Fertility and Infertility For Dummies, UK Edition (eBook)

Dr Gillian M. Lockwood BM BCh MA (Oxon) DPhil MRCOG is theMedical Director of Midland Fertility Services(www.midlandfertility.com). Gill was a late recruit to medicine.She read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford Universityand then worked as a Government Statistician. A televisiondocumentary encouraged her to change careers to Medicine and shequalified in 1986. A chance meeting with Professor Robert Edwards(the 'testtube' baby pioneer) introduced her to thescience of IVF and since 1990 she has specialised in ReproductiveMedicine. For 10 years Gill was Senior Clinical Research Fellow and LeadClinician at the Oxford Fertility Unit, where her researchinterests included polycystic ovary syndrome, premature ovarianfailure, and recurrent miscarriage. She lectures and broadcasts onethical and social issues in reproductive medicine, has chaired theBritish Fertility Society Ethics Sub-Committee, and is a member ofthe RCOG Ethics Committee. She is an Associate Editor of HumanReproduction and a member of the Editorial Board of HumanFertility. She has published over 30 'first author'articles in international journals and has contributed to many textbooks and review publications. Since 2000 Gill has been the Medical Director of Midland FertilityServices (MFS), in the West Midlands. MFS is a 'nurseled' fertility unit at which the nursing staff perform allprocedures required for IVF including surgical sperm retrieval(TESA), egg retrieval, and embryo transfer. MFS recently announcedthe successful delivery of the UK's first 'frozenegg' babies; a development that has given new hope ofbecoming 'genetic mothers' to the thousands of youngwomen who each year have to undergo sterilising chemotherapy orradiotherapy. Jill Anthony-Ackery BA (Hons) is the CommunicationsManager at Midland Fertility Services. Jill is a relatively recententrant to the world of fertility treatment, with responsibilityfor the communications and marketing of MFS since 2003, initiallyas a consultant public relations director and then as a member ofthe clinic staff since 2004. Her qualifications for such a role? Adegree in art and film history (!) and 18 years' experiencemanaging the reputations of client companies from a small UK tradeassociation to international cosmetics, steel, and photographicequipment manufacturers. Oh! and also two years of ICSI treatmentat MFS, during which she and her husband Gwyn conceived twins,suffered a miscarriage at around 12 weeks, then had an unsuccessfulfrozen embryo transfer, followed by a second full cycle, resultingin the birth of their daughter Connie in 2002. When she returned to work in 2003, she combined her almostevangelical zeal about those miracle workers at MFS with herprofessional experience and patient perspective - and gotpaid for doing so! It's a dream job where she continues to beinspired daily by the team and patients. Jill has written countless articles in a range of newspapers,consumer magazines, and trade publications from many industrysectors. She was also the original editor and a contributor toBeyond the Lens, the business bible for professionalphotographers. In 2006, her work at MFS won a gold award from theChartered Institute of Public Relations and she works closely withnational and regional press, television, and radio to satisfy theunquenchable media interest in assisted conception. Jackie Meyers-Thompson is managing partner ofCoppock-Meyers Public Relations/For Your InformationCommunications, and a 'professional' fertilitypatient. Sharon Perkins is the nurse coordinator for the CooperCenter for In Vitro Fertilization in Marlton, New Jersey, one ofthe largest infertility centres in the United States. Shepreviously worked in labour and delivery and neonatal intensivecare.

Introduction 1

Part I: Making Babies as Nature Intended 5

Chapter 1: In the Beginning 7

Chapter 2: Taking Baby Steps 21

Part II: Planning a Pregnancy 43

Chapter 3: We're Trying! We're Trying! (to Get Pregnant) 45

Chapter 4: You, Your Fertility, and Your GP 71

Chapter 5: Great Expectations But: Early Pregnancy Loss 81

Part III: Tests and Investigations 95

Chapter 6: Moving on Up: Seeing a Specialist 97

Chapter 7: Finding the Female Problem: Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3 .107

Chapter 8: It's a Man Thing: When Tests Reveal Sperm Problems 133

Part IV: Eureka! Possible Solutions 145

Chapter 9: Doing Your Homework: Researching Fertility Clinics and Funding Treatment 147

Chapter 10: All The 'I's: Introducing IUI, IVF, and ICSI 165

Chapter 11: Giving Mother Nature a Helping Hand: Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) 177

Chapter 12: Making Test-Tube Babies: IVF 189

Chapter 13: ICSI: It Only Takes One Good Sperm! 207

Chapter 14: 'Babies on Ice': Egg Freezing and Fertility Treatment 211

Chapter 15: Giving, Receiving, and Sharing: Egg Donor Treatments 219

Chapter 16: Creating an Embryo: Amazing Teamwork in the Lab 227

Part V: Post-First Cycle: How You May Feel and What You Can Do 241

Chapter 17: Waiting and Hoping: Surviving the Two-Week Wait after Embryo Transfer 243

Chapter 18: What's in Your Freezer? Frozen Embryo Transfers 261

Chapter 19: If at First You Don't Succeed: Trying IVF More than Once 269

Part VI: Different Strokes for Different Folks: Options for Non-Traditional Families 281

Chapter 20: Third-Party Reproduction: You and You and Me and Baby Make Four! 283

Chapter 21: Safe Options for Same-Sex Couples and Single Mums 295

Chapter 22: Ready-Made Families and Other Choices 305

Chapter 23: New Advances and Ethical Dilemmas 317

Part VII: The Part of Tens 333

Chapter 24: Ten Tips to Get You Through Treatment (and Keep You Sane!) 335

Chapter 25: Ten (Okay, Seven) Groups of Fertility Medications and Where to Find Them 339

Index 345

"a complete guide to getting pregnant" (Walsall Chronicle,
Thursday 14th June 2007)



"...combines the views of both patients and professionals,
in order to give clear and concise advice." (Ledbury
Reporter, Friday 15th June 2007)

"The book combines their professional and patient
perspectives to give expert, clear and concise advice to anybody
planning a baby." (Hereford Journal, Wednesday 20th
June 2007)