Dominion Fertility's Posts - Fertile Grounds | IVF Forum | Tips for getting Pregnant2018-08-30T23:28:59ZDominion Fertilityhttp://fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com/profile/DominionFertilityhttp://api.ning.com:80/files/v6XxXFfEuuQeKMJ0cnzmb2uEq2NdGJrxcJQywJXif2f46mDp1fPcbnWAoJcBsk3fbSgyLUWtAfAwU-CCa3rybeyMTh1Dl8dz/1223554394.jpeg?xgip=68%3A0%3A491%3A491%3B%3B&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1http://fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com/profiles/blog/feed?user=1wew8oxgapo1q&xn_auth=noChildren conceived using IVF have the same neurodevelopment of those children who are conceived naturally.tag:fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com,2017-01-18:3369676:BlogPost:677582017-01-18T21:00:00.000ZDominion Fertilityhttp://fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com/profile/DominionFertility
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<p><span class="font-size-5">Hi, this is Dr. Michael DiMattina, Medical Director at Dominion Fertility, with some good news to those parents who have children from in vitro fertilization. A new article, just released from the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, revealed a study that showed that children conceived…</span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-5">Hi, this is Dr. Michael DiMattina, Medical Director at Dominion Fertility, with some good news to those parents who have children from in vitro fertilization. A new article, just released from the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, revealed a study that showed that children conceived using IVF have the same neurodevelopment of those children who are conceived naturally. They studied children at 2 years of age, looking at their cognitive motor and language skills at 2 years of age, and fortunately, those children conceived from IVF have similar development as those who are conceived naturally. So, this is really good news and reassuring to those many millions of parents out there who have children conceived through IVF. We are very happy about this. This is in concert with other data and other studies that show similar findings. This is the most recent one today.</span></p>
<p>Dr. Michael DiMattina wishing you all the best from Dominion Fertility.</p>Fried Food and Your Fertilitytag:fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com,2017-01-18:3369676:BlogPost:679572017-01-18T02:25:25.000ZDominion Fertilityhttp://fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com/profile/DominionFertility
<p><span class="font-size-6"><span class="font-size-5">Fried Food and Your Fertility<br></br> <a href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/llVO6PYtbd5zZKOaoCe2JfTIiX1jajzh3MNANTEhkbhNDU*WZTIuV7--1J26atn3qodwXE8PAyVL8mX1m7mWbJqZPEIfMkff/fertilityfoods.jpg" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/llVO6PYtbd5zZKOaoCe2JfTIiX1jajzh3MNANTEhkbhNDU*WZTIuV7--1J26atn3qodwXE8PAyVL8mX1m7mWbJqZPEIfMkff/fertilityfoods.jpg?width=600" width="600"></img></a></span></span></p>
<p>During the holidays, we enjoyed being with our families, and of course, cooking and EATING. If your post-holiday plans include fitting fertility treatment into your calendar during the new year, and you…</p>
<p><span class="font-size-6"><span class="font-size-5">Fried Food and Your Fertility<br/> <a href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/llVO6PYtbd5zZKOaoCe2JfTIiX1jajzh3MNANTEhkbhNDU*WZTIuV7--1J26atn3qodwXE8PAyVL8mX1m7mWbJqZPEIfMkff/fertilityfoods.jpg" target="_self"><img src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/llVO6PYtbd5zZKOaoCe2JfTIiX1jajzh3MNANTEhkbhNDU*WZTIuV7--1J26atn3qodwXE8PAyVL8mX1m7mWbJqZPEIfMkff/fertilityfoods.jpg?width=600" width="600" class="align-full"/></a></span></span></p>
<p>During the holidays, we enjoyed being with our families, and of course, cooking and EATING. If your post-holiday plans include fitting fertility treatment into your calendar during the new year, and you wonder if there is anything you or your partner can do to help with the outcome, please read more…</p>
<p>Yes, while you are doing your fertility treatment, your partner can help to improve your odds of having a healthy baby, and yes, fried food has something to do with it!</p>
<p>The American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s Annual Meeting was held in Baltimore recently, and reported that new research indicates a high-fat diet, not just being obese, could impact fertility in both men and women.</p>
<blockquote><strong><span class="font-size-6">"Fertilization rates were found to be lowest in couples where men had diets high in trans-fat intake. These foods include cakes, pies, cookies, biscuits, doughnuts, fried fast food, and frozen pizza"</span></strong></blockquote>
<p><span class="font-size-5">A team from the Harvard School of Public Health and Massachusetts General Hospital studied the impact of high trans-fat intake, specifically in men. Men who were part of couples undergoing Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) treatments were given food journals. Fertilization rates were found to be lowest in couples where men had diets high in trans-fat intake. These foods include cakes, pies, cookies, biscuits, doughnuts, fried fast food, and frozen pizza.</span></p>
<p>The food industry uses trans fats to enhance taste and texture and make foods last longer. Unfortunately, that’s not all trans fats do. Their consumption increases risk for many chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. Your recommended daily intake of trans fat is about zero grams!</p>
<p>Going into the new year, make your resolutions early to enjoy healthy, great-tasting food with the loved ones. Not only will it protect your heart but it will also help you achieve your fertility goals.</p>
<p>Happy new year from Dominion Fertility!</p>
<p>Please see ASRM press release on this topic.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.asrm.org/news/article.aspx?id=15606">https://www.asrm.org/news/article.aspx?id=15606</a></p>
<p>- Dr. Kay Waud</p>New Year, Resolutions, Exercise, & Your Fertilitytag:fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com,2017-01-11:3369676:BlogPost:679502017-01-11T17:00:00.000ZDominion Fertilityhttp://fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com/profile/DominionFertility
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<p>Happy Holidays!</p>
<p>This is the time to indulge in decadent family recipes and feast on thousands of calories. In addition, I recently checked, and not surprisingly, my gym limited its hours for the holidays. My favorite exercise classes won’t even resume until January. Here I am desperately trying to…</p>
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<p>Happy Holidays!</p>
<p>This is the time to indulge in decadent family recipes and feast on thousands of calories. In addition, I recently checked, and not surprisingly, my gym limited its hours for the holidays. My favorite exercise classes won’t even resume until January. Here I am desperately trying to fit in a few runs and spinning classes during the holidays, and it occurred to me that maybe I should motivate myself and my patients by stating what exercise can do that a plate of dark chocolate mousse filled with passion fruit panna cotta and salted caramel ice cream cannot do for your fertility! and YES, that is an amazing dessert menu item at my favorite Georgetown cafe.</p>
<blockquote><strong><span class="font-size-6">"Moderate physical activity was associated with improved fertility among all women regardless of their body mass index."</span></strong></blockquote>
<p>In a North American preconception cohort study published in 2016, moderate physical activity was associated with improved fertility among all women regardless of their body mass index. In the same study, vigorous activity was associated with improved fertility among women with BMI greater than 25. Here is the science ladies… this study included over 2000 women and all exercise was documented during the preconception period.</p>
<p>Another study was presented at a conference in sunny Southern California few years ago. That study’s findings were consistent with my current recommendations for our patients. An active lifestyle in the preceding year favorably impacts the IVF outcome!</p>
<p>So I say enjoy your favorite holiday recipe, but do it after a brisk walk, yoga or whatever your favorite exercise is. This may lead to you achieving your reproductive goals faster.</p>
<p>Please see the following abstracts on this topic.</p>
<p><a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2016.04.011">http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2016.04.011</a><br/> <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2013.12.041">http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2013.12.041</a><br/>
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<p>- Dr. Kay Waud</p>Frozen Embryo Transfers: High success rates and cost savingstag:fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com,2017-01-11:3369676:BlogPost:677502017-01-11T00:24:36.000ZDominion Fertilityhttp://fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com/profile/DominionFertility
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<p>Hi! This is Dr. Michael DiMattina, Medical Director of Dominion Fertility in Arlington, Virginia.</p>
<blockquote><strong>"Our goal at Dominion Fertility is to get the highest pregnancy rates possible for our patients, at the least cost"</strong></blockquote>
<p>Our goal at Dominion Fertility is to get the highest…</p>
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<p>Hi! This is Dr. Michael DiMattina, Medical Director of Dominion Fertility in Arlington, Virginia.</p>
<blockquote><strong>"Our goal at Dominion Fertility is to get the highest pregnancy rates possible for our patients, at the least cost"</strong></blockquote>
<p>Our goal at Dominion Fertility is to get the highest pregnancy rates possible for our patients, at the least cost. We do that, in large part, by taking our embryos and freezing all the embryos, and then transferring the embryos outside of the stimulated IVF cycle. Research has shown, and our experience agrees, that by doing that, you get higher pregnancy rates than if you transfer the embryo in the same cycle that the stimulation was performed and the embryo produced.</p>
<p>Now, today, there is an article out in the journal called Reproductive BioMedicine Online, which did a cost analysis, which showed that it’s also cost effective. Not only do you get higher pregnancy rates, but it’s actually more cost effective. This study was done in Europe, and on average they saved over $2,000 per treatment cycle, because when you freeze the embryos you get a higher pregnancy rate compared to putting the embryos in fresh. There is no downside, no risk with that either.</p>
<p>The bottom line is they were able to get higher pregnancy rates because there were fewer embryo transfers necessary, and that decreased the cost significantly. Fast forward to where we are now in 2017. Dominion Fertility happens to be one of the premier IVF centers in the United States performing stimulated IVF. We perform IVF using preimplantation genetic screening in almost all of our patients. PGS allows us to basically discriminate which embryo is genetically normal, and then by replacing that embryo, we even further increase our pregnancy rates and further decrease the cost.</p>
<blockquote><strong>"Fewer transfers, higher pregnancy rates, better outcome-that’s Dominion Fertility."</strong></blockquote>
