Most people who have experienced fertility challenges have probably heard someone say “Well, you should just use a surrogate!” as though surrogacy is a simple, straightforward process that works and is accessible for every intended parent (spoiler alert: It’s not).  Aside from the complex legal, medical, financial, and interpersonal facets of pursuing parenthood via surrogacy, there’s also the emotional toll it can take. When intended mothers picture their path to parenthood, that image often involves carrying a pregnancy…and letting go of that image can be painful. Sometimes, it continues to be painful even after your baby...

If you’re experiencing difficulties in growing your family, making the decision to enter the world of fertility treatments can be, to put it mildly, overwhelming. This vulnerable and emotional position is filled with difficult decisions and a rollercoaster of emotions to go along with it. At a time in your life where you feel as though you can go from laughing to crying and back again, sometimes within a matter of minutes, it’s easy and entirely normal to feel a tad scatter-brained throughout the process.  10 Questions To Ask at Your First Fertility Appointment That being said, if you’re anticipating your first fertility consultation,...

We’ve all been there, whether we’d like to admit it or not: finding yourself frantically Googling “how soon can I get a positive pregnancy test?”, looking for any ounce of encouragement to go ahead and test sooner rather than later. Suddenly, you are knee-deep and hours into scouring “POAS” (pee-on-a-stick) message boards looking for the people who posted joyfully that they got a positive test (albeit a squinty, is-it-or-isn’t-it positive) 3-days post embryo transfer. You head to the bathroom to take yet another test, while your partner is telling you that you’d agreed to wait. “That...

You may have heard the saying that a “cold uterus” can cause infertility. This dates all the way back to Traditional Chinese Medicine and is grounded in the idea that a thin uterine lining does not respond appropriately to hormones. In her book, The Infertility Cure, Dr. Randine Lewis, a licensed acupuncturist holding a Ph.D in alternative medicine, describes the second half of the menstrual cycle (when we are praying for that successful implantation!) as the Yang phase, and notes that “[l]ike fuel for the body’s incubator, progesterone is warming and therefore Yang in nature.” Progesterone...

In the aftermath of the Dobbs decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the worry surrounding state anti-abortion laws — and their potential impact on IVF — has taken center stage.  If state ‘personhood laws’ define life as beginning at fertilization — and embryos as ‘unborn human beings’ — what will that mean for the future of fertility treatments, from the PGT testing of embryos during IVF to the disposal of surplus genetic material? For those of us who need Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) like IVF to grow our families, it’s anxiety-provoking to think about.  Although IVF...

Infertility is one of the most challenging crises an individual or couple can face. It’s often accompanied by loss, bereavement, and a sense of hopelessness. In-vitro fertilization (IVF) has helped turn that around for many of us.  Now, however, in addition to anxiety around hoping an embryo implants, there are increasing medical decisions to make. And along with that — escalating costs. Fertility treatment isn’t cheap, and insurance plans provide little to no coverage. However, you don’t necessarily have to deplete your savings, sell your home, or take out a high-interest loan to help pay for...