Dr. Rob: Hi Lisa!

Lisa: Hi Dr. Kiltz, how you?

Dr. Rob: Very well, very well. Another beautiful day. The sun is shining but again, whether it is shining or clouds and rain, or dark; delight is within each and every one of us!

Lisa: Absolutely. We have some great new developments here at the center.

Dr. Rob: Ask me!

Lisa: So what are we offereing now with our transfers?

Dr. Rob: Well, one of the things that I have recommended for a long time is that accupuncture is really key around the time of embryo transfer. It helps increase outcomes. I believe that there’s a reduction in stress and anxiety by just lying there and getting the needles. So now, we’re offering it complementary for all that either pre or post-embryo transfer acupuncture at our Albany and our Syracuse centers.

Lisa: That’s just fantastic. I’ve had clients contact me all the time saying they’re interested in it, they’ve heard that it works. They’ve heard from their friends or family memmbers that they struggled to conceive and then they started acupuncture and they were able to conceive right away. There’s some great stories out there. This is a great way for you to make it accessible to so many people.

Dr. Rob: It helps people get pregant with or without IVF. I believe it’s an added modaliy. For me, if I believe it enough and really want to encourage people, often the cost of it can be limiting for some people; we knew that, and I want to help increase their outcomes. At CNY Fertility, we’re offering complimentary either pre or post-embryo tranfer at our centers in Albany and in Syracuse. And also, if you just happen to be getting it in Rochester, but around the time of the transfer, just before or just after is the best.

Lisa: Thank you so much for this gift. I know so many of our clients will benefit from it and really enjoy the added secruity of having acupuncture on top of their transfer, so it really is wonderful.

Dr. Rob: Well it’s my pleasure. Also looking to assist, guide, and help. I appreciate everyone’s support.

Lisa: Thank you.

Dr. Rob: God Bless to all.

—

Lisa Stack, Support Coordinator
Lstack@cnyfertility.com
315-744-8073

As the weather continues to improve, this is a great time to create healthy habits for your fertility.  Utilizing fresh local foods, getting outside for even 10 minutes a day, or participating in a new revitalizing yoga session will help to improve your overall health and mood.  Remember, all of these healthy choices will support your fertility.  If you are taking a break, in-between cycles, or waiting to start, there are many ways that you can support your fertility and prepare for a healthy pregnancy.

Our Fertile Secret program is a great place to get started on your journey.  If you would like any additional suggestions or support, please feel free to contact me!

Lisa

Lstack@cnyfertility.com

315-744-8073

Hi!  My name is Lisa Stack, and I’m the CNY Fertility Support Coordinator.  In addition to my Words of Support and Encouragement article this week and a couple other previous articles that I will link to here, we’ve been talking a lot about Mother’s Day. 

For some clients, Mother’s Day is just another day to celebrate their mothers and those around them that have really influenced their lives.  Their focus tends to be more on the long-term challenges of trying to conceive, and the emotional burden that carries.  For others, Mother’s Day is a very challenging day.  It can create a lot of emotions—emotions of grief, anger, resentment may arise.  You may feel like pulling back and not celebrating.  You may feel like kind of hiding away from mothers and pregnant bellies.  That’s OK.  However you respond to Mother’s Day is completely fine, and is completely unique to you. 

You may find that the week to two weeks before Mother’s Day creates a lot more anxiety than the day itself.  In my personal experience, those big holidays, those big days such as the miscarried baby’s due date or Mother’s Day itself seems to be more so the week to two weeks beforehand that were more challenging than the actual day.  I think our bodies have a nice way of releasing some of these challenging emotions slowly over time, so the day itself really isn’t that great of a burden. 

However, some people may experience some great challenging emotions; some grief, anger, anxiety as I had mentioned.  That’s OK.  What’s important is for you to anticipate those challenges and prepare for the day.  You just don’t want to wake up on Mother’s Day and not really have processed much of this or thought of it beforehand.  Doing a little bit of preparation may save you a lot of stress and anxiety on the day itself, and also help you to cope better than you would normally have had you just pushed those thoughts and emotions aside, and went right into the day itself.   