<p>Fewer transfers, higher pregnancy rates, better outcome-that’s Dominion Fertility. Now we have a cost analysis out of Europe that confirms that there is a huge advantage to freezing all the embryos and transferring them outside of the stimulated cycle. So, good news for our patients!</p>
<p>Happy New Year!</p>
<p>Dr. Michael DiMattina, Medical Director<br/> Dominion Fertility</p>Can I exercise?tag:fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com,2017-01-10:3369676:BlogPost:678462017-01-10T16:46:04.000ZDominion Fertilityhttp://fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com/profile/DominionFertility
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<p><span class="font-size-5">One of the recommendations from the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology states: “Women with uncomplicated pregnancies should be encouraged to engage in aerobic and strength-conditioning exercises before, during, and after pregnancy.”</span></p>
<p>The majority of our patients…</p>
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<p><span class="font-size-5">One of the recommendations from the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology states: “Women with uncomplicated pregnancies should be encouraged to engage in aerobic and strength-conditioning exercises before, during, and after pregnancy.”</span></p>
<p>The majority of our patients inquire about lifestyle changes in an attempt to optimize their reproductive outcomes. Eating healthy, as well as discontinuing alcohol and tobacco consumption, will increase the likelihood of having a healthy baby. In addition, regular exercise is shown to improve pregnancy outcomes.</p>
<blockquote><span class="font-size-6"><strong>"Healthy babies come from healthy moms"</strong></span></blockquote>
<p>Healthy babies come from healthy moms. We encourage all our patients to ask us about what would be an appropriate exercise routine during fertility treatment. At Dominion fertility, we individualize patient care, and that includes lifestyle changes, diet, and exercise.</p>
<p>Please see ACOG’s link on this topic.<br/> <a href="http://www.acog.org/Resources-And-Publications/Committee-Opinions/Committee-on-Obstetric-Practice/Physical-Activity-and-Exercise-During-Pregnancy-and-the-Postpartum-Period">http://www.acog.org/Resources-And-Publications/Committee-Opinions/Committee-on-Obstetric-Practice/Physical-Activity-and-Exercise-During-Pregnancy-and-the-Postpartum-Period</a></p>
<p>- Dr. Kay Waud</p>Natural Cycle IVF Medicationstag:fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com,2017-01-03:3369676:BlogPost:677432017-01-03T22:30:00.000ZDominion Fertilityhttp://fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com/profile/DominionFertility
<p><span class="font-size-4">Natural Cycle IVF Medications</span></p>
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<a href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/AiTnxaHmrQ9s7qcV8LUPCqNYoVBShv2QABHCYAFyXz2mSh9gZktsXnlstvTTTFUqikCid-936lDPVegrjIYyEbVks2-USOXN/ScreenShot20170110at11.37.11AM.jpg" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/AiTnxaHmrQ9s7qcV8LUPCqNYoVBShv2QABHCYAFyXz2mSh9gZktsXnlstvTTTFUqikCid-936lDPVegrjIYyEbVks2-USOXN/ScreenShot20170110at11.37.11AM.jpg?width=600" width="600"></img></a><br />
<p>If you are supposed to be doing NATURAL Cycle IVF, why is it that one day a whole box of medications (including a SHOT) show up on your front door step??? When planning to do NC IVF, part of the beauty is that there are no…</p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">Natural Cycle IVF Medications</span></p>
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<p>If you are supposed to be doing NATURAL Cycle IVF, why is it that one day a whole box of medications (including a SHOT) show up on your front door step??? When planning to do NC IVF, part of the beauty is that there are no medications to deal with – so what’s the deal?</p>
<p>During Natural Cycle IVF, we do not use medications to stimulate your ovaries to create multiple eggs. We simply follow your natural cycle and the single follicle that is growing (on rare occasions we get 2, but that's Mother Nature’s decision!) When that follicle is appropriate in size and the estrogen levels are appropriate, we have you use the first medication that came in your box, the HCG trigger shot. The trigger is to help provide for the final maturation of the egg, start the production of progesterone, and help get the egg ready to leave the follicle it’s been hanging around in. Because of the timing of NC IVF egg retrievals, we are VERY SPECIFIC about the timing of the injection. Egg collections are performed in the mornings, so the trigger will happen later in the evening, or even in the wee hours of the morning. Most of the time it will be between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., depending on the schedule.</p>
<p>Keflex (cephalexin) is an antibiotic that you take about an hour before we do the actual egg collection in the office, to help avoid the chance of infection. If you have an allergy to penicillin, don't worry, we will give you something safe in your IV!</p>
<p>You will use the other stuff in the box after the egg collection. These medications are geared toward getting the uterine lining ready for the embryo transfer 3 to 5 days later, with the exception of doxycycline, another antibiotic that you will start with dinner the night of the egg retrieval. Don't worry, it’s only 5 doses total!</p>
<p>Estrace (estradiol) and progesterone vaginal suppositories (Prometrium) help build and support the uterine lining. Estradiol will be taken orally once each day, beginning the day of the egg collection, and the vaginal suppositories will be used twice a day, also to begin on the day of egg collection.</p>
<p>So, these are the medications we use during NC IVF and why we use them. When you break them down one by one, it’s really not as bad as it may have seemed. I think the key to getting through any type of treatment cycle is to have an idea of what’s going to happen in the future, but always try to focus on your next step. Trying to wrap your head around the entire process can make it bigger and more stressful than it should be.</p>
<p>As always, if you have questions, please let us know. The only bad questions are ones that don't get asked!<br/></p>
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- Nursing Coordinator, Sam Smith R.NDominion Fertility's 10TH year offering Natural Cycle IVF.tag:fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com,2016-12-27:3369676:BlogPost:675432016-12-27T15:00:00.000ZDominion Fertilityhttp://fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com/profile/DominionFertility
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<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-4">Hi! This is Dr. Michael DiMattina, Medical Director at Dominion Fertility in Arlington, Virginia. Next month will be the start of our 10th year of Natural Cycle IVF. We are the largest Natural Cycle IVF center in the United States and have produced more babies…</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-4">Hi! This is Dr. Michael DiMattina, Medical Director at Dominion Fertility in Arlington, Virginia. Next month will be the start of our 10th year of Natural Cycle IVF. We are the largest Natural Cycle IVF center in the United States and have produced more babies using Natural Cycle IVF than any other center in the United States.</span></p>
<blockquote><p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-5"><strong>Next month will be the start of our 10th year of Natural Cycle IVF. We are the largest Natural Cycle IVF center in the United States and have produced more babies using Natural Cycle IVF than any other center in the United States.</strong></span></p>
</blockquote>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-4">I will share with you a patient story. This lady is from the United Kingdom, Great Britain, and her husband is in the British military. She is 35 years of age and over in England, in Oxford, England, she had two cycles of stimulated IVF with fertility drugs. In her first cycle, they retrieved five eggs and transferred two embryos, no pregnancy. In her second cycle of stimulated IVF, they retrieved only one egg and transferred one embryo. Again, no pregnancy. She had never been pregnant before. The cause of their infertility was probably unexplained. Her husband got reassigned to the United States, here in Washington, D.C., to work on assignment for the next 18 months. They came to me and they said, “We know you do Natural Cycle IVF. We would like it done.” I offered them the choice of doing Natural Cycle IVF or doing stimulated IVF again, but they chose Natural Cycle IVF. This was fine. Her periods come regularly, so she was a candidate for Natural Cycle IVF and indeed, we collected an egg the very first cycle, in September. The egg didn’t fertilize and so we had to do it again. We immediately repeated the treatment and this time we got an egg, we produced an embryo, we tested the embryo using PGS (preimplantation genetic screening) to ensure that the embryo was genetically normal, and it was. That embryo was transferred back into her very easily and today I sent her out to her obstetrician for delivery. One egg, one embryo, genetically normal, using PGS.</span></p>
<blockquote><p><span class="font-size-4"><span class="font-size-5"><strong>We like to use Natural Cycle IVF in patients who have failed stimulated IVF, or they have a low egg count, this is called decreased ovarian reserve, their egg quantity is low, or they have decided they would like to try something else before considering egg donor IVF, or because Natural Cycle IVF is so much less expensive and they would rather try the Natural Cycle IVF.</strong></span><br/></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-4">We are one of the largest PGS centers in the United States for IVF. It’s a great story. They were crying in my office, they were so happy. They couldn’t believe how easy the treatment was. We like to use Natural Cycle IVF in patients who have failed stimulated IVF, or they have a low egg count, this is called decreased ovarian reserve, their egg quantity is low, or they have decided they would like to try something else before considering egg donor IVF, or because Natural Cycle IVF is so much less expensive and they would rather try the Natural Cycle IVF. Anyway, it’s just a great story I wanted to share with you. We are very pleased with this success. This is my third pregnancy this morning, already. The other two were produced using stimulated IVF with PGS, transferring, of course, at Dominion Fertility, only one embryo. Dominion Fertility has one of the lowest twin rates in the United States for the last 6-7 years. Now we have a twin rate of 1% or less. If not the lowest in the United States, certainly one of the lowest multiple pregnancy rates in the United States. Anyway, have a great day! We’re pretty excited.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-4">Dr. Michael DiMattina, Medical Director at Dominion Fertility in Arlington, Virginia.</span></p>
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</span></p>The Fertility Trigger Shottag:fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com,2016-12-21:3369676:BlogPost:671782016-12-21T16:00:00.000ZDominion Fertilityhttp://fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com/profile/DominionFertility
