Shady Grove Fertility is the largest fertility center in the United States with 14 convenient locations across Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC. Join Jim Graham, Shady Grove Fertility’s Laboratory Director for this previously recorded presentation, Inside the IVF Lab. During this presentation Jim will review the role of the Embryologist, insemination methods, and patient’s first question about the IVF lab “What do they do in the lab?”
Robert J. Stillman, MD, Shady Grove Fertility Medical Director, and Lisa Schap, Canadian Patient Liaison, discuss in depth the process and unique benefits of Canadian patients seeking Donor Egg treatment at SGF. The International Donor Egg Team will work with you to make travel and treatment streamlined and ensure that your time with us is positive. If you would like to learn more about our International Donor Egg program, please call 1-877-971-7755 or 301-545-1390. Or if you would like us to contact you, please submit this form and we’ll call you!
Elizabeth Zapp, RN with Shady Grove Fertility shares quick facts about having a frozen embryo transfer, or FET. In recent years FETs have become increasingly popular with infertility patients. Currently, SGF performs about 1,200 frozen embryo transfers each year with comparable success rates to fresh IVF cycles.
> To learn more about having a frozen embryo transfer, click here.
> Call 1-877-971-7755 to schedule your new patient appointment or click here.
Back to Basics
Recently some colleagues and I from Shady Grove Fertility’s Baltimore offices held a seminar on the topic of Understanding Fertility. The seminar was well attended and there were some great questions and discussions afterward. During a one-on-one discussion following the presentation, an attendee commented that she didn’t realize she could “come to Shady Grove Fertility” for anything other than IVF (in vitro fertilization). She was at the beginning stages of considering treatment and she wanted to know options but didn’t feel she was ready for more advanced fertility options at this point.
It was interesting and a really poignant comment because one of the reasons we did this seminar and named it simply “Understanding Fertility” is because we realize sometimes there can be mixed messages regarding what we do (and don’t do) at SGF.
> Join us for our “Getting Started” webcast on June 26, 2012.
Fertility is a big topic, there is a lot of jargon and acronyms specific to the industry. Sometimes those of us practicing the discipline need a reminder that patients seeking our assistance in the beginning stages of their journey largely have a limited understanding of the processes and terminology. We tend to speak about diagnosis, success rates and protocols, ovarian function and FSH levels. Our patients however, are thinking in terms of negative pregnancy tests, irregular cycles and the anxiety associated with a failure to conceive. They need to start at the beginning, and that is exactly what we do at Shady Grove Fertility.
There are some specific indicators and conditions that are obvious barriers to conception and raise a red flag to patients and referring physicians. Voluntary sterilization, hysterectomy or prior exposures to chemotherapy to treat various forms of cancer are more obvious conditions which most people realize require the input of a specialist. The more subtle indicators (or sometimes no indicator other than not becoming pregnant) can cause patients reason to pause and wonder if they should see a specialist or take another path such as just giving it more time or seeking help from their primary care or gynecological physician.
To help clarify things, I’d like to offer the following tips:
– Nationally recognized standards state that infertility is defined for women under the age of 35 as 12 months of unprotected intercourse without conception. For women over 35 it is defined as 6 months of unprotected intercourse without conception. If you stopped taking birth control a few years ago but haven’t been actively “trying” you should also consider speaking to your doctor just to be sure everything is okay.
– There are many OB/GYN offices and primary care doctors who are able to assist with the beginning testing or even preliminary treatment for those having difficulty becoming pregnant. Depending on your insurance plan you many need to start with your gyn or primary care physician before being referred to a specialist.
– There are also many insurance plans which don’t require a referral to see a specialist so you should check into your plan specifically in order to understand the requirements. At SGF we never require a referral, we just work within the parameters of what insurance requires.
– SGF is a full service fertility center. We are able to help patients from the very beginning. We perform diagnostic testing, non invasive techniques such as timed intercourse, low tech treatments such as non medicated (or lightly medicated) insemination all the way through to the more invasive processes such as in vitro fertilization or donor egg treatment cycles.
– Many people are surprised to learn that SGF does just as many non invasive insemination cycles as we do IVF cycles. Our expertise is in treating patients using the right treatment with the best success rates at the least expense.
Fertility is all we do at Shady Grove Fertility. We have 29 board certified specialists completely dedicated to the field of reproductive endocrinology. Our experience, expertise and team approach ensure that we are providing the absolute best advice, care and outcomes available, no matter where you are in your fertility journey.
Call 1-877-971-7755 to schedule your new patient appointment or click here.
On Saturday, June 9th, Resolve held their first annual Walk of Hope in the DC area at Bluemont Park in Arlington, VA. Resolve is the national non-profit organization on the quest to spread infertility awareness, support and legislative action for fertility coverage.
Shady Grove Fertility was proud to sponsor the Walk of Hope and participate in such a great community event. Through sponsorships and fundraising, Resolve raised thousands of dollars that will be used in the community to develop programs and services dedicated to those suffering with infertility.
Nearly 300 people attended the walk, including many Shady Grove Fertility staffers and patients. Thanks for everyone’s support!
On May 29th, 2012, Dr. Howard McClamrock and the SGF team at the Baltimore – UMD office are moving to the Baltimore Harbor.
720 Aliceanna Street, Suite 300
Baltimore, MD 21202
(see the location on Google maps)
Dr. McClamrock will be joined by the rest of the UMD group as well as some new faces:
Once the team moves at the end of the month, patients can call 443-825-3340 to schedule monitoring and follow up appointments. Until then, continue to schedule at 410-328-2304. For more information on fertility treatment at Shady Grove Fertility or to schedule a new patient appointment, please call 877-971-7755 or click here.
