infertility

About 15 years ago, fertility specialists figured out how to extract sperm from individuals who had an unbelievably low sperm count in an effort to help them to become parents. This process is called intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) - where they inject a single sperm into an egg to make an embryo outside a woman's body. The embryo is then placed in the mother's womb (known as in vitro fertilization, or IVF), and nine months later, a baby is born. This new technology is no doubt considered a miracle, but now there are concerns about whether infertility will be passed on to those children who are born with the help of ICSI and IVF.

As for the daughters, there appears to be fewer problems since female infertility usually stems from a physical issue, such as a blocked fallopian tube. The cause of male infertility, on the other hand, is not so clear cut; it could be genetic, making it possible that this new generation that scientists helped to create might actually be infertile too.

Right now, one out of every eight couples is affected by fertility issues, and 40 percent of the time, the problem lies with the man. Of the 52,000 babies that are born using IVF, between 8,000 to 9,000 of the babies' fathers had help through ICSI. Both ICSI and IVF are thought to be safe, but scientists say there just isn't enough information to be sure, and with concerns about creating an infertile generation, this issue definitely needs further exploration.

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Having a successful date is hard enough these days, so when you're ready to have kids but don't have a man in your life, it might be time to ask your best guy friend to father your baby. According to a new study in the London Times, more than half of the women surveyed — 56 percent to be exact — admitted to considering asking a male friend to be their baby's daddy if they couldn't find the right partner by a certain age. The survey also notes that two-thirds of women have concerns about their fertility, and surprisingly so do 26 percent of men. While having a baby is sure to be on many people's brains, both men and women in Britain are so concerned about it that they'd actually reconsider staying with their partner if they were unable to procreate.

For many, the preferred way to start a family would be with someone you're in a committed, loving relationship with, but tell me ladies, would you ever consider asking a male friend to be the father of your baby if you were unlucky in love?

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Blame it on that ever-expanding Jolie-Pitt brood: I've been reading lots of reports about the increasing popularity of fertility spa treatments. This is not limited to big cities, where career women may be postponing having children. In Ohio, BecomingMom, a "Pregnancy Spa and Imaging Center" offers a 50-minute Preconception Massage for $69, and Peaceful Beginnings in North Carolina offers the same at $40 for 30 minutes.

Many spas list causes of infertility as stress and accumulation of toxins, none of which are causes listed on the Mayo Clinic's website. In fact, really the only cause listed that a woman struggling with infertility may be able to change on her own is consumption of too much caffeine. Traditional infertility treatments can be dangerous and expensive so spas have picked up on the need for something more gentle and less invasive, which may be a good thing. But are they peddling false hope? While alternative treatments may be worth a try, it's worth considering why so few of these spas offer infertility treatment for wannabe fathers.

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Sometimes the shrieking, colic, and sleepless nights cause us to forget how lucky we are to be parents. How bad can a temper tantrum really be when you have a child to hold? Like many moms, I took my pregnancies for granted, accumulating a stack of ultrasound shots and occasionally complaining about heartburn and swollen ankles. But some women clinging to the idea of motherhood would welcome those ailments.

A recent New York Times story focuses on the 10 percent of couples that have trouble conceiving. The aspiring parents that exhaust their emotions, finances, even their marriages hoping to hold a baby of their own. The bleak truth is that those who aren't successful and open to adoption have to face life without offspring. It said:

It is unclear how many women are involuntarily childless. The stigma attached to infertility and living without children pressures many women to remain silent about their struggles, Mrs. Tsigdinos said, adding, “It’s not something you want to drop into conversation at a cocktail party.”

For a women who grew up pushing doll strollers, babysitting, and picking out names for their future children, relinquishing the dream may seem impossible despite scientific reality. It said:

Infertility treatment can be so all-consuming that many women keep trying long after the odds become prohibitive. Those who can accept the possibility that no treatment in the world will allow them to become pregnant may face the best chance of learning to accept a childless life.

So the next time your lil one tries your patience, think about the women who wish they could be in your position.
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I have a friend who has it all except for the one thing she really wants — a family.

Successful, beautiful, charming and sweet, it seems impossible that she hasn't met Mr. Right. Coming up on 34, she's concerned by the ticking of her biological clock.

Since she doesn't have a beau, she decided to test her eggs to see how many "good ones" are left. To see what she plans on doing, read more

The May issue of Marie Claire has babies covered, from Baby Mama star and real-life mom Tina Fey on the cover to a firsthand account of egg banking inside.

In a steady relationship but not ready to have children, writer Sarah Elizabeth Richards bought herself some time and peace of mind by freezing her eggs.

As she approached her 37th birthday, Sarah spent her $13,000 savings to do so. She wrote:

"For once, I didn't have to be that anxious girl trying to beat some fertility expiration date anymore. I could simply admire a baby and wonder what mine would look like someday, the way I used to before the biological clock started."

For information and pictures, read more

Many mature women dream of retirement, spontaneous vacations, grandchildren and a life of leisure. Susan Tollefsen has something else in store for her golden years.

As a lump grew in her belly, she feared cancer until an ultrasound technician performed a sonogram and told her she was nearly 30 weeks pregnant. To see how she came across this miracle baby, read more

For those desperate to have a babe of their own flesh and blood, intercourse alone doesn't always do the trick.

And when that happens, couples explore other avenues. To learn more about one non–traditional method, read more

While many parents pine for a child of a particular sex, with emerald eyes or mathematical abilities, others prefer offspring like themselves — those that are not the conventional idea of perfection.

According to a BBC article, a hearing impaired British couple are parents to one deaf child and would like another. Due to the mother's age, they will have to rely on in-vitro fertilization and would prefer a deaf embryo.

The story said:

The couple have become icons in a deaf movement which sees this impairment not as a disability but as the key to a rich culture which has its own language, history and traditions: a world deaf parents would naturally want to share with any offspring.

Moreover, they argue that to prefer a hearing embryo over a deaf one is tantamount to discrimination.

Only if passed,The Human Embryology and Fertilisation Bill would prevent the family from having that choice. To read what the law says, read more