for diapers and day care.

 

Sharon LaMothe

http://infertilityanswers.org/

What is an Endometrial Biopsy?

Mock Cycle/Endometrial Biopsy

In order to assess the uterus for implantation an endometrial biopsy may be performed on a mock cycle.

Purpose: Assure normal uterine development for Embryo implantation

Endometrial Biopsy

Background

The uterine lining, or endometrium, undergoes a specific sequence of changes after ovulation during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle in order to develop a receptive environment for the developing embryo.  Estrogen followed by progesterone secretion by the ovaries is crucial for the proper development of the lining.  Abnormalities of uterine lining development, or luteal phase defects, may be documented with an endometrial biopsy.  The may be associated with abnormal implantation.

Patient Protocol

1. Call the office with the onset of menses.

2. Call the office to schedule the biopsy 18 days later.

What to Expect

The biopsy is somewhat like a pap smear.  After introducing a speculum into the vagina, the cervix will be wiped with betadine to cleanse it.  A small catheter is then introduced into the cervix and the biopsy is performed.  It takes a few seconds.  If you would like, you may take some Anaprox or your RE can give you a local anesthetic.

Most patients tolerate the procedure well and feel it is similar to the HSG.

What is a Hystersonongram?

Saline Infusion Sonogram (SIS),
( sonohysterogram )
or
Hystersonongram

A saline infusion sonogram (saline sonography) is routinely performed to make sure that the endometrial cavity (inside of the uterus) appears normal.  Benign uterine growths, such as endometrial polyps or uterine fibroids, may develop in the cavity and create an environment that is hostile for implantation.  Scar tissue may also be identified with the saline infusion sonogram.  This procedure may be done as part of an evaluation for recurrent pregnancy loss or done prior to an IVF cycle.  It may also be done to evaluate causes of irregular or very heavy menstrual cycles and some types of chronic pelvic pain.  The saline infusion sonogram is scheduled early in a menstrual cycle, just after your period stops but before ovulation – usually between days 5-12 of the cycle.

The procedure is simple and usually takes 10 to 15 minutes to complete.

A speculum is inserted into the vagina and the cervix is cleansed with an antiseptic solution.

A special catheter approximately 1mm in diameter (about the size of a single strand of spaghetti) is inserted and slides through the cervical canal.

The ultrasound probe is placed in the vagina.

Sterile salt-water solution (saline) flows through the catheter into the uterine cavity.  This distends the endometrial cavity and allows the physician to see the entire cavity on the ultrasound monitor.  You may experience mild cramping at this point.

Several images of your uterus will be taken during the procedure, pictures of your ovaries may also be taken.

You will need to schedule an appointment with your physician to discuss any abnormalities that are seen during the procedure.

After the procedure you may continue to have mild cramping for a few hours.   You may also experience light spotting or watery discharge for as long as 24 hours after the procedure.  You should refrain from intercourse for approximately 48 hours.  If any symptoms other than those listed above are noticed, please call the office at which you are seen.

Polycystic Ovaries by Dr. Barry Jacobs

Polycystic Ovaries

One of the most common findings when a couple enters a practice with the complaint of difficulty achieving a pregnancy is polycystic ovaries, or PCO.  Sometimes the condition is referred to as PCOS or PCOD, adding either syndrome or diseases after PCO.  I am not sure we can truly classify the problem as a single entity by declaring it a disease or syndrome.  We know of at least 2 causes of the problem.

The majority of women with PCO are insulin resistant.  By that, I mean that their cells do not respond adequately to insulin, so they must make extra insulin to keep blood sugar normal.  No, that does not mean they are diabetic.  However, people who are insulin resistant are at greater risk to become diabetic.  They are also at greater risk for heart attack and stroke.