<p><span class="font-size-4"><img src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/I-AtEFIik0VhbuZ1UNoSRx*LHcaBdpEaX2QNCQAH*KZfehajpF51bF0IA01rIFqO-QcsePMJeQMIi1VwS0S0cUWiIc2YL1gB/Shots.png" width="600"></img></span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-5">Giving yourself these HCG trigger shots are not that scary!</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">During almost every type of fertility cycle we do, we have you take a HCG trigger shot. Yep. This is the one that goes in the butt with what looks like a needle long enough to reach your toes – yikes!</span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-5">Don't stare at the…</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><img src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/I-AtEFIik0VhbuZ1UNoSRx*LHcaBdpEaX2QNCQAH*KZfehajpF51bF0IA01rIFqO-QcsePMJeQMIi1VwS0S0cUWiIc2YL1gB/Shots.png" width="600"/></span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-5">Giving yourself these HCG trigger shots are not that scary!</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">During almost every type of fertility cycle we do, we have you take a HCG trigger shot. Yep. This is the one that goes in the butt with what looks like a needle long enough to reach your toes – yikes!</span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-5">Don't stare at the needle.</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">Don’t worry, it’s not as bad as it looks, although staring at the needle can be a very anxiety-provoking experience. My best advice? Don’t. Don't stare at it. Don't analyze it. Don't stress about it. Just commit and do it! The needle needs to be long enough (between 1 and 1 ½ inches) to reach the muscle. Ladies who are on the smaller, thinner side will do fine with a 1-inch needle, but ladies more like myself (a little extra storage in the trunk area) may need that 1½-inch needle to reach the muscle. We can even draw a really fancy circle on your bum so there’s a target! I also recommend lying down while you get it, just in case you get a little lightheaded from the thought of it.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-5"><strong>Relax. You won't do it wrong.</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">Next bit of advice... RELAX!!! This is a really hard thing to goof up. Really. You have to seriously work at it to do something wrong! As long as you mix it, get it in the syringe, and get the needle in your bum, you’ll be fine.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">To be totally prepared and lower the stress factor here, you and your shot-giver should watch the preparation and administration video we give you with the written instruction sheet for the HCG. Do this at the BEGINNING of the cycle, not 10 minutes before you’re due to get the shot. This way, you can ask questions during the cycle and we can help you through it.</span></p>
<p></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><span>- Nursing Coordinator, Sam Smith R.N</span></span></p>Time lapsed video of embryos allow us to watch them grow!tag:fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com,2016-12-20:3369676:BlogPost:673432016-12-20T15:00:00.000ZDominion Fertilityhttp://fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com/profile/DominionFertility
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/l2UE9dpgvMY?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/l2UE9dpgvMY?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>Understanding the insurance authorization process for fertility treatment specialty medicationstag:fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com,2016-12-14:3369676:BlogPost:671762016-12-14T16:00:00.000ZDominion Fertilityhttp://fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com/profile/DominionFertility
<p><span class="font-size-4"><img height="315" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/I-AtEFIik0U3g5K7eCNFbGTyT1NRCx5l-hGXqzJt8lggo*UNG2TLdJJm-*u50paCwcsZUlqnY-oNumgvMCgVx*wSR1dU9wCn/meinsur.jpg?width=600" width="630"></img></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">Often as nurses, we are called upon to engage in sometimes lengthy, spirited debates with insurance companies in order to obtain prior authorization for medications commonly used during treatment cycles. We thought it would be helpful to review what the process on our end is.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">When we call to obtain prior authorization, we have to complete several forms for the insurance…</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><img src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/I-AtEFIik0U3g5K7eCNFbGTyT1NRCx5l-hGXqzJt8lggo*UNG2TLdJJm-*u50paCwcsZUlqnY-oNumgvMCgVx*wSR1dU9wCn/meinsur.jpg?width=600" width="630" height="315"/></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">Often as nurses, we are called upon to engage in sometimes lengthy, spirited debates with insurance companies in order to obtain prior authorization for medications commonly used during treatment cycles. We thought it would be helpful to review what the process on our end is.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">When we call to obtain prior authorization, we have to complete several forms for the insurance company and submit them with treatment plans. Sometimes we can complete the required information online, and if that option is available, we use it. After the forms are done – we wait. And wait. And call. Then we call again to see what the holdup is. The insurance companies don’t always see the urgency involved in getting that magical authorization number in your file. That number is needed before we can actually order the medications.</span></p>
<blockquote><p><span class="font-size-5">Don’t hesitate to call the insurance company yourself – they are in business for YOU!</span></p>
</blockquote>
<p><span class="font-size-4">Although it’s not required, it certainly can help the process if you call the insurance company to follow up and nudge them along. We have found that when we do our stuff, and you call on your end to add a little more pressure, you can actually get your medications sooner. So, don’t hesitate to call the insurance company yourself. You are the one paying for their services – they are in business for YOU!</span></p>
<blockquote><p><span class="font-size-5">Most of the specialty pharmacies are ones that will send your order through the mail so allow time for them to be processed.</span></p>
</blockquote>
<p><span class="font-size-4">Because of the nature of injectable medications, they are considered specialty medications. This means that they can’t be obtained at your local pharmacy. They need to come from either the insurance-specific pharmacy or from a local specialty pharmacy. Having said that – you must allow time for the medications to be processed and delivered to you. Most of the specialty pharmacies are ones that will send your order through the mail. There are a couple of local places we can call, but they may or may not be covered by your insurance plan.</span></p>
<blockquote><p><span class="font-size-5">Begin the process 2 weeks prior to the start of your cycle.</span></p>
</blockquote>
<p><span class="font-size-4">A good rule of thumb to keep in mind is to begin the process of obtaining your medications about 2 weeks prior to the start of your cycle. This way, there is time for us to get the authorizations needed and place the order, and for you to coordinate the payment and delivery. The process is not always without frustration, and we get it. We are always on your side and happy to help with anything we can. Don’t wait until the last minute to think about your meds. Start the process early. Doing this can only reduce stress and make the process at least a little bit easier!</span></p>
<p></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><span>- Nursing Coordinator, Sam Smith R.N</span></span></p>Advantages of PGS (Preimplantation Genetic Screening) means more healthy pregnanciestag:fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com,2016-12-10:3369676:BlogPost:675442016-12-10T15:30:00.000ZDominion Fertilityhttp://fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com/profile/DominionFertility
<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5Q5LzLatX08?wmode=opaque" width="560"></iframe>
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<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-4">Hi! Dr. Michael DiMattina, Medical Director at Dominion Fertility in Arlington, Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-4">Today, I would like to speak with you about the many advantages of a technique called PGS (preimplantation genetic screening), in layman’s…</span></p>
<p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5Q5LzLatX08?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
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<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-4">Hi! Dr. Michael DiMattina, Medical Director at Dominion Fertility in Arlington, Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-4">Today, I would like to speak with you about the many advantages of a technique called PGS (preimplantation genetic screening), in layman’s terms, embryo biopsy.</span></p>
<blockquote><p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-5"><strong>The technique allows us to transfer a single embryo, so the twin rate is only 1% at most. Dominion Fertility prides itself on having, for the past several years, one of the lowest multiple pregnancy rates in the United States, year after year. The national average runs around 20%.</strong></span></p>
</blockquote>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-4">Dominion Fertility has been performing this technique for many years and we have had great success with this. Now, most of our embryos are tested using this technique. We transfer a single embryo and expect pregnancy rates to be at least 65% per embryo transfer. Thus, most of our patients who undergo stimulated IVF with us are pregnant after only one or two embryo transfers of a single embryo, after the embryo has been tested and proven to be genetically normal. The advantages with PGS are many. First, much higher pregnancy rates. We cannot get pregnancy rates such as those described unless we use this technique. The technique allows us to transfer a single embryo, so the twin rate is only 1% at most. Dominion Fertility prides itself on having, for the past several years, one of the lowest multiple pregnancy rates in the United States, year after year. The national average runs around 20%, we run 1%, and that is because we transfer one embryo, and now one embryo that is tested using PGS to prove the embryo is genetically normal. So, higher pregnancy rates. Another advantage with PGS is not only is the implantation rate higher, but also the miscarriage rate is greatly reduced, because we have tested the embryo and we know it is genetically normal the vast majority of the time. So, we have higher pregnancy rates, fewer miscarriages, and more deliveries. What’s not to like?</span></p>
<blockquote><p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-5"><strong>With PGS we have higher pregnancy rates, fewer miscarriages, and more deliveries.</strong></span></p>
</blockquote>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-4">As you know, earlier this year, I took care of a patient from Saudi Arabia who was 41 years of age when I saw her in January. Between the ages of 38-40 she had undergone 13 stimulated IVFs in Saudi Arabia with none of the embryos tested by PGS and no pregnancy after 13 stimulation cycles. When she came here in January, I told her we would do it a little differently. We did a single IVF, we obtained 20 eggs, 8 embryos were biopsied, and only one of her embryos was genetically normal using PGS. That embryo was transferred and she became pregnant. We sent her back to Saudi Arabia and we are expecting her to deliver sometime in the next 8-10 weeks. We’re really thrilled for her. PGS is state of the art. Dominion Fertility is one of the leaders in the United States performing this procedure. We highly recommend it. We see the advantages and we think that it may be an advantage for you too. So, message today: PGS is a great technique, wonderful technique, offering a lot of advantages and a lot of hope for many patients who suffer from infertility.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-4">Dr. Michael DiMattina, Medical Director, Dominion Fertility in Arlington, Virginia. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-4">Thank you very much. </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>The ABC’s of IUI, IVF & FET’stag:fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com,2016-12-07:3369676:BlogPost:671742016-12-07T20:25:24.000ZDominion Fertilityhttp://fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com/profile/DominionFertility
