infertility

Honoring the Promise

by jacqui on November 16, 2010

October is breast cancer awareness month.  A topic I am very passionate about.  With 1 in every 8 diagnosed it is no surprise that I personally know too many friends, colleagues, clients and even my own mother who have endured this devastating diagnosis.

This past weekend, I had the distinct privilege of being a sponsor at the Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Awards which was held at the beautiful Kennedy Center in Washington DC.  The production was flawlessly produced by my previous client and now very dear friend, Joy Zucker-Tiemann.  This past summer Joy offered me a ticket to the show and I respectfully declined her kind offer and said, “Heck no, such an important cause, I need to be a sponsor!”

With behind the scenes access, Saturday day and evening at the Komen event was truly humbling.  I met so many wonderful and very talented fund raisers, committed scientists working to end breast cancer and thousands of dedicated volunteers all to raise awareness and education for early detection and the need for more research.  I met celebrities, Olivia Newton John, Lynda Carter, Cynthia Nixon and Stephanie Mills to name just a few.  I heard the stories of global leaders like Ida Odinga, a dynamic woman who empowers Kenyan women to have a voice.  I saw Laura Bush receive a well deserved lifetime achievement award for launching groundbreaking educational and healthcare programs for women in more than 75 countries globally.  The celebrity voices of Ricardo Chavira, Jennifer Griffin and Andrea Mitchell rang loudly to emphasize that we will not stop until breast cancer is curable.  The sheer scope of commitments, efforts, talents and hope was endless.

But for me the highlight of the weekend was meeting Robin Roberts.  Robin’s poise, compassion and graceful demeanor made her the most eloquent voice in the house.  As Master of Ceremonies, Robin was truly a master!

Robin had been my idol for many years.  Even before she she earned her stripes as a breast cancer survivor, Robin always symbolized for me devotion, hard work, commitment and integrity.  I learned this about Robin while reading her book “From the Heart: Eight Rules to Live By” which speaks directly to her special character.  Her goals, dreams and commitment to self are clearly identified in her candid writing.

As a true leader, Robin led the audience through a very emotional, informative yet hopeful two hour award ceremony.  Robin spoke “from the heart” about her own battle with triple negative breast cancer and how support from Susan G. Komen organization, colleagues, close friends, and strong family helped her to endure her journey through cancer treatment.  Robin’s eloquent plea for advocacy, raising awareness, offering education about early detection and the importance of raising additional funds for more research resonated loud and clear nationally.  Compelling videos clips of cancer survivors emphasized these topics and solidified Robin’s powerful message.  Robin had always been my idol, but after this weekend she is not only my idol but also my hero.

The memory of the weekend would not be complete with out accolades for the lady whose vision became a reality, Nancy Brinker, Founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure®.  Since 1983, Nancy had created the largest organization for education and fundraising for cancer victims.  This organization has helped millions of women and their families to identify valuable resources  before during and after diagnosis.  Nancy too is a pillar of strength and has made it her primary mission to put cancer at the top of the World Health Organization’s agenda.

I too had an opportunity to share my small part in raising awareness with Barbara Harrison on NBC.  In a short segment I believe that together we were able to disseminate valuable information on advocacy and fertility preservation options for those facing any dreaded cancer diagnosis.

It was definitely an action packed weekend and I am so blessed to have played even a small part of to help promote the cause.  Thank you Joy for your friendship, the sisterhood that has bonded between us, the many opportunities you gave to me including sharing a special morning with your beautiful daughter Jade!

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Navigating the Infertility Maze Abroad

by Mindy on November 10, 2010

With the donor egg and sperm shortage, anonymity laws and the limited access to surrogate candidates, more and more consumers / patients from European countries are traveling abroad to seek treatment options that will help them have their own biological children.

The term “Medical Tourism” has gained popularity over the years, but it truly involves embarking on an unknown journey when exploring healthcare options in foreign countries.  Knowing how to identify appropriate resources and engaging unbiased professionals can be risky and sometimes a bit overwhelming and scary.  Healthcare decisions and most importantly, the operation of the healthcare system in the US in particular, is very different than the healthcare networks in other continents.

At Lotus Blossom Consulting (LBC) our mission as patient advocate is to arm consumers/patients with information and education to make the best medical choices abroad. Providing clients with targeted questions specific to their diagnosis, identifying resources to suit individual criteria and securing a team of unbiased multi-disciplinary professionals are all essential elements to successfully overcoming infertility. Working with the Consultants at LBC, you will be assisted every step of the way from securing your hotel and travel accommodations to identifying your ideal team of worldwide professionals which includes reproductive endocrinologists, embryologists, attorneys, financial and estate planners, insurance agents, immigration attorneys, and translators, to help you through a successful fertility arrangement.

