Touched by the Stork - Fertility Information

A new brochure put out by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) to raise awareness about issues of depression points out the fact that women are twice as likely than men to experience depression at some time during their lives. It also notes that there are many women-specific causes of depression which help to make this fact true. One of those factors is infertility.

There are differences between unique populations of women in terms of who is more likely to suffer from depression. However, it remains true that women are twice as likely as men to be depressed regardless of their specific demographics. That points to the fact that women's issues are likely a major cause in depression.

Infertility can be a source of depression in many ways. It can make a woman feel like a failure in her role as a wife. It can be a source of stress which can exacerbate depression. And treatment for it can cause hormonal fluctuations which can unintentionally result in depression.

Because depression is such a serious issue, it's something that you should keep an eye out for in your own life. Speak to your fertility treatment doctor if you find that it's something which is causing problems for you.

Question of the Day: What other factors cause women to be more at risk of depression than their male counterparts?

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Dealing with issues of infertility is never easy. It doesn't matter what the reason is that you can't conceive naturally - be it because of disease, age, or your lifestyle choices. Unfortunately, some infertility treatment doctors have trouble recognizing that the emotional ups and downs of infertility are the same no matter what the cause. At least, that seems to be the case with a situation in Florida in which a woman was refused infertility treatments because of her sexuality.

The woman is a lesbian who obviously can't conceive naturally since she doesn't have a male partner. She worked with doctors to get fertility treatments but was denied. The doctors eventually admitted that they were refusing her the treatments specifically because she is a lesbian. She had already undergone nearly one year of treatments before this admission was made.

The woman has sued and the court is currently hearing the case in California. Learn more here.

Question of the Day: Should infertility treament doctors be able to decide that someone's lifestyle choices bar them from getting IVF?

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Although there are many different causes of infertility, one of the ones that we hear the most about is the choice to delay childbearing into the later years. This is a tough one because it not only comes with all of the traditional emotional ups and down as other forms of infertility but also causes the couple involved to feel as though the situation is their fault. The weight of that issue could potentially get heavier since a doctor is urging the parents of adult children to encourage their kids not to delay their childbearing years.

The trend has been to delay getting married into later years and therefore to push off the date of starting a family. This trend is due to a number of factors including a desire for prolonged higher education, interest in pursuing career paths and the need to develop a steady two-income home before having children. Unfortunately, there are negative trends associated with this including a higher incidence of infertility and the financial and emotional problems that come along with that.

It is because of these negatives that Dr. Alan Singer has urged parents of adult children to plead the case with their kids that it's a mistake to put off childbearing. And he says that parents should help by providing financial support to young adults who are seeking to start a family but don't realistically have the funds to do so. It's an interesting approach to dealing with the problem of infertility but is it one that really makes sense?

Question of the Day: Should parents take such a hands-on role in the fertility issues of their adult children?

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One of the biggest areas of interest in the world of fertility medicine today is the advances that are being made which allow women to work with their doctors to predict the natural life of their fertility. Headway is being made in the ability to do egg count testing which will allow a doctor to get a basic idea of what a woman's fertility is like and when it is likely to decline. This means that women in their twenties and thirties could potentially know what their "deadline" is to naturally conceive children.

A recent article about this testing points out a really important fact which is that this is a new method of approaching fertility. In the past, we have always defined age-based infertility from the point of the future, looking back. In other words, we have said, "okay, this woman has stopped menstruating and has been going through menopause for siz to twelve months so now she is likely infertile". This new blood testing allows us to look at fertility from the present into the future. We can now say, " you have approximately this much time before your fertility will decline". This shift changes the way that fertility medicine will be approached from here on out.

Question of the Day: Would you alter your family and career plans if a blood test showed that your fertility was likely to decline in your thirties?

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Most women who go to an infertility doctor are able to find some cause for the reason that they are having difficult conceiving a child. In some cases, the woman has waited too long to have children. In other cases, the woman has a genetic issue which has caused the problem. But for some women, the reason remains a mystery. It turns out that one of the causes of unexplained infertility might be a common weed killer that the woman has used in her gardening.