<p><span class="font-size-4"><a href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/LacygCl0qQK-SrgX9rhBYJR*WxF2-CvKgeL6LD5ig03aEAFwvpGTdXtZVLMKaX41VIoFAyytr8HZnn2*Y6DvJr2XukXmVbCK/nurse.jpg" target="_self"><img class="align-full" height="418" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/LacygCl0qQK-SrgX9rhBYJR*WxF2-CvKgeL6LD5ig03aEAFwvpGTdXtZVLMKaX41VIoFAyytr8HZnn2*Y6DvJr2XukXmVbCK/nurse.jpg" width="627"></img></a></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">Texting has become its own language – LOL… It’s amazing how we have created so many shortcuts to communication. I was reading a fertility post and saw another whole new language, one that is only familiar to a special kind of person – a fertility…</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><a href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/LacygCl0qQK-SrgX9rhBYJR*WxF2-CvKgeL6LD5ig03aEAFwvpGTdXtZVLMKaX41VIoFAyytr8HZnn2*Y6DvJr2XukXmVbCK/nurse.jpg" target="_self"><img src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/LacygCl0qQK-SrgX9rhBYJR*WxF2-CvKgeL6LD5ig03aEAFwvpGTdXtZVLMKaX41VIoFAyytr8HZnn2*Y6DvJr2XukXmVbCK/nurse.jpg" width="627" class="align-full" height="418"/></a></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">Texting has become its own language – LOL… It’s amazing how we have created so many shortcuts to communication. I was reading a fertility post and saw another whole new language, one that is only familiar to a special kind of person – a fertility patient. I found myself having to look up some of the meanings so I could comprehend what I was reading. It made me think of conversations that could take place between fertility patients…</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">You are charting your BBT using an OPK to hopefully have an IUI or simply have BMS to get that BFP when you have your first HCG, all the while praying that AF is a no-show. This is all after you have been screened for PCOS, had an HSG and mock IUI, and had countless AFC’s, E2, LH’s & P’s while TTC. If the IUI results in a BFN, there is talk of IVF followed by an FET to again attempt to reach the goal of BFP. Make sense? IDK…</span></p>
<blockquote><p><span class="font-size-6">Sometimes we talk in the sacred fertility language while discussing treatment options with our patients.</span></p>
</blockquote>
<p><span class="font-size-4">Sometimes we talk in the sacred fertility language while discussing treatment options with our patients. Protocols can include IUI or a DI or perhaps an E2 Prime IVF with SET done during a NC FET that we do to avoid OHSS. We mention HCG, Pregnyl or Novarel (all the same thing, a trigger shot). We talk about suppositories, prog, and prometrium, again all the same thing. These things are surely not to be confused with E2, estrace, estradiol, or EV (all estrogen).</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">So… the next time we say something that sounds completely foreign to you, ask what we mean! It’s not intentional on our part, we just get used to the “language of fertility.” It’s not unlike reading the fertility blogs! As always, we are here for you during this crazy journey.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">Additionally, <a href="https://www.dominionfertility.com/resources/fertility-glossary/" target="_blank">here is a Glossary of Terms to help guide you.</a></span></p>
<p></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">- Nursing Coordinator, Sam Smith R.N</span></p>Persistence is the Single Most Important Denominator in Successtag:fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com,2016-11-28:3369676:BlogPost:670842016-11-28T18:30:00.000ZDominion Fertilityhttp://fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com/profile/DominionFertility
<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="888" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/193404707?color=ffffff&title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe>
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<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-4">Hi! This is Dr. Michael DiMattina, Medical Director at Dominion Fertility. You know, persistence pays off often. It is the single most important denominator in success of my patients over the many years that I have been…</span></p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="888" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/193404707?color=ffffff&title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
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<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-4">Hi! This is Dr. Michael DiMattina, Medical Director at Dominion Fertility. You know, persistence pays off often. It is the single most important denominator in success of my patients over the many years that I have been practicing reproductive medicine.</span></p>
<blockquote><p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-5">Persistence...is the single most important denominator in success of my patients over the many years that I have been practicing reproductive medicine.</span></p>
</blockquote>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-4">This is a lady who sort of illustrates that to some point. This patient is a 41½-year-old female, who had never been pregnant, married for four years, had been trying to get pregnant all during that time. She came in to see me in June. She told me that she almost lost her uterus because she had so many fibroids. Two years ago, she had a laparotomy myomectomy, where they took out 20 fibroids from her uterus. Most doctors would have simply taken her uterus out, as a uterus that has that many fibroids is very difficult to reconstruct.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-4">Nonetheless, she did not get pregnant for the past four years and now she was 41½ years of age. I said to her, “You know, we have to be aggressive in getting you pregnant ASAP.” We went ahead and put her into our stimulated IVF program. We got 17 eggs from her. Ten of these eggs fertilized. We were able to biopsy 6 of these embryos, which grew to blastocysts, and perform preimplantation genetic screening (PGS). Two of these embryos were genetically normal. This was a major breakthrough in reproductive medicine.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-4"><strong>I highly recommend PGS to all of my patient</strong>s, because it significantly increases the success rate, significantly decreases the miscarriage rate, and <strong>it assures the patient, with 99% accuracy, that their baby will be genetically normal</strong>. What’s not to like? We did put in one embryo in this lady, and despite the fact that she had a uterus with 20 fibroids removed two years ago, despite the fact she was 41½ years of age, she became pregnant in her very first embryo transfer, and she has one more genetically normal embryo frozen and stored and that has a great potential to produce another baby for her.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-4">I’m really excited for her, and again, the single most common denominator, after practicing reproductive medicine for so many years, is persistence. Many people give up because they think that their case is the worst one or it is hopeless. There is always hope, one way or the other.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"></p>
<p dir="ltr">Dr. Michael DiMattina, Medical Director, Dominion Fertility in the Washington, D.C. area.</p>Genetic conditions can be tested for.tag:fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com,2016-11-28:3369676:BlogPost:687472016-11-28T15:30:00.000ZDominion Fertilityhttp://fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com/profile/DominionFertility
<p><iframe width="400" height="400" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fdominionfertility%2Fvideos%2F10154554003236013%2F&show_text=0&width=400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe>
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</p>Egg freezing, Is it for me?tag:fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com,2016-11-21:3369676:BlogPost:677532016-11-21T16:00:00.000ZDominion Fertilityhttp://fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com/profile/DominionFertility
<p>Egg freezing, Is it for me?</p>
<p><img src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/todt*mSF2sD6GnxVxaQQoVUZhxJCDBA-cXd9R3HtrxMEyGA6BfFo*u8uLU*j9Mah7QM*XMXy5VoUxnB9MOUCs6WhSn-AIQtf/EggFreezing.png" width="600"></img> <br></br> <span class="font-size-2">image from ARC Fertility</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-5">The average age of menopause in the US is 51.4. Unfortunately, there are serious medical conditions that lower many of our patients’ age of menopause by up to 10 to 20 years. At Dominion Fertility we have been helping our patients with these conditions such as fragile X premutation and mosaicism for monosomy X that predispose them to primary ovarian…</span></p>
<p>Egg freezing, Is it for me?</p>
<p><img src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/todt*mSF2sD6GnxVxaQQoVUZhxJCDBA-cXd9R3HtrxMEyGA6BfFo*u8uLU*j9Mah7QM*XMXy5VoUxnB9MOUCs6WhSn-AIQtf/EggFreezing.png" width="600"/><br/> <span class="font-size-2">image from ARC Fertility</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-5">The average age of menopause in the US is 51.4. Unfortunately, there are serious medical conditions that lower many of our patients’ age of menopause by up to 10 to 20 years. At Dominion Fertility we have been helping our patients with these conditions such as fragile X premutation and mosaicism for monosomy X that predispose them to primary ovarian insufficiency. In addition, treatment with chemotherapeutic drugs and pelvic radiotherapy for cancer or other serious medical illnesses has the potential to markedly accelerate the time to menopause.<br/></span></p>
<blockquote><strong>"Dominion Fertility team has been utilizing mature oocyte cryopreservation, ‘egg freezing’, as a fertility preservation tool for our patients."</strong></blockquote>
<p>Dominion Fertility team has been utilizing mature oocyte cryopreservation, ‘egg freezing’, as a fertility preservation tool for our patients. This technology is no longer considered experimental and many randomized controlled trials demonstrated that fresh and frozen oocytes yield similar pregnancy rates in IVF cycles.</p>
<p>So, can you benefit from it even if you do not have any serious medical condition, but would like to defer childbearing until later in life? Yes! Banking mature oocytes are definitely an alternative to embryo cryopreservation. At Dominion Fertility, we offer this option for our patients. If you have any questions regarding your fertility, please come see us. We have answers for you…</p>
<p>Please see ASRM booklet for patients on this topic.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.asrm.org/BOOKLET_Age_And_Fertility/">https://www.asrm.org/BOOKLET_Age_And_Fertility/</a></p>
