New centre brings integrated cutting edge fertility, gynaecology and IVF treatment to the North West

Reproductive Health Group have recently opened the newest and most modern clinic in the North West, at Daresbury Park, in Cheshire. We have called the clinic the Centre for Reproductive Health, and we are different for two main reasons: • it was designed by consultants and embryologists to meet the very highest standards in patient care. • as well as offering the latest fertility techniques, including genetic testing and EEVA embryo selection, the clinic also has a fully-equipped operating facility in which we carry out day case surgical procedures. We promise that we will only recommend the best care pathway for patients, once we have carried out all the appropriate investigations that could reveal the cause of the apparent infertility. That is why, unlike other IVF clinics, the Centre for Reproductive Health is equipped with the vey latest equipment for gynaecology and urology day case procedures. Whilst we believe we have built a market leading facility, we are even prouder of the team of highly experienced embryologists, nurses and support staff who we have recruited to join us – they all share our commitment to quality, and to delivering the best possible outcomes for our patients. We work with a number of associates and have satellite clinics in Manchester, Preston, Cheadle and London.

Fertility clinic used 'wrong sperm' in fertility treatment

A clinic used sperm from the wrong donor in fertility treatment, a report by the regulator says. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) warned clinics "too many" mistakes were being made. Its report showed one in every 100 women treated had experienced some form of "adverse incident", although most would not have affected their odds of having a baby. The regulator has called on clinics to eradicate "avoidable errors". There were 1,679 adverse incidents in fertility clinics in the UK between 2010 and 2012. Three of them were in the most serious - or grade-A - category. In one case a woman was having fertility treatment using donated sperm. She wanted a child who would be genetically related to an elder sibling, but sperm from the wrong donor was used. No further details have been released to protect the family's anonymity. A separate grade-A case involved embryos being contaminated, probably with sperm. And in the third incident, sperm were removed from storage too soon. 'Highest quality' There were 714 grade-B incidents, which include the loss of embryos or equipment malfunctions affecting embryo quality. There were 815 grade-C errors, such as eggs left unusable or women's ovaries being "over-stimulated" to produce eggs. HFEA chairwoman Sally Cheshire, said "We are committed to ensuring that clinics provide the safest and highest quality service to their patients. "These results show that, in the main, clinics are doing a good job of minimising the number of serious errors, and this should be welcomed. "However, there remain too many grade-C mistakes, such as breaches of confidentiality. "As patients have often told us, these mistakes may be less serious at first glance but they can still be very upsetting." "Clinics can and should be eradicating these sorts of avoidable errors, which will go a long way towards reducing patient distress and improving the overall experience of IVF treatment." Article: 9th July 2014 www.bbc.co.uk

IVF clinic in Nottingham offers free Chromosome screening

A CITY fertility clinic is inviting prospective IVF patients to join a clinical trial to have their embryos screened free of charge for abnormalities. Care Fertility has pioneered the of egg and embryo screening, called Array CGH. The aim of the study is to test whether transferring normal embryos significantly increases pregnancy and live birth rates in younger women undergoing IVF for the first time. People who take part must meet a number of criteria: - Female age less than 35 - Male and female BMI less than 35 - No previous IVF treatment - No history of miscarriage - Normal sperm count Patients can apply online to join the trial. If accepted they will undergo an IVF cycle, paying only for their IVF treatment and drugs. Chromosome screening, normally costing £2,435, will be free of charge. Managing director Dr Simon Fishel said: "My personal goal for our patients is to improve the chances of conceiving a healthy embryo and a healthy baby in the first attempt at IVF." Article: www.thisisnottingham.co.uk

