I've just read a great piece on The Guardian on secondary infertility by the author Maggie O'Farrell.
People who have no personal experience of infertility don't understand how it feels, but there is a generally sympathetic attitude towards those who are involuntarily childless. Not being able to have a second, or third, child doesn't get the same reaction. People tend to assume you should be grateful for what you have - and even GPs are sometimes surprisingly ignorant about secondary infertility, not taking it sufficiently seriously soon enough.
Maggie O'Farrell's moving article points out that secondary infertility can be just as hard to cope with - and I loved her ending - read it and see...
Monday, 24 May 2010
Friday, 21 May 2010
The Complete Guide to IVF
I'm about to start revisions for a new edition of The Complete Guide to IVF as a new edition is due to be published later this year. It's fun to get a chance to go through your work with a red pencil, but I am going to have to be disciplined and only change what really needs changing - otherwise I won't ever stop...
Website up and running
Just to say that my website - www.katebrian.co.uk is now up and running again - hooray! Losing it for a while has made me realise my biography is hopelessly out of date. I suppose at least that means I'm busy...
Sextuplets
The birth of sextuplets to a couple in Oxfordshire has been trumpeted in the media, and many people will inevitably assume that the babies must be the product of IVF. In fact, multiple pregnancies of this order after IVF do not happen in the UK, as our system is carefully regulated to ensure that babies born after assisted conception have the best possible chance of a healthy life.
These six tiny babies were born prematurely, each weighing less than two pounds, and their chances of survival now hang in the balance despite round the clock medical care.
The mother in this case had taken a fertility drug - quite possibly Clomid - and it is here that many multiple birth problems lie. The use of fertility drugs by themselves is unregulated in the UK. People can get them from a GP or they can even be purchased online, and in these cases the ovaries are not always scanned and monitored to ensure that there is no chance of a risky pregnancy with triplets or more. Although our fertility services are sometimes criticised for being too closely regulated, this is one area where we could do with a little more regulation in order to ensure that dangerous high-order multiple pregnancies become a thing of the past.
These six tiny babies were born prematurely, each weighing less than two pounds, and their chances of survival now hang in the balance despite round the clock medical care.
The mother in this case had taken a fertility drug - quite possibly Clomid - and it is here that many multiple birth problems lie. The use of fertility drugs by themselves is unregulated in the UK. People can get them from a GP or they can even be purchased online, and in these cases the ovaries are not always scanned and monitored to ensure that there is no chance of a risky pregnancy with triplets or more. Although our fertility services are sometimes criticised for being too closely regulated, this is one area where we could do with a little more regulation in order to ensure that dangerous high-order multiple pregnancies become a thing of the past.
Tuesday, 18 May 2010
Newspaper claims sex may become redundant
So, sex to make babies may become redundant in the future, according to the Daily Mail. I do love these stories. I remember a similar one some years back which claimed that career couples were turning to IVF because they were too busy to have sex!
This story is based on claims that IVF will become so successful in the future, that sex will appear "inefficient" in comparison so over 30s will all be choosing assisted conception if they want babies. It paints a picture of a scarily sci-fi Brave New World.
Of course, it's wonderful that scientists are predicting that IVF will have a near 100 per cent success rate in the not too distant future, but I still can't see anyone choosing it if they don't have to - however much more efficient it may be at baby making than sex. Anyone who had any personal experience of the daily injections, the scans, the blood tests, the visits to the clinic, of egg collection under sedation and embryo transfer, of the traumatic highs and lows and the lack of dignity of it all would know that it efficiency may not be everything. Have a look at the Daily Mail article yourself and see what you think!
This story is based on claims that IVF will become so successful in the future, that sex will appear "inefficient" in comparison so over 30s will all be choosing assisted conception if they want babies. It paints a picture of a scarily sci-fi Brave New World.
Of course, it's wonderful that scientists are predicting that IVF will have a near 100 per cent success rate in the not too distant future, but I still can't see anyone choosing it if they don't have to - however much more efficient it may be at baby making than sex. Anyone who had any personal experience of the daily injections, the scans, the blood tests, the visits to the clinic, of egg collection under sedation and embryo transfer, of the traumatic highs and lows and the lack of dignity of it all would know that it efficiency may not be everything. Have a look at the Daily Mail article yourself and see what you think!
The mystery of the disappearing website...
Actually it's not that mysterious - my website has disappeared from cyberspace, and it's all my fault. I have been getting those "you must pay xx now if you want to maintain your website" for about the last year, and I kept thinking I must do something about it, but was also, in retrospect rather stupidly, worried that they might be some kind of phishing thing from someone other than the website host. Instead of doing the sensible thing and checking it out to make sure I was paying the right person, I put it off, and put it off and put it off... As the website was still there, I forgot about it after a while. Now it has suddenly gone, and I have a terrible feeling I am going to have to start from scratch with a new one.
Maybe it's time to see it as a fresh opportunity for a bright new website... Watch this space!
Maybe it's time to see it as a fresh opportunity for a bright new website... Watch this space!
Thursday, 6 May 2010
Make a date for August
I went to the fertility information evening at Homerton Hospital in Hackney last night and would thoroughly recommend it to anyone who wants to understand more about their fertility - whether you're at the early stages of wondering whether it should be taking so long to get pregnant or further down the line of having tests and treatment.
