ART/IVF SUPPORT & RESOURCES
Here you will find a carefully curated collection of empowering podcasts, articles, and essential links designed to support you through your fertility journey. This page seeks to point you in the right direction with the best tools and materials, offering trusted insights and holistic resources to help you navigate ART and IVF with confidence and clarity, whether you are just beginning or seeking a deeper understanding.
Finding a fertility doctor and clinic
Check out FertilityIQ for verified reviews of fertility doctors and clinics. Your fertility doctor should be fellowship-trained and board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology as well as reproductive endocrinology and infertility.
Important Questions to Ask:
Embryology Staff
Lab Protocols (specific to lab safety)
Pregnancy Rates from Frozen Eggs: Ask about the rates of embryo formation and live birth, as well as success rates specific to your age group
Storage: Where and with what technology
Cost of All Procedure, Storage, & Drugs (You can research specialty pharmacies before ordering meds)
Have a Thorough Informed Consent Discussion
Know the Facts - Empowering Your ART/IVF Journey
Hormone Testing: Offers insight into egg freezing and IVF outcomes. For at home testing (more affordable) check out Modern Fertility’s Kit. You can also do testing at your fertility clinic.
All about the Eggs -
Egg Freezing Success Rate Calculator - Can help you get a better understanding of how many eggs to freeze for the best chances of success. Depending on these factors you may have better odds doing multiple egg retrievals and then moving on to transfer (instead of retrieval, transfer, retrieval, transfer, etc).
*Note that there is no current biomarker that gives feedback into exactly how many eggs a woman may have left. AFC, AMH and FSH levels can also fluctuate from cycle to cycle. (It is best to test AMH while not on any birth control). A woman’s age at the time of freezing and the number of eggs retrieved significantly impact the chances of having a baby with those frozen eggs.
Freezing Embryos VS Freezing Eggs (there’s a difference!) - It’s only possible to test for chromosomal abnormalities after eggs are fertilized. Only mature eggs can be fertilized.
OHSS (Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome) - Know what to look out for post egg retrieval.
Egg Storage:
TMRW: The world’s first and only FDA-cleared automated platform for the safe management of frozen eggs and embryos. Find a TMRW clinic or biorepository site.
Introduction to the IVF Laboratory and Course Plan with FertilityIQ
Some Egg Freezing Facts (summarized from The Big Freeze by Natalie Lamper)
Egg freezing is a numbers game; the younger you are when you freeze eggs and the more eggs you retrieve the better your shot at producing a chromosomally normal embryo(s)
There is limited data on egg freezing success rates; thousands of women, have had their eggs frozen but the vast majority have not had their eggs thawed (yet). Its effectiveness remains mostly unknown until more women return to use their frozen eggs.
Egg freezing carries no guarantees. Not all eggs make it to embryos.
What We Don’t Know About IVF - NY Times Article
Fertility Drugs:
The 10 Things You Need to Know to Survive Depot Lupron with Dr. Aimee
Freedom MedTEACH - Offers preparation and administration videos for commonly used medications during fertility treatment.
Helpful Courses:
The TUSHY Method - What you can consider doing before even going to a fertility doctor
FertilityIQ - IVF 101, Fertility on a Budget, Embryo Transfer and much more!
Dr. Aimee, The Egg Whisperer - The IVF Class, The Egg Freezing Class
Helpful Books:
Helpful Podcasts
Fertility (ART/IVF) Troubleshooting
IVF Protocol Support (Ovaries not Responding)
Factors Affecting IVF Outcomes with Dr. Shers- including info on embryology labs, implantation dysfunction, male factor, preimplantation genetic diagnosis and egg quality and stimulation protocols.
Best Ovarian Stimulation Protocols for IVF with Dr. Shers (Video)
Failed Implantation & Miscarriage Support
Immunological causes of Miscarriage - If you suspect such causes look for a reproductive immunologist
Poor Embryo Quality
Other Resources
Cancer Fertility Support
Chick Mission: “Our mission is to ensure every young woman newly diagnosed with cancer has the option to preserve fertility through direct financial support, educational programs, and advocacy efforts.”
Sperm Donor Matchmaking
The Seed Scout: “The Seed Scout is an ethical known sperm donor matchmaking concierge service for family planning that is a human-centered approach to donor conception. A known donor is someone you can interact with and get to know before the donation process begins.”
LGBTQ Fertility Options
Donor Egg Support
Donor Egg IVF E-Book by Victoria Nino
Empower with Moxi: A directed embryo donation matching platform and journey management service.
Family Match Consulting: A leading egg donor, sperm donor, and surrogate search and consulting firm
Roe V Wade Effect on IVF Access
Financial Resources for Family Building
This page is continually being updated with resources. Last update 11/4/24.