Advice | Guides, Developments & Fertility Tips

What is Time-lapse Embryo Imaging?

If you're considering IVF fertility treatment, you may have heard of time-lapse embryo imaging. This technique is used to capture images of embryos at regular intervals during their development. Time-lapse imaging can help doctors select the best embryos for transfer, and it's becoming increasingly popular as a way to improve IVF success rates. Here's what you need to know about time-lapse embryo imaging. Time-lapse embryo imaging is a process where embryos are monitored throughout their development Time-lapse embryo imaging provides a special look into embryos’ growth and development. As embryos grow, movement is captured every 10 minutes of their journey from the beginning of life to the start of their first days outside the womb. Through this process, embryos can be carefully monitored by fertility specialists who use this data to assess embryos and make informed decisions on behalf of their patients. The entirety of embryos’ growth can be tracked using time-laps…

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Top 10 Fertility Apps By Popularity

The popularity of apps to help with fertility, pregnancy and timing has grown significantly in recent years. Combining personal health information with data driven models can assist in the timing prediction and suggested regime in order to fall pregnant. The iPhone fertility apps as found in the App Store listed below are focused predominantly on the timings of ovulation but we will run an additional article in the near future on apps that focus on fertility support, an area which is garnering huge investment to ensure individuals or couples going through fertility struggles have the full support they need. The Mira Ovulation Tracker is more accurate way of tracking ovulation using urine samples daily to analyse hormone levels. #1 - Flo Period & Ovulation Tracker - 123k ratings - 4.7 out of 5 rating #2 - Clue Period, Ovulation Tracker - 92k ratings - 4.7 out of 5 rating #3 - My Calendar - Period Tracker - 28.7k ratings - 4.8 out of 5 rat…

Endometriosis and Fertility – Mr Oli O’Donovan (Podcast Episode 16)

“Most women with Endometriosis will not have any problems getting pregnant, it's just that there is an increase in fertility difficulties in women with Endometriosis” - Mr Oli O’Donovan

Mr Oli O’Donovan is consultant gynaecologist experienced managing all benign (non-cancerous) gynaecological conditions, with specialist expertise in laparoscopic and hysteroscopic surgery, gynaecological ultrasound, endometriosis and pelvic pain, fertility, fibroids and heavy periods. Oli holds an NHS consultant post at University Hospitals Bristol, where he leads the St Michael's Endometriosis Centre (accredited by the British Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy). He is also a consultant fertility specialist at The Bristol Centre for Reproductive Medicine. His private practice is conducted at The Spire Hospital in Bristol. After qualifying from Imperial College School of Medicine he completed most of his junior training in obstetrics and gynaecolo…

Optimising Women’s Health – Professor Dame Lesley Regan (Podcast Episode 15)

“It starts very early and for those girls and young women who do receive really good information and education about what they can do to help themselves, there is ample evidence that shows they are much healthier” - Professor Dame Lesley Regan

In this podcast episode we look at the big picture view of what is really required to optimise women’s health for all. Professor Dame Lesley Regan is a Professor of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at Imperial College London and Consultant at St Mary’s Hospital in London. She is also Honorary Secretary of FIGO, a member of the NHS Assembly and Chair of the Charity Wellbeing of Women. She was the 30th President of Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) (2016-2019) and only the second woman to be elected to this position and the first in 64 years. During her tenure as PRCOG she co-chaired the National Women’s Health Task Force with Jackie Doyle…

Do Fertility Add-ons Add up? – Dr Sarah Armstrong (Podcast Episode 14)

“Add-ons are any additional extra alongside an IVF treatment cycle that you can have with the aim of improving the success rate of that cycle.” - Sarah Armstrong

Anyone looking at fertility treatment cannot fail to have to make difficult decisions about whether to use IVF 'add-ons' in their treatment. In this episode we look at IVF add-ons, explain what they are and why they are such a controversial area of IVF treatment. Dr Sarah Armstrong is the current Subspecialty trainee in Reproductive Medicine in Oxford, spending time training at both the John Radcliffe Hospital and Oxford Fertility. Sarah is an experienced researcher in the field of IVF, with expertise in systematic reviewing and randomised controlled trials. She is an editor and author for Cochrane Gynaecology and Fertility, and is currently undertaking an MD with the University of Sheffield focusing on the quantitative and qualitative evidence behind IVF add-ons. …

