Blond hair, blue eyes? A fertility doctor explains what couples look for in an egg donor Deciding to pursue egg donation is a very difficult decision to make. It can take years, and even then, after it happens, partners may not feel the same way about egg donation. What often surprises during counselling sessions with…
Surrogacy: One real-life experience There is no probably no other such controversial topic related to building a family as surrogacy. Though I’ve spent years emerged in investigating and understanding all kinds of infertility-related topics, I must admit that I’m not completely sure how to feel about surrogacy. Is surrogacy a renting-a-body type of business? Or…
Aspirin and heparin to help implantation: Yes or No? The moment a woman has one or two unsuccessful series of IVF behind her, she becomes ready to do anything, really anything to make the next IVF cycle work. Many of the women I talk to have a long history of fertility treatments, so the…
What REALLY happens when egg fuses with sperm cell Honestly, I never really wondered what exactly happens in a moment when egg and sperm unite. I assumed, science would know all about it; for such an important event one would expect tons of literature describing every millisecond of it, right? Or at least a handful of studies…
Which CoQ10 is best for fertility: Ubiquinol or Ubiquinone? Some weeks ago I received one of the best comments on my blog so far (thank you Iva S.). This is what Iva asked me: Dear Darja, first of all, I liked very much your book about improving egg quality in women over 35, it’s informative and…
Five over-35-fertility-news items I thought you may like to hear about Sometimes I love to tell long stories and take a lot of time to research one single topic. Some other times I come across smaller news items related to getting pregnant after 35 which are not big or interesting enough to develop into articles,…
Is it possible to increase low AMH level? AMH (Anti-Müllerian Hormone) is a hormone secreted in the granulosa cells (satellite cells which surround eggs) and its robustness and stability throughout the cycle makes it the most important parameter in terms of predicting ovarian reserve. A simple blood test taken on any day of the cycle…
Is PGS worth it? Probably not, and here is why There are people in this world such as fertility specialists on CHR (Center for Human Reproduction in New York) who are true magicians in making women pregnant and who really understand the issues surrounding low ovarian reserve or bad egg quality in women over forty.…
Do you know your AMH and FSH levels? My best friend is thirty-nine and is still postponing having a baby. We have discussed all kinds of fertility topics for years – from egg freezing, to low ovarian reserve, tracking ovulation etc., and still she would not even go to a doctor to find out about…
What is the value of a human egg? How much would you pay to your egg donor? Thousands of babies are being born each year as a result of egg donation. In 2013, over 9,500 babies were born thanks to donated eggs. Fifteen years ago (something like middle age of reproductive medicine), egg donation was…