Treatment

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Louise Brown was born 37 years ago and was the first human ever conceived from in vitro fertilization (IVF). At that time, infertility was rarely discussed openly and there were limited treatment options. Since then, major advances in fertility treatment have improved pregnancy success rates and made it more accessible and mainstream. Despite its increasing public attention, there are still many misconceptions about IVF.

Myth #1: IVF takes away eggs that you would otherwise have and diminishes your ovarian reserve.
At the beginning of each cycle, your body recruits a group of eggs that could get stimulated that month. Normally only one matures and ovulates while the others die. With IVF, all the eggs that are naturally recruited that month get stimulated so they all get an opportunity to mature. Nothing happens to all of the other eggs that are in the ovaries for subsequent menstrual cycles.

Myth #2: Ovarian stimulation causes cancer.
There are numerous well designed studies in the scientific literature that have addressed this specific concern. None have shown that ovarian stimulation with injectable gonadotropins causes cancer. There are some reports suggesting a possible association with borderline ovarian tumors; however, these malignancies are indolent (cause little or no pain) and have excellent prognosis (likely outcome) with preservation of fertility. In fact, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) considers it safe for an egg donor to donate eggs up to six cycles, meaning that the governing body over reproductive medicine and assisted reproductive technology (ART) deems it safe for ovarian stimulation to occur at least six times.

Myth #3: There is little control of ovarian hyperstimulation in IVF.
Choosing an experienced IVF center is important. There are simple ways to predict the right dose of medications. Monitoring visits allow for dose adjustments to be made in real time to control the ovarian response. Further, different medications can be used to facilitate an effective and safe release of eggs but dampen the rise of estrogen after egg retrieval. An experienced IVF center is skilled at prevention. It is extremely rare today for any patient with ovarian hyperstimulation to be hospitalized as it is easily and effectively managed.

Myth #4: There is a higher risk of multiple gestation (twins, triplets, or more) with IVF.
IVF is the ONLY fertility treatment that allows control for how many embryos are implanted. With other treatment such as oral or injectable medications with intercourse or insemination, there is absolutely no control. All of the eggs that have matured in an ovarian stimulation with intrauterine insemination (IUI) cycle, for example, have a chance of getting fertilized and becoming a pregnancy. There is a 10 percent chance of multiples per cycle with Clomid and up to a 25 percent chance of multiples per cycle with injectable gonadotropins.

Elective single embryo transfer (eSET) gives patients the same success rates when transferring one, carefully selected embryo without the significant risk of multiples present if you were to transfer two or more embryos. With experience, careful observations of outcomes, and improvements in embryo culture techniques, elective single embryo transfer (eSET) has become a very good option for patients. Patients can now have a healthy singleton pregnancy—removing the risks commonly associated with multiple gestation pregnancies.

The future of infertility treatment is today. With advances in technology and continuous research and innovation, we now have very effective ways to prevent ovarian hyperstimulation, reduce the risk of multiples, and choose the best and healthiest embryos to result in a pregnancy.

When it comes to fertility treatment, it is best to not allow the myths to influence your decision making. Learning the facts about IVF, understanding the success rates, and speaking to a fertility specialist about your options will provide you with the information you need to determine if fertility treatment is the right option for you.

Written by: Kara Nguyen, M.D., M.P.H. of Shady Grove Fertility’s Reading, PA and Harrisburg, PASCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT

Schedule an Appointment

To learn more about common misconceptions about IVF or to schedule an appointment with one of our physicians, please contact our New Patient Center at 1-877-971-7755 or complete this brief online form. 

 At Shady Grove Fertility, we’re here to give you the caring support you deserve as you start or grow your family. As a leading fertility and IVF center of excellence, we offer patients individualized care, innovative financial options, over 30 accepted insurance plans, and pregnancy rates among the highest of all national centers. We offer patients the convenience of 19 full-service and 6 satellite locations across Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. More than 1,700 physicians choose Shady Grove Fertility to refer their patients, and more than 96 percent of our patients say they would recommend Shady Grove Fertility’s 35+ physicians to a friend. With 10 Shady Grove Fertility babies born each day, your dream of starting or growing your family are within reach.