<p>- Dr. Kay Waud</p>Healthy lifestyle leads to higher pregnancy ratestag:fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com,2016-11-18:3369676:BlogPost:677472016-11-18T16:00:00.000ZDominion Fertilityhttp://fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com/profile/DominionFertility
<p><a href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/AiTnxaHmrQ8qG7xRxFK48GX6LgFj*XzdzQyEC4OVNh1bLMa*22FlJDWHerc1xol7JbaPx3k2S2q1rFen*b2jIdzxrfjefIt0/exercise.jpg" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/AiTnxaHmrQ8qG7xRxFK48GX6LgFj*XzdzQyEC4OVNh1bLMa*22FlJDWHerc1xol7JbaPx3k2S2q1rFen*b2jIdzxrfjefIt0/exercise.jpg?width=600" width="600"></img></a></p>
<p><span class="font-size-5">In this day and age, maintaining a healthy weight can be difficult. Unfortunately, infertility is more prevalent among obese couples. Both obesity and infertility cause psychological stress in couples. As fertility specialists, we routinely offer counseling on weight loss as part of…</span></p>
<p><a href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/AiTnxaHmrQ8qG7xRxFK48GX6LgFj*XzdzQyEC4OVNh1bLMa*22FlJDWHerc1xol7JbaPx3k2S2q1rFen*b2jIdzxrfjefIt0/exercise.jpg" target="_self"><img src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/AiTnxaHmrQ8qG7xRxFK48GX6LgFj*XzdzQyEC4OVNh1bLMa*22FlJDWHerc1xol7JbaPx3k2S2q1rFen*b2jIdzxrfjefIt0/exercise.jpg?width=600" width="600" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><span class="font-size-5">In this day and age, maintaining a healthy weight can be difficult. Unfortunately, infertility is more prevalent among obese couples. Both obesity and infertility cause psychological stress in couples. As fertility specialists, we routinely offer counseling on weight loss as part of our treatment plan. But can we do more?</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-5">Last week, at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s Scientific Congress, researchers from Utah presented their findings. When obese, infertile couples were treated with intense lifestyle modifications, they were able to conceive sooner than the couples who had routine weight loss counseling. The intense treatment program included a low-calorie diet, exercise, weekly physician visits, and twice-weekly emotionally-focused counseling sessions for couples.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-5">The Dominion Fertility team has been treating patients with BMI above 30 for many years. We also encourage and help those couples who choose to improve their fertility outcomes by modifying their lifestyles. Most of the time, advice alone is not enough. Dominion Fertility will work with you, a nutritionist, and a physical trainer to develop a plan specific to you. Achieving reproductive goals is a journey for most of our patients, and we are thrilled to help in any way we can.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-5">You may read more about the above scientific findings on the ASRM website.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-5"><a href="https://www.asrm.org/Utah_Researchers_Find_Success_in_Treating_Obese_Infertile_Couples_with_Intensive_Lifestyle_Intervention_Treatments_and_Couples_Counseling/">https://www.asrm.org/Utah_Researchers_Find_Success_in_Treating_Obese_Infertile_Couples_with_Intensive_Lifestyle_Intervention_Treatments_and_Couples_Counseling/</a> <br/>
- Dr. Kay Waud</span></p>When you should consider undergoing IVF treatmenttag:fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com,2016-11-15:3369676:BlogPost:671542016-11-15T17:30:00.000ZDominion Fertilityhttp://fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com/profile/DominionFertility
<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="875" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/190964704?color=ffffff&title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe>
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<p><span class="font-size-5">Hello. Dr. Michael DiMattina, medical director at Dominion Fertility. The question today is when you should consider undergoing IVF treatment.</span></p>
<blockquote><p><span class="font-size-6">When should you consider…</span></p>
</blockquote>
<p><iframe width="500" height="875" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/190964704?color=ffffff&title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
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<p></p>
<p><span class="font-size-5">Hello. Dr. Michael DiMattina, medical director at Dominion Fertility. The question today is when you should consider undergoing IVF treatment.</span></p>
<blockquote><p><span class="font-size-6">When should you consider undergoing IVF treatment? </span></p>
</blockquote>
<p><span class="font-size-5">Everyone knows that IVF is the most powerful, most effective treatment that we have for treating infertility. But when should you consider going through IVF? First of all, it is most important that a thorough infertility evaluation be performed, where the sperm is checked, the tubes are checked, the hormones are evaluated, and a pelvic sonogram is performed. This can all be performed within 3-4 weeks, and then you know why the couple is having difficulty getting pregnant and you can address the treatments appropriately. When to do IVF? Well, patients who have failed simpler, less effective treatments, such as Clomid IUI or letrozole IUI, after three or four of those treatments should be strongly considering undergoing treatment using IVF.</span></p>
<blockquote><p><span class="font-size-6">When to do IVF? Well, patients who have failed simpler, less effective treatments, such as Clomid IUI or letrozole IUI, after three or four of those treatments should be strongly considering undergoing treatment using IVF. </span></p>
</blockquote>
<p><span class="font-size-5">Male factor infertility: 40-50% of the cases that I see with infertility represent male factor infertility. Moderate to severe male factor has to be treated through IVF. The vast majority of those people don’t get pregnant when they don’t use IVF. If the tubes are blocked, almost all those people have to go through IVF in order to achieve pregnancy, as do those with unexplained infertility, where everything seems to be working well. Importantly, patients over the age of 35 should strongly consider IVF because it is such a powerful treatment for infertility. </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">At Dominion Fertility, when we replace one embryo back into an infertile couple and that embryo is genetically normal, our pregnancy rate, implantation rate, for that one embryo is usually 65% or greater. So, <strong>IVF is a very powerful treatment for infertility and should be strongly considered.</strong> So, heads up, when to consider IVF, consider what I just told you.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-5">Have a great day.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-5">Michael DiMattina, Dominion Fertility</span></p>She was 28 years old but her ovaries were acting over 40 years old: Now pregnant after her first IVF treatment.tag:fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com,2016-11-14:3369676:BlogPost:670702016-11-14T14:00:00.000ZDominion Fertilityhttp://fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com/profile/DominionFertility
<p><span class="font-size-4"><img src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/AY*SjrncyfpZ2-fEgLY1yNmoscKV8jHWebY2coYT1E7XQM7ZJUh*CKqQu8ra7CErrcEgYwngl2atXt1ffWiNqmCAIs0KWWII/28yearoldispregnant.jpg" width="480"></img></span></p>
<p></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-5">28 year old had the ovaries of a woman in her 40’s.</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">Hello everyone. Dr. DiMattina here to share an incredible story about a 28 year- old </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">patient of mine who had never been pregnant after trying for over one year. She did not </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">know it but her ovaries had prematurely aged…</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><img src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/AY*SjrncyfpZ2-fEgLY1yNmoscKV8jHWebY2coYT1E7XQM7ZJUh*CKqQu8ra7CErrcEgYwngl2atXt1ffWiNqmCAIs0KWWII/28yearoldispregnant.jpg" width="480"/></span></p>
<p></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-5">28 year old had the ovaries of a woman in her 40’s.</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">Hello everyone. Dr. DiMattina here to share an incredible story about a 28 year- old </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">patient of mine who had never been pregnant after trying for over one year. She did not </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">know it but her ovaries had prematurely aged significantly.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">Her evaluation showed very poor ovarian reserve with an FSH 12, AMH 0.3 and a poor </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">ovarian antral follicle count. In other words, functionally, she had the ovaries of a </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">woman in her 40’s. This is not that uncommon as about 1% of women experience </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">menopause prior to the age of 37. Medically that’s called premature ovarian failure </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">(POF) and it occurs in 1 in every 100 women. So, I recommended that she take an </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">aggressive treatment strategy and get pregnant asap.</span></p>
<blockquote><p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span>Medically that’s called premature ovarian failure </span><span>(POF) and it occurs in 1 in every 100 women. So, I recommended that she take an </span><span>aggressive treatment strategy and get pregnant asap.</span></span></p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-5">Using stimulated IVF and PGS she is now pregnant.</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">She decided to do stimulated IVF and despite using high doses of fertility drugs she only </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">produced 2 eggs. Both fertilized and developed to blastocysts. Both were biopsied and </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">tested using PGS (preimplantation genetic screening) and one of the two embryos were </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">genetically normal. In early September I performed a simple embryo transfer and she got </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">pregnant with a strong fetal heartbeat present on her sonogram. She has now been </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">referred to her Obstetrician.</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;" class="font-size-5">If after one year of trying to conceive and pregnancy does not occur, get a simple infertility evaluation.</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">What messages can we learn? First, if after one year of trying to conceive and pregnancy </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">does not occur, get a simple infertility evaluation. It takes only 3 or 4 weeks to complete </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">and it can be quite reassuring or perhaps revealing as it was in this patient’s case. </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Secondly, as in any medical condition caught early, treatments are usually associated </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">with a much better outcome. Had this individual waited another year or two, perhaps she </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">develops POF. Then her only options are donor egg IVF or adoption.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">We expect a happy outcome and report from this patient in about 8 months and we are </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">thrilled by her success.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> - Michael DiMattina, M.D.</span></p>The Benefit of TEAM Nursingtag:fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com,2016-11-11:3369676:BlogPost:671512016-11-11T14:00:00.000ZDominion Fertilityhttp://fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com/profile/DominionFertility