"The herbicide atrazine is the second most widely used weedkiller in the U.S., applied to corn and sorghum fields throughout the Midwest and also spread on suburban lawns and gardens. It was banned in Europe after studies linked the chemical to endocrine disruptions in fish and amphibians." (source)

A study at the University of California San Francisco shows that the infertility concerns which prompted Europe to ban the weedkiller may be rooted in reality. The study showed that women with infertility who had used this product had an amplified gene in the body which may be caused by the weed killer and could be the cause of infertility.

Additional research will need to be done to determine the true link between this product and infertility. However, it's an area for women with fertility concerns to keep an eye on. Choosing organic products and keeping away from this weed killer might not be a bad idea until additional information is available.

Question of the Day: Have you ever considered making the switch to all-organic products in order to decrease your likelihood of developing fertility problems?

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Typically when we talk about fertility news, we are talking about the medical advances that have been made to assist women with infertility problems to have children. However, there are certainly cases in which the infertility problem is due to problems with the fertility of the male half of the relationship.

According to a recent news article published by Adoption.com, there are some things that men can do to reduce the likelihood that they'll contribute to the infertility problem if it is caused by natural (as opposed to medical) sources. Those things include:

- Reduce your exposure to environmental toxins. Using all-organic products and making sure that you live in a low-pollution area can help to reduce infertility that is caused by toxins.

- Get off that bicycle seat. They say that bicycling regularly for long periods of time, particularly while wearing standard bike shorts, is harmful to the sperm.

- Move to a cool-weather location where it rains a lot. Studies have shown that men have higher sperm counts and healthier sperm when they are living amidst weather that is cool and wet.

Is it true that these choices can reduce male infertility? Perhaps; it certainly wouldn't hurt to try them out. If they fail, you can always work with a fertility specialist that is knowledgeable in treating male infertility issues.

Question of the Day: Do you think that these methods of reducing male infertility are likely to be successful for the average person?

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Couples around the world have struggled for many years with issues of infertility. When they are heterosexual couples, the response from others tends to be sympathetic. When they are homosexual couples, people may not be as kind. The view tends to be that gay couples choose to be in relationships that prevent them from naturally having children. However, as anyone close a homosexual person knows, being gay isn't usually a choice and the issues surrounding having children with their partners are just as difficult for these couples as they are for heterosexual couples with infertility issues.

Australia has traditionally not been very helpful in equalizing the treatment of fertility issues between heterosexual and homosexual couples. However there is a surrogacy ban in Queensland which is under review; if lifted, it could be a huge step forward for fertility issues facing homosexual couples in the region.

The surrogacy ban as it currently stands bans the act of altruistic pregnancy (woman choosing to have children for others without benefit of financial gain). This applies to any couple that is interested in making use of that type of surrogacy agreement. However, it may be most beneficial to gay male couples on a budget who have few other options for raising a child together. As surrogacy gains popularity around the globe, it may be time for Australia to rethink its position on this issue.

Question of the Day: What is the purpose of an altruistic surrogacy ban and who does it serve today?

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We have reported in the past on the fact that Dancing with the Stars celebrity Marissa Jaret Winokur is expecting a child this year. Because she can not carry her own baby, she is using a surrogate to assist her and her husband with bringing a child to their family. The child, which is biologically hers, is due to arrive in the world on July 15th. However, Winokur seems to be a little bit anxious because she has recently said that she "knows" this baby is going to arrive earlier than scheduled.

That brings up an interesting question about the intuition of mothers who are having children through surrogates. A mom's instinct is strong but is it strong enough to give the mother intuitive feelings even when her baby is being carried by another woman? It will be interesting to watch as July approaches whether Winkour is correct in her belief that the baby is going to be an early bird. If so, it could suggest that women's intuition can transcend the womb.

Question of the Day: Do you think a mom's intuition is strong enough to allow her to make accurate predictions about a baby who is being carried by a surrogate?