What it is really like in a Fertility Clinic

I have just finished a photo shoot, something else I have never done before, but recently accepted as part of my "self awareness/maturing" process. With my hair done and makeup still on, sporting high heels and a smart dress, I ascend to the 10th floor of a Manhattan high-rise in a desirable neighborhood to the lobby of fertility heaven. My first shock comes when I notice that the majority of the patients in the waiting room have their partner with them. I'm handed a questionnaire that everyone else seems to have filled out at home. I stare at it, thinking to myself that I have no time to answer the endless questions that would require the presence of my husband. The thought crosses my mind that my husband barely remembers I'm doing this... he's somewhere on the other side of the world. I can't even reach him via phone. I remind myself that priorities in here are quite basic: If you want a child, than everything else can wait... I look around and I am aware of not exactly fitting the profile of the average person in the room. I have my wedding band and my engagement ring on. I look young, wealthy, calm and healthy, but I do not have my husband next to me and I'm leaving half of the questionnaire blank. The room is full of couples, mainly Jewish Orthodox ones, and single Asian women and young caucasian men. It's likely some of the single men and women are donors, I think, while the others are couples eager to have children. There are no light magazines to read like when you go to a nail salon, and the waiting area is quite crowded. Desperate to distract myself, I find a pamphlet on single motherhood that covers everything from adoption to IVF with donor sperm, but as a married woman, only half of it really applies to me. I find another pamphlet on fertility yoga. I don't think I have fertility problem for now, but until I go through all of the exams ahead, who knows? I pick up another one on the services offered by the center for couples dealing with infertility but this, too, doesn't necessarily apply to me... I realize how little I know about what's going on in my body. Am I fertile? Will I need to go through the extensive treatments described in the pamphlets that surround me? I feel like none of them speak to my situation. For now, I'm a "special" case, a new breed of woman... in a relationship and likely fertile, but freezing my eggs until the time feels right to have children. I'm not ready to be a mother, but I do not want to wake up one day and regret having played or let someone else play with my right to motherhood. Someone calls my name and I rise to meet her. Article: May 2012 www.huffingtonpost.com

Exhibitors at the Alternative Families Show London

Exhibitors at the Alternative Families Show London
October 22, 2010 10:00 by PrideAngelAdmin
The Alternative Families Show is taking place this Saturday 23rd October 2010 - 10am to 5pm, Grand Connaught Rooms, Covent Garden, London. Tickets are now available on the day priced £10.

The Alternative Families Show is for would be parents and for families already set up. For those people looking to start a family there are experts on hand to discuss all the options available to a same-sex, male or female couple and to single people wanting to become a parent. Informative seminars will be running throughout the day from conception to schooling.

The show is also for families we have legal advice, opportunities to meet support networks, other parents, and to hear about research findings from Stonewall on children. There will be free children's entertainment throughout the day, allowing parents to speak to the experts in the same room.

Exhibitors at the Alternative Familes Show include:

Pride Angel
Pride Angel is a leading worldwide connection site, fertility forum and blog for lesbian, gay, single and infertile couples, wishing to become parents through co-parenting and donor conception. www.prideangel.com

London Women's Clinic
The LWC provides IVF and fertility treatments to assist couples and individuals overcome their difficulties in conception and pregnancy. They have over 20 years’ experience and operate one of the most successful programmes in the world. www.lwclinic.co.uk

London Sperm Bank
The UK's premier sperm bank. Giving women in the U.K. maximum choice without having to undertake expensive travel abroad. The LSB is licensed by the HFEA. www.londonspermbank.com

Stonewall
The lesbian, gay and bisexual charity. Stonewall played a key role in lobbying for important legislative changes for gay and lesbian parents. www.stonewall.org.uk

Time for children
Time for Children is a child-centred fostering agency specialising in the provision for sibling groups - hence our motto, 'enabling brothers and sisters to stay together'. www.timeforchildren.org

To read more go to http://bit.ly/aBmrPm

I couldn't be a mother.... until I went to Spain

As more and more hopeful parents are forced abroad to seek donor eggs, Victoria Macdonald recalls the agony and joy of her IVF quest
In a coffee shop the other day, a woman came over to tell me, at some length, just how cute my baby daughter is. Of course, I was hardly likely to disagree, but after a while the woman straightened up, looked long and hard at me and said: “So, does she take after her father, then?”

Later that week I was telling a friend just how determined Gabriella was becoming. My friend laughed and said: “Well, we know who she gets that from.”

There was an awkward pause. Because Gabriella does not get that from me. And, yes, she does look a lot like her father and not one bit like me. She has brown hair with a hint of red, chubby little cheeks, a perky nose and elegant long fingers. I do not.

But then it is not surprising we are so different in appearance. Although I carried her through 36 weeks of pregnancy and gave birth this time last year, there is no genetic link between us at all since Gabriella was conceived after we travelled to Spain for a donated egg.

To read more go to http://bit.ly/9nuW07