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-4"><img height="422" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/AY*SjrncyfoZQH8UAzB9ky7ndOWQl2Okx3766AIx74i8KPHWsbe77HZlWhM4f7cgJul1khPXpMDl7pyvV8KIdgFtYVzEVj0M/nurses.jpg" width="633"></img></span></p>
<blockquote><p dir="ltr"><strong><span class="font-size-5">"Will you be my nurse?”</span></strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><span class="font-size-5">My answer is to that is</span></strong></p>
<blockquote><p dir="ltr"><strong><span class="font-size-5">“Yes.. And so will Beth, Amy, Erin, Jana, Nichol, Stephanie, and Latoya."</span></strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-4">Often times when I meet…</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-4"><img src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/AY*SjrncyfoZQH8UAzB9ky7ndOWQl2Okx3766AIx74i8KPHWsbe77HZlWhM4f7cgJul1khPXpMDl7pyvV8KIdgFtYVzEVj0M/nurses.jpg" width="633" height="422"/></span></p>
<blockquote><p dir="ltr"><strong><span class="font-size-5">"Will you be my nurse?”</span></strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><span class="font-size-5">My answer is to that is</span></strong></p>
<blockquote><p dir="ltr"><strong><span class="font-size-5">“Yes.. And so will Beth, Amy, Erin, Jana, Nichol, Stephanie, and Latoya."</span></strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-4">Often times when I meet a new patient in our office, I am asked “Will you be my nurse?” My answer is to that is “Yes.. And so will Beth, Amy, Erin, Jana, Nichol, Stephanie, and Latoya." Some clinics use a primary nurse system, where essentially the patients are given one nurse who does everything for that patient. This type of system has its benefits, and its limitations. One the plus side, a patient can call the office and ask to speak with a specific person for whatever they need. The downside to this is that if your nurse is off for the day, on vacation or with another patient, you end up speaking to someone who you are not as familiar with.</span></p>
<div dir="ltr"><strong><span class="font-size-5">The team works collaboratively with shared responsibility</span></strong></div>
<div dir="ltr"></div>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-4">In our office, we utilize a team nursing concept, which we find to be more effective. The team works collaboratively with shared responsibility. Emphasis is placed on communication and delegation that enhances team performance.</span></p>
<div dir="ltr"></div>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-4">Here’s how Team Nursing works: As a new patient coming into the office, you will receive all of your initial testing instructions from a nurse who will have you call when you are ready to begin the testing process. When that time comes, you call the office and leave a message for our phone nurse – this is typically Amy, but of course we all pitch in and help her return calls. So, you may receive instructions from any one of the members of the nursing staff. We are meticulous about communicating with one another in patient charting, and we are all well versed in explaining what comes next. Once you are in the office, you will see one of several nursing members for your exams, and of course another review of where you are and what your next steps are.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><span class="font-size-5">We are all able to help you during your treatment cycle – you have a ton of support.</span></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-4">So, why do we like this system so much? We are all able to help you during your treatment cycle – you have a ton of support. You can reach out to any one of us, and we will ALL get to know you, your history and your plans. When you come into the office, you are seeing the nurses you have spoken to on the phone, or emailed with. It creates an additional level of comfort and support for your visits. Additionally, you don't have to worry that ‘your’ nurse won’t be available for you – we are ALL here for you to help with anything you may need during your journey!</span></p>
<div dir="ltr"></div>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-4">So, next time you call, or come in – get to know us! We are a friendly, outgoing and compassionate TEAM of nurses, ready and willing to guide you!</span></p>
<blockquote><p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-4">The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don't play together, the club won't be worth a dime."<br class="kix-line-break"/> --Babe Ruth</span></p>
</blockquote>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> - Sam, Nurse Coordinator </span></p>Zika virus and planning pregnancytag:fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com,2016-11-08:3369676:BlogPost:670622016-11-08T23:00:00.000ZDominion Fertilityhttp://fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com/profile/DominionFertility
<p dir="ltr"><img height="358" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/*R7YIBaka1sjc5h7Oi6XGc76zWfKiGsV1A6WBB36SjJeXmtnYdwZltDR2mUqu9Gwjcy381yMJ1ulVCu10JwgOuPljd-BU*a8/zika.jpg?width=600" style="font-size: 14pt;" width="643"></img></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-5"><strong>CDC updated recommendations regarding Zika transmission.</strong></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-5">On September 30, 2016, CDC updated its recommendations about pregnancy timing for couples who want to get pregnant, and updated recommendations regarding prevention of Zika virus transmission through sexual contact.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-5">If you are planning a pregnancy utilizing…</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><img src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/*R7YIBaka1sjc5h7Oi6XGc76zWfKiGsV1A6WBB36SjJeXmtnYdwZltDR2mUqu9Gwjcy381yMJ1ulVCu10JwgOuPljd-BU*a8/zika.jpg?width=600" width="643" height="358" style="font-size: 14pt;"/></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-5"><strong>CDC updated recommendations regarding Zika transmission.</strong></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-5">On September 30, 2016, CDC updated its recommendations about pregnancy timing for couples who want to get pregnant, and updated recommendations regarding prevention of Zika virus transmission through sexual contact.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-5">If you are planning a pregnancy utilizing insemination or IVF, you may have questions regarding timing. The updated recommendations for people who want to get pregnant depend on circumstances. The guidelines for couples trying to conceive include recommendations for men and women with possible exposure to Zika virus who do not have symptoms, and men and women who have symptoms of Zika virus infection.</span></p>
<blockquote><p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-6">If you or your partner think you may have been exposed to this virus and have these symptoms, the current recommendation is to get tested for Zika.</span></p>
</blockquote>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-5">So what are the symptoms of Zika virus infection? Symptoms include onset of fever, rash, joint pain, or conjunctivitis. If you or your partner think you may have been exposed to this virus and have these symptoms, the current recommendation is to get tested for Zika.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><span class="font-size-5">Men who have been exposed to Zika and are planning a pregnancy should wait at least 6 months.</span></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-5">CDC now recommends all men with possible Zika virus exposure who are considering attempting conception wait at least 6 months after symptom onset or last possible Zika virus exposure if they have no symptoms.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-5">Recommendations for women planning to conceive remain unchanged from CDC’s release in April. Women with possible Zika virus exposure are recommended to wait at least 8 weeks after symptom onset or last possible Zika virus exposure if they have no symptoms, before attempting to get pregnant.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-5">These recommendations are updated based on recently evaluated pregnancy outcomes.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-5">You may read more about this virus and how it may affect pregnancies on the CDC website.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-5"><a href="http://www.cdc.gov/zika/geo/pregwomen-uscases.html">http://www.cdc.gov/zika/geo/pregwomen-uscases.html</a></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8b6c5781-6de1-c0ee-aa46-7a6d27e9ec18" class="font-size-5">- Dr. Waud</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"> </span></p>The price of IVF and PGS has dropped at Dominion Fertilitytag:fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com,2016-11-08:3369676:BlogPost:667682016-11-08T15:30:00.000ZDominion Fertilityhttp://fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com/profile/DominionFertility
<p><iframe width="500" height="889" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/190733200?color=ffffff&title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
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<p><iframe width="500" height="889" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/190733200?color=ffffff&title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</p>New Arlington VA office opening soon!tag:fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com,2016-11-05:3369676:BlogPost:671522016-11-05T17:00:00.000ZDominion Fertilityhttp://fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com/profile/DominionFertility
<p><span class="font-size-4"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="889" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/190964700?color=ffffff&title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe>
