IVF is a daunting and often stressful experience for patients. Naturally, many patients build up a fear and anxiety about what the treatment involves, particularly the injections, which doesn’t ever seem as bad once they get through the other side. If you are soon to be starting IVF treatment, read on for some tips and advice. First of all, it’s wise to read about the process of IVF as much as you can, both in books, on the Internet and even in forums where you can chat to other people who have been through similar struggles as you. During your appointment with the doctors, be sure to ask as many questions as possible. Essentially, the idea is to educate yourself... View Article
In the same way that a seed needs the right conditions and nutrients in order to grow, so does an embryo in order to develop into a healthy baby. This is why, when preparing for IVF, it is so important to nourish your body and take proper care of yourself. By making some simple changes to your lifestyle, taking the right vitamins and reducing your stress levels, you can help to increase your chances of falling pregnant. Read on for our top tips on preparing your body for your embryo transfer… Lifestyle Before undergoing fertility treatment, it is important to pay close attention to your diet and lifestyle to help increase your chances of conception, as well as a healthy... View Article
Dealing With The IVF Lockdown Anyone experiencing fertility issues will know the stress involved – doing it at the right time, looking for your cervical mucus, peeing on a stick to see if you are ovulating, the ongoing healthy living – no alcohol, no coffee, the right exercise, acupuncture, meditation, reflexology – anything that will help – and then the monthly disappointment. You and your partner decide to look into IVF, and that feels right for you both. You start attending open days at clinics, you find the one that is right for you. Then there is a feeling of excitement, its finally going to happen, you get to start next month. Then a pandemic occurs and your IVF... View Article
If you are planning to start IVF or another type of fertility treatment in the coming months, you might be wondering if there are any ways to improve your chances of success. Of course, this depends partly on the cause of the infertility in the first place, but there are things you should do to ensure you are healthy enough to conceive and carry a child. Positive lifestyle choices are crucial. Firstly, you need to maintain a healthy weight. Having a too high or too low BMI can reduce the likelihood of successful IVF. Being overweight, for instance, can make egg retrieval more complicated and make it harder to monitor the ovaries; it can affect your hormone levels thus having... View Article
An ultrasound scan is a medical test that uses sound waves to capture images from the inside the body. These sound waves are emitted by a handheld device and the pictures can be viewed instantly on a monitor. Ultrasound scans are quick and pain free, with no risks or side-effects. Ultrasound scans can be used to diagnose a number of different medical conditions, however at Concept Fertility they are most commonly used diagnostically before fertility treatment starts to evaluate the potential of a patient’s ovaries and uterus, and during fertility treatment to monitor the growth of the egg-containing follicles and growth of the lining of the uterus. Ultrasound is used again to help doctors in the egg collection, embryo replacement... View Article
Are you trying to get pregnant? Has your IVF been unsuccessful? Unfortunately implantation failure or miscarriage can occur if there is an undetected abnormality in the womb. Saline infusion sonography, otherwise known as an Aquascan, can be used to examine the uterine cavity (womb) and help to identify any abnormalities, such as fibroids and polyps. These irregularities can affect implantation and pregnancy if not treated. An Aquascan is an internal ultrasound scan, where a saline solution is passed into the uterus using a catheter. This helps to capture internal images of the outline of the womb. If you are considering an Aquascan because you are trying to get pregnant, either naturally or with the help of a fertility treatment, here... View Article
In many infertility cases, there happen to be more than one cause, so it’s wise for both parties to see a doctor and take a variety of tests. Unfortunately, in some cases, no cause is identified. In order to diagnose male infertility problems, discussions will take place in the consultation as to whether there are any pre-existing health problems or injuries, and perhaps also about the patient’s lifestyle or sexual habits. What is the Main Fertility Test for Men? The main fertility test for men is a semen analysis. The embryologist will check the count and will also look for abnormalities in the shape and movement of the sperm. To get an accurate measure, sometimes more than one analysis will... View Article
When a baby girl is born, she has all her eggs and will start to release them upon starting her periods later in life. Essentially, women are born with their lifetime supply of eggs. The eggs are lost gradually until menopause, when very few remain and they are no longer released. An antral follicle count ultrasound scan shows how many proto-eggs a woman produces that month, which suggests a similar number in a treatment cycle in a month soon after. This then indicates her fertility potential and the possibility of effective fertility treatment. Combined with other tests, it is a simple procedure and one of many that can determine a woman’s fertility potential. As part of the same scan doctors... View Article
Katherine and Ashley are a lovely young couple who came to Concept Fertility after trying naturally for one year. We loved being part of their journey helping them having this lovely bundle of joy. When we got married we started to try to conceive naturally. After trying for nearly a year we decided that we didn’t want to wait any longer. We went to our GP as we were hoping for treatment with the NHS but because of my young age, I was 27, they were not really being forthcoming. We saw Concept Fertility’s advert in a local magazine and we decided to book a slot for one of their Open Events . It was kind of love at... View Article
If you are considering fertility treatment to help you conceive, your options are to either pay for private treatment, or see if you are eligible for free treatment through the NHS. But what is the difference between these two options and which one is right for you? Read on to learn more… Firstly it is useful to know that NHS funding for fertility treatment varies depending on where you live and IVF is only offered on the NHS if a patient meets certain criteria. However, private clinics may have different selection criteria for their patients. They may be more flexible, treating anyone who has a medical need, or they may have other, stricter criteria to eliminate patients with poorer predicted... View Article
