It’s Thursday with Sharon at Attain® IVF Customer Care.

September has arrived, the holiday weekend is here and I hope you’re able to catch some much needed R and R.

I’m going to cut to the chase and share with you a great program we are excited to offer here at Attain® IVF; it’s called the Multi-Cycle Plan (available to patients whose doctor recommends IVF using your own eggs). The Program includes four cycles of IVF (2 fresh and 2 frozen), you pay a one time, discounted fee that’s about 30% less than paying on a cycle-by-cycle basis and there is no age criteria for enrollment.

So what does all this mean? It means a greater chance for success due to the multi-cycle approach and the one time fee is paid prior to the start of your treatment leaving you time to focus on having a baby.

We love talking about this Program and more importantly we love talking to you. Give us a call when you’re ready and we’ll get you started.

In observance of the Labor Day Holiday, the Attain IVF Call Center will be closed on Monday, September 6^th. Normal business hours will resume on Tuesday, September 7^th at 9 am ET.

Have a safe Holiday. Until next time, all my best.

Photo by Stephanie Himel-Nelson

Hello again everyone!  I have been MIA for a while due to being super busy over the past few weeks, but I wanted to check in and see what has been happening on the new blog site.

So, I have been talking to quite a few people regarding infertility, its varying forms, and how it is socially “acceptable” for people to respond to them.  The levels run the gamut from unsuccessfully trying to conceive for years, to those who have had multiple miscarriages prior to having a successful and healthy pregnancy.  There are also many who already have been blessed with a child, but would like more, and they are still experiencing difficulties conceiving.  Even though some people may ultimately have children, it doesn’t mean that they were “cured” of their infertility problems.

Sometimes it seems like some of my friends have gotten pregnant merely by looking at their husbands and it still bothers me that, even though I was finally able to conceive, we had to go through all we did just to get to this point.  Plus, my husband and I want to have more children in the future and I am terrified I may have to experience this all over again.  I also know of some people who have 1 or 2 successful pregnancies, but had to endure multiple miscarriages to get to that point.  While they are thrilled to have children, each miscarriage was a devastating experience to endure.

So whether you have been TTC (trying to conceive) for years with no luck or have had a child or two and are trying for more, everyone needs to be sensitive, and, perhaps more importantly, respectful toward all infertility experiences.  Each one of us has had our own unique and stressful experience, but we need to remember that we all are attempting to reach the same goal of a successful and healthy pregnancy.

Jacqui Dunn is an executive assistant for IntegraMed and is expecting her first child after going through IUI.

Photo by Stephanie Himel-Nelson

When you’re suffering from infertility or you’ve had multiple miscarriages, it can be hard to watch your friends and family celebrate pregnancy and birth after pregnancy and birth. I know.

You’ve all heard about my history of miscarriage and infertility, but I haven’t yet shared how I deal with pregnancy around me.  In the last 6 months or so, two of my best friends, my dear cousin and my sister-in-law have all announced pregnancies. Yes, it was hard, but I was thrilled for each of them. I know what a blessing a child is and how can I possibly begrudge someone else’s longed-for child? I want the people I love to be happy.

I was so excited when my brother (B) told me he and his wife (F) were expecting several months ago. I remember the day well because I was traveling and in meetings and my brother couldn’t reach me on the phone. B finally resorted to texting me and I read his news while in my very first face-to-face meeting with the people behind the Attain Fertility community. I squealed, interrupting the meeting, and shared the news. B and F had been trying for some time and everyone in the meeting understood exactly why I was so excited. They all dedicate their professional lives to informing us about treatment options for infertility and rejoice when one of us succeeds. My brother’s news was greeted with congratulations all around!

On my way home that evening, I thought about my little nephew or niece-to-be and how happy I was for B and F. Then I thought about how great it would be if we could give the baby-to-be a little cousin about the same age. And I felt that pang of sadness and regret. You all know what I mean. It’s the feeling you can’t avoid, no matter how happy you are for someone else. It’s the regret that you can’t have that happiness too.

As I watched B and F’s announcement on Facebook and all of the congratulations from our families and their friends, I felt that pang again. But I reminded myself that their pregnancy isn’t about me. It’s about their new family. I got over myself and then I debated how long I should wait before buying something for B and F’s new little one. In the past I’ve had a hard time feeling hopeful when I discovered that I was newly pregnant, but I didn’t want to transfer my anxieties to B and F. I wanted them, and everyone else, to rejoice over the new pregnancy.