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<p><strong><span class="font-size-5">New Arlington VA office opening November 7th!</span></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-4">Good Morning. Dr. DiMattina here at Dominion Fertility in Arlington, Virginia. I was just…</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><iframe width="500" height="889" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/190964700?color=ffffff&title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font-size-5">New Arlington VA office opening November 7th!</span></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-4">Good Morning. Dr. DiMattina here at Dominion Fertility in Arlington, Virginia. I was just thinking that this is probably my last weekend, Sunday, working in our current office on Glebe Road. We’re moving our Arlington office into a brand-new facility, which is almost done and should open in a couple of weeks with state of the art equipment. Everything is brand new. It’s a beautiful office and it will be right next to the Boston Metro Center on Fairfax Drive in Arlington. We’re really excited about it and I think you will be too if you come visit us. We would love to see you and take care of you.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><span class="font-size-5">4040 North Fairfax Drive Suite 600, Arlington, VA 22203 Tel: (703) 920-3890</span></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-4">Dominion Fertility is one of the leading IVF centers in the United States. We lead in many areas and we’re particularly strong in the area of preimplantation genetic screening (PGS), where we test each and every embryo to make sure it is genetically normal before we put the embryo back into the uterus. This increases pregnancy rates dramatically, decreases the miscarriage rates significantly, and assures with almost 99% assurance that the baby is genetically normal before we put the embryo back in the uterus. This is huge! We’re proud to be state of the art.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><span class="font-size-5">Bethesda office referred to as the “reproductive spa.”</span></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-4">Just to let you know, our Bethesda office opened in January and we are quite proud of that too. Beautiful office! People are referring to it as the “reproductive spa.” It just came out fantastic and so we’re kind of excited about that.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-4">Have a great Sunday and the next time I broadcast on a weekend we’ll probably be in our brand-new Arlington facility, next to the Boston Metro. Have a great day!</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"></p>
<p dir="ltr"></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">Dr. DiMattina </span></p>Dominion Fertility offers more treatment options than most fertility centers in the United Statestag:fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com,2016-11-03:3369676:BlogPost:671442016-11-03T00:30:00.000ZDominion Fertilityhttp://fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com/profile/DominionFertility
<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="889" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/188883213?color=ffffff&title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe>
</p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">Good Morning. Dr. Michael DiMattina, medical director of Dominion Fertility.</span></p>
<blockquote><p><strong><span class="font-size-5">Dominion Fertility offers more treatment options than most fertility centers in the United…</span></strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p><iframe width="500" height="889" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/188883213?color=ffffff&title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">Good Morning. Dr. Michael DiMattina, medical director of Dominion Fertility.</span></p>
<blockquote><p><strong><span class="font-size-5">Dominion Fertility offers more treatment options than most fertility centers in the United States</span></strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p><span class="font-size-4">Did you know that Dominion Fertility offers more treatment options than most fertility centers in the United States? For example, our IVF program. We perform stimulated IVF, Natural Cycle IVF, and egg donor IVF. Stimulated IVF uses fertility drugs to get more eggs, more embryos.</span></p>
<blockquote><p><strong><span class="font-size-5">We recommend patients use PGS to determine which embryos are genetically normal first.</span></strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p><span class="font-size-4">At Dominion Fertility, we recommend to our patients that they have the embryos tested using preimplantation genetic screening, which is an embryo biopsy. It is also referred to as PGS. This allows us to determine which embryos are genetically normal before we put the embryos back into her uterus. By doing that, we get much higher pregnancy rates, very few miscarriages, and the baby is tested to see if it has Down syndrome or some other genetic disorder prior to putting the embryos back into the uterus.</span></p>
<blockquote><p><strong><span class="font-size-5">By doing that, we get much higher pregnancy rates, very few miscarriages, and the baby is tested to see if it has Down syndrome or some other genetic disorder prior to putting the embryos back into the uterus.</span></strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p><span class="font-size-4">This is great, this is terrific, because this allows the patient to avoid choices she may not wish to make or encounter later on.</span></p>
<blockquote><p><span class="font-size-4"><strong><span class="font-size-5">We are the largest center in the United States performing Natural Cycle IVF, now for almost 10 years.</span></strong></span></p>
</blockquote>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">The second type of IVF is Natural Cycle IVF. We are the largest center in the United States performing Natural Cycle IVF, now for almost 10 years. Indeed, many patients who have failed stimulated IVF or were not candidates for stimulated IVF, came here and have been successful.</span></p>
<blockquote><p><strong><span class="font-size-5"><span>We usually use egg donor IVF when there is no possibility of obtaining a pregnancy using the patient’s own eggs</span><br/></span></strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p><span class="font-size-4">The third treatment is egg donor IVF. We usually use egg donor IVF when there is no possibility of obtaining a pregnancy using the patient’s own eggs. So, we are very proud of our success rates.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">There are three excellent treatment options, and we hope to see you at Dominion Fertility.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">Have a great day.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">- Dr. DiMattina</span></p>What happened to Clomid?tag:fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com,2016-11-01:3369676:BlogPost:670532016-11-01T14:00:00.000ZDominion Fertilityhttp://fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com/profile/DominionFertility
<p class="Body"><span class="font-size-4"><a href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/VQvbBACfG9q1HA7JQzSEBsY4GIJKSMs7tGV7-oDAC4qymRwq4AWGNfOkOf9g9u0pwO9M6Q6RT4uUxcY13Jw4o-SBRuBWC4hR/ScreenShot20161102at10.28.52PM.png" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/VQvbBACfG9q1HA7JQzSEBsY4GIJKSMs7tGV7-oDAC4qymRwq4AWGNfOkOf9g9u0pwO9M6Q6RT4uUxcY13Jw4o-SBRuBWC4hR/ScreenShot20161102at10.28.52PM.png?width=750" width="750"></img></a></span></p>
<p class="Body"><strong><span class="font-size-5">Most fertility centers now use Letrozole instead of Clomid</span></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-5"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">For many years, Clomid has been a very popular…</span></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span class="font-size-4"><a href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/VQvbBACfG9q1HA7JQzSEBsY4GIJKSMs7tGV7-oDAC4qymRwq4AWGNfOkOf9g9u0pwO9M6Q6RT4uUxcY13Jw4o-SBRuBWC4hR/ScreenShot20161102at10.28.52PM.png" target="_self"><img src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/VQvbBACfG9q1HA7JQzSEBsY4GIJKSMs7tGV7-oDAC4qymRwq4AWGNfOkOf9g9u0pwO9M6Q6RT4uUxcY13Jw4o-SBRuBWC4hR/ScreenShot20161102at10.28.52PM.png?width=750" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></span></p>
<p class="Body"><strong><span class="font-size-5">Most fertility centers now use Letrozole instead of Clomid</span></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-5"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">For many years, Clomid has been a very popular medication used for ovulation induction in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Now, most fertility centers use letrozole instead. But why? On a daily basis, I get this question, both from my patients and from ob/gyn colleagues who treat patients with PCOS. Numerous studies have found that among patients with PCOS trying to conceive, letrozole has been tolerated better and resulted in increased live birth rates compared with clomiphene citrate.</span></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-5">After thorough review of these studies, in June 2016, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists included in their recommendations that because of the increased live birth rates compared with clomiphene citrate, for women with polycystic ovary syndrome and a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30, letrozole should be considered as first-line therapy for ovulation induction.</span></p>
<p class="Body"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a43e6134-6e11-8e4f-90c4-0af947fa5b3d" class="font-size-5">- Dr. Waud</span></p>Great News for BRCA positive patients using IVF/PGDtag:fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com,2016-11-01:3369676:BlogPost:671492016-11-01T13:30:00.000ZDominion Fertilityhttp://fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com/profile/DominionFertility
<p><a href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/AY*Sjrncyfq20T6BN52FExLxyAshXXc5rougZDmRLYlivfv2wOwuyjsklIAEpZky2NlWcaTrcCVXZibx9M1uuL205dpceZKK/ScreenShot20161108at9.56.33PM.png" target="_self"><img class="align-full" height="326" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/AY*Sjrncyfq20T6BN52FExLxyAshXXc5rougZDmRLYlivfv2wOwuyjsklIAEpZky2NlWcaTrcCVXZibx9M1uuL205dpceZKK/ScreenShot20161108at9.56.33PM.png?width=750" width="637"></img></a></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-4">The Scientific Congress of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine released news that included several studies on IVF outcomes for BRCA-positive patients.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em><strong><span class="font-size-4">“BRCA patients will…</span></strong></em></p>
<p><a href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/AY*Sjrncyfq20T6BN52FExLxyAshXXc5rougZDmRLYlivfv2wOwuyjsklIAEpZky2NlWcaTrcCVXZibx9M1uuL205dpceZKK/ScreenShot20161108at9.56.33PM.png" target="_self"><img src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/AY*Sjrncyfq20T6BN52FExLxyAshXXc5rougZDmRLYlivfv2wOwuyjsklIAEpZky2NlWcaTrcCVXZibx9M1uuL205dpceZKK/ScreenShot20161108at9.56.33PM.png?width=750" width="637" class="align-full" height="326"/></a></p>
<p></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-4">The Scientific Congress of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine released news that included several studies on IVF outcomes for BRCA-positive patients.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em><strong><span class="font-size-4">“BRCA patients will be able to have offspring unaffected by this mutation by utilizing preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD).”</span></strong></em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-4">The news is positive. BRCA patients will be able to have offspring unaffected by this mutation by utilizing preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). Though many patients with BRCA mutation are not struggling with infertility at all, they still would like to utilize IVF and PGD in an effort to prevent their children from having the same mutation. Now we have scientific evidence that suggests women with BRCA mutation have an excellent chance of having children, while avoiding transmission of the BRCA gene to those children.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em><strong><span class="font-size-4">“Currently, for BRCA-positive patients who are concerned about transferring this mutation to their children, IVF/PGD is a great option.”</span></strong></em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-4">At Dominion Fertility, we have been offering our patients preimplantation genetic studies on all embryos, prior to transfer, for a long time. Screening embryos for normal chromosome structure and transferring only euploid embryos has resulted in greatly increased live birth rates at our center. The same technology is being utilized for detection of a single gene mutation, such as BRCA. Currently, for BRCA-positive patients who are concerned about transferring this mutation to their children, IVF/PGD is a great option.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-4"><a href="https://www.asrm.org/BRCA_Positive_Patients_Fare_Well_Using_IVF_with_PGD/">You may read more about the above scientific findings on the ASRM website.</a></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span class="font-size-4">- Dr. Waud</span></p>