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Read the full article “Does health insurance cover egg freezing?” by Rachel Lustbader

Recently, Rachel Lustbader, writer for Healthcare.com, reach out to triple board certified reproductive endocrinologist, Kara D. Nguyen, M.D., M.P.H., of SGF’s Reading, PA and Harrisburg, PA offices, to learn the ins and outs of egg freezing: what is it, what does the process look like, is it safe, will health insurance cover it, and how much should you expect to spend.

Dr. Nguyen answered these egg freezing questions for all women who wish to have a baby someday and explained a key reason why egg freezing at SGF is unique.

Egg Freezing for Future Pregnancy

According to Lustbader, “as the average childbearing age continues to go up, it’s important for women to consider fertility treatments such as egg freezing that can increase the chance of a successful pregnancy later in life.”

Egg freezing is the fertility treatment process in which a patient’s ovaries are stimulated and eggs are retrieved and frozen to be used at a later time. As women age, their egg quality decreases along with the quantity. Therefore, freezing eggs give women the time that their biology won’t. Many describe egg freezing as a unique form of insurance—should they have trouble conceiving later in life, their frozen eggs are available.


Learn more about egg freezing success rates.

Two Common Reasons Women Freeze Their Eggs

Under what circumstances would a woman decide to freeze her eggs? According to Dr. Nguyen, the two most common reasons women decide to freeze their eggs are:

  1. Elective fertility preservation (they may be focusing on their careers, going through grad school, traveling, waiting for the right partner, waiting to be in the right financial situation, etc.)
  2. Fertility preservation in the face of a medical condition (as in the case where cancer treatments may affect ovarian reserve and reproductive potential)

At Shady Grove Fertility, while women can freeze their eggs for elective purposes in their 30s to early-40s, the majority of our patients are 37. Our recommendation is for women considering to freeze, to do so in their early- to mid-30s while their fertility is still near its peak. However, each woman’s fertility is unique and each woman’s family building goals and situations are unique.

Dr. Kara Nguyen Explains Egg Freezing Testing at SGF

To help women decide if and when to freeze, Dr. Kara Nguyen explains the critical importance of the initial step of the SGF egg freezing process:

“We first test the patient’s fertility to evaluate her current status and if egg freezing is a good choice for her right now. Following testing, there is an extensive discussion with a reproductive endocrinologist to determine if egg freezing is the right choice, with clear expectations of possible benefits, limitations, and alternatives to family building.”

Each woman’s fertility is unique. While the average age a woman’s fertility begins to decline is 35, some women’s fertility decline will start earlier and some may start later. We also encourage women to consider their family building goals and the timing of their educational and career goals as they evaluate their future reproductive plans.

Schedule An Egg Freezing Appointment 

Read the full story to learn more about egg freezing benefits. To learn more about egg freezing in Pennsylvania, to better understand the process, or for more information about Shady Grove Fertility’s exclusive egg freezing financial programs, call 1-877-411-9292 to speak with one of our New Patient Center Liaisons. You may also fill out this form to schedule an appointment or register for one of our upcoming patient educational events.

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“When am I going to have kids?” A question asked by married couples and single women alike. For some, there are a variety of barriers: no partner, starting an intense graduate program, or just not feeling ready, which happens to be the category I fall in.

I have this overwhelming feeling like I should already have a baby, like I am moving too slow, and with every passing year I have less of a chance to have a baby, grow our family, fulfill our dream.

What if we wait too long?
As a woman who works at SGF, I know a lot about female fertility and infertility, so my awareness of how hard it can be to have children is ever-present. Not every couple faces infertility, but for the 1 in 8 who need the assistance of fertility treatment, it’s incredibly emotional, challenging, and it’s not something they ever imagined they would need to grow their family.

I Want Kids…But Not Yet.

“When do we want to start having kids?” I imagine all couples have had this conversation at some point. We had a simplified version of this conversion before getting married and clarified that we wanted three kids. But it became real after we got married and the details of one conversation still remain very clear:

We were sitting outside eating tacos and drinking ciders during happy hour at a restaurant that was within walking distance of our over-priced, highly convenient, two-bedroom apartment in Gaithersburg, MD. We were having the conversation “if we want three kids spaced 3 years apart, how old will we be when we have the last one? And how old would we be when the last one graduates college?” We realized that our vision of a perfect little family meant we would basically need to start trying that night. We hadn’t even been married 6 months at that point…no thank you.

