LilSugar

"Win a Baby" Contests: Ga Ga or Gag?

LilSugar — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 05:42:59 PDT

Step right up folks, and win a baby! Well, not a baby exactly, but an increased chance at baby via free IVF treatments. Last month, a private Ottawa radio station ran a Win a Baby contest, offering $35,000 worth of IVF treatments to the couple that convinced both listeners and a panel of judges that they were the most worthy of the prize. For desperate would-be parents unable to afford the pricey treatments, not generally covered by insurance, the contest was no doubt one more chance at longed for pregnancy, but not surprisingly, the contest had its share of detractors. Beverly Hanck, executive director of the Infertility Awareness Association of Canada, dismissed the contest as tacky and distasteful, telling The Guardian:

The station is clearly capitalizing on vulnerable patients who are desperate to have a family. Has anyone stopped to think how the hundreds of patients who do not win are going to feel?

This isn't the first contest with IVF as prize: in July, UK fertility charity To Hatch launched a controversial monthly lottery in which prospective parents pay $32 a ticket for the chance to win $25,000 of personalized fertility treatments.

Photo courtesy of hot899.com

Test Your Knowledge of Fertility Rites From Around the World

LilSugar — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 10:02:52 PDT

Fertility - or the lack thereof - has always been a major part of myth, legend, and ritual from around the world. For as long as humans have been making babies, and trying to make babies, there have been methods and theories about the best way to improve fertility. Some communities depended solely on prayer; others put their faith in special herbs or sacrificial offerings.

Test your knowledge of some of the ways different cultures have beckoned fertility - past and present!

Take the Quiz

8 Fertility Methods For Aspiring Parents

LilSugar — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 10:01:59 PDT

"We're not barren, we're reproductively challenged!" snaps Charlotte York in Season 4 of Sex and the City, her response to future ex-husband Trey's insensitive comment about the couple's apparent inability to conceive. Like Charlotte and Trey, fertility is an issue for many prospective parents. Individual reasons for using Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) run the gamut from health conditions inhibiting conception to gay couples or single individuals seeking to reproduce biologically, but one thing's for sure: once someone has baby on the brain, there's almost no limit to what they'll do to achieve their goal. Keep reading for a list of fertility methods that will help individuals on their path to parenthood.

Super Sperm! One Man, 150 (Biological) Children

LilSugar — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 05:16:04 PDT

Not some tawdry tabloid story about rampant polygamy, the recent New York Times story, "One Sperm Donor, 150 Offspring" tells the story of 20-year-old Ryan - born using donor sperm - and his 150 biological half-siblings. It's no secret that donating sperm is - ahem - less complicated than harvesting a woman's egg, and with no definitive regulations in place to limit the number of offspring produced from one donor, the number of children conceived with sperm from one donor is essentially limitless.

Groups like the Donor Sibling Registry are exposing the truth about this traditionally secretive industry, and it's pretty scary. Fertility is clearly big business these days, but critics have raised concerns that if left unchecked . . . the record numbers of half siblings could potentially result in an increase of - yikes! - accidental incest.

If you used donor sperm, how much would you want to know - or share with your child - about his conception and biological siblings?

Male Infertility Explained: Test Your Knowledge of the Causes

Rebecca M Gruber — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 05:27:34 PDT

Wearing a cup while playing sports and avoiding hot baths before sex used to be the only advice men were given to prevent fertility issues. With one in six couples now having trouble conceiving after a year of trying, it's no wonder that younger men and women are seeking to prevent infertility even before they are ready to become parents. A recent article in The Wall Street Journal identified several surprising causes of male infertility. Take this quiz and see how much you know about issues affecting men's sperm.

Take the Quiz

Creating the Future: Should Doctors Be Concerned With Child's Fertility?

Heather Maddan — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 04:30:00 PST

When a baby is born, parents dream of their tot's future. They envision the child talking, walking, graduating, getting married, and having offspring of their own. They assume their healthy kid will be able to reproduce, but that isn't the case for the mom and dad of a youngster fighting cancer. A recent report talked about the medical advancements that are being tested (and the lengths that doctors will go to) to preserve a prepubescent patient's fertility. It said:

With childhood cancer survival reaching 80 percent, there's a growing need to find ways to preserve these youngsters' fertility - and patients like Dylan are on the front edge of research that's banking testicular cells and ovarian tissue to try.

Grey's Anatomy Pregnancy and Fertility Quiz!

Heather Maddan — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 04:00:28 PST

Grey's Anatomy is getting to be all about the babies! As Callie's pregnancy becomes a main story line, lots of funny situations arise - especially since there are three parents-to-be chiming in with their opinions. And, Callie, Arizona, and Mark aren't the only ones making family plans. Derek and Meredith and Owen and Christina are also discussing the possibilities. Take this quiz and see how closely you watched last night's episode.

Take the Quiz

Grey's Anatomy: Fertility and Baby Quiz

Heather Maddan — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 10:21:46 PST

Grey's Anatomy is getting to be all about the babies! As Callie's pregnancy becomes a main storyline and other characters talk about motherhood, funny situations arise. Take this quiz and see how closely you watched last night's episode.

Take the Quiz

Fair For Fertile Couples to Do It Anywhere When Trying to Conceive?

Heather Maddan — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 10:28:01 PST

Julia and Joel get busy in Adam and Kristina's bathroom on last night's episode of Parenthood! When the youngest Braverman sister realizes she's ovulating during Max's chaotic birthday party, she and her husband sneak upstairs to take advantage of the fertile time frame. Since the couple has been trying to conceive a second child for months, Kristina is amused rather than offended when she accidentally walks in on them (and offers them the bed). What's your opinion of this behavior?

Hoping For an 11/11/11 Baby? This Is Your Week!

Rebecca M Gruber — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 10:00:02 PST

Get to work! Couples hoping to give birth on Nov. 11 of this year should be clearing their calendars for this Friday night. Though Valentine's Day night is often filled with romance, doctors (and fertility apps) agree that Feb. 18 is the ideal date for a woman with a 28-day-cycle to conceive an 11/11/11 baby. The date, which many parents-to-be are actively seeking, is not only easy to remember, but is believed to be lucky.

Check out these guides for boosting your chances of delivering on this special date:

Increase your chances with these five ways couples can naturally boost their fertility.
Stay away from certain household items that can affect your fertility.
Separate fact from fiction by knowing the truth about fertility myths.
Consider having sex every day leading up to the 18 to increase your odds of conceiving.
Try these over-the-counter methods for increasing your fertility.