So what I’d like you to do is read through some of the coping tools that I had mentioned, various ways to celebrate Mother’s Day, and ways to acknowledge your emotions.  If you’re recently coming off of a pregnancy loss, this day may be especially challenging for you.  As well, if you’ve recently have had a negative pregnancy test on a cycle that you’ve completed with us, this day may also signify more of the awareness of the loss, and the pregnancy that you don’t have and you were hoping for.  So, be very kind and gentle with yourself.  If you feel like you really just need to pull back a little bit, send your loved ones a card or phone call, and say “I’m sorry.  I am not able to make it today” that’s OK.  It’s important for you to protect yourself and your heart, and really do what is best for you. 

On the other hand, some may find that it’s a great day to celebrate their mothers and those around them that have been positive influences in your life who support them.  If you’re finding that that may be a good outsource for your emotions, a good release; then go ahead and throw yourself into that!  Enjoy your loved ones around you and those women who have created such a positive influence in your life, and have helped and driven you to this decision of trying to conceive.  Additionally, if you are grieving a miscarriage, a pregnancy loss, loss of a child, this is a nice day to do a small memorial or remembrance for that child if you feel like that would be appropriate.   

There are a lot of different ways to celebrate, a lot of different ways to recognize the day or just not recognize the day, you don’t have to as well.  What’s most important is thinking about it ahead of time, giving yourself plenty of time to assess your emotions, and what you may feel would be beneficial to you, and giving yourself lots of time and space to experience your emotions.  Don’t ever apologize for them because they’re yours.   

If you’d like any extra help or support, you can feel free to email me or call me any time.  I’d love to help you talk about your plans for the weekend.  If you need any help coping with some of the plans that you have or maybe some of the emotional challenges that you’ll be facing, I’d love to do that with you as well.  I hope you have a great week.  I hope you’re able to enjoy the weekend and keep moving forward in your cycle. 

Lisa Stack, Support Coordinator
Lstack@cnyfertility.com
315-744-8073

Awareness:
When is the last time you had that V-8 moment? You know those moments when you want to hit yourself in the forehead and say, “Man, I wish I had thought of this before?” My intention is to help create a “moment” of clarity around your creative energy.  After all, creation of any kind begins within by seeing your dream’s manifestations come true.

As defined by Wikipedia… Awareness is the state or ability to perceive, to feel, or to be conscious of events, objects or sensory patterns. In this level of consciousness, sense data can be confirmed by an observer without necessarily implying understanding. More broadly, it is the state or quality of being aware of something. In biological psychology, awareness is defined as a human’s or an animal’s perception and cognitive reaction to a condition or event.

In previous years during NIAW, my focus has been on bringing global awareness to the plight of women and couples experiencing fertility challenges. But despite the strides in global awareness, I still feel there is a need to inform others about what truly happens when the mechanics of creating a child doesn’t work out. In my experience, it is truly about self- awareness.

How do you feel right now? Ask yourself, “What do I need today”?

One sure way to open up all your senses to became aware or fully awake to yourself and your dreams  is to listen and go within. I would like to speak directly to women about their God given Divine Feminine wisdom so that they can re-connect and reacquaint themselves to their divine power, both masculine and feminine. This power seems to become out of balance during the trials and tribulations of the fertility process occurring outside of the bedroom.

So please take some time as a gift to yourself by spending just five minutes each day, for a full week, listening to your heart about what is on your mind.  Creating a heart-mind connection is important in order to move forward. Shifting the process to create your family from the desired outcome, which let me reassure you will come at the end of this, and towards what you are learning about yourself, opens up so many more possibilities.

Here’s what I know about the women with whom I have been blessed to walk.

You are amazingly strong, you are resilient, you are powerful, and you are insightful and organized.  You are resourceful, you educate yourself and you are loved and supported beyond this experience.  Oh yeah, don’t get between a fertility challenged woman and her dream of being a mom because you will not be able to stand that wrath!

My wish for you this week and every week is to be aware, to be at peace and to be blessed!

Now rock it! At the end of the seven days you have set aside for yourself, your forehead will hurt because of all the V-8 moment slaps!

Blessings,
Kristen

Fertility Coaching Giveaway – Win a One-Hour Individual or Couples Coaching Session: Mother’s Day and Father’s Day can stir up emotions and feelings for many individuals and couples trying to create their family. These back to back observances can be two more reminders of the losses in your life, but they also can be opportunities to help you move forward with ease. Through her coaching sessions, let Kristen Magnacca help you discover your inner wisdom and find clarity for the next step on your fertility journey. To register to win a free Fertility Coaching Session visit this link. We will select and notify the winner on June 1st, 2012.

