2023

IVF FLORIDA's Fertility Awareness Checkup

If you're thinking about starting or growing your family, having a good grasp of your fertility is crucial.

IVF FLORIDA is committed to proactive fertility management and provides Fertility Awareness Check-Ups for women aged 21-44. This evaluation is designed to help you make informed decisions and maximize your chances of conception. With IVF FLORIDA's Fertility Awareness Check-Up, you can benefit from a blood test and transvaginal ultrasound that assesses your reproductive health. Our tests consider all the factors that contribute to fertility, such as hormonal balance, ovarian reserve, and uterine health.

Hormonal Evaluation:

• Hormonal imbalances can significantly impact fertility. IVF FLORIDA's Fertility Awareness Checkup includes a thorough hormonal evaluation to assess your reproductive hormone levels.
• This evaluation helps identify irregularities that may affect ovulation, egg quality, or overall reproductive health.

Ovarian Reserve Assessment:

• Evaluating your ovarian reserve is crucial in understanding your fertility potential.
• IVF FLORIDA's Fertility Awareness Checkup includes a blood test to measure three hormones (E2, FSH, and AMH). The results will assess ovarian function and the ovaries' ability to produce eggs.

Uterine Health Assessment:

• The health of your uterus plays a vital role in successful conception and pregnancy.
• IVF FLORIDA's Fertility Awareness Checkup includes a transvaginal ultrasound to evaluate ovarian reserve and check for any uterine abnormalities.

Personalized Recommendations:

• After completing the Fertility Awareness Checkup, you will meet with a fertility specialist and receive your results.
• Based on this assessment, the fertility specialists at IVF FLORIDA will provide recommendations to optimize your fertility journey.
• Depending on your specific needs, these recommendations may include lifestyle modifications, fertility treatments, or further diagnostic tests.

Empowering Your Fertility Journey:

• IVF FLORIDA's Fertility Awareness Check-Up empowers you by providing valuable information about your reproductive health.
• Armed with this knowledge, you can make informed decisions about family planning and take proactive steps to enhance your fertility.
• Whether you are ready to start a family now or in the future, the Fertility Awareness Checkup equips you with the tools to navigate your fertility journey with confidence.

IVF FLORIDA's Fertility Awareness Check-Up offers a comprehensive snapshot of your reproductive health. By assessing key factors such as hormonal balance, ovarian reserve, and uterine health, this checkup provides valuable insights into your fertility potential. With the guidance of experienced fertility specialists and personalized recommendations, you can take proactive steps toward realizing your dream of starting or expanding your family. 

Schedule your Fertility Awareness Checkup with IVF FLORIDA today and embark on a well-informed fertility journey.

Five Reasons to Consider Egg Freezing

Today, women embrace their options and make choices that align with their dreams and aspirations. One such choice that has gained significant attention is egg freezing. This groundbreaking technology offers the possibility of preserving fertility and providing options for women to navigate their reproductive journey on their own terms. Whether it's a desire to focus on career goals, medical considerations, or personal fulfillment, egg freezing has opened doors to new possibilities. 

In this blog post, we'll explore five common reasons why women are considering egg freezing, empowering themselves to shape their lives and futures with confidence and freedom. 

1. Age and Fertility: As women age, their fertility declines. Freezing eggs at a younger age can help a woman preserve her eggs when they are still healthy and have a higher chance of successful fertilization later in life.
   
   
2. Health Reasons: Some health conditions or treatments, such as cancer or certain surgeries, can affect a woman's fertility. Freezing eggs before undergoing these treatments can provide an opportunity to have biological children in the future.
   
   
3. Career and Education: For some women, their career or educational pursuits are top priorities during their reproductive years. Freezing eggs offers the flexibility to delay parenthood until a later time when they feel more prepared and established.
   
   
4. Relationship Status: Women who have not found the right partner or are not in a stable relationship, but still desire to have a biological child in the future may choose to freeze their eggs. Freezing eggs allows them to preserve their fertility options until they find the right time and circumstances.
   
   
5. Personal Choice: Egg freezing gives women the autonomy to make choices about their reproductive future. It provides a sense of security, peace of mind, and the opportunity to have children when they feel emotionally and financially prepared.

Remember, every woman's journey is different, and the decision to freeze eggs is deeply personal. Consulting with an IVF FLORIDA fertility specialist can provide you with personalized advice and guidance based on your individual circumstances. To learn more, call 954-247-6200 or visit ivfflorida.com.