<p><span> </span></p>Elevated FSH in 28 year old whose ovaries are behaving as if they are over 40 years of agetag:fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com,2016-10-28:3369676:BlogPost:669572016-10-28T20:00:00.000ZDominion Fertilityhttp://fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com/profile/DominionFertility
<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="889" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/188883212?color=ffffff&title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe>
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<p><span class="font-size-4">Hi, this is Dr. Michael DiMattina at Dominion Fertility. I am the medical director at Dominion Fertility. I have a really interesting patient story that I’d like to share with you. I’m excited about this. It’s a really incredible story…</span></p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="889" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/188883212?color=ffffff&title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
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<p><span class="font-size-4">Hi, this is Dr. Michael DiMattina at Dominion Fertility. I am the medical director at Dominion Fertility. I have a really interesting patient story that I’d like to share with you. I’m excited about this. It’s a really incredible story and I think you will enjoy it.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">This is a patient who came to see me back in March of this year. She had stopped her birth control pills about one year earlier and her periods were irregular, coming about every 28-45 days. She went to her ob/gyn and he tested her blood for the hormone FSH and it was elevated. She came to see me. Indeed, her FSH was elevated and her AMH level, which tests for ovarian reserve, was very low.</span></p>
<blockquote><p><strong><span class="font-size-5">She is 28 years of age and her ovaries are behaving as if they are over 40 years of age.</span></strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p><span class="font-size-4">She is 28 years of age and her ovaries are behaving as if they are over 40 years of age. So, I told her you need to get pregnant now and she was all game for that. We put her into our stimulated IVF program and we only got two eggs. Both of those eggs fertilized and both of those eggs grew to become what is called blastocyst embryos.</span></p>
<blockquote><p><strong><span class="font-size-5">Dominion Fertility is one of the leading centers in the United States for the PGS procedure.</span></strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p><span class="font-size-4">This is really remarkable. More importantly, we tested the embryos to make sure they were genetically normal, using PGS or embryo biopsy. Dominion Fertility is one of the leading centers in the United States for the PGS procedure. One of her two embryos was genetically normal, so I put that embryo back into her. All of these procedures were done in our office in Arlington. <strong>I put that embryo into her in September and we sent her out the door in early October, pregnant, to go back to her ob/gyn.</strong><br/></span></p>
<blockquote><p><strong><span class="font-size-5">Had she not come in to see us, most likely she would have never gotten pregnant.</span></strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p><span class="font-size-4">To me this is a remarkable story. A 28-year-old whose ovaries are acting as if she is in her 40s, and her fertility was really, quite frankly, a reproductive emergency. Had she not come in to see us, most likely she would have never gotten pregnant. Who knows? But we’re happy for her and it’s an exciting day for us today at Dominion Fertility. </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">- Dr. DiMattina</span></p>October: Breast cancer awareness monthtag:fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com,2016-10-27:3369676:BlogPost:667612016-10-27T19:30:00.000ZDominion Fertilityhttp://fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com/profile/DominionFertility
<p><span class="font-size-4"><a href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/7AOoV0m95Hn8E0r3qdkb2xysfy9VDTRS5z*Ea06nSeEMvFXLUvh7QXdQ0lOezV5l9SW09LIfwSITW6JG7oTtOrtmd3Fyxgyw/ScreenShot20161028at5.56.19PM.png" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/7AOoV0m95Hn8E0r3qdkb2xysfy9VDTRS5z*Ea06nSeEMvFXLUvh7QXdQ0lOezV5l9SW09LIfwSITW6JG7oTtOrtmd3Fyxgyw/ScreenShot20161028at5.56.19PM.png?width=750" width="750"></img></a></span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-4">About 1 in 8 (12%) women in the US will develop invasive breast cancer during their lifetime. The average 15-year survival rate for people with breast cancer is 78%. Recent population based studies highlight the need for…</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4"><a href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/7AOoV0m95Hn8E0r3qdkb2xysfy9VDTRS5z*Ea06nSeEMvFXLUvh7QXdQ0lOezV5l9SW09LIfwSITW6JG7oTtOrtmd3Fyxgyw/ScreenShot20161028at5.56.19PM.png" target="_self"><img src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/7AOoV0m95Hn8E0r3qdkb2xysfy9VDTRS5z*Ea06nSeEMvFXLUvh7QXdQ0lOezV5l9SW09LIfwSITW6JG7oTtOrtmd3Fyxgyw/ScreenShot20161028at5.56.19PM.png?width=750" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-4">About 1 in 8 (12%) women in the US will develop invasive breast cancer during their lifetime. The average 15-year survival rate for people with breast cancer is 78%. Recent population based studies highlight the need for increased awareness of fertility preservation options for cancer patients.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">At Dominion Fertility we offer counseling on reproductive health outcomes for cancer survivors as well as effective treatments for women who would like to explore their fertility preservation options prior to start of their chemotherapy. Most women struggling through these tough times rarely consider their future reproductive health. In 2012, a qualitative study of female California cancer survivors concluded that many women may not receive adequate information about reproductive health risks or fertility preservation at the time of cancer diagnosis.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">We’d like to provide you with information and timely options that won’t delay your chemotherapy, so you can truly make an informed choice about your reproductive future.</span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-4">- Dr. Waud.</span></p>We Are a Nursing Center of Excellence!tag:fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com,2016-10-27:3369676:BlogPost:667642016-10-27T14:30:00.000ZDominion Fertilityhttp://fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com/profile/DominionFertility
<p><a href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/VQvbBACfG9pz2ydAbdfDJZqNaR*BNuTlSuGrUZS2PLuNBzSTe8U4J8GYzDxXu2Am7g5sN7cXYm4T2xOwXJzdtH1Rcspz4byU/ScreenShot20161102at10.41.48PM.png" target="_self"><img class="align-full" height="338" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/VQvbBACfG9pz2ydAbdfDJZqNaR*BNuTlSuGrUZS2PLuNBzSTe8U4J8GYzDxXu2Am7g5sN7cXYm4T2xOwXJzdtH1Rcspz4byU/ScreenShot20161102at10.41.48PM.png?width=750" width="635"></img></a></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">As the nurses at Dominion Fertility, keeping current on treatments available and protocols for our patients is a never ending process. Providing outstanding patient education is a priority for our nursing staff.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">The…</span></p>
<p><a href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/VQvbBACfG9pz2ydAbdfDJZqNaR*BNuTlSuGrUZS2PLuNBzSTe8U4J8GYzDxXu2Am7g5sN7cXYm4T2xOwXJzdtH1Rcspz4byU/ScreenShot20161102at10.41.48PM.png" target="_self"><img src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/VQvbBACfG9pz2ydAbdfDJZqNaR*BNuTlSuGrUZS2PLuNBzSTe8U4J8GYzDxXu2Am7g5sN7cXYm4T2xOwXJzdtH1Rcspz4byU/ScreenShot20161102at10.41.48PM.png?width=750" width="635" class="align-full" height="338"/></a></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">As the nurses at Dominion Fertility, keeping current on treatments available and protocols for our patients is a never ending process. Providing outstanding patient education is a priority for our nursing staff.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) offered a Nursing Certificate Course in Reproductive Endocrinology / Infertility for nurses in the field of Reproductive Endocrinology. I am so happy to announce that the RN’s in our practice have completed this very thorough advanced continuing education course, earning our clinic the distinction of becoming a Nursing Center of Excellence through ASRM. Dominion Fertility is one of the only fertility clinics in the area that has obtained this status.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">This distinction should give you further confidence in the knowledge level of our nurses. We believe that continuing to learn so we can better educate our patients is the cornerstone of providing exceptional care. If you ever have any questions, please ask us! We are always here and available for you!</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-4">- Nursing Coordinator, Sam Smith R.N</span></p>Dr. DiMattina quickly identifies abnormal sperm morphology in a couple trying to get pregnant for 5 years.tag:fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com,2016-10-20:3369676:BlogPost:667592016-10-20T13:30:00.000ZDominion Fertilityhttp://fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com/profile/DominionFertility
<p><iframe width="500" height="889" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/188663186?color=ffffff&title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
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<p><iframe width="500" height="889" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/188663186?color=ffffff&title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</p>How often you should have "relations" to optimize your chances of getting pregnant.tag:fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com,2016-10-17:3369676:BlogPost:667562016-10-17T13:30:00.000ZDominion Fertilityhttp://fertilegrounds.dominionfertility.com/profile/DominionFertility
<p><iframe width="500" height="889" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/188661015?color=ffffff&title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
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<p><iframe width="500" height="889" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/188661015?color=ffffff&title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
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