Then, on Friday I got the call from my brother. B and F had gone in for an ultrasound and there was no heartbeat. She miscarried.

Now, more than ever, I wish I could tell my little brother just how to fix this; that I had some magic words to make them feel better. I warned B that he may get over this, or at least be able to push it from his mind, a little more easily than F, but to understand that F may not. Aside from that, all I can do is tell them how sorry I am and that I’ll always be there to listen. I don’t want to offer empty platitudes that I know from experience will only make B and F feel more alone right now. But, of course, I can’t stop thinking about them and hoping that they know how much they are loved.

What do you wish your friends and family would say to you about your infertility or losses? What helps you feel a bit better?

by Shelly Galvin

I’ve always been a book worm. Now I’m a video-aholic. I love watching videos… on Hulu, Netflix, YouTube, HBO on Demand (it would be a sad world without True Blood). And now my latest passion is The American Fertility Association’s Video Fact Sheet series.

Granted I’m prejudiced because Attain Fertility is funding 20 of their videos, which are in various stages of production.

Apparently I’m not the only one who thinks highly of The AFA’s fine work. To date, their video on how to give an injection has been viewed nearly 1,900 times on our YouTube channel.

Other topics include endometriosis, in vitro fertilization, questions to ask at your initial consultation, PCOS.

Now why am I feeling the love so much today in particular? We’re in the midst of planning the next set of videos they will tape at our fertility centers and:

1. They are timely, relevant and cover popular topics with a unique perspective that sets them apart from other videos. (Spoiler alert: topics in discussion include IVF success rates and donor sperm for the lesbian community.)
2. We’re also adding topics to the queue that you’ve requested in our Facebook community. Most notably, you’ve asked for additional information on PCOS, which is now in the planning stages.

So if you’re ready for some educational viewing between episodes of Top Chef, check out the AFA videos.

And please, please keep the suggestions coming!

Today, a guest infertility specialist answers your questions about the risks and benefits of eating fish while trying to conceive or during pregnancy.

I just returned from a trip to the coast. The sounds of the waves and cool breezes off the ocean make everything, including food, better. Each night we’d enjoy fish, shrimp, and other gifts from the sea.

I am often asked by patients about eating fish before and during pregnancy. How much is too much? How much is enough?

We know from studying cultures who eat a large amount of seafood that their level of omega 3 fatty acids is higher than a classic American-based diet. This can have far-reaching consequences to your health and the health of your children in a positive way. However, this very same fish can have contaminants that can accumulate in your body and affect neuro-developmental function.

These days, in light of the BP oil spill, we are bombarded with information about how it’s impacted fish in the Gulf of Mexico. While contaminates may not be as much of an issue on the Pacific Coast, we do have to worry about mercury levels in fish. A recent article in the June edition of OB GYN News reviewed the FDA and Environmental Protection Agency’s recommendations regarding fish and shellfish. They recommend that pregnant women limit their intake to no more than 12 oz a week (2 average meals). They also recommend avoiding swordfish, shark. king mackerel, and tilefish. Tuna can also contain large amounts of mercury.

By following the FDA recommendations, most women will have low levels of mercury, but if you are interested, some university centers can check the mercury level in hair. If you do not like fish (salmon, trout, halibut), or find that you eat it less than once a week (especially with morning sickness hits in early pregnancy), then consider DHA/EPA supplements—especially if plant-based (algae). 200 mg of DHA a day should be a good starting point but it can also be found in combination with prenatal vitamins.

There are also a few other reasons to consider DHA other than “the FDA told me to”:

• Children whose mothers took a DHA supplement during pregnancy scored higher on intelligence tests at four years of age than children of mothers not taking DHA supplements, as published in a 2003 study in the journal Pediatrics.
• Children whose mothers had high blood levels of DHA at delivery had advanced attention spans into their second year of life. During the first six months of life these infants were two months ahead of babies whose mothers had lower DHA levels. (2004 Child Development.)
• In a trial of women receiving DHA supplementation during the third trimester, the average length of gestation increased six days (Obstetrics & Gynecology, 2003).
• In the Journal of Affective Disorders, 2002, scientists believe increasing levels of maternal DHA may reduce the risk of postpartum depression.

Dr. Mary Hinkley, MD is an infertility specialist in our Reproductive Science Center Bay Area clinic.