See our own Dr. Allison Rodgers interviewed by Fox Chicago News during this video segment detailing improvements in egg freezing and fertility preservation options for working women!
May 8, 2014
FCI Events for Early Summer 2014!
5/12 | Choosing Egg Donation as Your Path to Parenthood | Chicago | 7PM | LEARN MORE
5/14 | Healthy Fats & Fertility | Online WEBINAR | 7PM | LEARN MORE
5/20 | Cracking the Door to Adoption | Glenview, IL | 7PM | LEARN MORE
5/20 | Stop the Biological Clock! Preserve your Fertility Potential Event: FREE | 6pm | Tiffani Kim Institute | ALL attendees will be offered a free consultation with our own Dr. Eve Feinberg! | Seats limited, RSVP is required, light refreshments provided | RSVP here
6/11 | Yoga, Meditation, and Conception | Online WEBINAR | 7PM | LEARN MORE
May 2, 2014
FCI Past Patient Guest Blog: Renee Cohen & Family
Former patient, Renee Cohen, wrote in her own words about her journey to motherhood with Fertility Centers of Illinois. She wanted to share her experiences so that they could help anyone who might be going through the same struggles, pain and worry. Read on to experience her journey through her eyes.
It was about seven years ago my husband, Kevin, and I decided to start trying for a baby. We thought,
like many couples we knew, it would be so easy to start our family.
One month turned into six months, then a year. It was very upsetting and frustrating that we had still not gotten pregnant. My OB-GYN would finally see us and begin all the preliminary testing. We had no real answers as to why we weren’t getting pregnant. We did a few rounds of clomid and IUI’s with no success. After 6 months of treatment, we decided it was time to move on and we asked our doctor to refer us to a fertility clinic. Thankfully, she referred us to FCI.
It was about seven years ago my husband, Kevin, and I decided to start trying for a baby. We thought, like many couples we knew, it would be so easy to start our family.
One month turned into six months, then a year. It was very upsetting and frustrating that we had still not gotten pregnant. My OB-GYN would finally see us and begin all the preliminary testing. We had no real answers as to why we weren’t getting pregnant. We did a few rounds of clomid and IUI’s with no success. After 6 months of treatment, we decided it was time to move on and we asked our doctor to refer us to a fertility clinic. Thankfully, she referred us to FCI.
April 25, 2014
FCI Past Patient Guest Blog: Michelle, Shaun & Evan Doherty!
Former patient, Michelle Doherty, wrote in her own words about her journey to motherhood with Fertility Centers of Illinois. She wanted to share her experiences so that they could help anyone who might be going through the same struggles, pain and worry. Read on to experience her journey through her eyes.
Infertility has affected every aspect of our lives. It has strengthened our relationship with each other,
grown our dependance and faith in God & shown us the amazing support system of family & friends in our lives.
Having children seems like something that should be so simple but for us it has been the hardest & most gut wrenching time of our lives. For us, it shook us to our core. It showed us who we really are and what is important in our lives. There were some devastating moments but for us those moments gave way to incredible joy and blessings.
We were lucky enough to have people in our lives that had also been down the road of infertility, their knowledge was invaluable and in both cases they recommended Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Infertility has affected every aspect of our lives. It has strengthened our relationship with each other,
Having children seems like something that should be so simple but for us it has been the hardest & most gut wrenching time of our lives. For us, it shook us to our core. It showed us who we really are and what is important in our lives. There were some devastating moments but for us those moments gave way to incredible joy and blessings.
We were lucky enough to have people in our lives that had also been down the road of infertility, their knowledge was invaluable and in both cases they recommended Fertility Centers of Illinois.
April 23, 2014
National Infertility Awareness Week: Dr. Eve Feinberg's Story
People often ask me if I went into the field of reproductive medicine because I was infertile. I actually think the opposite was true, I became infertile because of my medical training.
How It All Started
I met my husband in high school. We dated for 10 years before getting married. I have always considered myself a healthy person. I am athletic, I work out, I eat well and am a normal weight. When I started medical school, I was extremely stressed out. I went from living in a cozy apartment surrounded by good friends to living on my own in a studio apartment in the heart of downtown Chicago. Classes went on for 10 hours a day and I was up most nights well past midnight studying.
