Egg donor agencies, egg donor services, fertility clinics at Donor Network Alliance!

Bill and Guiliana Rancic’s third season debuted last week with a very emotional episode which walks us through their first round of IVF- in the end it was successful, but as we know sadly her pregnancy will end around 9 weeks. The second episode of this season follows the Rancic’s on the quest to find the perfect “family” house in Chicago suburbs.

It was a great episode, they are just so cute together. I have to admit after watching 2 seasons of them on their show the more and more I think Bill is John’s long lost brother. They are SO much a like- both Croatian, both love real estate and finance, and both are somewhat conservative.
They also both have the same taste in women- I relate so well to Guiliana- she is outgoing, energetic, loves celebrity gossip (she works for E! News and has my dream job, by the way!) and is a total shopaholic.

This episode also follows the Rancic’s while they are dealing with getting their estate planning in order, forming a trust and a living will. This is all stuff that John and I did about 2 years ago, and it’s hard- you have to make some tough decisions about what happens to your things, and your children in the event of your death. Bill decided this was a good time to bring up the dreaded word to Guiliana “BUDGET”. Guiliana did not take it so well, she said “budget,what’s that?” I was laughing so hard at this point, because that’s John in a financial conversation with me, I’m like “what budget, there is no budget”. Gulinana then went on to say how her new leather jacket was a necessity- I know I have said that exact sentence to John at some point. John and I were laughing so hard- and John was just shaking his head going “see I told you!”

Bill went into how it’s important to save and be financially secure for your children, but Guiliana was more worried about how she looks in her new leather jacket that she is modeling for Bill. In the end she agreed to the budget, which is where I am at with then entire thing- I just fold and will give in. I know John is right, and it’s all for our future- but come on how can you pass up a sale!?

Overall it was a great episode, it really hit home for me, not only with the infertility and the IVF and all that stuff, but the other “daily” stuff that happens in a marriage and all the hurdles that you have to overcome to be a successful couple in life and in your marriage. Don’t forgot to tune in next Monday Style Network 8pm.

Tricia Turner, Senior Case Manager, East Coast, Colorado and Illinois, The Surrogacy SOURCE, October 6, 2010

Sitting in the doctor’s office being informed you cannot carry your own child may throw anyone into a head spinning, whirling, twirling mix of emotions. You wake up the next morning hoping it was a dream. You are now in world of uncertainty, unsure of what next steps to take. You think your hopes and dreams of a family are gone.

Staring at the Google search results, you say to yourself “We’re not in Kansas anymore.” It is now a world of women offering to have your baby, people in white coats, and calendars to follow. You have chosen the pathway to parenthood through surrogacy.

Surrogacy is an amazing journey to take to fulfill your dreams of a family. You decide what is important to you when choosing the woman who will carry your baby for nine months. Each profile is read carefully, and meetings are scheduled in order for you to get to better know these exceptional women. Over dinner, stories are shared, and you talk about the future. She is selfless, caring and sensitive to the night’s events. She is very excited to help and you are very grateful for her. This is the start of a wonderful relationship.

A couple of months later, you are sitting in a dim lit, whimsical room with your surrogate awaiting the embryo transfer. The ultrasound monitor shows you the most amazing picture of the future. The next 10 days seem to crawl by, as you await the blood test results. Day 10, the phone rings, and your heart stops, knowing your life will change with this call. Everything has fallen into place and the weight of the world has been lifted off your shoulders. Your surrogate mother is pregnant!

The next months are filled with excitement, shopping and sharing this time together with family and friends. The pictures of her belly growing are what you look forward to each week. Attending the ultrasound appointments to see your baby wave “hi” are all you can talk about. Your family throws you a baby shower, and the nursery is complete, ready for Baby’s arrival.