On of the things insulin does very well, even in people who are insulin resistant is to convert the carbohydrate they eat into fat for storage.  The more fat they have stored, the worse their insulin resistance; the higher their insulin levels rise in response to a carbohydrate load, and the faster they convert carbohydrate to fat.  It’s s vicious circle.  We have to break the circle.  I strongly recommend my insulin resistant patients drastically cut their carbohydrate consumption to 30 grams a day. 

In addition to carbohydrate restriction, I prescribe a medication called Glucophage (metformin).  It will decrease carbohydrate absorption from the intestine and increase the response of her cells to insulin.  We also know that women with PCO have a lesser risk of miscarriage if they are taking Glucophage, and women who are insulin resistant have a lesser risk of developing gestational diabetes, if they are taking Glucophage. 

The side effects of the medication are related to the inhibition of carbohydrate absorption from the intestine.  The carbohydrate remaining in the intestine draws water into the intestine and the bacteria in the intestine make gas, when they eat the carbohydrate.  The result is diarrhea, cramping and gas.  Carbohydrate restriction decreases the symptoms.  The other side effect, if patients really follow the protocol, is weight loss.  Most of my patients like that side effect.

The other known cause of PCO is a deficiency of an enzyme in the adrenal gland.  The enzyme involved is called 21-hydroxylase.  It is part of the pathway to create cortisone.  There are 2 known molecular variants of the enzyme abnormality.  One is relatively mild, and the other more severe.  It requires 2 copies of the gene to make the enzyme – one from each parent.  If a woman has 2 abnormal copies of the gene, and one is a mild version, she will have a condition which will be clinically described as PCO.  Adding a low dose of steroid at bed time will help.  If one gene is a severe variant, and her pregnancy inherits that one and a severe abnormal copy from her husband, the child will have a condition called adrenogenetal syndrome.  If it is a girl, she will have ambiguous genetalia.  Both boys and girls are at risk to be salt wasters and have severe disorders of blood chemistry.  Diagnosis is critical.  These gene abnormalities are among the most common known, and are present, in at least a carrier state, in at least 5% of some ethnic groups.

Ovulation induction to help achieve a pregnancy for women with PCO can be assisted using treatments such as Glucophage or steroids, if indicated, but alone, neither is usually adequate.  There are specific medications available for ovulation induction.  The oldest, and to my thinking the worst, is Clomid.  Far better is the group of products that are pituitary hormones which cause development of the ovarian follicles which contain eggs.  The use of these medications is safest if done by a Reproductive Endocrinologist.

    

 

Dr. Jacobs is a Reproductive Endocrinologist, practicing in Carrollton, Texas, a northern suburb of Dallas.  He completed his residency training in obstetrics and gynecology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, and remained at that institution to become its first fellow once Baylor achieved accreditation for an advanced training program in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility.  Dr. Jacobs has served on the faculty of several medical schools and was director of Reproductive Endocrinology at Texas Tech Health Science Center in Amarillo.  Currently, in addition to his clinical activities caring for infertile patients and those with recurrent pregnancy loss, he is Chairman of the IVF committee at Baylor Medical Center in Carrollton.  

Barry Jacobs, M.D., 4323 M. Josey Lane, Suite #201, Carrollton, TX 75010 www.texasfertility.com
Phone: 972-394-9590 Fax: 972-394-9597

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and Acupuncture, By: Teri Calandra, L.Ac & Kristine Ward, L.Ac

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and Acupuncture, By: Teri Calandra, L.Ac & Kristine Ward, L.Ac

I love the fact that there are so many options for us to explore in regards to complimenting IVF treatments. Please read below and article from my guest bloggers Teri Calandra and Kristine Ward. Your comments are always welcomed!

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and Acupuncture
By: Teri Calandra, L.Ac & Kristine Ward, L.Ac
South Loop Acupuncture: Chicago, IL

Acupuncture has been the primary medical system in China for thousands of years. Many people are aware of the benefits of acupuncture for stress reduction, addictions, and pain management. However, most people are still in the dark about Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as an adjunct to woman’s health and infertility.