How It All Started
I met my husband in high school. We dated for 10 years before getting married. I have always considered myself a healthy person. I am athletic, I work out, I eat well and am a normal weight. When I started medical school, I was extremely stressed out. I went from living in a cozy apartment surrounded by good friends to living on my own in a studio apartment in the heart of downtown Chicago. Classes went on for 10 hours a day and I was up most nights well past midnight studying.
April 22, 2014
National Infertility Awareness Week: Frozen Donor Egg - The Newest Technology in the Field of Egg Donation
The newest
technology to emerge in the field of egg donation is the freezing of eggs prior
to fertilization. When the AmericanSociety for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) lifted the experimental label on egg freezing in 2013, frozen
eggs become a mainstream treatment option offering several patient advantages.
We performed
our first IVF cycles utilizing frozen donor eggs at Fertility Centers of
Illinois in 2013 with great success. As frozen donor eggs continue to gain
popularity, more and more embryo transfers are performed.
In 2013 alone,
FCI performed over 80 embryo transfers utilizing eggs from DEB USA, with Donor
Egg Bank USA completing over 700 transfers since its July 2012 launch. As a
whole, Donor Egg Bank USA reports a 52 percent clinical pregnancy rate per
transfer since inception, with an ongoing pregnancy rate of 45 percent. These
rates are comparable to fresh donor egg pregnancy rates.
Patients are offered three main benefits by choosing frozen donor
egg over fresh egg donation. First, recipients have access to a diverse donor
database. FCI is a partner
practice of Donor Egg Bank USA along with 27 additional centers throughout the
U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada.
Each U.S.
partner practice freezes and stores eggs in their laboratory to share across
the Donor Egg Bank USA network. This allows recipient couples across the
country, and even internationally, to take advantage of the national diverse
donor database that the Donor Egg Bank USA network offers.
The second large advantage is the convenience and significant time
saving offered to patients with frozen donor egg. Because eggs are already
frozen, they are immediately available for treatment. Couples can select a
donor and begin an IVF cycle in as little as one to three months.
This is in distinct contrast to a fresh donor cycle, where
recipients can wait several months for a donor. After a recipient is
matched with a (fresh) egg donor, the donor must be stimulated for an egg retrieval, and cycles must
be coordinated between the recipient and donor. This process can take anywhere
from three to 12 months.
Lastly, the cost of doing frozen egg donation is less than fresh egg
donation. This is especially important to couples who have limited or no health
insurance coverage. The cost of a typical fresh egg donor cycle is $25,000 -
$38,000, while a frozen donor egg cycle is nearly half the cost. Donor Egg Bank
USA also offers a financial program which gives couples a money-back guarantee if
they don't deliver a live born baby within six donor egg treatment cycles.
For couples who have experienced recurrent miscarriage or do not
have viable eggs for treatment, this new option can offer hope, convenience,
and the promise of a long-awaited child.
Author Bio: Dr. Jane Nani is a
reproductive endocrinologist and director of the Third Party Reproduction
Center for Excellence with Fertility Centers of Illinois. She has helped
thousands of patients have families since 1996, and specializes in helping
individuals and couples have babies through donor egg, donor sperm, and
surrogacy.
April 21, 2014
National Infertility Awareness Week 2014: 8 ways to keep STRONG during Infertility
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It seemed to happen about twice a week. Getting asked that question would feel like a sucker punch. I heard it everywhere….“So, when are you having another baby?”
Usually it came from a co-worker, friend, or neighbor. For them, this was as casual as: “what did you have for lunch” or “what did you do this weekend”, but for me it was a heart wrenching painful question.
Studies have shown that the stress associated with infertility is as difficult as a cancer or HIV diagnosis. Through my personal journey with infertility and pregnancy loss, I learned in a very unique way about the stress that accompanies an infertility or pregnancy loss diagnosis, as well as the incredible amount of strength that it takes!
There are helpful strategies that helped me get through this difficult time and give me strength to keep going-even when things seemed hopeless. Maybe they will help you too!
Keeping a healthy body!
Keeping a normal body weight increases your chances of success and decreases stress on your body. Take a prenatal vitamin daily, and avoid tobacco, alcohol, and caffeine. Staying active with moderate exercise can be a great way to manage weight and stress.
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