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Quick Links
Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago
Superior success rates for the past decade. Have a baby from IVF or egg donation- or get your money back.
Advanced Reproductive Care Inc. (ARC) Making treatment affordable since 1998. Call 1-888-990-2727 - ask about ARC Refund Guarantee Program™ - get money back if no live birth occurs.
New England Fertility
20 Years of Fertility Expertise.
Large Egg Donor Registry and Bank. Internationally recognized IVF Program.
Annual ART Success Rates Report
Pens That Communicate
Now supplying IVF Clinics in the USAwith a Custom Color Liquid Sperm Pensfor IVF Marketing.
Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology
Annual ART Success Rates
Report
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Every month in Connect, The AFA will feature a different list of supporters, professional members, and donors. This month, we'd like to thank the following:
Platinum Sponsors
Center for Human Reproduction - North Shore LIJ
Fertility Centers of Illinois
Fertility Physicians of Northern California
HRC Fertility
IVF Florida Reproductive Associates
Long Island IVF
Reproductive Biology Associates
Reproductive Endocrinology Associates of Charlotte
Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York
Shady Grove Fertility Centers
The Ronald O. Perelman and Claudia Cohen Center for Reproductive Medicine of Weill Cornell Medical College
Gold Sponsors
Atlanta Center for Reproductive Medicine
Fertility Specialists of Houston
Genetics & IVF Institute
Georgia Reproductive Specialists
IVF New Jersey
MDR Pharmaceuticals
Reproductive Medicine Associates of Connecticut
Reproductive Science Center of the San Francisco Bay Area
Roxsan Pharmacy
Silver Sponsors
1st Choice Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine
BirthRoad Surrogacy Specialists, LLC
Carole Lieber Wilkinds, M.A., M.F.T.
CHA Fertility Center
Hawaii Surrogacy Center
Houston IVF
IVF New Jersey
Joann Paley Galst, Ph.D.
Joni Mantell, L.C.S.W.
Judy Kottick, L.C.S.W.
Kim Altman Weiss, Ph.D.
Law Office of Catherine Tucker
Mahan & Mahan, Attorneys at Law
Margot Weinshel, M.S.W.
Northwestern University
Pacific Fertility Center
Patricia Mendell, L.C.S.W.
Reproductive Medicine Associates of Pennsylvania
ReproTech, Ltd.
Rosenstock, Loew & Nichols
Sandra Schoeneman, Ph.D.
The Surrogacy Center
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Have a Healthy Halloween!
My kids and I shift into Halloween mode as soon as the air starts to take on that cool, summer-is-over feeling but this year none of us know what we want to be on Halloween. I'm leaning towards Celtic wood nymph but my daughter would prefer I go as a baked potato. My IVF-conceived twins are 17 now and have a LOT of opinions about mom's costume choices (too dowdy, too old school, too sexy, too young for you mom, do you know how old you are????)
Yes kids, I know how old I am. But how old is too old when it comes to first becoming a mom? I was 39 when I gave birth to my darlins' but alot has changed in the past 17 years, from social mores to technological advances. A great read on this topic appears below. Something else that has changed quite a bit in the past two decades is the number of single people building their families with the help of third party reproduction. We take that issue on in this month's Connect as well. But back to candy day.
Halloween also heralds in the Season of Eating (ta da!). A drum (or candy) roll, please. Lots of people find themselves starting to overindulge in October, only to turn around on New Year's Day, realizing they now need a resolution to help them elimnate the 10-15 pounds they've gained. For men and women who are trying to conceive as well as the rest of us, this may not be such a great thing. While the holidays pose special challenges, some simple choices can translate into less weight gain and more heath and fertility. Take a look at The AFA's This not That! list, below, and see if you can come up with your own healthy alternatives to naughty noshing as well.
