New Hope is Here on the Weekends!

ivf nyc

Trying to schedule your fertility treatment among all the other things on your “To Do” list can be difficult.  That’s why our team of committed fertility specialists, RNs, MAs, sonographers, phlebotomists and embryologists are available 365 days of the year.

New Hope Fertility’s West Side clinic not only makes commuting easy by sitting in New York City’s Columbus Circle, but also ensures you get a seat in our waiting room — even on the weekends.

If you’re having trouble making the time for a consult during the week, don’t forget our office is open from 7AM to 3PM on the weekends.  If you’re already part of the New Hope family, you can schedule your monitoring between 7AM and 2PM on Saturday and Sunday as well.

Get ahead of summer plans and start realizing your dreams — visit New Hope on the web to schedule a consultation or give us a call at (212) 400-9614.

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Single vs. Double Embryo Transfers

safe ivf, single embryo transfers

Since its founding in 2004, New Hope Fertility has always strived to bring safer and more effective IVF practices to the forefront of fertility care.

A leading advocate of Single Embryo Transfers (eSET), our protocols support a less is more philosophy.  When it comes to your fertility care, we believe in less danger and more safety for the mother and child.  This means transferring less embryos during your IVF treatment to ensure we can fulfill this peace of mind.  A recent study published in the March edition of Fertility and Sterility supports the safety and efficacy of eSET.

In the study, the health of two singletons from the same mother (eSET) and the health of IVF twins and their mother (double embryo transfer) were the primary focus.

The findings? The health conditions of the mother and child following eSET treatments were much more favorable than that of IVF twins:

The neonatal and maternal outcomes were dramatically better for women undergoing two IVF singleton pregnancies compared with one IVF twin pregnancy after double-embryo transfers.

Not only were IVF twins born “very” pre-term with significantly lower birth weights, but were reported as having more serious complications, including respiratory issues and jaundice (a yellow complexion associated with too much bilirubin in the blood that can lead to birth defects).  Mothers who elected for double-embryo transfers were more likely to experience pre-eclampsia and go into labor early, too.

We’re always thrilled to read more research that supports our most important protocols. To read more on our minimally invasive approach to IVF, visit us on the web or schedule a consultation.

Here’s to spreading safer and more effective practices!

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New Hope Recap | Returning Patients

pgd ivfWe’re pleased to see a familiar face in our office these days — our very first CGH patient, who kindly shared her original IVF success story with New Hope after the birth of her first child in 2011.

She first came to our clinic with a history of miscarriages — one of which occurred after carrying for 18 weeks — and turned off by aggressive protocols at other clinics. Attracted to New Hope’s holistic approach to fertility care, she proceeded treatment with a Natural Cycle transfer — the embryos collected from a few Mini-IVF™ cycles in order to increase her chances of collecting more than one healthy egg during treatment.

She opted for PGD with CGH testing in order to detect any genetic abnormalities that may be present, since she suffered from an autoimmune disorder. If genetic abnormalities exist within an embryo during IVF treatment, this can lead to miscarriage.  She eventually became pregnant and Edward was born in December of 2011.  She was the first case in which we used genetic testing to pick only the healthiest embryos for use during her minimal stimulation protocol.

Ms. CGH is back to try for a sister for Mr. Edward at the age of 44. We can’t wait to help you again and add another baby to the New Hope Family!

CGH, or Comparative Genomic Hybridization, is a service we offer during treatment to make sure you’re getting the most from your cycle here at New Hope Fertility Center.

Although we’ve been offering PGD testing since our opening, we’ve partnered with Reprogenetics  to ensure we’re providing the latest in embryo-testing technology.

In the past, PGD was used solely for gender selection and finding specified chromosomal abnormalities.  The current CGH testing is the most comprehensive test to detect significant genetic abnormalities in existence to date.

For more information on CGH testing, please visit us on the web to schedule a consultation.

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Surviving IVF Failure | IVF Success Stories

failed ivf cycles

Whether you’re just embarking on your journey with assisted reproduction or have experienced IVF in the past, failed cycles are a reality every woman must face when seeking treatment.

Although rare when treated at a high quality fertility center many women experience failed cycles, and they happen due to a number of reasons. Some women are of advanced maternal age, which reduces the quality of the eggs used for fertilization during the IVF process.  Other women have complications related to a prior history of miscarriage and/or reproductive disorders.

Despite the frustration and heartbreak that occurs after a failed treatment, there is still hope when it comes to getting pregnant with IVF.  In fact, we have two recent success stories involving women who went through failed cycles and continued on their journey — getting pregnant after trying again or exploring other avenues post-failure.

Our fist success story introduced us to a 35-year-old struggling with primary infertility. After one failed Mini-IVF™ cycle with no embryos frozen, Ms. 35 chose to try one more time and successfully froze embryos. After a short break in order to strengthen her uterine environment for her implantation, she got pregnant after a single embryo transfer.

Our second success story involves Ms. 44 — who had a history of failed IVF at other clinics.  Considering her encounters with failed treatment in the past, our fertility specialists recommended she move to our donor program, which eventually led to a successful pregnancy.

Congratulations to our recent pregnancies — your stories help other women dealing with the loss of a failed cycle realize their dreams of motherhood can still come true!

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Side Effects Associated With Mirena Birth Control

mirena side effectsChoosing a birth control method in a world full of advancing science and new options can be overwhelming. However, learning the side effects of popular methods may assist you in your choice, allowing you to avoid wasting time considering methods that may put your health at risk.

One popular type of birth control is Mirena, a hormonal intrauterine device (IUD) that was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2000 and is manufactured by Bayer. Bayer also makes other contraceptives, like the birth control pills Yaz and Yasmin.

Many women seeking an alternative to the daily regimen of taking pills have turned to IUDs as a more convenient way to prevent pregnancy. It is estimated that 150 million women worldwide use Mirena or another IUD. IUDs are inserted into the uterus by a doctor and prevent pregnancy for several years.

Since Mirena’s approval, however, the FDA has received more than 45,000 reports of adverse events related to its use. These reports include device expulsion, device migration, pelvic inflammatory disease and ectopic pregnancy – all of which can result in pain, bleeding, organ damage and infertility.

Device Expulsion

The most common side effect associated with Mirena is device expulsion, which occurs when the device exits the body through the vagina spontaneously. This can cause cramping, bleeding and discomfort during sex. Expulsion requires women to use other forms of birth control until a new IUD can be implanted.

Device Migration

Some women report instances of device migration, in which Mirena moves from the uterus to other places in the body. It can puncture the wall of the uterus and affect nearby organs. The bladder, pelvis, fallopian tubes, blood vessels and abdominal cavity are all vulnerable to damage once Mirena migrates out of the uterus. In such instances, a physician must locate and surgically remove the device to prevent further injuries, pain and infection. Using Mirena after childbirth increases the risk of puncturing the uterus, so it is recommended that mothers wait to use it until at least six months after giving birth.

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease and Ectopic Pregnancy

Within just a few weeks of implantation of Mirena, users can develop pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which endangers the ovaries, uterus and fallopian tubes. PID can also be extremely painful and cause infertility. The FDA has stated that women with a history of PID should not use Mirena. Users of Mirena have also experienced ectopic pregnancy, which occurs when an egg is fertilized somewhere outside of the uterus. This complication will terminate the pregnancy, puts the woman’s health at risk and can leave the woman infertile.

Alanna Ritchie is a content writer for Drugwatch.com, specializing in news about prescription drugs, medical devices and consumer safety.

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