Adenomyosis and fertility – what should we know? Watch this Medical Director break it down.
Emotional stress after transfer? There’s a tool kit for that
When you’re running on the buzz after an embryo transfer, a go-to tool kit is an absolute must, to balance things out and help you find equilibrium.
An MD shares the latest guidance on adenomyosis
Dr. Collin Smikle the Medical Director at Laurel Fertility Care answers top-searched questions about adeno, its similarity (but crucial differences) to endometriosis, and how it can impact our daily lives, and fertility.
Endometriosis – nutrition for the early stages
Affecting roughly 10 per cent of women at reproductive age, the condition has also been linked with fertility struggles. But to understand endometriosis better, we must first learn what it actually is and how it manifests. From here, we can explore the best ways to manage symptoms.
How to pay for IVF – a top Cali clinic covers your FAQs
Fertility treatment is time and mind-consuming enough as it is without the added burden of funding it. If you can sort the finances, that’s one less thing to worry about.
OHSS – this world-leading clinic has the 101
Up to 30 per cent of all IVF cycles are hit by OHSS. That’s the established rate, although this week’s FHH Insta poll (thank you everybody!) reported 40 per cent of respondents had experienced OHSS, during treatment. Symptoms include abdominal pain, bloating, nausea and enlarged ovaries (keep reading, we’ll cover the full list today), but [...]
From thyroid to surrogacy – 2022 wrapped with Laurel Fertility Care
Twelve months of incredible support and expertise, from one of California’s best fertility clinic groups. Laurel Fertility Care are the go-to specialist care providers for so many intended parents, parents-to-be and families - here’s what we’ve learned across 2022. Set the agenda for 2023 - we’re asking our Insta community what they’d like to see [...]
The fertility-friendly foods we can really get on board with, this holiday season
The holiday season is a time of indulgence, celebration, and togetherness. But if you’re trying to conceive (TTC), it can also feel like a minefield of questions and temptations: “Can I have alcohol?” “Which foods should I avoid?” "What do we mean by fertility friendly foods, vs. simply 'healthy' choices?", and so on. For me, [...]
Your top 7 surrogacy FAQs, with San Francisco’s leading clinic
By Jessie Day From the surrogacy process, and a roadmap of what to expect, to key definitions - do you know the difference between gestational carrier and traditional surrogate, for example? - fertility clinics can help with so much beyond a sperm-meets-egg scenario. But what are the really burning surrogacy FAQs hitting clinics in 2022? [...]
Infertility at work – how to talk to your employer
Fertility struggles are thought to impact 1 in 6 people, according to the latest data. These numbers alone make infertility at work a critical issue, and one that as a society, we have trouble addressing. Many employees go through the journey of infertility and treatment silently in the workplace, but having the tools and the [...]
(Almost) no-one has every PCOS symptom in the book
Or in page one of a Google search for PCOS symptoms, if you check out our most recent polls in collaboration with leading California fertility specialists, Laurel Fertility Care, on Instagram. What are the most ‘common’ PCOS symptoms, according to Google? There’s a certain stigma, and a whole set of assumptions, attached to PCOS. Whether [...]
Q&A with Laurel Fertility Care Embryologist
The success of fertility treatments like IUI, IVF and ICSI hinges on collaboration between your fertility doctors, nurses, and an expert embryology team. While you might not always see them, embryologists are hard at work behind the scenes. They maintain the lab, freeze, test, and monitor your embryos. And if you’re going through IVF, you’ll [...]
Your fertility-friendly summer – 4 expert tips to come back strong
From fertility treatments to tests, to trying and the two-week wait, taking a break when TTC can be a good thing. The mind-body connection is a powerful tool, so recognizing stress and when/how to apply the brakes will be a key part of your MO. With summer in full swing, we caught up with the [...]
Male fertility – a doctor’s 3-part rundown
June is Men’s Health Month in the U.S., prompting us to focus on causes, treatments and misconceptions surrounding male fertility and treatments. When male-female couples are struggling to conceive, there’s often a misconception that fertility issues are due to the female partner. However, up to 40% of heterosexual couples trace the cause of their infertility [...]
Receive Free AMH Testing with Laurel Fertility Care
We have some exciting news to share with our readers! Fertility Help Hub’s trusted partners at Laurel Fertility Care are continuing to expand and, this month, have opened a new fertility clinic. (Visit their website here.) Laurel Fertility Care offers a supportive, inclusive, and knowledgeable team to guide you when you’re ready to pursue your [...]