You get the “phone call” you have been waiting for. You head to the hospital. Excitement, anxiety and anticipation fill the room. Everything is calm, and the sound of your baby crying is the only thing you hear, everything else is blocked out for that moment. The greatest gift has been given to you. Tears of gratitude are shared. It has been everything you had hoped for finally coming true. This day will forever be remembered as the end of one journey and the start to another — your family!

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Tricia Turner, The Surrogacy SOURCE’s Senior Case Manager for the East Coast, Colorado and Illinois, has extensive knowledge in egg donation and the surrogacy process. Having had personal experience as a surrogate mother, Tricia wanted to pursue her continued dream of helping people experience the joys of parenthood. Tricia states, “I believe everyone should have the chance to fulfill their dreams of having a family. I am excited to guide intended parents and surrogates through the surrogacy process.” This, combined with her dedication and emotional connection to each client, ensures that each client understands and feels complete support throughout their endeavor. Ultimately, Tricia feels it is a privilege to work in the business of helping to create dreams come true.

“On behalf of our members and their patients, it is a thrill to extend our heartfelt congratulations to Professor Robert Edwards for his receipt of the Nobel Prize.

The development of In Vitro Fertilization truly revolutionized infertility care, allowing millions of patients to become parents.  It also allowed us to further develop our understanding of human reproduction and development, leading further advances.

Professor Edwards and Doctor Steptoe tackled not only formidable scientific obstacles in order to make this advance, but worked in the face of significant social opposition as well. We are pleased the Nobel committee has chosen to recognize this very important work.”

ASRM’s affiliate, the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology publishes the latest assisted reproductive technology data on its website, www.sart.org. And see, http://asrm.org/news/article.aspx?id=2512.

Most women who serve as egg donors retain a positive take on their experience a year later, new research indicates.

Researchers polled 75 egg donors at the time of egg retrieval and one year later, and found that the women remained happy, proud and carefree about their experience.

“Up until now we’ve known that donors are by and large very satisfied by their experience when it takes place,” said study lead author Andrea M. Braverman, director of complementary and alternative medicine at Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey in Morristown. “And now we see that for the vast majority the positive experience persists.”

Read the article:  http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/644959.html

There are an estimated 1,000 surrogate pregnancies each year in the United States. Surrogate agencies say 15 to 20 percent of surrogate babies nationwide are born to military wives — even though the military makes up less than 1 percent of the U.S. population.

Surrogacy has long been a hot topic in military circles. It was featured in the pilot episode of the Lifetime series “Army Wives,” in which the show’s protagonist secretly becomes a surrogate to earn money to get her family out of debt.

Read the article:
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Parenting/military-wives-surrogates-carrying-babies-love-money/story?id=11882687

Let’s talk eggs.

Not the ones on your breakfast plate. No, the ones I have frozen at the NYU Fertility Center.
I want to talk about egg freezing, because I don’t think enough young-ish women know about it.
I even made a video diary of my eggs-perience, in which I chose to shoot myself up with fertility drugs, visit my doctor twice a day for bloodwork and ultrasounds, and check myself into the hospital for the big retrieval.

I knew two things: I really, really want to have a baby; and I really, really don’t know who should be the father. Now I know a third thing: The option to freeze one’s eggs is just about the most empowering choice a single woman who knows she wants to be a mother can make.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/10/10/sunday/main6944730.shtml

A baby has been born from an embryo frozen 20 years ago.

It is the longest time a fertilised egg has been stored before developing into a healthy baby, and could eventually lead to thousands of women having children in middle age.

The newborn’s 42-year-old mother, who lives in the U.S., had undergone ten years of IVF but was unable to conceive.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1319283/Healthy-baby-boy-born-TWENTY-year-old-embryo.html#ixzz123cYceHR

By Mary Ellen McLaughlin

A new documentary called “Eggsploitation” presents the stories of three women who went through the egg donation process and experienced rare complications, such as a stroke, cancer (which has not been proven to be related) and ovarian hyper-stimulation.

