We believe sharing stories can provide support and comfort. Read stories that have been generously shared by our clients and staff…
Helen Nicholson, Repromed Counsellor
Anyone who is dealing with a medical issue right now will be feeling under pressure with the risk of a positive Covid-19 test cancelling the procedure at the last minute. For those going through fertility treatment like IVF, the risk is very real while Covid-19 cases are in the community, plus there is a significant investment of time and money.
Experiencing fertility issues can be an incredibly isolating experience, often described as a burden hidden deeply away.
During Hannah’s five year infertility journey, she shut down emotionally from those around her, as the difficulty of the experience was too raw and vulnerable to share. Over time she developed a beautiful friendship with Natalie, slowly opening up to her friend, which gave her much-needed strength to get through.
I feel so lucky to be able to be involved in creating a family’s life journey. I just love it, it’s truly amazing and deeply satisfying. Working on the donor sperm programme is particularly rewarding, it gives same sex couples and single women the opportunity to conceive, people who wouldn’t otherwise be able to have a baby of their own. The relationships I build with the donors and the recipients is really special and so rewarding for me as I get to support them through the journey they are on. Every day I get a buzz from the amazing thought – this client is now pregnant and that is the direct result of what we have done for them. A year later they bring their beautiful babies into the clinic to show them off, and every single time it blows me away. It’s an honour.
Almost every client through our doors is interested in whether they qualify for public funding of fertility treatment. We’ve asked Repromed public funding coordinator, Vanessa Holmes, to provide answers to the common questions she is asked.
Neil and I both have a wonderful blended family, between us we have three amazing teenagers from previous marriages, and when our family was on an even keel, we decided we wanted to add another child to our family.
When we married, we weren’t sure that natural conception would be possible as I had been diagnosed with low ovarian reserve age 29. We decided to try for a pregnancy when I was 36; a decision which took us on an intense 5 year journey suffering the tragedy of pregnancy losses, life threatening complications and unsuccessful fertility treatment, before we eventually met our darling boy, Noah.
When I look back on our long, hard fertility journey it seems miraculous that I have a baby in my arms today.
My husband and I decided that we would start “trying” ten years ago and although we took it lightly at this point, it was still super disappointing getting my periods every month, knowing for sure I wasn’t pregnant.
Kia Ora koutou katoa,
As we approach the end of the year, I wanted to say a personal thank you to all our clients who have honoured us by choosing Repromed. 2020 has certainly been a very challenging year – there are moments we hope to never re-live, and also some big highs for our clinic which I’d like to share.
By Karen Buckingham, Repromed Fertility Doctor
Should I freeze my eggs or not? Today, women are becoming increasingly aware that this could be a reassuring option for them but egg freezing is a decision that requires careful consideration and realistic expectations. We thought it would be useful to give a detailed overview of the pros and cons and some insight into the likelihood of achieving a future successful pregnancy.
By Teresa Gudex, Repromed Dietitian
It is a fact that your regular eating habits can impact fertility by affecting ovulation, egg and sperm quality, implantation, pregnancy rates, as well as health during pregnancy and of your child. Weight-loss is the most common topic when it comes to diet and fertility – but did you know you can make changes to your diet to positively impact fertility without weight-loss? This is what we call your ‘fertility diet’ which is about improving your chances of successfully having a healthy baby.
More people are eating gluten free and feeling better for it. But have you ever wondered if you have Coeliac Disease? Coeliac Disease is relatively common around the world and in New Zealand, it is estimated that one in 70 people have this condition.
What’s interesting is that around 80% of people with Coeliac Disease are completely unaware they have the condition. It’s possible to have ‘silent’ Coeliac Disease: when a person has Coeliac Disease without any of the typical gut symptoms or vitamin deficiencies that usually lead to a diagnosis.
What has rarely been spoken about in the past is the potential link between Coeliac Disease and fertility.
As we head into a new year, now is a great time to pause and reflect on where things are at with your body and your health. Here at Repromed our aim is to assist you in optimising your fertility for the coming year. There are several lifestyle changes that you can make that are proven to influence or enhance your chances of getting pregnant, whether you’re male or female.
As we approach the end of the year, it is timely to reflect on the many milestones and achievements at Repromed.
We have now completed 5 years of being a provider of publicly funded services in the Northern Region and we are delighted with the results we have achieved and the level of service we have provided. All our public funded clients receive exactly the same high quality of treatment and same wrap-around care and support throughout their IVF treatment, as our private clients.
We understand that fertility treatment can be a daunting and sensitive issue, we make it a priority to provide clear and realistic information, so our clients know what to expect every step of the way.
We are lucky to have four Mandarin speaking members in our Repromed team so during treatment for our Mandarin speaking clients, nothing is lost in translation.
Watch this short video about what makes us different:
My husband and I met and married when we were very young, so infertility was something that hadn’t crossed our minds. We never dreamed it would take us 14 years to have a baby!
When a year went by and I wasn’t pregnant, I was worried something was wrong with me so we started having lots of tests. Finally, I had diagnostic laparoscopic surgery done and discovered I had endometriosis. After surgery, the chance of pregnancy is 60%, and I believed that my prayers were being answered and this surgery would be the golden ticket to curing infertility. But it wasn’t to be.