Five Ways to Prioritize Your Mental Health

Going through fertility treatment can be both physically and emotionally demanding. It's crucial to prioritize your health and well-being during this journey to ensure you're taking care of yourself. By incorporating simple and mindful practices into your routine, you can nurture your body, mind, and spirit. Here are five ways to prioritize your health while undergoing fertility treatment at IVF FLORIDA.

Practice Self-Care: 
During fertility treatment, it's vital to carve out time for self-care. Engage in activities that bring you joy and relaxation, whether it's reading a book, taking a soothing bath, practicing meditation or mindfulness, or indulging in a hobby. Self-care helps reduce stress, enhances emotional well-being, and allows you to reconnect with yourself.

Focus on Balanced Nutrition:
Nourishing your body with a balanced diet is essential for your overall health and fertility. Include a variety of nutrient-dense foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats. Stay hydrated and limit the consumption of processed foods and sugary drinks. Consult with a nutritionist to ensure you're meeting your specific nutritional needs during fertility treatment.

Prioritize Restful Sleep:
Adequate sleep is crucial for hormonal balance and overall well-being. Establish a consistent sleep schedule and create a sleep-friendly environment. Practice relaxation techniques before bed, such as reading, deep breathing, or gentle stretching. Minimize exposure to electronic devices that emit blue light, as it can disrupt sleep patterns. Prioritizing quality sleep supports your body's natural healing and rejuvenation processes.

Engage in Gentle Exercise:
Physical activity can contribute positively to your well-being during fertility treatment. Engage in low-impact exercises like walking, swimming, yoga, or pilates. These activities can help reduce stress, improve circulation, and boost mood. However, consult with your healthcare provider to ensure the exercises you choose to align with your specific treatment plan.

Seek Emotional Support:
Navigating fertility treatment can be emotionally challenging. It's crucial to seek emotional support and connect with others who understand your journey. Consider joining support groups, seeking therapy, or engaging in online communities where you can share experiences, receive guidance, and find encouragement. Remember, you're not alone, and reaching out for support is a sign of strength.

Prioritizing your health while undergoing fertility treatment is vital for your overall well-being and the success of your journey. By practicing self-care, focusing on balanced nutrition, prioritizing restful sleep, engaging in gentle exercise, and seeking emotional support, you're nurturing both your body and mind. Remember to be kind to yourself, practice patience, and celebrate each step forward. You've got this!

Remember, it's important to consult with your healthcare provider or fertility specialist for personalized advice and recommendations based on your specific fertility treatment and individual needs. To schedule an appointment with an IVF FLORIDA fertility specialist, call 954-247-6200 or visit ivfflorida.com.

IVF FLORIDA Patient Story: Stephanie

Tell us about your journey to parenthood. 
If there is one thing I’ve always known, it’s that one of my main purposes on this earth is to become a mom. Ten years ago, I met my partner, Kevin. While we have always been avid adventurers, about five years ago we knew that forever was in our cards and naturally we became ready to take on the biggest journey of all. The journey to parenthood. I always knew that there was the possibility I was a carrier of Becker Muscular Dystrophy, but it was until a few years ago that I actually sought out testing to confirm my carrier status. This is an X-linked recessive inheritance, which means my biological father has the condition and the carrier status was passed to me. His brother also has the disease as it was passed on from their mother as a carrier with her being unaware of her status. Which means her father passed it to her. This has become about breaking a cycle of a genetic condition. To provide some insight, BMD is a rare condition, and it occurs in about 3 to 6 of every 100,000 births and mainly affects male children. Girls are rarely affected by the disease but could hold a carrier status. 

Once confirmed, I found myself doing a lot of research to uncover our options for becoming parents. We made a personal choice to find a way to have kids that wouldn’t include passing on this disease to our children. I found myself down several rabbit holes and had pretty much convinced myself that either I just wasn’t meant to have kids, or we would never be able to afford it, and we just might have to find another way. I will note that we allowed for at least a year of trying to conceive naturally with the best hope that it would happen, and things would take place in our favor. Deep down I’d like to think there is a reason it didn’t happen.  

