Resources and Further Information
General Information
The Sher Institute of Reproductive Medicine is the clinic I chose after years of research. Dr. Sher is a pioneer in the field of infertility; he opened the first private IVF program in the country and developed many protocols and procedures that are now standard practice. He is active in the fights for useful, accurate statistical reporting and mandated insurance coverage for infertility.
His hand-picked associate doctors have impressive resumes themselves. SIRM has a discussion board and the doctors will answer questions from anyone, not just their own patients, and several of them post on various support boards as well. SIRM offers free consultations whereas most “top tier” clinics charge $500.00 or more. Considered a maverick, Dr. Sher is quick to discard old ways of doing things and explore new territory.
Resolve:The National Infertility Association is a great site for information, activism and advocacy. I do not recommend their message board, however.
Peer Support
IVF Connections: a huge site with
discussion boards broken down by state, diagnosis, age, stage in treatment, dealing with stress, and even pregnancy and baby names. You can also form cycle buddy groups to interact with those going through the same procedure at around the same time.
Ovusoft is centered around fertility tracking software and includes sections on dealing with infertility, endometriosis, and PCOS
The next installment will contain information on Assisted Reproduction Techniques as well as a discussion of ethical, emotional and financial considerations.