One factor that can significantly increase the overall price of treatment for international clients is the lack of insurance coverage. In our experience, the best insurance options are selected after a thorough evaluation performed by a licensed insurance agent to make the best possible choices available to mitigate financial risk factors while simultaneously addressing individual risk adversity. LBC Consultants work very closely with teams of insurance agents to identify policies and plans that suit all parties in the surrogacy arrangement.

Working with our consultants will help streamline the fertility process from beginning to birth, and most importantly, help maximize your chances of success and minimize your financial expenditure. But our work does not stop there.  Even after the birth, we work closely with teams of immigration attorneys and estate planners to ensure that intended parent(s) are well informed and educated about the advantages and disadvantages of various options. This is critical to the decision making process at birth, as it can greatly affect the ability to legally return to your home country with your child(ren), as well as impact the future lifestyle of your new family unit.

Lotus Blossom Consulting works with individuals from across the globe on a case-by-case basis to help facilitate the infertility process, taking into consideration clients’ emotional, physical and financial infertility issues and then develops an individualized, comprehensive plan, to help clients make informed decisions and pull together a team of unbiased professionals to accomplish a treatment cycle. Mindy is a sought-after infertility expert and has appeared on countless media programs and speaker panels educating audiences on the topic of infertility, egg banking and surrogacy.

For more information about Lotus Blossom Consulting, LLC, 00 1 847 881 2685, email mindy@lotusblossomconsulting.com or visit the web at www.lotusblossomconsulting.com or www.infertilityconsultant.com

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Conceivable Options™ – When The Pathway to Parenthood is Not Linear

by Mindy on November 10, 2010

As children and young adults many of us were raised to grow up and become not just well established adults, but moms and dads. It is often a natural progression to graduate school, focus on career, marry and raise a family. Kids are the ultimate goal and accomplishment.

Today however, given the rise in infertility one in five couples today, or 7.3 million Americans struggle with infertility — the biological inability to conceive or carry a pregnancy to full term. Many factors can contribute to this staggering and continually growing statistic. Most common are delayed child bearing, advanced maternal age, medical conditions, sexually transmitted diseases, obesity and environmental factors. As women continue to work and delay having children, their needs with regard to infertility treatment has also continued to grow.

The infertility diagnosis can be devastating and demoralizing. Unable to become pregnant or carry a pregnancy to term, women often feel inadequate, alone and depressed. Infertility treatment is costly and invasive. Success rates are not guaranteed and insurance benefits are often limited. The emotional, physical and financial stressors associated with the infertility process are often challenging and overwhelming.

Age matters in many aspects of life and definitely in the creation of life. Women are most fertile between the ages of 20 to 28 with their fertility decreasing in half by the time they reach 35 years of age. By age 45, only a 1% chance remains each month of conceiving naturally. This is a startling fact considering the average age a woman has her first child has risen to a record high of 25.1 years with 20% of women waiting until they are 35 years old to begin their family.

An increasing number of women choose to delay childbearing due to further schooling, career choice, or are waiting to find their perfect partner. Many individuals are choosing to be single parents. While those choices are understandable and personal, as women naturally age so do their ovaries; affecting their fertility. Oocyte cryopreservation, commonly known as egg banking, generally provides women up to the age of 38 a chance to stop their biological clock and effectively plan and preserve their fertility for the future.

Other treatment options to help overcome infertility include egg donation and surrogacy. Egg donation involves retrieving eggs from a donor between the ages of 21 and 32. Since success rates are linked to the age of the egg, using an egg donor can greatly impact the success rates for pregnancy after in-vitro fertilization treatments. It is most common to use an egg donor in an anonymous arrangement. Legal contracts are necessary to outline the roles of all parties and to have the egg donor relinquish all rights to offspring produced from the treatment cycle.

Surrogacy is another widely available option to help overcome infertility. Over the past decade surrogacy has become more acceptable as the laws in certain states have enabled couples and individuals to establish parentage at birth or shortly thereafter. The most prevalent form of surrogacy today is gestational surrogacy where the surrogate candidate is not biologically related to the offspring.

The pathway to parenthood is not always linear. But understanding the treatment options available will help you to determine your emotional tolerances and physical endurance for exploring treatment and reaching the American dream of becoming a mom and dad.