It claims the fertility industry does not tell egg donors of the complications and risks. Of course, it’s one-sided and shades the truth. It’s controversy that sells, right?

The fact of the matter is that any medical procedure involves some risk, and egg donation is no exception. Any woman thinking about donating her eggs certainly should be informed by her agency of the risks, and of signs that she may be experiencing complications. The agency that doesn’t explain them is extraordinarily careless and unprofessional. But given my years in the field and the number of agencies we know, I’d also say that would be the exception to the rule.

Our agency repeatedly goes over these risks and complications with prospective donors. We, like most agencies and fertility clinics, also give them pamphlets to ensure they learn the signs and symptoms of complicating health issues.

But honestly, as much as we coach and advocate and inform our donors, we’ve always found that our donors are their own best advocates, and very much aware of the downsides as well as the up. We have to wonder about the women profiled in Eggsploitation. Were they truly so unaware?

Here, because it bears repeating, are the most common complications from egg donation:

• Ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome, which is commonly caused by fertility medications. It usually occurs after retrieval, generally within the first week. Some of the signs and symptoms are rapid weight gain, abdominal distention, difficulty or painful respirations, decreased urine output and dehydration.
• Ovarian torsion, which is when the ovary rotates. It can occur at any time after the procedure due to increased ovarian size, this is why decreased physical activity is prescribed right before and after retrieval. Signs and symptoms are severe one-sided abdominal/pelvic pain.
• Bleeding and/or infection, which only occur after the procedure. Bleeding into the abdomen or vaginal wall is usually followed by an infection. Signs and symptoms are abdominal/pelvic pain, increased abdominal girth and fever. Infection by itself will cause fever accompanied by abdominal/pelvic pain.

In the 15 years I have been working with egg donors, less then 1 percent has experienced any complications. Many of these women donate to help others create a family and they’re willing to forge ahead, fully informed of the risks.

By Mary Ellen McLaughlin

A recent article in the National Post highlights an issue in the fertility industry that is ripe for discussion. A couple that had turned to surrogacy after failed infertility treatments subsequently urged their surrogate to get an abortion after doctors found abnormalities in the fetus. The surrogate initially refused.

One quote in the article really stood out. “The physician…said it appeared to him that the three had never seriously considered such a scenario before the pregnancy.”

Wow. When intended parents and prospective surrogates meet for the first time, it’s ideal for them to get along and have a warm fuzzy feeling about each other. But at the same time, this is an arrangement that requires a legal contract. It’s essential to like each other, but it’s also essential to make sure your interests are protected. Every scenario, no matter how small, should be taken seriously.

Luckily, this type of situation is rare. We at ARR have been lucky (okay, careful) enough to have never had a situation in which these issues were not thoroughly considered prior to pregnancy. We work with both parties to ensure they discuss and agree on issues like abortion and selective reduction before taking any next steps. It’s something we take seriously – and so should anyone taking this journey. (Read a surrogate’s blog post on the hard choices surrogates and parents often must make.)

This is one of the most intense conversations these three adults will share.

Our psychologist encourages both parties to first discuss abortion and selective reduction with their support network, which is the first place they’ll turn if the situation ever arises. They’re encouraged to discuss their beliefs openly. The reality is that while they may get along beautifully, if they don’t share the same views on these sensitive issues, this partnership will never work.

No one ever wants a situation like this to happen. Intended parents and surrogates need to be prepared for all types of outcomes, whether it’s abortion, selective reduction, miscarriage, or, hopefully, a happy, healthy baby.

Reproductive professionals know all too well that reproductive treatment has far-reaching implications. During the Tuesday morning Plenary Session, they got a glimpse of how those treatments play a role in cardiovascular disease in men and women. Virginia Miller, Ph.D., M.B.A., Professor of Surgery and Physiology at the College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, presented “Sex Differences in Cardiovascular Disease.”

Read the article:

http://asrm10-365.ascendeventmedia.com/Highlight.aspx?p=189&id=2145