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There has been a medical advance made recently in the world of infertility medicine and its causing a renewal of old concerns about society seeking to create "designer babies". The advance is that scientists have successfully altered the genetics of a human embryo for the first time in history. The backlash is that a large number of people are seeking to stop this advance from moving forward as a result of fears that this will cause people to want to design their own babies in a specific way.

"But an author of the study says the work was focused on stem cells. He notes that the researchers used an abnormal embryo that could never have developed into a baby anyway ... Colleagues did the work with an embryo that had extra chromosomes, making it nonviable." (source)

People with concerns say that the point isn't so much what the researchers have already done but what the potential is for this type of medical procedure to develop. Others say that the progress it could offer to other researchers exploring stem cell research and infertility medicine are invaluable.

Question of the Day: Is it wrong to genetically modify the human embryo if it leads to advances in fertility treatment?

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Triplets aren't a common occurrence at most hospitals. They are particularly rare at Morris Hospital which just experienced the birth of their first set of triplets to be born there in the past forty-plus years. The triplets were born last week after a mother in her late thirties experienced fertility treatment success with in vitro fertilization.

The triplets are an interesting set - there are two identical twins and another one who is not identical. The mother was able to carry the birth through 35 weeks which is uncommon for multiple pregnancies of three or more babies. Considering the emotions behind the use of in vitro and the rarity of multiple births at this hospital, it was quite an exciting event for everyone.

Learn more about this infertility treatment success story here.

Question of the Day: How do you feel about a hospital getting so excited about the birth of in vitro babies?

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If you've ever looked into the possibility of using an egg donor to overcome infertility, you've probably wondered about the motivation behind egg donation. Many people fear that the main reason women want to donate their eggs is for the monetary incentive that comes with the donation. However, most egg donor agencies will rule out any donor who is primarily motivated by the money. So what causes this women to want to give away their eggs?

The Suburban Chicago News Courier newspaper had a story recently which sheds some light on one woman's reasons for deciding that she wanted to help others have kids. The main motivation seems to be the fact that she has her own kids and treasures them so she truly wants to assist other women in experiencing the joy of motherhood. The idea was planted into her mind after the watched a friend deal with the difficulties of infertility. Essentially, she just realized that she could provide a service which others could benefit from and she wanted to do what she could to help.

Question of the Day: What would be your top five lists of reasons to become an egg donor?

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There are many different ways to approach a surrogacy agreement. Families may ask that the surrogate mother signs away all rights to contact with the child. Families may allow the surrogate to receive updated information about the progress of the child over time. And in some rare cases, families may continue to include the surrogate mother in a meaningful way throughout the life of the child. The decision about which way to proceed is up to the individual family and the surrogate mom but everyone should be aware that a bond could grow between you that you aren't going to expect.

For the surrogate, the bond begins with the bond to the child. There is no denying that carrying a baby creates a bond even if you know that you're going to be giving it to another family as soon as the child is born. This can extend to creating a bond with the family. From the perspective of the parents, this bond can grow throughout the time that the family and the surrogate are interacting to bring the child into the world.

There is no requirement that you need to honor this bond by including the surrogate in the life of the child. However, it's something that you should think about since the bond is certainly going to be there.

Read one success story of a surrogate bonding with the family here.

Question of the Day: What do you think is the best agreement for the involvement of the surrogate in the life of the child?

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Nancy Grace is the host of a self-titled show on Headline News, a spinoff off CNN. She has been a controversial public figure over the years. Recently people have raised their eyebrows at the birth of the nearly-fifity-year-old woman's fraternal twins. They want to know whether or not she got fertility treatments in order to conceive.

Nancy Grace refuses to comment on the issue. She recently said that there is a twofold reason for this. First, she believes that this is something which should be told to the children and not to the tabloids; she doesn't want to discuss fertiliy treatments with strangers until the twins are old enough to understand.

Additionally, Grace says that a woman's fertility issues should be her own private business. That's funny coming from a talk show host and journalist who has made a career out of asking probing questions. Nevertheless, she has a point. Families are complicated things and putting them in the public eye makes them even more so.