Traditional Chinese Medicine includes acupuncture, Chinese herbs, and Tui Na (a type of Chinese medical massage). For the purposes of IVF and TCM the most beneficial combination is acupuncture and Chinese herbs. In addition, diet and lifestyle changes may also be recommended by the TCM practitioner.

Infertility and Traditional Chinese Medicine

It is important to mention that the diagnoses of conventional pathologies (such as infertility and polycystic ovarian syndrome) are not within the scope of practice for a licensed acupuncturist. Chinese Medicine views the inability to become pregnant and sustain pregnancy as a symptom of a number of different patterns that can be treated.

The accepted statistic of infertility according to the World Health Organization is that one in seven couples has difficulty in getting pregnant. Acupuncture and Chinese herbs can be conducive for increasing your IVF success rates, sustaining pregnancy, decreasing aches and pains, decreasing stress, and easing labor and delivery.

Chinese Medicine is also able to help with male infertility. It is recommended to combine acupuncture and Chinese herbs to increase sex drive, and increase the quantity and viability of seminal fluid.

What is Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture?

Traditional Chinese Medicine is a complete medical system for diagnosis and treatment. The individual is seen as an integrated whole. Every part, process, thought, and emotion within the individual is considered in terms of its contribution to the healthy functioning of the whole person. Each disease and disorder is not seen as an isolated event but as an outward manifestation of the whole person being out of balance.

Acupuncture is able to influence health and sickness by stimulating certain meridians or, “energy pathways” along the body. These “energy pathways” are stimulated using single use needles that are as thin as a hair. The goal of acupuncture is to put your body into a state that allows it to heal itself.

TCM (acupuncture & Chinese herbs) can also utilize stress reduction techniques that can have an effect on subtle and non-mechanical reasons for infertility. Irregular ovulation, low sperm counts, or undiagnosed causes respond the best to a combination of TCM and IVF treatments. IVF is the best means to obtain pregnancy in cases of tube blockage. However, acupuncture is able to keep the body in a homeostatic state to maintain the body as nurturing environment for the embryo. (Lyttleton 379)

The following are just a few of the many articles and books that support acupuncture and IVF.
- W. Paulus, M.D., M. Zhang, M.D., I. El-Danasouri, Ph.D., E. Strehler , M.D., and K. Sterzik,M.D, “Influence of acupuncture on pregnancy rate in patients who undergo assisted reproduction therapy”, Fertility and Sterility, Vol. 77, No. 4, Apr. 2002
o “The analysis shows that the pregnancy rate for acupuncture group is considerably higher than for the control group (42.5% versus 26.3%”
- Johnson, D “Acupuncture prior to and at the embryo transfer in an assisted conception unit-a case series”, Acupuncture in Medicine: Journal of the British Medical Acupuncture Society, Vol. 24, No. 1, pp 23-8, Mar. 2006
o “This was a success rate of 57.7% compared with 45.3% for patients in the IVF unit not treated with acupuncture”
- Liang L. O.M.D., Ph.D, L.Ac. 2003 “Acupuncture and IVF” Blue Poppy Press, Boulder , CO
- Lyttleton J. 2004 “Treatment of Infertility with Chinese Medicine” Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh, UK
- Zhi-Qiang C, Li-Yun L. 2008 “Male and Female Infertility” People’s Medical Publishing House, Beijing, China

Teri Calandra and Kristine Ward both have a background in massage therapy, and graduated from Pacific College of Oriental Medicine with their Masters of Science in Traditional Chinese Medicine. They are both NCCAOM board certified and are licensed through the state of Illinois. Teri and Kristine have been working together since 2005, and they co-own South Loop Acupuncture in Chicago. South Loop Acupuncture offers acupuncture, Chinese herbology, and Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination (NAET). Together they have combined specialties in woman's health, digestive, and respiratory disorders, musculoskeletal dysfunctions, and allergies. Both practitioners have a strong belief that where one medicine leaves off the other picks up. They believe that it is important to work with all medical modalities in order to offer the greatest care to the patient.

