The Arizona legislature feels it has a right to oversee and regulate doctors and clinics in our state that assist patients with infertility. It feels it has a right to study what adults who are overcoming medically verified fertility disabilities are doing to create embryos and what their decisions about their embryos are. Our state has no business obtaining information about embryos created, since Arizona does not provide any mandate for infertility insurance coverage nor do they pay for IVF or assisted reproductive services. This is not an attempt to ‘regulate an industry’ that might cause potential harm to good people, it is an attempt to use fertility patients as the scapegoats to create legislation that would outlaw abortion (the furthest thing from ANY fertility patient’s mind!).

Fertility Clinics already report to the Centers for Disease Control regarding their IVF cases and the outcomes. The CDC uses the information to create transparency for patients and to establish best practices.  The state legislation is redundant and unnecessary. Additionally, our state does not have the money to oversee this kind of data so the cost of the data base will be born by fertility patients (as if treatment is not expensive enough!)

Contact your Arizona State Senator today and let them know that SB 1376 is unnecessary and it punishes fertility patients and their families.

To read the bill: http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/51leg/1r/bills/sb1376p.htm

To read RESOLVE’s on line letter:

http://www.resolve.org/get-involved/2013-state-advocacy-efforts.html#AZ

To watch the most recent news story:

http://www.azcentral.com/video/#/News/Arizona+legislators+put+fertility+clinics+under+microscope/40280768001/35150280001/2189339366001

To find your legislative district input your address and zip code:

http://azredistricting.org/districtlocator/

Call your state senator today, it will take 5 minutes and will be worth every moment.

• How much sugar can I have?
• Is there ‘good’ and ‘bad’ sugar?
• How do I read a food label?
• What about artificial sweeteners?
• What can I eat to satisfy my sweet tooth?

Learn all about sugar, how it affects you and the best foods to eat. Call 733-0083 to sign up.

Can’t make it this week? Send a quick email with your questions to Hana@NourishingResults.com.

See you on Wednesday!

~Hana

Do you need some inspiration for quick and delicious dinners? At our next Fertility Foods class, nutrition expert Hana Feeney will be sharing ideas, tips and strategies for fast, nutritious dinners.

Learn how to make balanced meals with a few key ingredients.

Wednesday, September 19, 5:30 pm at the Reproductive Health Center

Sign up now by stopping by the front desk or call 733-0083

Have questions about Fertility Foods, please call or email Hana at:

hana@NourishingResults.com

www.NourishingResults.com

Here’s what you missed if you didn’t make it to Fertility Foods:

Research clearly demonstrates that 1) Eating breakfast and 2) Including protein or fat at breakfast helps to enhance your energy and concentration and reduce cravings throughout the day.

• To ensure that you eat a mix of nutrients that will sustain your energy and focus all day long combine veggies, fruit, a high fiber carb-rich food and health promoting fat- or protein-rich foods into your breakfast meal.

We came up with some fun new ideas: Green smoothies, Tofu scrambles, Roasted vegetable scrambles, Black beans with eggs and salsa instead of bread or tortilla, Using cereal as a condiment on top of fruit and Greek yogurt instead of the base of the meal

For more ideas, check out www.NourishingResults.com.

Be sure to Save the Date for the next Fertility Foods with Nutrition Expert Hana A. Feeney, MS, RD coming up on Wednesday, August 29 at 5:30 pm at the Reproductive Health Center. We will be talking about Energizing Snacks.

Call 733-0083 to register or just sign up at the front desk.

June 21 to July 6, 2012

Open Monday through Friday 8:30 am to 12:00 noon

The office will be closed Wednesday July 4, 2012

The office staff can assist you with scheduling appointments, insurance authorization and lab testing requests (including pregnancy tests).

Normal office hours will resume on Monday July 9, 2012.

Remember Hana Feeney’s nutrition event on Wednesday June 27!

]]> http://www.ivftucson.com/special-hours-june-21-to-july-6-2012/feed/ 0 http://www.ivftucson.com/in-vitro-fertilization-and-artificial-insemination-are-they-different/ http://www.ivftucson.com/in-vitro-fertilization-and-artificial-insemination-are-they-different/#comments Fri, 08 Jun 2012 18:43:41 +0000 Holly http://www.ivftucson.com/?p=461 Continue reading →]]> Many people become confused by these two assisted reproduction procedures, and no wonder! They both kind of sound like artificial conception, right? Here is the difference:

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF): This is where women are given fertility drugs to make more than one egg. The eggs (once ready) are then removed during a minor surgical procedure called follicular aspiration. These eggs are then fertilized in the laboratory with the male partner’s sperm. One or two of resulting embryos (after culture for 5 days) are then transferred into the woman’s uterus with a small flexible catheter. The remaining embryos (if there are more than were transferred) are then frozen and stored for future use. This procedure is used to treat a variety of fertility problems and is what is used by women with tubes that are blocked or were cut during tubal ligation surgery.