About Mindy Berkson and Lotus Blossom Consulting

As one of the first infertility consultancies in the United States, Lotus Blossom Consulting, LLC was founded by Mindy Berkson in 2005. With more than a decade of experience at physician’s offices, and egg donor and surrogacy agencies, Berkson assists individuals working through the often-challenging roadblocks of infertility, by providing the best information and resources available to them from around the world – all in one location.

Lotus Blossom Consulting works with individuals on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration clients’ emotional, physical and financial infertility issues and then develops an individualized, comprehensive plan, to help clients make informed decisions. Mindy is a sought-after infertility expert and has appeared on countless media programs and speaker panels educating audiences on the topic of infertility, egg banking and surrogacy. For more information about Lotus Blossom Consulting, LLC, call toll free (877) 881-2685, email mindy@lotusblossomconsulting.com or visit the web at www.lotusblossomconsulting.com or www.infertilityconsultant.com.

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Jude Andrew Adams Fund

by Mindy on June 11, 2009

I am proud to announce that Lotus Blossom Consulting has officially established the Jude Andrew Adams Charitable Fund to bring new life to families who are struggling to conceive.  motivation and intention in creating this grant is to offer a free fertility treatment for those who could not otherwise afford it.  To learn more about this fund and how it came to fruition, please click here.

Applications for a free treatment cycle are now being accepted.  The board of directors will select from applicants who meet the following criteria:

  • Have a history of infertility, and provide a physician documented medical indication for exploring IVF treatment along with the application
  • Demonstrate a financial need; defined as a gross combined annual income less than $80,000. A copy of the last two years’ IRS tax returns and two of the most recent pay stubs is required.
  • No insurance coverage for infertility treatments.
  • Do not currently have any children.
  • Be under age 40.
  • Be current legal citizens of the United States and living in the United States at the time of the award and subsequent treatment.

 

Thank you all for your help and support for this great cause. 

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When the Path to Parenthood is Not Linear

by Mindy on March 26, 2009

We understand that sometimes the pathway to parenthood is not linear. As frustrating as this is, reality requires us to make difficult choices and explore paths that we never imagined. Coming to terms with using a third party candidate can be a complicated and overwhelming process. In my experience, when clients can reach a comfort zone in selecting a candidate who meets close to their ideal criteria, the process becomes much more palatable.
So where does one begin the search? Some clinics provide in house egg donor recruiting programs. These programs tend to be small and often consist of only local donors. Due to their size, supply does not often meet demand and wait lists to select a candidate tend to be long. The agency route is another avenue. Agencies often have larger pools of available candidates, but weeding through profiles to identify ideal candidates can be time consuming and overwhelming.
Explore your resources. As an Infertility Consultant my focus is to advocate for the intended parents. Through carefully established strategic alliances with agencies nationwide, the consultants at Lotus Blossom Consulting have access to vast pools of qualified and available surrogate and egg donor candidates. Our match time is typically less than two weeks. We deliver to your email box targeted profiles to specifically meet your ideal criteria. There is no limit to the number of profiles you will have to choose from. The goal is to identify a candidate that appropriately suits your needs. But in addition, Lotus Blossom Consulting closely screens the agencies. We drive business only to agencies that are willing to include special clauses in their contracts for our client, which ensures that your financial risk factors will be mitigated in the event that a candidate does not pass your physician’s medical screening. This is one of our commitments to you in working as your advocate.
With our help, the complicated process becomes less overwhelming. Our very personalized touch and direct guidance in what to seek in an ideal candidate enables clients to focus their energies and emotions on other aspects of the cycle. Having the confidence to move through third party reproduction comes with knowing that you selected the right candidate, within a timeframe that is consistent with your course of treatment, and a budget that suits your financial reserves.
The journey through infertility need not be a fearful or overwhelming adventure. Identifying support, resources and guidance can save valuable time, preserve emotional well being and help to optimize the resources for your treatment cycle while minimizing the overall financial expenditure for the end family building goal. Being proactive in building the foundation for multiple cycles is simply acting prudent.

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Patient Advocacy

by Mindy on March 6, 2009

As an Infertility Consultant, I am horrified and embarrassed that octuplets were allowed to be created, and the industry has been burdened by the wrath of their birth these past few weeks. The news stories have been less than flattering, and rightfully so. But it is unfair that one story gone awry should cloud what the industry as a whole has to offer. Infertility treatments have helped so many to achieve their dreams of parenthood. These success stories cannot be mitigated.

Now more than ever it is vital to focus on education. Empowering the patients with information about the risks and potential outcomes associated with given procedure, and helping patients to determine an appropriate level of risk given their particular situation and individual risk adversity.

