Greysha Rivera-Cruz, M.D., is an obstetrician-gynecologist and medical geneticist. She joined IVF FLORIDA Reproductive Associates in July 2022.
Dr. Rivera-Cruz holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Sciences from the University of Puerto Rico. In 2015, she obtained her medical degree from the Universidad Central del Caribe School of Medicine. During her time there, she became a member of the Alpha-Omega-Alpha Honor Medical Society and developed a passion for reproductive medicine. Rivera-Cruz then completed her obstetrics and gynecology training at the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine. She continued her medical training in Clinical Genetics and Genomics at Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School Genetics Program.
Joining IVF FLORIDA as a reproductive geneticist, Dr. Rivera-Cruz specializes in consultations for individuals interested in learning more about their reproductive health and the risks to their future families. She evaluates patients with suspected genetic disorders or chromosomal abnormalities, personal or family history of cancer, advanced maternal or parental age, recurrent miscarriages, primary ovarian insufficiency, severe sperm abnormalities, and couple carriers with the same genetic disorders. Dr. Rivera-Cruz also guides patients considering preimplantation genetic testing.
Dr. Rivera-Cruz is fluent in English and Spanish. Her professional interests include genetic disorders that may predispose individuals to infertility, premature ovarian insufficiency, and genetic testing on embryos.
As a member of the fertility team, Dr. Rivera-Cruz looks forward to educating and supporting patients as they navigate genetic testing and screening options, so they can make informed decisions.
To learn more or to schedule an appointment, call 954-247-6200.
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IVF FLORIDA at 22 Sep 2022
Tell us about how you discovered you had PCOS. Your journey to parenthood after diagnosis. What gave you hope throughout the process?
I have been with my husband since we were 15 years old! We dated all through high school and college. In 2016 we got married and started our journey as Mr. and Mrs. About a year and a half into our marriage, we decided it was time to start a family. As the months passed and the tests were negative, I knew something was off. We went to our regular OBGYN, and they advised us to seek a fertility doctor since we had been trying for a year and only had negative results. We went to an IVF clinic and saw a doctor, who eventually diagnosed me with PCOS. He gave us a treatment plan which included medications and monitoring. But something still did not feel right. I did not feel at HOME.
I am unsure if that makes sense, but after several months of working with this clinic and more negative results, I knew I needed to look elsewhere.
We contacted IVF FLORIDA Reproductive Associates and scheduled an appointment with Dr. Daniel Christie. The SECOND my husband and I met him, we immediately KNEW he was the doctor we had been waiting to see. Dr. Christie immediately made me feel at HOME. He went through every single step of every process we had to endure. If we did not understand something, he would explain it until we did.
We did medicated cycles, Several IUIs, and even with all of those cycles returning negative, Dr. Christie always had the most positive outlook on EVERYTHING, which would carry over and help our sadness of the failed cycles. Eventually, we decided IVF was going to be our option. Dr. Christie communicated and kept us informed every step of the way, and we froze 12 embryos.
In 2019 we transferred my first embryo, which was successful, and on January 10, 2020, I gave birth to my first miracle baby boy Brandon. Then in 2021, we were ready to add a sibling and transferred a second embryo. On March 29, 2022, I gave birth to my second miracle baby boy Christoper.
Had it not been for Dr. Christie and his attitude and overall love for what he does, I would not have been able to go through this process the way I did. I am forever grateful to Dr. Christie and his staff at IVF Florida.
What were some highs and lows?
I would say a high would be when you see that positive test -- when you get that call, the call you've waited two weeks to receive.
The lows are that the medication takes a toll on you. All the injections can be overwhelming and seem like they are never-ending, especially that progesterone! BUT ask for help!
Did any IVF FLORIDA team members provide outstanding care or support?
The nurses at the transfer clinic in Margate are amazing! Everyone makes you feel safe, and they do all they can to make you comfortable.
What advice or tips would you share with patients starting out on their fertility journey?
DO NOT GIVE UP! I know that seeing multiple negative tests can be the most horrific thing. And there are no words that can help but know that not giving up and pushing yourself to keep going is the only way I was able to do it.
Also, talk to your loved ones. During all this, I would not have been able to do it without my husband. He is my best friend and my total rock during this whole process. He pushed me and encouraged me every single step of the way.
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IVF FLORIDA at 14 Sep 2022
PCOS is an incredibly common disease that impacts the day to day lives of millions of women. But what is PCOS? And how does it impact a woman's ability to conceive? In honor of PCOS awareness month, we go over all of the facts you need to know about PCOS.
