The Life of an Egg
The First Day
Human eggs or oocytes grow in the ovary in structures called follicles. During an IVF cycle the growth of follicles generally tells the physician whether or not the eggs are becoming mature. But the doctor cannot see an egg in the follicle because it is too small to be seen using ultrasound. Usually however, mature eggs come from follicles bigger than 14-16 mm in diameter. When eggs are removed from follicles on Day 0 (the day of egg retrieval) it is difficult to tell if they are mature or not because they are surrounded by a mass of cells called the cumulus. If we remove these cells and look very closely at the egg we can tell how mature it is. A mature egg has a small structure called a polar body that lies next to the egg, beneath the outer shell, or membrane, that surrounds the egg. An intermediate stage egg will not have this polar body. An immature egg has a structure inside it called a germinal vesicle. Read the rest of this article »
Now offering the FemVue Sono HSG
FemVue Sono HSG is a safe, simple and minimally invasive procedure to determine fallopian tube status (open or blocked). First, a slender flexible catheter is passed through the body’s natural openings into the uterus. Then, the ultrasound probe is positioned.
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The Skinny on Minis
Minimal stimulation IVF is becoming popular as a means of trying to provide a low cost alternative to traditional IVF. Minimal stimulation IVF is also popular among patients looking for a way to avoid using high doses of stimulation medicines for a variety of reasons besides cost containment: a fear of needles and/or drugs, previous failure to develop multiple follicles despite high doses of medicines, worries about multiples or having many embryos and freezing, etc. Minimal stimulation protocols attempt to reduce the financial and physiologic impact on the patient by using medicines that are inexpensive, or by using very low doses of the expensive medicines. Read the rest of this article »
Investing in your future through more than your 401k
Almost any young woman under the age of 40 living in the United States has grown up with the idea that she can have it all: successful career, fulfilling marriage, and a couple of happy kids. And most believe life will fall into place for them in that order. Consequently they spend their twenties acquiring money and Mr. Right and delaying the start of a family. Read the rest of this article »