Artificial Insemination: Is a general term to describe a procedure where sperm from either a male partner or sperm donor are washed and placed into uterus of the female partner. This procedure is timed with ovulation and helps to get the sperm closer to the ovulating egg.  This procedure is also called Intrauterine Insemination or IUI. Typically, this procedure is used to treat male factor infertility, but is also used to increase the chances of conception in women who have ovulation problems. To have this procedure you must have open fallopian tubes or the sperm do not get to the egg.

Wednesday June 27, 5:30 to 6:30 pm at The Reproductive Health Center

with Hana Feeney, Nutrition Expert: Just call 733-0083 to sign up.

Here’s what you missed at the Fertility Foods Event:

• A delicious taste of Black Bean-Corn Skillet Meal—here’s the link to the recipe: http://nourishingresults.com/2012/06/07/fast-foods-pantry-essentials-skillet-meals/
• A sample of organic edamame, which is a great mid-afternoon, high protein snack that isn’t going to destroy your hormone balance.
• A review of nutrition and food basics:
  • Create a friendly internal environment to support the foods that you eat.
  • Plant protein versus animal protein? Plant protein always wins!
  • Don’t avoid fat. “Good” fats are essential for reproductive health.
  • Over exercising will create inflammation and oxidative stress in your body, neither of which will promote reproductive health. So get moving, but don’t overstress your system when you exercise.
  • Choose slow-carbs, not no carbs. Choose high-quality sources of carbohydrate in your diet and then monitor how much you eat. Be mindful about how much carbohydrate you eat but don’t restrict carbohydrate so much that you impair ovulation.

  To Your Health! Hana Feeney, MS, RD, CSSD

As a dietitian, I feel that it is my duty to increase awareness of diet-related conditions that increase the risk for infertility. No matter the diagnosis or reason for delayed time to conception, attention to a high quality, unprocessed plant-based diet is the key to fertility. Specific food choices may be tailored to your needs, but all couples trying to conceive want to make the very best food choices that they can to improve their odds of conception. Diet and exercise play critical roles in your ability to conceive. Aspects of nutrition and physical activity influence both male and female fertility, so work together as you consider lifestyle changes to promote fertility.

On Wednesday, May 30 at 5:30 pm  at the Reproductive Health Center, I’ll be talking about Fertility Foods; the foods that you want to fill your fridge, freezer and pantry as you are trying to conceive. These are the foods that you want now, before pregnancy, and later, during pregnancy, breastfeeding and raising your family.

Don’t miss this informative and interactive lecture! Call the Reproductive Health Center to sign up for the class, 733-0083. Space is limited so please call soon.

I will be hosting a monthly lecture on a variety of food and nutrition topics. Have a question that you want answered at our next class? Send me an email at Hana@NourishingResults.com.

See you on May 30^th!

~Hana Feeney, MS, RD, CSSD

Tubal ligation Reversal surgery can be successful at opening up the fallopian tubes and allowing pregnancy, however, if the tubal ligation was done more than 10 years ago, or if the tubes were cut and burned then success rates are very limited. It was used in the past because in vitro fertilization (IVF) had such low success rates, so it was the best option. Now, however, IVF has much higher pregnancy rates than tubal reversal surgery, is also expensive and has some other benefits. Here are the pros and cons of each.

Tubal reversal:

Pros: 1. if the tubes are successfully put back together then you have an opportunity for pregnancy each month (typical chance of pregnancy per cycle is 15 to 20% depending on your age). 2.You do not have to use any fertility medication to conceive.

Cons: 1. you have a higher likelihood of having a tubal pregnancy (ectopic) due to the surgery, 2. The surgery can cost up to $16,000 and may require an additional overnight stay in the hospital. 3. Tubal ligation reversal is abdominal surgery and the recovery time can be up to 4 weeks. 4. Once you are through with child-bearing, you must use contraception to avoid pregnancy or have another tubal ligation.

In vitro fertilization (IVF):

Pros: 1. much less expensive than tubal reversal (about $9300 including estimation for medication costs), 2. less invasive than tubal ligation reversal (recovery time is one day), 3. pregnancy rates (depending on age) are about 50% per embryo transferred, 4. You will typically have more than one embryo produced from the cycle, giving you multiple chances for pregnancy,  5. once you are done with child bearing there is no need to use contraception.

Cons: 1. fertility injections must be used to produce the eggs, 2. the IVF cycle must be planned in advance.

 In either case,  successfully having a baby will depend on how healthy you are and your age. Women who are unhealthy are less likely to conceive. Women who are over 36 will have a lower chance of conception with either procedure as there is a natural decline in fertility rates after this age. Smokers and women who are not of normal height and weight (so either too thin or obese) have a decreased chance of pregnancy from the start. Additionally, these women also have an increase rate of miscarriage.

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