Paying for IVF Treatment Costs

We have written before on Total Fertility about ‘what does IVF cost?’, but this is a really important and topical subject at the moment in the area of assisted conception treatments. Across the UK there are over 100 fertility clinics offering fertility treatments to patients. Costs vary between clinics and patients may find identical treatments cost variable amounts in different clinics. There is no price cap imposed on IVF treatments and so clinics are able to set their own prices. It is an expensive for patients as many of these treatments require modern equipment and involve cutting edge science and technology. NHS Funded IVF Treatment The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommends that heterosexual couples requiring IVF under the age of 40 should be able to access three full IVF treatment cycles. However, NHS funding streams are limited and require prioritisation so increasingly patients are having to foot the bill for the treatments they require t…

What does IVF Cost – Dr Raj Mathur (Podcast Episode 13)

“Ask what does the price include? Also ask the question, what does the price not include that I can still reasonably expect I will be asked to pay? Because you might be given a price for example and it might not include sedation for instance. Three-quarters of women would prefer to have sedation for their egg collection so it would be reasonable that you also want this and need to pay for it.” - Raj Mathur

Dr Raj Mathur is a Senior Fertility Consultant and a Consultant Gynaecologist with a long and established career in Reproductive Medicine. Dr Mathur has a unique understanding of the individual needs of both private and NHS patients, as the creator of Cambridge IVF clinic, which he established in the region before moving to Manchester in 2014. Raj is well published in the field of fertility on reducing the risks associated with treatment. Dr Mathur is chair of the British Fertility Society (BFS) and advisor to the HFEA and the Fe…

Male Factor Fertility & IVF (Podcast Episode 12)

“When we talk about fertility education, it's far more talked about in a female context than a male context, but I think men themselves are getting more comfortable with talking about it. I can't imagine men my dads age would ever have spoken about it but I think younger men in their 20's and 30's probably are more comfortable about talking about it and certainly at public events and lectures I'm having much more detailed and rich conversations than I was 10 years ago.” - Allan Pacey

Professor Allan Pacey MBE is one of the world’s leading authorities in Male Fertility. Allan joined the University of Sheffield in 1992, first as a Postdoctoral Research Assistant and then was appointed as lecturer in 1997. In 2001 he was appointed as Senior Lecturer in Andrology and in 2015 Professor of Andrology. He became Head of Department of Oncology and Metabolism in October 2017. Allan's research interests include understanding all aspects of male …

Monitoring Male Fertility – Sports & Exercise (Podcast Episode 11)

“We thought why can’t we do something in the fertility space, automate the process and make use of the amazing computing and optics power we have in our pockets. And that is basically how ExSeed started. We saw first-hand how many men may feel uncomfortable about having a sperm test or miss appointments. So we thought let’s try to make it easier, more convenient and private.” - Morten Ulsted

Men that regularly engage in different forms of sports and exercise may wonder if this is impacting on their fertility. In this episode we look at the important area of male factor fertility and the impact of sports and exercise. Most men who play sports are fertile but it affects some men more than others. If you need to check your fertility, there are now innovative home testing kits that can be used simply with a mobile phone discreetly to check your semen parameters. Morten G. Ulsted is CEO & Co-Founder of ExSeed Health. ExSeed i…

Fertility & Pregnancy – Sports and Exercise – Part 2 (Episode 10)

"Variety is the spice of life but using different types of activity is really very important" - Greg Whyte

In the second part of this two-part episode on Sports and Exercise and female fertility and pregnancy, we speak to Professor Greg Whyte. Professor Greg Whyte is one of the world’s leading authorities in sports and exercise science. In 2014 Greg was awarded an OBE for his services to Sport, Sport Science & Charity, and was voted as one of the Top 10 Science Communicators in the UK by the British Science Council. Greg is an Olympian in modern pentathlon, and is a European and World Championship medalist. Greg is currently a Professor of Applied Sport and Exercise Science at Liverpool John Moore’s University. Greg's former roles include Director of Research for the British Olympic Association and Director of Science & Research for the English Institute of Sport. Greg is the preeminent authority on Exercise P…

Fertility & Pregnancy – Sports and Exercise – Part 1 (Episode 9)

"Having an understanding of the huge number of hormones that affect performance of fertility and menstruation was just something I wasn't aware of." - Ellie Kormis

In this two-part episode on Sports and Exercise and female fertility and pregnancy, we speak to Great Britain Pole Vaulter Ellie Kormis who spent over a decade training at the elite level and competing at major championships Then, after an 11 year career as an athlete which saw her become British Champion, and represent Great Britain numerous times, she transferred to the world of Coaching & Teaching in 2008. Since then, Ellie has coached multiple athletes from a wide age range to championship winning performances at national level, and onto international teams including the GB U18 Team, and GB Junior Team. Ellie always knew that she wanted to have children and start her own family after nurturing the athletic careers of some many athletes. Ellie reflects o…