April 2012 Meditation – click arrow to listen

We have a library of previous fertility meditations that you can enjoy – click here to explore.

Join us for the next live Meditation Webinar on Wednesday, May 23rd, 7pm. Click here to register https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/546769025

Syracuse will meet tomorrow, Tuesday, May 8th from 7:15p-8:30p after Yoga for Fertility.

Albany will meet tomorrow Tuesday, May 8th from 5:30p-7:00p before Yoga for Fertility.

Rochester will meet on Wednesday, May 30th from 5:30p-7:00p before Yoga for Fertility.

If you would like to talk about your plans for this weekend, I’d be happy to help you come up with a few personalized coping tools to make this holiday a little easier for you.  I also welcome you to join us tomorrow evening at our Syracuse Circle of Hope Support Group from 7:15p-8:30p.  You can enter through the CNY Healing Arts entrance, and a hostess will direct you to the kitchen.

I hope that you have a great week, and please let me know if there is anything that I can do for you.

Lisa

Lstack@cnyfertility.com

315-744-8073

We had our first telephone consultation with Dr. Kiltz in July 2009 and were put at ease by his very positive manner. After a few mock cycles, including meeting Pati Breh at a Buffalo hockey rink to get injectable estrogen not available in Canada, we finally found a way to thicken my lining.

In January 2010, we traveled to Syracuse so we could meet Dr. Kiltz in person and see the Center. We were blown away by the beautiful, relaxing environment and the great attention we were given. By April 2010 we were right in the thick of things. On April 6, 2010, Pati informed us that the donor would be having her egg retrieval the next day so we headed to Syracuse. My lining was still very thin unfortunately. Dr. Kiltz spent a great amount of time with us on April 7, fine tuning the medication protocol to give my lining the best chance to thicken by the embryo transfer. We spent a few days touring around Central New York and on Monday April 12 went back to CNY for the embryo transfer. I was nervous about the procedure and Dr. Kiltz reassured me by telling me my lining looked beautiful and by saying, “It’s going to be easy and it’s going to work”.

Well, he was right. Our beautiful little boy was born in December 2010. Sometimes it seems surreal that half of his genetic material comes from a person we will never meet, a person whose first name we don’t even know. But when my son cuddles on my lap for a story, when he walks up to me and gives me a big hug and kiss, when we smile and laugh together, all I know is that he is my son and that I am his “Mama”.

Each year about 1 million women undergo tubal ligation in the United States to end their ability to have children.  But what happens if circumstances change and a woman again desires to become pregnant? Studies show that  up to 10% of women  undergoing a tubal ligation regret their decision.  The reasons are variable but include a new relationship, loss of a child, and age less than 30 at the time of tubal ligation.  Tubal reversal allows women to achieve pregnancy naturally and as many times as they desire.

Traditionally, the procedure is performed through a large incision in the abdomen similar to a Cesarean section incision.  Typically this  requires a (two day) hospital stay and prolonged recovery period, often 4-6 weeks.   By utilizing the da Vinci Si, the latest robotic technology available at Ellis Hospital in the Capital Region, Dr. Montalto was able to perform the surgery through  tiny laparoscopic incisions, and the patient was eligible to go home that same day.  Recovery is, typically, about one to two weeks.

Ellis acquired the da Vinci Si in December 2011. The  da Vinci Surgical System offers surgeons superior 3D visualization, enhanced dexterity and greater precision compared to traditional laparoscopic surgical approaches.

If you are looking into Tubal Reversal, we invite you to contact us through the web form here or you can call us toll-free at 1.800.539.9870. It would be our pleasure to have a conversation with you and provide you with information.

Mother’s Day is often one of the more challenging holidays to encounter while trying to conceive.  However, there are some great opportunities to focus this day not on what you are lacking, but what you have.  As always, the best way to cope with this potentially challenging day is to anticipate and plan.  Make sure you have considered potential challenging situations, and assessed what would make you feel most relaxed and at peace.