At that point, we knew we wanted kids but not yet. But what we didn’t and don’t know is, when we are ready, will we even be able to have them? Because what if sex doesn’t work for us?

3 Reasons to Be Proactive and Test My Fertility: 

  1. Fertility declines: With each passing year I’ve worried about the decline in my fertility. Female fertility is largely based on our age because as we age both the quantity and quality of our eggs declines and at different rates for different women. Typically, our fertility starts to more drastically decline starting at 35, but it can start much, much earlier than that and there are no warning signs.
  2. Who saves money to get pregnant? We are planners. As we became much more aware of our finances and started to aggressively pay off our debt and save for a home and retirement, we then realized: you save for a house, you save for retirement, but you don’t save for fertility treatment. Sure, everyone knows children are expensive, but you expect getting pregnant to be free. For many couples, it’s not.
  3. To unveil a looming secret: Testing my fertility meant unveiling a looming secret – am I OK? Can I have a baby right now if I wanted to? Because that’s the fear, right? If my fertility is low, I’d be kicking me for waiting and making it harder on my husband and me to have a baby.

I knew it was time to take matters into my own hands and to get my fertility tested. If my fertility was low, we could start trying for baby #1 and start saving for possible fertility treatment.

Testing Was Easy and Worth It

It was truly very simple. Despite knowing how the process works I was still incredibly nervous about what would happen and unsure when in my cycle I should schedule the appointment. Luckily, the Egg Freezing Program at SGF is set up in a way that you don’t have to worry because they take care of these details.

The Fertility Testing Process

I first had my blood drawn to measure my reproductive hormone levels, and I went back to test my antral follicle count (AFC). It felt weird going in during my cycle (it’s a transvaginal ultrasound during your period), but I just had to remind myself that the ultrasound technicians do ultrasounds every single day and, honestly, it was so quick it didn’t bother me as much as I thought it would. Typically these two tests are complete in just one visit.

Lastly, Dr. Jeanne O’Brien of the SGF Rockville office reviewed my results with me, which was the most valuable part of the process.

Dr. O’Brien cared about what I cared about 

I’ve worked with Dr. O’Brien on a professional level, but becoming her patient was a different experience. Knowing how busy she is and how many other patients she has (that are, in my opinion, more important than me) made me feel a little guilty, but I trusted her to tell me exactly what I needed to know. What I valued most was that she took all things into consideration. What do I mean by that?  She didn’t just look at the numbers and tell me how my fertility was, she had a conversation with me. She cared about what I cared about.

Fertility Testing Results

According to my results of the Ovarian Assessment Report, I fell into the “Good” category for my age. Dr. O’Brien said my anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) level was a little low but because my AFC was so good she said my fertility was excellent and assured me I had nothing to worry about. She also talked with me about how many children we wanted. If we wanted three or four children she recommended we start trying within the next year.

What do we do if we don’t start trying after a year? She said I could come back in and get tested just to make sure my fertility is still good. It was as simple as that.

Now that I have clarity, results, and reassurance, I feel like a nagging worry has been lifted off my shoulders.

Schedule An Egg Freezing Appointment 

To get started with egg freezing, call 1-877-411-9292 to schedule a consultation and fertility testing with one of our physicians. To learn more, attend one of the upcoming egg freezing online or in-person events.

At Shady Grove Fertility, we’re here to give you the caring support you deserve as you start or grow your family. As a leading fertility and IVF center of excellence, we offer patients individualized care, innovative financial options, over 30 accepted insurance plans, and pregnancy rates among the highest of all national centers. We offer patients the convenience of 19 full-service and 6 satellite locations across Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. More than 1,700 physicians choose Shady Grove Fertility to refer their patients, and more than 96 percent of our patients say they would recommend Shady Grove Fertility’s 35+ physicians to a friend. With 10 Shady Grove Fertility babies born each day, your dream of starting or growing your family are within reach.

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For many patients, the most daunting part of donor egg treatment is selecting a donor. While it can be a complex and emotional task, it can also be an exciting time. Here at SGF we encourage you to look at choosing your donor to be an opportunity.

What gift do you want to give your child?