After endless internet searches, meetings with genetic counselors and fertility clinics, and reaching out to friends and family I was given a recommendation from a friend to check out IVF Florida Reproductive Associates. My friend had personally had success with IVF Florida and Dr. Marc Gualtieri. She had first-hand experience with Dr. G, and she told me how successful her experience was. As a result, she and her partner now have twins! I decided to reach out to IVF Florida and see just what my options might be.  

At our initial consultation at the Jupiter office, I felt extremely comfortable from the get-go. The staff was warm and welcoming, and Dr. G wanted to hear everything we had to say. He was impressed by my knowledge of my condition and appreciated that I was my own advocate. After hearing us out, he reviewed our best options and told us how to go about starting the process. Our option would be IVF with PGD (Prediagnosis Genetic Diagnosis), which is a laboratory procedure used in conjunction with IVF to reduce the risk of passing on inherited conditions. I can’t say enough about how great the Nursing staff, financial counselors, and doctors have been through all stages, especially with the beginning of the process and everything is so new to us. They were able to lay out my plan step by step for all prework required that would lead us to start our first IVF Cycle.  

On April 5, 2023, I began my first IVF cycle. There were a lot of fears that accompanied the initial start of medications. Would I be ok with the shots? Am I mentally prepared? Emotionally? Physically? Once we got the go-ahead to start, we met with Frankie, one of the nurses in the Jupiter office that walked us through the process of giving myself stimulation meds. They provide a very clear and precise calendar along with a chart detailing how and when each medication should be taken and for how long. There was not one question that went unanswered, and we walked out feeling prepared and comfortable with what lie ahead. Jumping ahead we are now here at Day 10 of Stim Meds, as we approach Trigger Shot day and Egg Retrieval, we remain hopeful and excited for what our journey ahead may hold. I will say I approach this process cautiously optimistic of the ups and downs to come, but what I can be confident in is that I have the support of friends/family and a great fertility team at IVF Florida Jupiter Office regardless of my outcome. 
 
Do you have any advice to share? 
If I can offer any advice to those who are contemplating their journey to Parenthood via IVF/IUI or however you choose to proceed with your family planning. Go in confident, secure, and empower those around you who are along for the ride.  

Please know that family planning is a personal choice, and there is no one reproductive option that is best. Choose the path that works best for you, and I hope you’ll include IVF Florida as a part of that journey.  

IVF FLORIDA Patient Story: Marvia

Tell us about your journey:
Dr. Bou Nemer gave us hope when others told us to give up. She was always realistic and always spoke to us with statistical facts. She never allowed us to lose hope, and she mapped out different routes and told us: “This is going to be hard, but we are going to try fiercely.” 

We felt that she really cared about us individually, as a couple, and as a family. She seemed really sad with every failure and really happy with our victories. When we finally got to the transfer stage, she told us, “You are in the best position to achieve this pregnancy, which is 60%” - honest but hopeful every time.

We started our fertility journey back in 2018. We were already a family of five, with my husband bringing to our family three boys from a previous marriage. They were in Venezuela, and when we finally got to bring them to the States, we knew we were ready to complete our family, hopefully with a couple of girls. We knocked on the door of a fertility facility to see the options of conceiving a girl, thinking that it would be an easy procedure. That’s when my nightmare started, the first doctor we saw emphasized that it would be almost impossible for me to conceive even through IVF. She diagnosed me with diminished ovarian reserve. I was 34 at that time. We saw several other doctors looking for different opinions, but I never trusted anybody because the opinions ranged from impossible to you can get pregnant with the first cycle. Went I met Dr. Bou Nemer, I immediately knew I was in the right place. She was really caring, loving, and knowledgeable. She gave me answers no one had given me before. She is definitely smart and has a lot of expertise in the field. 

While waiting for our first cycle, we got spontaneously pregnant, but we lost that pregnancy as we were expecting to do the clinical hypothesis Dr. Bou Nemer gave us. Then our cycle got canceled due to COVID and delayed the process a few months. And when we finally could start we didn't have any viable eggs. 

But thanks to faith, love, and science, we fertilized three eggs and got two viable and normal embryos, and we were lucky enough to get both girls! One transferred on September 22, 2020, and the other on June 28, 2022. 

Now that both of my miracle babies: Aimee and Isla are earth side and our family is happily complete, I can only be thankful, eternally thankful to Dr. Bou Nemer, her team at Pembroke Pines and Coral Gables and all the IVF family. 

PS. our first baby is named Aimee Laurice after Dr. Bou Nemer, we love her! She is always going to have a special place in our family.