Many of the patients that join us at New Hope are attracted to our holistic approach to IVF.

Our most organic method of fertility treatment, Natural Cycle IVF, is a protocol that involves monitoring and retrieving an egg during a woman’s cycle — without the use of fertility medications. Natural Cycle IVF is favored by many patients because it is not only our safest protocol, but is also the easiest on the body.   Additionally, because it doesn’t rely on fertility medications, this protocol has one fewer cost: giving women the peace of mind that comes with not straining physically, mentally or financially.  Like other treatments; however, Natural Cycle IVF still comes with some risk factors. While the one egg retrieved during a Natural IVF cycle is of the highest quality, the technique’s success depends on precise timing.

At New Hope we believe in real hope, not false hope. We advise all women and couples committing to Natural Cycle of the setbacks that can occur, as we would with any other type of procedure performed here. Timing an egg retrieval is a very precise practice, and if it happens that it is delayed even just slightly longer than intended and a woman ovulates, the cycle must be cancelled until the next cycle occurs.

Egg retrievals are sometimes delayed at our doctors’ discretion to allow estrogen levels to drop even lower, therefore increasing the chance of retrieving a fully developed egg during a patient’s cycle. The timing of an egg retrieval during a Natural IVF cycle is an extremely involved decision to make, but safety always comes first. In order to protect our patients’ resources during a cycle, a retrieval will be delayed in order to optimize the chances of retrieving a mature egg. If an egg is retrieved too early, the egg transfer will fail. If the egg retrieval is delayed  – by even just minutes in an effort to retrieve the highest quality egg — a woman will ovulate and her cycle cancelled. It is a tough call to make on either side, but our doctors use their expertise, experience and insight into a patient’s unique health history to make the best decision during that time.

If you have questions or concerns regarding your cycle or want more information on Natural IVF, visit us on the web or give us a call at 212-517-7676.

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.

We’re pleased to announce the Grand Opening of our center in Macau, China!

New Hope Fertility Macau is officially the only private IVF center in the region offering customized fertility care and our holistic IVF treatments, Natural and Mini-IVF™.

Dr. June Cheang, whose publications have been in the highly esteemed medical journal Fertility and Sterility, will lead our Macau team.

We’re excited to see our new clinic thrive and thrilled to have Dr. Cheang and team as part of the New Hope family.

Here’s to a successful 2013!

Choosing 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.