Infertility is something only those who have experienced it understand fully. It is not just a medical issue with which to be dealt; it is something that infuses every part of your life. Although infertility is a personal journey, it is one that many travel and sharing that journey has never been more possible than today.

Infertility Support

When a couple is diagnosed with fertility problems, the fertility treatment center is likely to recommend a support group. Many people find support groups helpful as they seek treatment and experience the many complicated emotional, social, economic and medical issues associated with infertility. Some of the advantages of local infertility help and support groups include:

• A close local group can be a source of information on local infertility helps
• Provide the opportunity to know others in the area who are dealing with the same issues
• A resource for local fertility centers

Online Forums Provide Infertility Help

With the advent of the internet, many online support groups have been created to provide valuable infertility help. While every person is unique, in the vastness of online support groups a person is very likely to find someone who’s diagnosis and circumstances are very similar to their own. Online support groups can provide the knowledge that there are many people out there who have been right where you are, and lead very full and happy lives while they deal with the many complexities of infertility. Some of the many advantages of online infertility help includes:

• The opportunity to remain somewhat anonymous allows the participant to express thoughts and fears more feely than they might otherwise in person.
• Online forums disseminate information very quickly and are often the best place to learn about new treatments, adverse effects and other relevant information.
• Dealing with anger and sadness may also be easier when discussed with the privacy that an online forum provides.

Online Forums Can Provide Practical Infertility Help

Although there are many medical issues with which online forums can provide help, everyday practical help is also very valuable. Dealing with infertility is emotionally exhausting, and many people can unknowingly be hurtful. It is difficult to be happy when it seems nearly every occasion is an opportunity to be reminded of your desire to have a child. An online support group can help in dealing with the emotions that come up when a kind, but somewhat thoughtless sister-in-law constantly updates her website with the potty training progress of her 1 year old or what to say when someone asks, yet again, if you plan on having children. many groups are for men or women only and gives each the place to vent feelings without the feeling of being monitored. An online community can help in dealing gracefully with the many every day situations that come up, such as:

• Attending baby showers for family and coworkers
• Lost pregnancies
• Probing questions
• Well meaning but uninformed advise
• Marital problems
• Financial stresses
• Dealing with physicians when you do not see eye-to-eye
• Practical help in dealing with the side effects of infertility treatments

Dealing with infertility can be a long and painful journey but one that can be rewarding with the added help of those who understand the difficulty personally. There is an amazing wealth of information and infertility help right at the finger tip, and always, many willing to share in the journey.

The use of cryopreservation in fertility treatments has been widely applied since the 1980s when pregnancy and live birth was first achieved from a frozen and thawed embryo. Since that time, reproductive technology continues to advance and now, in addition to embryo cryopreservation, egg cryopreservation is also becoming more common. New to reproductive technology, egg freezing is giving additional choices to couples trying to conceive or wishing to extend or preserve their time of conception. Having been recently developed, a relatively few number of people have yet chosen to have their eggs thawed yet although early results show a better than 20% success rate.

What is Embryo Cryopreservation?

Embryo cryopreservation, or embryo freezing, is a commonly used form of assisted conception treatment for couples experiencing fertility problems. Typically, to assure the highest possibility of success, more embryos are created than will be used in one IVF cycle. When there are embryos that are not used in an IVF treatment, many couples opt to preserve them for possible use in a subsequent treatment cycle. In order to be preserved, the embryos undergo the following process:

• The embryos are placed in thin vials which resemble straws
• A preservation solution is added to the vile to protect the embryo
• The vials are stored in a controlled freezer containing liquid nitrogen

The Thawing Procedure

• The Embryo is brought to room temperature
• The embryo is cleaned of any preservation fluid
• The embryo is warmed to body temperature

The Transfer Procedure

• A thin catheter is gently guided through the cervix and into the uterus
• The embryo is transferred to the uterus

Many women report that the Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) process is much less stressful than a “fresh” embryo transfer and many fertility specialists have much better results using embryo cryopreservation.

What is Egg Freezing?

Very new in reproductive technologies, egg freezing is offering new possibilities in couples trying to conceive. The egg freezing process is very much like the embryo cryopreservation process. In egg freezing, some of a woman’s eggs are collected to be frozen and used at a later date. Like in embryo cryopreservation, the eggs are stored in protective medium and frozen. Although so new that very little data has yet been obtained, the process is proving very promising. Already, 300 pregnancies have been achieved using the process. Typically, the process is considered for women 40 years old or younger. Though the principle is the same, there are some slight differences in the process which include:

• Some of the media used to process the eggs is different
• The eggs require a different cooling rate
• Egg freezing has not been around as long as embryo cryopreservation and long term data is not available

Preserving Fertility Options

Both embryo cryopreservation and egg freezing are options for those either having difficulty conceiving or those who wish to preserve fertility options and start a family at a later time.