PCOS is a common disease that can impact a woman's life in several ways, but there are ways to manage the symptoms. For women with PCOS struggling to conceive, our IVF FLORIDA infertility experts are here for you. If you've been trying to conceive without success and want to see a specialist, contact us today to schedule an appointment.
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IVF FLORIDA at 1 Sep 2022
The decision to start a family is an exciting time, but for some couples, that excitement is overshadowed by disappointment when conceiving isn’t as easy as they thought. The truth is achieving or maintaining a pregnancy is a common problem in the United States. In fact, infertility affects 1 in 8 couples trying to get pregnant, regardless of gender, age, or background. Knowing when to seek help is based on how long you’ve been trying to conceive — or having unprotected intercourse — and the woman’s age. The good news is that early fertility testing and treatment offer the best chances of success.
Below, the experts of IVF FLORIDA go over four reasons you should seek fertility early.
Age
Age plays a critical role for both women and men. For couples, infertility is being unable to conceive after a year of trying – unless the woman is 35 or older. In that case, couples should seek treatment after six months of trying without success. When the woman is 40 or over, speaking with a specialist should happen as soon as you decide it is the right time to start a family. That is because of the quantity and quality of eggs women have, which decrease with age.
But age is not the only factor for women. Male fertility starts to decline around 40 years old when sperm quality decreases, which reduces the chance of pregnancy and increases the time to pregnancy, and resulting pregnancies are more likely to result in miscarriage.
Cost
For many women who wait longer to start families, invasive procedures, like IVF, may be tried earlier to increase the chances of conception.
Younger women are more likely to have a better reserve of quality eggs, meaning they are more likely to be successful with less invasive methods like fertility medications or intrauterine insemination (IUI). Not only are these treatments less invasive–they are less expensive than more involved procedures.
If you have questions about the financial options available to you through IVF FLORIDA, contact our finance team today.
Health Awareness
The fertility workup patients receive when they start treatment can provide a wealth of general health information. For many men and women, infertility can be due to an underlying health issue they weren’t aware they had. These issues (such as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome or thyroid diseases) can cause several health problems, ranging from hypertension to depression. Learning that you have an underlying problem is the first step to taking charge of your fertility health.
Fertility Preservation
For women looking to delay parenthood, time is still of the essence! Women can now preserve their future fertility through egg freezing, enabling them to build a family when the time is right. However, women considering this option should move forward as soon as possible to increase their chances of success. As egg quality and quantity decline as women age, women who choose to freeze their eggs earlier have a higher likelihood of freezing enough high-quality eggs to give them the best chance of conceiving later in life.
Considering freezing your eggs? Contact our team to learn more.
If you and your partner would like to learn more about your treatment options, contact the fertility specialists at IVF FLORIDA at 954-247-6200 or request an appointment today.
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IVF FLORIDA at 25 Aug 2022
IVF FLORIDA is proud to announce a new partnership with Embryo Options. Through this partnership, IVF FLORIDA patients can access a secure online payment system for storage of embryos, eggs, or sperm, a comprehensive educational website, and disposition forms when storage is no longer needed.
About Embryo Options:
Embryo Options, a company that services fertility centers throughout the US, offers a HIPAA-compliant, secure online website for cryopreserved embryos, eggs, and sperm. IVF FLORIDA’s partnership with Embryo Options enables patients cryopreserving biological specimens to conveniently pay storage fees online and gain access to a comprehensive educational website to explore various disposition options for their embryos, eggs, or sperm.
Next Steps?
The physical storage of all embryos, eggs, and sperm remains within the highly-controlled laboratory environment at IVF FLORIDA Reproductive Associates.
Storage of embryos, eggs, or sperm will continue until patients decide to use their specimens in an assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment cycle, transfer them to a long-term storage facility, or submit signed copies of the IVF Florida disposition forms. The disposition forms will allow patients to authorize the lab to discard the specimens or donate them for research or reproductive use.
All patients with cryopreserved embryos, eggs, or sperm at IVF FLORIDA will receive a mailed letter with information about billing and the next steps.
In the meantime, if you have questions about your specimens, please email ivflabcryobilling@ivfflorida.com.
To transfer your specimens to offsite storage, contact ReproTech at 954-570-7687 or visit www.reprotech.com/ivfflorida.
To learn about Embryo Options or schedule a new patient appointment at IVF FLORIDA, please call our New Patient Center at 954-247-6200.
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IVF FLORIDA at 19 Aug 2022