Consultant Anil Gudi's presentation used video clips to illustrate every condition and treatment he discussed. So often medical explanations can end up leaving you more confused - but having a visual presentation of each subject, from what happens inside the female body during normal conception to how an ovary becomes polycystic was absolutely fascinating - and really gives you a much clearer idea of what is involved.
The fertility information evenings are set to run every three months - so the next one will be on the first Wednesday in August. If you're in London and you want to know more about your fertility, I'd put it in your diary right away!
Consultant Anil Gudi's presentation used video clips to illustrate every condition and treatment he discussed. So often medical explanations can end up leaving you more confused - but having a visual presentation of each subject, from what happens inside the female body during normal conception to how an ovary becomes polycystic was absolutely fascinating - and really gives you a much clearer idea of what is involved.
The fertility information evenings are set to run every three months - so the next one will be on the first Wednesday in August. If you're in London and you want to know more about your fertility, I'd put it in your diary right away!
Tuesday, 4 May 2010
Human eggs for sale online
An interesting story in the papers today about a woman who put her eggs up for sale on the internet, apparently not realising that it is illegal to do so in the UK.
The woman - a 28-year-old businesswoman - claimed she needed to sell her eggs to pay off her student loans and was hoping to make more than £4,000 for her trouble. She had apparently read about how much egg donors could earn in a magazine which suggested many women in the UK were already selling their eggs. She posted her ad on a website where she said she'd seen another woman advertising her eggs for sale. The ad was accepted without any problems, and she had no idea that what she had done was illegal.
The woman admitted that her family had been horrified by her plans, fearing that she might regret her decision in the future. However, she remained confident that this would be a good way to pay off her debts whilst helping a childless couple.
Should we be shocked by this? Is it wrong? At the moment in the UK, although it is illegal to advertise human eggs for sale and you can't get paid for donating eggs, you can receive "reasonable expenses" but what constitutes "reasonable" is a grey area. The HFEA is currently reconsidering the rules on payment for egg and sperm donors, and this may clarify matters in the future.
You can read more here
The woman - a 28-year-old businesswoman - claimed she needed to sell her eggs to pay off her student loans and was hoping to make more than £4,000 for her trouble. She had apparently read about how much egg donors could earn in a magazine which suggested many women in the UK were already selling their eggs. She posted her ad on a website where she said she'd seen another woman advertising her eggs for sale. The ad was accepted without any problems, and she had no idea that what she had done was illegal.
The woman admitted that her family had been horrified by her plans, fearing that she might regret her decision in the future. However, she remained confident that this would be a good way to pay off her debts whilst helping a childless couple.
Should we be shocked by this? Is it wrong? At the moment in the UK, although it is illegal to advertise human eggs for sale and you can't get paid for donating eggs, you can receive "reasonable expenses" but what constitutes "reasonable" is a grey area. The HFEA is currently reconsidering the rules on payment for egg and sperm donors, and this may clarify matters in the future.
You can read more here
Monday, 3 May 2010
Fertility awareness information evening - London
There's a free fertility information evening open to all at Homerton Hospital in Hackney on Wednesday 5 May at 7 pm. A consultant from the hospital's fertility centre will give a presentation on fertility, looking at lifestyle issues that can affect your fertility and funding for treatment, as well as answering any questions. I will be there, representing Infertility Network UK.
The evening will be held in the main lecture theatre, Education Centre, Homerton University Hospital, Homerton Row, London E9 6SR. If you'd like to come along you can email fertility@homerton.nhs.uk or call 020 8510 7660 - or just turn up on the night!
The evening will be held in the main lecture theatre, Education Centre, Homerton University Hospital, Homerton Row, London E9 6SR. If you'd like to come along you can email fertility@homerton.nhs.uk or call 020 8510 7660 - or just turn up on the night!
Why the use of cheap fertility drugs should be monitored
There's an interesting comment piece on the BBC website from Professor Bill Ledger of Sheffield University about the risk of cheap fertility drugs leading to multiple births.
There is more now awareness about the dangers multiple births can cause both mothers and babies, and this has led fertility experts to try to put back just one embryo during IVF treatment when there is a good prognosis. However, many women with less serious fertility problems are initially treated with much simpler and cheaper fertility drugs. These drugs are sometimes prescribed by GPs or at general hospitals, and their use is not regulated by the HFEA. Drugs such as Clomid can still lead to multiple pregnancies if women are not properly monitored when they take them, and the comment calls for simple ultrasound scans for all women taking fertility drugs to ensure that they are not putting their own, and their future children's, health at risk.
You can read the piece on the BBC website
There is more now awareness about the dangers multiple births can cause both mothers and babies, and this has led fertility experts to try to put back just one embryo during IVF treatment when there is a good prognosis. However, many women with less serious fertility problems are initially treated with much simpler and cheaper fertility drugs. These drugs are sometimes prescribed by GPs or at general hospitals, and their use is not regulated by the HFEA. Drugs such as Clomid can still lead to multiple pregnancies if women are not properly monitored when they take them, and the comment calls for simple ultrasound scans for all women taking fertility drugs to ensure that they are not putting their own, and their future children's, health at risk.
You can read the piece on the BBC website
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