Between IVF cycles? A clinic’s tips for looking after your mental health
Looking after your mental health during fertility treatments Fertility treatments can be a drain on your mental health and sometimes not taking a break feels more manageable. But taking a break between cycles could be a good opportunity for you to reset and revitalize instead of just plowing on. Deciding to take a break or [...]
A Doctor Told me to Break Up with my Husband because he’s Infertile
Anyone who's been candid with friends, family or strangers about trying to conceive knows that other people love sharing their advice and tips about how to get pregnant. But rarely are these suggestions novel, and they have a tendency to do more harm than good. For this year’s National Infertility Awareness Week, we’ve teamed up [...]
5 Things You Didn’t Know About Living with Endometriosis
Are you part of the 41% in our fertility community living with endometriosis? If so, you might be aware of the common misconceptions about endometriosis and be familiar with some of the lesser-known aspects of this condition. If not, this article will help you learn more about endometriosis. At The Ribbon Box, we're constantly endeavouring [...]
Suffering from fibroids? Bookmark this resource list
At The Ribbon Box, we know fertility problems can affect anyone - sometimes the cause is clear, other times not. In rare cases, complications arising from fibroids can cause infertility. The NHS reports around 1 in 3 women develop fibroids at some point in their life. Yet there is evidence to suggest that the rate [...]
Thyroid Awareness Month – Can my thyroid problems affect my fertility?
We’ve all heard of an under- or overactive thyroid - but is there a thyroid problems fertility link? Questions about the thyroid and fertility crop up frequently in our TRB community - both in January around Thyroid Awareness Month, and beyond. We sat down with Medical Director at San Francisco’s Laurel Fertility Care, Dr. Smikle, [...]
How to Have a Happy Holiday Season when Trying To Conceive
The holidays can be tough when trying to conceive or when you’re struggling with (in)fertility. Particularly at this time, speaking with people who are going through it can help. Join our free The Ribbon Box community (here) to connect with a caring network to help you cope with fertility struggles this holiday season. Today, the [...]
PCOS Management and Fertility Treatment
In honour of PCOS awareness month this September, The Ribbon Box have asked Laurel Fertility Care to take a deeper look at the diagnosis that affects so many. PCOS affects 1 in 10 of women of child-bearing age and yet it is still hard to diagnose. Perhaps LFC's educational article on PCOS below will help [...]
10 Foods to Eat that Help Increase Fertility
As holistic approaches to fertility treatment are becoming more popular due to their effectiveness, we want to find out what the best foods are to help increase fertility for those who are trying to conceive. To learn more about the links between fertility and nutrition, The Ribbon Box have reached out to Laurel Fertility Care, [...]
Why You Might Consider Freezing Your Eggs
When planning to start a family, you may be concerned about timing. A lot of people tend to postpone having a family, not understanding the effect that can have on egg reserve and quality. Medical advances in fertility treatments have now made it possible for young women to freeze their eggs safely, without affecting the [...]
Male Factor Infertility Causes and Treatments by Laurel Fertility Care
Despite being the cause of nearly 50% of infertility cases, male infertility is rarely discussed. There is not a lot of common knowledge surrounding the topic, and, as a result, some men who are trying to conceive may be in the dark about the causes of male infertility and at a loss about how to [...]
The Ultimate Tips for Surviving the Two-Week Wait
For those undergoing fertility treatment, the two-week period between an embryo transfer and taking a pregnancy test is often referred to as the “two-week wait.” This is the final phase of IVF and, for most, it’s a time fuelled with uncertainty, questions, anxieties, doubts and expectations. You will most likely find it hard to resist [...]
Everything You Need to Know about Embryology
Everything You Need to Know about Embryology Watch The Ribbon Box's Q&A webinar about: Embryo grading What embryologists look for in the lab for optimum IVF success Whether Day 5 transfers are more successful for IVF Egg Freezing vs. Embryo Freezing ICSI vs IVF The panel of fertility specialists from Laurel Fertility Care, include Head [...]
The Meaning of an Embryologist and Why Embryology is Important for IVF Success
At The Ribbon Box, we get many readers wanting to understand the meaning of an embryologist and why embryology is such an important part of the IVF process and for IVF success. So, today, we hear from trusted fertility clinic, Laurel Fertility Care (LFC), who have a supportive and highly experienced team of fertility specialists […]
Endometriosis and Infertility – Symptoms, Stages and Treatments by Laurel Fertility Care
As we should all be aware, March marks Endometriosis awareness month. With that in mind, we have asked trusted fertility clinic, Laurel Fertility Care (California, USA), to delve deeper into endometriosis stages, symptoms and of course treatments for endometriosis. We did an Instagram live, where we were joined by Dr. Collin Smikle, founder and Medical […]
