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.
Kia ora,
Auckland Tamaki Makaurau is currently working within the COVID-19 Protection Framework. In order to protect our clients, staff and the healthcare system, we have additional layers of protection in place.
Our very own Medical Director, Dr Devashana Gupta, was featured in Verve magazine (March 2022), sharing information for those in their 30’s who may be wanting to start a family, with some tips about where to start. Read the article below.
With the current high number of COVID-19 cases in the community, Rapid Antigen Testing (RAT test) is a requirement for selected treatments, to ensure a negative result before coming into the clinic. We know there are many questions and we hope this Q&A helps give clarity. If there are any questions you feel are unanswered, please email so we can provide details.
Update effective Monday 4th April:
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.
Kia ora,
Those clients who are going through fertility treatment, or about to start treatment, may be wondering about the safety of being immunised against COVID-19. We know that this will be of particular interest to those working in sectors which have made vaccinations mandatory, and if fertility treatment fits the criteria for medical exemption.
Dr Devashana Gupta has recorded a Q&A video with the most commonly asked questions about the Covid-19 vaccine and what it means for those who are trying to conceive.
The NZ Institute of Wellbeing & Resilience have kindly allowed us to share this overview of practical strategies for coping with the impact of COVID-19 in our lives. It is not specifically fertility related, but our counselling team felt that the tips in here were helpful and relevant. Click here to open the PDF.
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.
We’re excited to be leading NZ again… Back in 2016, Repromed were proud to be NZ’s first healthcare organisation to be awarded the Rainbow Tick for our inclusive fertility care. This year we have been working closely with New Zealand AIDS Foundation (NZAF), Body Positive and Positive Women Inc. on an exciting initiative for people living with HIV who are wanting to have a baby or donate sperm to help others.
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.