Sharon LaMothe Will Be Attending the ASRM Meeting in Atlanta, GA Oct 17-21st

 

I will be attending the annual American Society for Reproductive Medicine meeting in Atlanta GA! If you are in the area and would like to meet please contact me at the cell number below. I will be arriving late Saturday evening October 17th and leaving the afternoon on October 21st. I am looking forward to all of the great educational opportunities offered and meeting other professionals within the Infertility field. I will blog about what I observe and learn when I return.

 

I look forward to seeing you there!

 

Sharon LaMothe
Infertility Answers, Inc.
http://infertilityanswers.org/
LaMothe Services, LLC
http://lamotheservices.com/
727-458-8333

Tubal Problems

Thank you once again, Dr Jacobs, for providing such valuable information on Tubal Issues. If any of my readers would like to contact Dr. Jacobs directly, his information is at the bottom of this post!

Sharon LaMothe
Infertility Answers, Inc.
http://infertilityanswers.org/
LaMothe Services, LLC
http://lamotheservices.com/

 

 

 

Tubal Problems

 

 

 

 

 

Fallopian tubes are necessary for the retrieval of the egg at the time of ovulation and for the ability of a living embryo to reach the uterus, where a pregnancy is carried until labor and delivery. 

 

 

The fallopian tubes, long structures which resemble straight brass horns, play a critical role in reproduction.  They have a very complex and delicate structure designed to retrieve an egg at the time of ovulation, conduct sperm to the end of the tube near the ovary, where fertilization is to occur, nourish the new embryo and conduct it to the uterus.  That is a huge responsibility. 

 

Let’s begin with packing up the egg.   The end of the fallopian tube next to the ovary consists of a large array of delicate finger like projections called fimbriae.  The fimbriae are anchored to the bell shaped end of the tube called the ampulla.  It is the ampulla where fertilization takes place.  The remainder of the fallopian tube, called the isthmus, has a very narrow channel or lumen.  The lining of the tubal lumen consist of 2 cell types.  The secretory cells provide the nutrients for the embryo resulting from fertilization of the egg.  The other cells have microscopic hair-like projections called cilia.  The cilia beat in rhythmic fashion and propel the embryo to the uterus.  A number of agents can damage the cells and structures and impair tubal function. 

 

There are 2 infections, which are epidemic that can damage fallopian tubes.  Both Chlamydia and gonorrhea infect the lining of fallopian tubes causing scarring.  The fimbriae scar together, so that they will not function to pick up an egg.  As the infection progresses, scarring of the fimbriae can totally block the end of the tube near the ovary.  When the tube is blocked at the fimbriated end, the nutrient secretions from cells of the tubal lining collect.  If the infection is not adequately treated in a timely manner, the infection in the closed space of the blocked tube becomes an abscess.  Even if no abscess forms, the cilia of the tubal lining are damaged and cannot propel an embryo to the uterus.  In the circumstance that cilia are damaged a pregnancy will attach to the tube and produce a tubal pregnancy.  Tubal pregnancy can require emergency treatment, or can become fatal. 

 

There are other forms of tubal blockage.  One form of tubal blockage can usually be easily remedied.  Cells which cover surfaces are continually produced and the replaced cells are shed.  The portion of the fallopian tube which traverses the uterine wall, the intramural portion, has a lumen about the size of the tear duct you can see at the inner corner of your eye, near your nose.  It seems as though shed cells sometimes block the channel in the intramural segment of the tube.  That is easy to fix.  The other tubal blockage can be difficult to identify.  It is called salpingitis isthmica nodosa (S.I.N.).   The best way to describe it is like a sieve partially blocking the lumen of the isthmic portion of the fallopian tube.  During studies to determine if the tube is open, the dye can go through to give the appearance that the tube is OK.  Sperm can get through to the egg, but the embryo cannot traverse the tube to the uterus.  The result is a tubal pregnancy.  Instead of having a baby, a woman with a tubal pregnancy must have treatment to destroy the pregnancy in the fallopian tube.  A tubal pregnancy is life threatening.  If an examiner knows what to look for, salpingitis isthmica nodosa can usually be identified, and disaster averted. 