Question of the Day: Is it hypocritical for a talk show host to seek to retain privacy about her own fertility issues?

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Joanna Taylor is an English actress and model who is married to soccer star Danny Murphy. They''re a young couple (she''s just under thirty and he''s just over) but they''ve already had their share of struggles. That''s because they''ve had to deal with infertility. They overcame the problem and now have a toddler in the home but it was no easy road as anyone who has gone through fertility treatments can attest to.

Taylor reports that her husband has been a pillar of strength through the difficulties. She tried two rounds of IVF without any success. Then she had a third round which was successful until it ended in a miscarriage. The period was really dark for her and she contemplated suicide as a result of the stress. She says that her husband being there for her was what helped her pull through, try again and get pregnant with their daughter.

Question of the Day: How important is a supportive partner during the process of getting fertility treatments?

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Many people assume that we are a country which has equal rights for all. However, the reality is that there are many things that certain segments of society are not allowed to do. For example, it has long been the case that HIV+ men could not participate in surrogacy programs to help them start a family. However, change is in the air.

One of the largest surrogacy agencies in the nation has announced that a new program has been set up to allow men with HIV to use surrogates to start a family. Because of advances in medicine, these men are even able to use their own sperm so that the surrogate truly is their biological child.

Five men have already come to the company to work on starting a family using egg donation and surrogacy. The agency believes that a large number more should seek out their services as awareness about the programs spreads. Now that's some real equality.

Learn about it here.

Question of the Day: Do you think that allowing surrogacy for HIV+ men is relevant to the issue of equal rights?

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The majority of fertility doctors working in the field today are focused on the important art of in vitro fertilization as well as the emerging medical advances that are on the cutting edge of infertility treatment. As a result, some of the more tried-and-true procedures are not being done as often. This has caused concerns that certain treatments, such as tubal ligation reversal, could become a "lost art" which only older doctors are able to perform.

This is definitely a niche area but it's an improtant one; women who have had their tubes tied and who then want to reverse the procedure to have children should have options. In response to these concerns, some medical centers are setting up programs specifically to train doctors in a focus like tubal ligation reversal.

It is definitely important for a majority of new doctors to be focused on the current and emerging treatments in infertility. It is these treatments which are going to create the most positive change for people dealing with fertility problems today and in the years to come. However, it shouldn't happen at the expense of continuing previuos treatments which remain beneficial to a small portion of the population.

Question of the Day: Should money be devoted to programs like those intended to restore the lost art of tubal ligation reversal?

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It has long been believed that women who were taking anti-depressants needed to stop their use of the medication as soon as they figured out that they were pregnant because of the risk that the baby would develop birth defects. However, a new study reveals that it should be safe to take certain anti-depressants all the way through the first trimester of a pregnancy. This is important news for all women but may be of particular interest to women suffering from infertility because of the fact that the fertility treatments themselves may cause so many emotional ups and downs.

Going through fertility treatments is difficult and many women find that they struggle with depression and other emotional health problems throughout the process. While it's exciting to find out that you've finally gotten pregnant as the result of fertility treatments, it can be nerve-wracking to wonder if the pregnancy will lead to a successful birth. This stress can cause existing problems with depression to worsen.

Of course, taking anti-depressants is complicated for your body. You should make sure to work closely with your fertility treatment doctor and your mental health professional to determine whether or not it's truly safe to take anti-depressants when you are undergoing fertility treatments. As the news changes about this issue, you should continue to discuss updates with your doctors.

Question of the Day: Do you think women who get pregnant from fertility treatments should take the chance on taking anti-depressants during the pregnancy?

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When you are in the process of trying to have a baby through assistance from fertility treatments, it can feel like life is never going to expand beyond the in vitro clinic. However, that's not the case. Examples of people who have dealt with infertility and moved beyond it to bigger wonders and concerns are all around us if we bother to take a look.

For example, a case of quintuplets conceived via in vitro fertilization about eighteen years ago has recently made headlines again because the kids have all just graduated high school. All five of the children are on their way to college.

