Coming to the decision to use a donor egg usually doesn’t come easy. Donor eggs are never anyone’s first option. They can however, be an amazing gift to get you back on the path to parenthood when other options have not succeeded.
There is a common misconception that getting an egg fertilized is the true challenge when trying to conceive, however, the ability of a fertilized egg (embryo) to continue developing and implant is a much bigger issue. Embryo development is a hefty process that requires a high amount of energy. Only about a third of embryos survive to become a baby. The reason why most fertilized eggs struggle to become a successful pregnancy lies in the DNA.
If you are reading this blog, then you are looking to conceive and likely have been TTC for months and years too.
I remember at one of the Integrative Fertility Symposiums I chaired there was a panel discussion on integrative fertility care and the benefits of preconception care. The panel was composed of reproductive endocrinologists (IVF docs), reproductive urologist, acupuncturists and naturopathic physicians.
Dr. Magarelli, who I have interviewed below, said the following that really stood out
An integrative approach to miscarriages (recurrent pregnancy loss) and implantation failure.
I had the good fotune to moderate a professional lecture for the 2021 integrative fertility symposium by Dr Ursula Ritz, a trained MD, OBGYN, IVf specialist, as well as trained in Chinese medicine and acupuncture. After her lecture I asked her a few questions to share with the public about her integrative approach to miscarriages (recurrent pregnancy loss) and implantation failure.
In this interview, Dr Laurena White MD, L.Ac shares how she integrates acupuncture and herbs into her IVF clinic to improve IVF outcomes and also how she approaches fibroids in her OBGYN medical practice.
Yes, that’s right your endometrium has its own microbiome! And it may have an influence on implantation.
First off? What is a microbiome? A microbiome is a collection of bugs, particularly bacteria in this case, that are essential for function. We need them, they need us. However, we need them at optimal levels for things to function optimally.
Dr Paul Turek, a reproductive urologist, discussing Back to Basics: Why Treat Male Infertility Before Using Assisted Reproduction
I talk with Dr. Mark Perloe MD, IVF consultant and PCOS expert, about the missing diagnosis and natural treatment approaches for helping women with ovulatory disorders like PCOS regulate their cycles and get pregnant and carry to term.
Dr Perloe will also be sharing in his integrative Fertility Symposium lecture in May 2021 for health professionals how this metabolic disorder known as PCOS can cause poor egg quality, poor embryo quality and negatively impact uterine receptivity and what natural approaches can resolve these issues.
A subject that emerges frequently when addressing optimum fertility using acupuncture as an adjunct therapy, is that of dose. How many treatments are necessary to improve fertility and IVF success rates is an essential question that has been the subject of scientific research. It is sensible to think that if acupuncture has a physiological effect it is likely to have a dose, and it is crucial to determine what that dose is.
I got on a zoom call from my Acubalance Vancouver clinic to chat with Sophia Baseotto, embryologist, andrologist and IVF coach out of Australia to talk about embryo quality.
Sophia has a Bachelor of Science majoring in chemistry, biochemistry and biological chemistry with over two decades of experience across all areas of IVF and Fertility treatments.