 

OK, there is a self inflicted tubal problem.  It is tubal sterilization.  At one time it was only accomplished by cutting out a section of each fallopian tube and tying the stumps.  Although a few programs, mostly OB-GYN generalists, try to reopen tubes after “tubal ligation”, today, it is probably better to by-pass the tubes with in vitro fertilization (IVF). 

 

Tubal problems are a fairly common finding when evaluating an infertile couple.  Today, in stead of surgery, we have much better and more effective tools to deal with tubal infertility.  If fallopian tubes are badly damaged, we can bypass them.  Today, we do not even need fallopian tubes.  We have in vitro fertilization (IVF).              

 

 

Dr. Jacobs is a Reproductive Endocrinologist, practicing in Carrollton, Texas, a northern suburb of Dallas. He completed his residency training in obstetrics and gynecology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, and remained at that institution to become its first fellow once Baylor achieved accreditation for an advanced training program in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. Dr. Jacobs has served on the faculty of several medical schools and was director of Reproductive Endocrinology at Texas Tech Health Science Center in Amarillo. Currently, in addition to his clinical activities caring for infertile patients and those with recurrent pregnancy loss, he is Chairman of the IVF committee at Baylor Medical Center in Carrollton.
Barry Jacobs, M.D., 4323 M. Josey Lane, Suite #201, Carrollton, TX 75010 www.texasfertility.comPhone: 972-394-9590 Fax: 972-394-9597

 

For more articals please visit Infertility Answers, Inc.

http://infertilityanswers.org/

STUDY DEMONSTRATES EFFICACY OF NEW SUPPLEMENT IN HELPING PREVIOUSLY UNSUCCESSFUL IVF

I wanted to pass this bit of information along to my readers....if you have any questions about this product, please contact the phone number offered below!

 

Sharon LaMothe
Infertility Answers, Inc.

 

STUDY DEMONSTRATES EFFICACY OF NEW SUPPLEMENT IN HELPING PREVIOUSLY UNSUCCESSFUL IVF

PATIENTS ACHIEVE PREGNANCY

In an August 2009 publication at the Society of Reproductive Biology, the authors reported on a study in which 17 of 18 women who had prior failed IVF, achieved a successful IVF outcome (defined as a positive chemical pregnancy and clinical pregnancy) through integrating

Total Fertility with a subsequent IVF treatment. Patients selected for participation in the study had, on average, two prior failed IVF attempts in which Total Fertility was not a part of their treatment plan. Further study is underway to provide more support for the product’s efficacy.

The specific supplement, Total Fertility™, Coast Science, San Diego, California, has been designed to encourage blood flow and improve egg and embryo quality. The patients who were selected to participate in the study had on average, two prior failed IVF attempts and a mean age of 36.4 years.

“With this ground breaking news, it is our hope that fertility specialists will use Total Fertility as a standard of preparing patients for fertility treatment. With the challenging economy, it is extremely important that every measure of preparation is taken to insure the best possible outcome in the first cycle of fertility treatment. Total Fertility can be taken by all patients trying to conceive a healthy baby,” said Bruce J. Thomsen, Chief Executive Officer, Coast Science.

Coast Science is a leader in nutritional science and has designed Total Fertility as an easy to swallow capsule for IVF patients and women preparing for fertility treatment. It can also be taken as a prenatal vitamin following IVF. Coast Science has several other products, including the Male Fertility Supplement, Coast MFS, scientifically formulated and established to improve overall sperm quality. Coast Science also has a family of nutritional supplements for men, women, and children intended for optimum health.

Contact:

sales@coastscience.com

877‐237‐3748