Fertility News | Developments in IVF & Treatments

London, Lockdown and Lessons from Covid-19

As lockdown eases and the UK economy restarts, fertility clinics are also starting to return to normal. What exactly is the new normal though? It remains something that many of us are still trying to figure out. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), the UK regulator of assisted conception treatments, has drawn up specific criteria that clinics must meet before they can reopen. Any clinic that is now open will have passed these rigorous HFEA assessments to be able to offer IVF treatment to patients safely. Just weeks after the initial government announcement of a UK-wide lockdown the Health Secretary declared that IVF treatments could resume. This news will have been a surprise to some and a great relief to many. There has naturally been a strong recoil of patients keen to continue with their treatment. Waiting for even just a few days in a fertility journey can feel like months. The emotion and pain of subfertility does not fade during a global c…

Dr. Ed Coats Features on Channel 4 NHS Heroes: Fighting to Save Our Lives

Total Fertility co-founder Dr. Ed Coats features in the upcoming Channel 4 documentary, NHS Heroes: Fighting to Save Our Lives, this Wednesday the 6th May at 9pm. https://youtu.be/JLG0SmYTpqA This special documentary follows a number of NHS workers both at home and at work as they continue the struggle of balancing home lives and their hospital duties during the Coronavirus pandemic.

IVF Treatments to Begin Again After Lockdown

Just announced in the last few hours, fertility clinics will be allowed to open again after the 11th May following the suspension of all treatments on 23rd May. The fertility regulatory body the HFEA (Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority) will first need to be assured that each clinic, both NHS and private, can provide safe and effective treatment including restrictions with regard to social distancing and the effective use of PPE. Increasing the number of fertility treatment related consultations performed over the telephone or via video consultation is an obvious avenue to pursue for IVF clinics across the UK to minimise face-to-face interactions. We will update this post as we learn more.

Coronavirus & Pregnancy Webinar

Coronavirus (Covid-10) & Pregnancy Webinar with Dr. Ed Coats The COVID-19 pandemic has left many expectant mums feeling uncertain about the months ahead. Dr Ed Coats, Consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and accredited sub-specialist in Reproductive Medicine and Surgery, talks here about COVID-19 and pregnancy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Wn4O8KFlAE Video Transcription Janet Lindsay: Welcome to the first “Wellbeing of Women” webinar. I hope we've got a full audience today. I'm Janet Lindsey, and I am the CEO of Wellbeing of Women. Thank you so much for joining us today. And also thank you to our brilliant speaker, Mr. Ed Coats who's consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at the Royal United Bath Hospital, and he's also a specialist in fertility. Before we start, I would like just to cover a little bit of housekeeping. We are recording this so if you want to turn off your video, now is the time to do so. We are also askin…

Coronavirus (Covid-19) and My Pregnancy

By: Dr. Ed Coats As the Coronavirus pandemic surges on, there will be many concerned about the impact that this new virus may have on pregnancy. We wrote about Covid-19 and Fertility Treatment recently with so much uncertainty in the months ahead for those trying to conceive. Those trying to conceive, newly pregnant or perhaps more established in pregnancy will be anxious to understand what lies ahead. We wanted to address the facts and what we know so far about Covid-19 and how to prepare mentally and physically for the months ahead. The Current Situation The latest coronavirus (Covid-19) began in Wuhan, Hubei province in late 2019 and since then has spread globally. There has been a massive effort to gather data from those infected to help understand how it affects us all. Pregnancy is a unique state that needs specific attention as the immune system’s response to infection can differ. On 16th March the UK Chief Medical Officer categorised pregnant woman as a…

Coronavirus (Covid-19) and My Fertility Treatment

By: Dr. Ed Coats As the coronavirus pandemic sweeps the globe and remains a serious threat to all our lives many will be wondering what lies ahead for my fertility treatment. One thing that is certain is that uncertain times lie ahead for both patients and clinics. It is hard to give concrete advice in such a rapidly changing landscape, but at the time of writing this article this is where we are. We will update this article as new developments occur. COVID-19 is the seventh coronavirus to transfer from animals to humans and specifically this type of virus attacks the lungs and airways. It can be fatal to the older generation and those with co-existing medical illnesses. However, it is not exclusive to this group and the novel nature of this new virus is disconcerting. As the scientists and experts search for a suitable vaccine and the epidemiologists work on tactics to suppress the virus the rest of the world watch and wait. Just this week Fertility Organisations arou…

Wellbeing of Women Charity Challenges 2020

Wellbeing of Women have a number of exciting challenges lined up for 2020 in the UK and abroad. This is a chance to have an adventure in the outdoors and raise some valuable funds for women's health. Contact Wellbeing of Women directly via the email address provided for more details.