Gilbert Mottla, M.D., of SGF’s Annapolis, MD and Rockville, MD offices, has a truly wonderful take on choosing an egg donor. He says, “Choosing an egg donor is a truly unique life opportunity. You as the recipient have the chance to potentially give your child a gift that you may have not been able to give otherwise. Most couples look for a donor with similar physical characteristics, but there may be opportunity to pass along aptitudes or abilities possessed by your donor. If you are athletically challenged or math challenged, you have the ability to choose a donor that may have those attributes in their DNA. Choose an engineer, choose an athlete, choose a musician. Try to find that gift you want to give your child and your choice of donors may just do that. ”

All our egg donors are required to write essays about themselves so that you, as the recipient, can truly understand their identity. Our Donor Recruitment Specialist, Joanna, always tells potential donors to
“Be your most authentic self when writing your essays. You never know if a recipient is looking for someone who can juggle, likes mint chocolate chip ice cream, makes pottery, or enjoys a good mystery novel. This is the best time for you to express yourself and allow the recipients to get to know you.”

Quality Egg Donors

Due to our excellent reputation and high standards, Shady Grove Fertility has nearly 16,000 applicants each year but only 3 percent of women pass our screening to become an egg donor. Our egg donors are required to complete two written applications where they provide details about their education, careers, goals, and family history before advancing to medical screening. “We look carefully at a prospective donor’s medical history, family history, ovarian reserve, drug screening, infectious disease testing, autosomal recessive gene testing (a panel of 100 tests), and psychological screening—via an individual professional counseling session as well as with an objective mental health instrument, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). In return, we encourage our recipients to be equally selective about the donor that they are comfortable with. There is no pressure on them to pick a donor,” explains Michael J. Levy, M.D., of SGF’s Rockville, MD office .

At the heart of our program is the desire to help you to build your family, and we will be with you every step of the way. Finding a donor doesn’t have to be an intimidating experience. It’s a chance to give your child a truly special gift.

Schedule an Appointment

To learn more about donor egg treatment or to schedule an appointment with one of our physicians, please contact our New Patient Center at 1-877-971-7755 or complete our brief online form. 

At Shady Grove Fertility, we’re here to give you the caring support you deserve as you start or grow your family. As a leading fertility and IVF center of excellence, we offer patients individualized care, innovative financial options, over 30 accepted insurance plans, and pregnancy rates among the highest of all national centers. We offer patients the convenience of 19 full-service and 6 satellite locations across Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. More than 1,700 physicians choose Shady Grove Fertility to refer their patients, and more than 96 percent of our patients say they would recommend Shady Grove Fertility’s 35+ physicians to a friend. With 10 Shady Grove Fertility babies born each day, your dream of starting or growing your family are within reach.

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Read the full article “Upgrading IVF with the Help of Artificial Intelligence” by Melissa Pandika at Ozy.com.

Recently, Melissa Pandika, writer for Ozy.com, spoke with patients who have undergone fertility treatment to understand the emotional toll of infertility and failed cycles in the article, Upgrading IVF with the Help of Artificial Intelligence. Pandika also spoke with several fertility physicians including SGFs Co-director of Research, Kate Devine, M.D., of the Washington D.C. K Street office, to learn about various IVF treatment strategies and techniques, and why patients and physicians alike should be cautious of new, unproven techniques.

Why conduct fertility research?

Continually researching and improving processes to achieve high pregnancy outcomes from IVF, IUI, and all forms of fertility treatment is a never ending goal for fertility researchers, scientists, and physicians alike. The emotional, physical, and financial strain fertility treatment can take on the couple who is trying to grow their family is the primary reason improving the experience is a priority. It is for these reasons SGF has a dedicated Research Program—to improve your likelihood of becoming a parent.

As stated by Pandika, the goal of research is to “reduce IVF to a single cycle and eliminate the possibility of carrying twins or triplets, which poses risks for mothers and infants alike.”

Using Proven Techniques to Improve Pregnancy Outcomes  

A primary area of focus for improving success rates is monitoring and selecting the best embryo, one that will result in a viable pregnancy. One of the primary techniques to limit the number of IVF cycles is through the use of genetic testing (PGS and PGD).