Here are some brief suggestions to help prepare and cope with Mother’s Day:

1. Be your best friend:  You are not required to be anywhere or do anything you are not comfortable with.  You have to listen to yourself, and protect yourself.  If you feel that going out to eat, or a family member’s house will be too anxiety provoking, then graciously thank them for the offer but let them know you have other plans.  You (and your partner, if you have one) must have a discussion before, outlining the most enjoyable and least stressful holiday scenario:  will you celebrate?  Where will you celebrate?  How long will you stay?
2. Prepare your script:  This does not mean you will have each conversation planned out, but come to a consensus beforehand.  How will you respond to the inevitable question, ‘so when will you have children of your own?’  If you have a couple of planned responses that you feel comfortable with, it will make the conversation a lot smoother, and quicker.  When we become anxious about answering a question, it can often lead to us revealing more than we would like.  However, if we are able to calmly deliver our planned responses, we can guide the direction of the conversation to another topic rather smoothly.  If you have told your family you are trying and seeking treatment, this tool also works.  They may ask ‘how are your cycles going?  What is new at the doctor’s office?’ and instead of giving them a play-by-play of your last blood draws, you could have similar, planned responses.
3. Celebrate not what you are lacking, but what you have: If your mother is an active presence in your life or you have a maternal figure, take the day to celebrate them.  Transfer the focus off of yourself as a mother, onto the person of your choice.  This enforces the passion/empathy tool we have discussed before, and planning a nice meal for someone else allows a nice break for the mind and heart.
4. Spend the day fostering your own motherhood:  Make it a ‘healthy day’, to promote your fertility.  Spend the day outdoors, exercising, or eating really delicious and nutritious foods.  Take some time and try an artistic project, utilizing your imagination and nurturing any emotions you may be experiencing.
5. Recognize and honor the emotions, but celebrate with family: This may be an opportunity to use as motivation for your cycles.  Try to take it all in.  Take a mental image of the smiles and laughter, and when you are experiencing a challenging moment later on, remember those smiles and what it is that you are working towards.  You are doing all of this so that you can have those moments, those smiles, for yourself.
6. Honor your losses: If you have experienced pregnancy loss, this may be a nice day to honor those losses.  You could write a letter to the child, plant a tree in their honor, or take some time just to talk about your pregnancy and what it feels like to no longer have the child with you.  This may feel very difficult at first, but the memory of a lost pregnancy always remains, and it may feel good to revisit and acknowledge the loss.

Please remember that it is incredibly important to protect your emotions, and if that means removing yourself from a situation that could be too challenging, then do it! We just need to get a bit creative, and open ourselves to new traditions and opportunities.  If you would like to work through these emotions together, please feel free to contact me.  You can also attend our Circle of Hope Support Group sessions:

Syracuse will meet on Tuesday, May 8th from 7:15p-8:30p after Yoga for Fertility.

Albany will meet on Tuesday, May 8th from 5:30p-7:00p before Yoga for Fertility.

Rochester will meet on Wednesday, May 30th from 5:30p-7:00p before Yoga for Fertility.

Be kind to yourself,

Lisa

Lstack@cnyfertility.com

315-744-8073

Women are surviving cancer today in record numbers. Now that oncologists have made such great strides toward effective treatment, we need to focus more on helping women prepare for their life beyond cancer.  Unfortunately, many of the most effective cancer treatments can damage a woman’s ovaries leaving them infertile or even induce premature menopause.

In 2006[u1] , the American Society for Clinical Oncologists published guidelines on discussing “fertility preservation” with cancer patients. At that time they estimated that about 55,000 cancer patients per year were 35 or younger and should be offered options to prevent lifelong infertility. One of the concerns expressed by the panel at that time was that the cost of fertility preservation was prohibitive. Since that time, many organizations have taken steps to remove financial barriers by providing compassionate care options; making treatment widely accessible. I am pleased to work at such a center [u2] and have therefore had the good fortune to help many cancer patients in planning their future families.

Recently, a group of women that had survived cancer treatment agreed to participate in a study[u3]  investigating whether or not they had been counseled about fertility preservation prior to undergoing cancer treatment. Unfortunately, even though these women were between 18 and 40 years of age; only 61% had been counseled. They did find a more recent trend toward counseling then when the study began a decade ago. Most importantly, the women that had received counseling were far less likely to harbor regrets; even if they did not choose to freeze eggs or embryos prior to cancer therapy. In fact, women that discussed their options with a fertility specialist were most at peace with their decision and demonstrated the highest quality-of-life scores. So if you or someone you know has recently been diagnosed with cancer, consider scheduling a consultation with a reproductive endocrinologist. It’s a decision that will be appreciated over time.

Robert Greene, MD, FACOG
CNY Fertility Center
e-mail me at rgreene@cnyfertility.com
Call our toll-free number at 800.539.9870 or request a consult here.