Jurassic Coast Challenge 5 - 7 June 2020

Machu Picchu Challenge 18 - 27 September 2020

Wellbeing of Women Events

Will the egg freezing limit be extended?

The growing popularity of women choosing to freeze their eggs if they are at present not ready to have children or the circumstance don't allow it, is evident in the numbers: 2012 - 395 egg freezing cycles 2013 - 551 egg freezing cycles 2014 - 677 egg freezing cycles 2015 - 1069 egg freezing cycles 2016 - 1171 egg freezing cycles 2017 - 1462 egg freezing cycles In the space of 6 years there has been a four-fold increase in the numbers of cycles undertaken. The 10 year limit on the amount of time that eggs and sperm can be kept for was set in 1990 and understandably the reliability of egg freezing and thawing techniques has improved significantly in 30 years. A minister for the Department of Health, Caroline Dinenage said: "Although this could affect any one of us, I am particularly concerned by the impact of the current law on women's reproductive choices," "A time limit can often mean women are faced with the heart-breaking decision to destroy their frozen …

Choosing an IVF Clinic Abroad

By: Dr. Ed Coats Increasingly people are choosing to have IVF treatment abroad. This trend has been growing for a number of reasons. Fertility treatment can be cheaper abroad with shorter waiting times and different legal implications when having treatment with donor eggs and sperm. The freedom of movement of people and business around the EU has made this easy. However, this can be a difficult area to explore as there are so many different fertility clinics abroad and they may follow different processes and procedures to those regulated by the HFEA in the UK. There is a lot to consider when travelling abroad for treatment and we hope this article will help you ask the right questions early on and help you to select the fertility clinic that is best suited to your requirements. There is no certainty yet on what the impending BREXIT decisions will mean for fertility treatment in Europe for UK citizens but we will write again soon as this evolves. Most people will start …

The London Fertility Show 2019

Total Fertility were pleased to be exhibiting at The London Fertility Show this year to meet both people in the process of finding suitable IVF clinics before undertaking treatment and clinic owners and staff promoting their services. Feedback from the public was overwhelmingly positive with many people saying they wish our stand had been located at the entrance to be able to speak to us first before speaking directly to clinics. It reaffirmed our belief that searching for the right clinic for your situation be it medical or financial is a minefield and by providing free, impartial and most importantly accurate information is going to make peoples search easier. As we look forward to 2020, we'll be taking on all the comments and feedback to ensure the service we provide is the most useful it can be with improvements to the website, greater provision of detail from all IVF clinics and more in-depth research articles. Once again, thanks again to everyone we met an…

To Freeze or Not to Freeze… Good Question

By: Dr. Ed Coats Egg freezing is now readily available in IVF clinics across the UK. The concept of ‘freezing eggs’ has been discussed in the media and widely debated by fertility experts around the world. Freezing technology has advanced so much that it is now possible for a woman to reliably preserve her fertility for the future. Fertility preservation is an important subject for women to understand and the possibilities it offers them. Making the decision to freeze eggs could have significant future consequences, so we try here to distil the facts from the hype. There are a number of reasons why a woman will choose to freeze her eggs. Studies suggest that the majority of women currently choosing to freeze their eggs are highly educated, single women over 35 years of age. They will often have researched the subject before engaging with a fertility clinic for a consultation to discuss their options for treatment. It is an emotional journey for most balancing optimism and…

The American Society for Reproductive Medicine Scientific Congress & Expo

By: Dr. Ed Coats This week ‘Total Fertility’ have been at The American Society for Reproductive Medicine Scientific Congress & Expo in Philadelphia. This year’s meeting celebrates 75 years of science, innovation and history. More than 40 years after the birth of Louise Brown, the world’s first IVF baby, this expansive area of medicine continues to test the boundaries of what is known and what is possible. This Congress brings together experts from around the world to present the latest ideas and concepts in IVF and reproductive health. The quality of scientific papers in the areas of endometrial preparation, stimulation regimens and fertility preservation demonstrate that there is still much to discover. Our November Research Update brings you some of the highlights. By: Dr. Ed Coats …