August 26th, 2010
Many patients at The Fertility Center experience symptoms related to stress while they are trying to get pregnant. Stress reduction techniques can help in managing overwhelming feelings. Meditation is one helpful technique that many people have heard about but often don’t know how to implement in their daily life.
Meditation is simple practice. To start, find yourself a quiet place and sit in a comfortable position. You can close your eyes and might try to listen to soft music. Spend about five minutes taking deep breaths. On the exhale, find a word to repeat to yourself like “peace”, “calm” or “soft”. Your mind will wander, especially if you are just learning to meditate. Keep bringing your awareness back to your breath. At the end of five minutes, slowly open your eyes and pay attention to your mood.
It may take several weeks to get used to meditating and feel that this practice is part of your normal self-care routine. Once or twice a day is best. There are many ways to practice meditation, feel free to explore other ways that might work for you. Don’t give up, even if this feels a little “weird” at first.
For more information about meditation you can go to: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/meditation/HQ01070 or look at the book: The Relaxation Response by Herbert Benson. “You tube” has other information from Herbert Benson and has various meditation segments to assist you.
Feel free to schedule a counseling session at the Grand Rapids office to talk about this and other stress management techniques in more detail.
Submitted by: Kristin Blackwell, LMSW (The Fertility Center counselor)
Tags: coping, infertility, stress
Posted in Support, Tips for Coping | No Comments »
July 15th, 2010
Each patient has an individual story to tell about their fertility journey. The downs, the ups and all that happens in the middle. Please comment below and share your story with other couples!
Tags: fertility journey, share your story
Posted in Support | 2 Comments »
May 19th, 2010
The Fertility Center is expanding our practice from Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo to now include Lansing. We also are welcoming Dr. Richard Leach of Michigan State University. He is a renowned specialist in reproductive endocrinology and infertility. Please call 877-904-4483 toll-free to schedule a new patient appointment with Dr. William Dodds, Dr. James Young or Dr. Richard Leach in our Lansing office.
Tags: doctor, IVF, Lansing fertility
Posted in General Information | No Comments »
April 26th, 2010
The Fertility Center and RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association are celebrating the 21st Annual National Infertility Awareness Week (NIAW), April 24- May1, 2010, joining millions of infertile women and men, healthcare professionals, psychologists and other leaders to promote greater awareness about infertility. RESOLVE is the leading consumer voice in advocating for needed insurance coverage to enable greater access to effective and affordable treatments, increased infertility research for cures and improved therapies, expanded public education about infertility risks and options and incentive to foster adoption as a family building alternative.
RESOLVE’s National Infertility Awareness Week is a time for us to help educate the general public and create greater awareness and understanding about infertility in Michigan, to help women and men find the answers and get the support they need to make important medical decisions and address the medical, emotional, social and economic challenges infertility can present.
“RESOLVE is here during NIAW and throughout the year–to help women and men struggling with infertility to take charge of their family building journey”, said Barbara Collura, Executive Director, RESOLVE. “We are delighted to join with The Fertility Center during National Infertility Awareness Week to help educate and support the American public about infertility.”
RESOLVE’s National Infertility Awareness Week (NIAW) 2010 is supported by Columbia Laboratories, EMD Serono, and Ferring Pharmaceuticals.
Founded in 1974, RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, headquartered in McLean, VA, is the oldest and largest consumer-based, non-profit group that provides education, advocacy and compassionate support for those struggling with infertility in the United States. Each year, RESOLVE and its nationwide network of affiliates and chapters handle more than 1.5 million contacts from people seeking information and help. For more information, visit the RESOLVE website at www.resolve.org or www.resolve.org/takecharge.
Call The Fertility Center toll-free at 877-904-4483 with questions or to schedule an appointment with one of our doctors. Or visit our website at www.fertilitycentermi.com for more information.
Tags: information about fertility, national infertility awareness week, NIAW, Support
Posted in Infertility Awareness Week, Uncategorized | No Comments »
April 9th, 2010
The Fertility Center has patients that are currently looking for egg donors. We are looking for light-skinned African American females between 21 and 31 years old. If you are interested, please see our website at http://www.fertilitycentermi.com/donor-information for more information and criteria needed. Please contact our donor coordinator at 616-988-2229 ext 131 with questions.
Tags: African American donor, egg donor, egg donors needed
Posted in Donor Recipient Information | No Comments »