In the article, alternative methods are proposed, such as evaluating tenacity of embryos as well as shape and rigidness. However, according to the article and Dr. Kate Devine, “While these selection methods are “much needed … patients should be wary.” The article continues, “Scientists still need to confirm they are more likely to lead to successful pregnancies than PGS. Even then, they would complement, not replace, the embryologist’s skilled eye. And, ultimately, they may prove no match for Mother Nature.”

How to Optimize Fertility Treatment

At Shady Grove Fertility, we use several techniques to optimize fertility treatment in addition to genetic testing. Some techniques include evaluating medications, adjusting treatment protocols, and completing a free-all cycle (and subsequent frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycle when conditions are more conducive to pregnancy) when progesterone levels are too high, to name a few.

Single Embryo Transfers, a Very Good Option

It is our recommendation for (most) patients transfer one embryo into the uterus to ensure the health and safety of both the mother and baby. Over time, data has shown increased health risks associated with multiple pregnancies. With experience, careful observations of outcomes, and improvements in embryo culture techniques, elective single embryo transfer (eSET) has become a very good option for patients. In fact, 52 percent of patients of all IVF cycles (under the age of 35) used eSET at the Rockville, MD lab.

Schedule an Appointment

To learn more about genetic testing or alternate fertility treatment options at Shady Grove Fertility, or if you would like to schedule an appointment with Dr. Kate Devine or one of our other 38 physicians, please call 877-971-7755 to speak with one of our New Patient Liaisons.

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Recently, U.S. News & World Report interviewed SGF employee and two-time egg donor, Julia Martin, and SGF Donor Egg Program Director, Michele Purcell, MHA, RN, for the article Should You Donate Your Eggs? to discuss the intrinsic benefits of donating, what the process is like, and what to look for in an egg donation center.

“I would never donate my eggs.”

She was working at a university when Julia Martin first heard an ad about egg donation. She turned to her cube-mate and said “I don’t know why people would donate eggs,” and her friend said, “I did that!” Two egg donation cycles later, Julia is in a much different place and says that donating her eggs was among the best decisions she’s made.

As stated in the original article, “’[Donating my eggs was] the most special I’ve ever felt … in adulthood,’ says Martin, 24, whose name has been changed in this story since she donated her eggs through Shady Grove Fertility’s anonymous program before joining its staff. ’It makes an impact on who you are as a person. It fundamentally shaped me.’”

5 Things to Know about Donating Your Eggs

The article shares five tips about getting started with egg donation.

  1. The first step is to find out if you’re eligible. The process starts with a simple online application. Basic eligibility requirements help applicants quickly identify if egg donation is a plausible option. At SGF, these requirements are based on age, education, general health, distance from one of our 19 full-service office locations, etc.
  2. The next step is learning what you should expect if you are going to donate. This is very important for all applicants to research and take into consideration. Egg donors are compensated because a commitment of their time and efforts during the egg donation process is required. Once selected to donate, egg donors will go through IVF (in vitro fertilization). We understand this is not light task, so to ensure egg donors have an appropriate understanding and expectation of what it means to donate, the SGF egg donation process includes a 4 to 6 hour Donor Day with a nurse as potential donors learn everything about egg donation. Each egg donor candidate also meets with a mental health provider to ensure they fully comprehend what it means to donate eggs.
  3. The next step involves learning what risks may be associated with egg donation. Egg donors do go through IVF and, as with any medical procedure, there are risks. Some egg donors, like Julie, choose to discuss their decision with their OB/GYN.
  4. Time to research, as not all fertility centers or egg donation centers are equal. Has the egg donation center worked with a lot of egg donors? How quickly are egg donors selected once they are approved to donate? According to Michele Purcell, about 15,000 women apply to donate each year at SGF. At SGF, egg donors are in high demand—often being selected to donate within the day for repeat donors and within 1 month for first-time egg donors. Be sure you are investing your time and energy in a donation center where you will be selected.
  5. And lastly, why you are donating? While all egg donors are compensated for their time and efforts at SGF, we have found that the majority of women who make it to egg donation are doing it because they want to help another family. According to Julia, “[By donating your eggs], you’re giving away something that’s very precious to these recipients, to them, this is the end of a very long road.”
Apply To Donate

For egg donation questions, please email sgfdonorliaisons@sgfertility.com.

2026 Shady Grove Fertility

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