When the parents were trying to get pregnant, they could surely only think about the process of in vitro fertilization and their hopes for having a baby. In the past eighteen years, they've had all of the other ups and downs of parenthood (and now they're probably figuring out how to send five kids to college at once!) You, too, will eventually get through the rough period of dealing with fertility problems and will go on to have a family and all of the ups and downs that come along with that.

Question of the Day: Why is it so hard to see beyond fertility problems to a time when you'll just be a normal family?

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As we mentioned yesterday, it can sometimes feel as though you're never going to get through the fertility treatments in order to actually move on with your life as a family. And as we noted, that moving on happens pretty darn quickly once the kids come along. You can now watch one family that's survived infertility deal with their lives as a busy family on a new reality television show on TLC.

The family is "The Gosselin Ten". Parents Jon and Kate Gosselin struggled with infertility before eventually having eight children. They have a set of twins that are now seven years old and a set of sextuplets that are now age three. So they certainly have their hands full!

In a candid television interview set to air next month, the couple is going to talk about the issues that they faced in trying to overcome infertility. They will also talk about what it's like trying to raise so many kids and what they do to make it work and to keep their own relationship alive.

Question of the Day: Does the idea of multiple births deter you from fertility treatments?

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When we think about sex education in our schools, we are generally concerned about teaching teens how to avoid getting pregnant. Whether you're a believer in abstinence or someone who thinks that teens should learn all about contraception, you almost certainly think that kids should be learning how not to get pregnant. However, there are some people in the UK who are pushing for sex education to also include information about how to get pregnant.

The people who are pushing for this certainly don't believe that teen pregnancy is a good thing. Instead, they are aware of the fact that infertility is a growing problem around the world. What they are asking for is that teens be education about infertility, its causes and the issues surrounding the subject. They aren't actually advocating that kids avoid infertility by getting pregnant in their teens, of course. They're simply saying that it's really important for young people to gain a better understanding of infertility.

Learn more here.

Question of the Day: What do you think - should sex ed classes including information about infertility?

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Does the name Rick Parfitt ring a bell? If not then you're probably not a big fan of English rock bands. He's a singer and guitarist in the band Status Quo who has been living the tough rock-and-roll life for some time. But, nearing the age of sixty, he's getting ready to settle down with a new family.

Parfitt had been married a couple of times and those marriages hadn't gone so well so at one point he swore that he would never marry again. Then he met fitness instructor Lyndsay Whitburn and in 2006, they got married. She's in her forties and the two of them decided that was about time to start thinking about babies.

The couple had to go through in vitro fertilization treatments in order to get pregnant. Those treatments were successful. The couple just brought twins in to the world this week. Learn more here.

Question of the Day: Are you inspired or made hopeful about fertility issues when you see celebrities that have survived the problems?

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Any time that a surrogate mother helps another woman to bring a child in to the world, it's an amazing gesture and a life-changing experience for everyone involved. However, it's usually not the case that the act of surrogacy will literally be life-saving for anyone involved. (Life-giving yes, life-saving no.) However, that's precisely what's going on with a really amazing case of generous surrogacy involving a celebrity family.

Approximately two years ago, a surrogate assisted one family in successfully bringing children into their lives. The children are twins, Ryan and Hailey Kent, who have quickly became well-known in the world of chidl acting for their appearances on shows like Grey's Anatomy and Medium. But not all is rosy in the world of these young stars. Hailey has been diagnosed with leukemia and her life is at risk.

The solution to this problem seems to be that Hailey needs umbilical cord stem cells which can only come from a sibling that is a one hundred percent match to her needs. Although they are twins, Ryan isn't a complete match. Instead, a new baby needs to be born which will be able to be a 100% match through the scientific use of Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) during fertility treatments. A surrogate mother has agreed to help bring this sibling child in to the world to not only add to the family but to save the life of the child who is struggling to survive.

Question of the Day: Do you think a surrogate should carry a child for the purpose of saving the life of an already-living sibling?

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