 What is it about this time of year that feels celebratory to you? October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. While that might not on the surface say "celebration," what I love about the Walks and Runs taking place across our country this entire month is the audacious, in-your face enthusiasm,courage and optimism of the survivors participating and their supporters. I encourage everyone to get out there and join in a local Breast Cancer Awareness Walk. Celebrate the lives of the women who are fighting this disease and do your bit to help the ones hoping they will be moms someday, in spite of their diagnosis.
There are a lot of Halloweens to come. The AFA wishes every hopeful mom diagnosed with cancer a future filled with silly little costumes and trick or treat dreams.
Enjoy the beginnings of my favorite season everybody. And happy reading. - The AFA Editor
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  This not That!
Let's face it, candy and other not-so-great for you foods are easy to grab and gulp down before you even think about them. Sugar fixes in all their glory seem to be everywhere you look this time of year, but there are delicious alternatives that can save you hundreds of calories and also support your health and fertility instead of hurting them. Here are a few of The AFA staff's favorties. Let us know what yours are, too.
- Reach for high in fiber cocoa roasted almonds instead of high in sugar almond joy candy bars.
- Orange-colored foods are nutrient dense and full of vitamins. Serve up sugar-free pumpkin muffins as an alternative to corn muffins or cupcakes.
- Good quality, dark chocolate is not only a lush treat, it also contains anti-oxidant flavonoids. Indulge yourself with high quality, organic chocolate instead of a dime-store candy bar.
- Keep sliced bananas in your freezer. They're as delicious as ice cream and high in potassium to boot.. For an added protein boost, spread a good quality peanut or almond butter on top and go to town!
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I Am My Own Candy: Halloween Tips for the TTC
by Corey Whelan
Halloween marks the beginning of the holiday season. For many, this is a wondrous time of year, filled with family, fun, crisp autumn weather, and lots of candy. For others, particularly those who are desperate to conceive and unable to, this time of year may mark the beginning of a renewed sense of dread, and a feeling that the elite "Mommies Club" has an iron-clad, locked door. (No, I'm not forgetting the wanna-be dads out there, but this particular Cheat Sheet is for women only). So here we go.
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Assisted Reproduction and Age: Is There Any Limit?
by Deborah L. Forman, Esq.
In 2006 Carmen Bousada of Spain, now deceased, made headlines after becoming the world's oldest mother at the age of sixty-six. She gave birth to twins conceived through IVF. Two years later, Rajo Deviof India took the record from her, giving birth to a baby girl at the age of 70. While these cases represent the outer limits so far, the use of fertility treatment to enable women in their fifties and older, including those who are post-menopausal to give birth has stirred considerable controversy both in the U.S. and abroad.
This article will consider the legal and ethical issues raised by offering fertility treatment and assisted reproduction to older and post-menopausal women. Read more here.
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Single Parenthood: Building Families with Donors and Surrogates
by Madeline Licker Feingold, Ph.D.
If you are considering single parenthood, there are many questions to explore. Addressing these questions will help you feel secure about your decision and establish a strong foundation for building a healthy family. Some of the most significant questions are:
- Do I have the emotional and financial resources to parent on my own?
- Do I have a solid support system and am I willing to reach out to others?
- Do I have a flexible work schedule and is my work environment family friendly?
- Do I believe that children can feel stable, happy and secure with one parent?
- If something happens to me, is there someone who would assume parenting my child?
- Have I talked to other single parents and do I have a realistic idea about what parenthood entails?
- If my ideas about building a family involved having a partner, have I grieved my loss and am I ready to embrace being a single parent? Read more here.
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The AFA's Event Calendar
There are events taking place across the country to help educate and support you on your family building journey. Please take a look through our calendar to find classes, discussion groups, workshops and emotional support groups on infertility, adoption, third party reproduction and LGBT family building.
To learn about all of The AFA's support groups, including those for Mind/Body and Over 40 issues,click here.
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Want More Great Stuff to Read?
Check Out our Tool Kits on Paying for Infertility Treatment, Social Egg Freezing, Secondary Infertility, and much more.
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The AFA's Video Education Series
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Fertility Preservation:
a conversation with
Lowell T. Ku, M.D. of Dallas IVF
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