Fertility Blog

After receiving some shocking news on their fertility journey, Alyson and her husband were advised to move straight to IVF treatment - something they never expected to hear. This is the story of what happened next and everything they learned on the way to meeting their baby girl, Emmy.

Even with 1 in 8 couples facing infertility, many health insurance providers exclude or limit coverage for this treatable condition - meaning many people don't even get the chance to grow their family. Organizations like the Nest Egg Foundation are stepping up to help.

When it comes to seeking fertility assistance, sometimes it feels like you need a crash course in a whole other language. Anti-Müllerian hormone. Aneuploidy. Letrozole. Blastocyst. The list of new words goes on and on… But before you understand the textbook of treatments, you need to know who to turn to for help on your family-building path. And guess what? We have more definitions to learn! It’s okay, though, this one’s easy. People often use the terms “reproductive endocrinologist” and “fertility specialist” interchangeably, and it makes sense why many use the latter term so frequently – “fertility specialist” is much easier to rattle off in a conversation than “reproductive endocrinologist.” Unfortunately, though, these two terms are not one and the same and carry major differences that you should be aware of.

When most people decide they're ready to become a parent, they typically envision bringing a biologically-related child into the world - a little "mini me" to carry on certain physical and personality traits. But what happens when that vision is turned upside down by fertility challenges and you consider using an egg donor to grow your family? In this story, one Illume Fertility patient shares her and her partner's donor conception experience with honesty, exploring the raw emotions that surfaced when they were forced to reimagine their dreams for the future.

Did you know that Illume Fertility has a dedicated program created just for LGBTQ+ patients called Gay Parents To Be? Read on to learn more about why we created this special resource, what our Gay Parents To Be program offers, its special connection to our Medical Director, Dr. Mark Leondires, and more. 

Discovering you need the help of a fertility specialist to successfully conceive can be overwhelming to anyone - but throw in a global pandemic and the experience becomes even more stressful. Illume Fertility patient Alicia shares her and her husband's journey through four IUI cycles while navigating some unexpected challenges.