What is gamete or embryo donation? Gamete and embryo donation is using eggs, sperm, or embryos from someone else in order to help an intended parent(s) have a child. Intended parent is the term used for the person(s) who will raise the child(ren). Why would this be done? Gamete or embryo donation makes it possible to have a child when…
A surrogate is someone who agrees to carry a pregnancy for another person or couple, giving birth to a baby who has no genetic connection and will be raised by the intended parent(s). Taking on such a vital role means merging your best interests with those of the family you are going on this journey for. Rising to the top…
IVF or ‘in-vitro’ treatment means ‘in glass’, which is where the term ‘test tube baby’ originates. However, no test tubes are actually involved in the process. It seems deceptively simple to mix sperm and eggs together until the eggs are fertilized, but it requires closely controlled laboratory conditions and skilled embryologists to maintain. Once the eggs are fertilized, the embryos…
Intrauterine insemination involves preparing semen in a laboratory to select only the highest quality sperm for insemination. The treated semen is then introduced into the womb just before ovulation and can be used with either natural ovulation or in conjunction with clomid or injectables such as follicle-stimulating hormone to induce ovulation. How is intrauterine insemination performed? Once the man has…
LAH is a procedure performed in a laboratory in which the outer shell (zona pellucida) of a fertilized egg is gently thinned using an ultramodern laser. When you conceive naturally, the embryo passes through the fallopian tube, enabling the shell to thin, making it easier for implantation. Embryos created in a laboratory have a thicker than normal shell and may…
There are many variations on the IVF technique, and one that is particularly important concerns what happens where there are sperm present, but they are hardly swimming or not swimming at all, or there is some other barrier to fertilization. The causes may be genetic or environmental. In normal IVF, the eggs and sperm are mixed in a petri dish…
There are many variations on the IVF technique, and one that is particularly important concerns what happens where there are sperm present, but they are hardly swimming or not swimming at all, or there is some other barrier to fertilization. The causes may be genetic or environmental. In normal IVF, the eggs and sperm are mixed in a petri dish…