I understand completely, the exhaustive process that infertility involves. It affects every emotion, both in one’s personal and professional life, it greatly impacts one’s financial resources, and physically, continued treatments take a toll on one’s body.
And if this is not enough there are still many factors that need to play into the decision to undergo in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments. These are the moral and ethical debates. What to do with embryos that have been frozen for future embryo transfer attempts once your family is complete? Should we be able to create more embryos then we intend to transfer so that we can use these embryos for future genetic siblings?

I started my company, Lotus Blossom Consulting after having walked in the shoes of these women who are tortured by these very difficult decisions and face the same crap shoot each time they undergo an IVF treatment. There are no guarantees. The stakes are high financially and emotionally, as well as the desire to pursue each attempt is inflated by the basic and often innate desire to procreate. So how does one strike the appropriate balance when attempting to achieve their end family building goals?

There is no one solution. Each individual is required to make choices that are often very risky. Choices, however, need to fall within the parameters and suggested guidelines that are set in place and congruent with industry standard. These guidelines although suggested, do act in the patients’ best interest. In the recent case of the octuplets certainly, this intended mother should have considered, or been required to undergo four separate frozen embryo transfers limited to only two embryos each. These multiple transfers would have limited the exponential potential risk factors associated with multiple births. The intended mother would have had the same opportunity of achieving her goal of a large family, but the pathway to parenthood would have afforded her a chance at a similar outcome with much less risk to herself and the all of the offspring.

We need to learn from this graphic mishap and move forward with measures to appropriately balance hope with caution. These efforts emanate from education and awareness. Education is empowering. Education needs to include:

• Having a clear understanding of your treatment options and the success rate of each given opportunity at a particular embryology laboratory
• Assuming appropriate risk factors emotionally, physically and financially for each individual situation
• Formulating a clear cut treatment plan, treatment philosophy with specific boundaries to guide you
• Using the above established guidelines to know when to change the course of treatment
• Understanding informed medical consents, risks and benefits before signing and undergoing any treatment

These are the necessary elements that allow you to be your own best advocate through the process.

Being your own best advocate requires effort and commitment. Keep copious notes of your consultations, ask for medical records and test results. In the event that you decide to obtain a second opinion, the information does not need to be re-gathered. Learn about your condition, your options for treatment, and the success rates for couples in your situation. Doing your research will enable you to effectively discuss your situation with your healthcare team. Learn to advocate for yourself by being assertive, staying informed, asking questions, and keeping records. Be certain you get what you need from your healthcare team.

Patient advocacy is more important than ever in order to keep up with the advancements of medical innovations and technologies available to us today. With these advancements come responsibilities. These responsibilities demand a level of conscientiousness, and this needs to be distributed among those who offer and those who receive the benefits.

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E-Book Offers Options During National Infertility Awareness Week

by Mindy on November 13, 2007

CHICAGO, Nov. 6 /PRNewswire/ — Lotus Blossom Consulting, LLC, a Chicago-based infertility consultancy with clients around the world,announces the availability of their free E-Book, Financing Your Infertility Treatment, available on their website at http://www.lotusblossomconsulting.com. The E-Book addresses the financial aspects of infertility, and it will be available beginning with National Infertility Awareness Week, November 4 – 10, 2007, and beyond.

According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, most infertility cases — 85% to 90% — are treated with conventional medical therapies such as medication or surgery. Yet, infertility treatment can be costly, success rates are not guaranteed, and insurance benefits may be limited.

“Beyond simply the medical issues, there are so many factors to consider when dealing with infertility,” says Mindy Berkson, co-founder  Blossom Consulting. “Proper financial planning and utilization of insurance benefits in the right order can help you effectively minimize costs, maximize insurance benefits, and save significant out of pocket expenditures. Lotus Blossom’s E-Book can help.”

The E-Book, Financing Your Infertility Treatment, provides an overview of financing options available, with particular emphasis placed on individualized tax situations, specific insurance benefits, and the total financial resources available before undergoing the infertility journey.For more information on the E-Book, contact Lotus Blossom Consulting tollfree at (877) 881-2685, email consultant@lotusblossomconsulting.com or visit them on the web at http://www.lotusblossomconsulting.com.

ABOUT LOTUS BLOSSOM CONSULTING, LLCAs one of the first infertility consultancies in the United States,Lotus Blossom Consulting, LLC was founded by Mindy Berkson in 2005 after her own personal battle with secondary infertility. With extensive experience in all aspects of infertility, from egg donors and surrogates to in-vitro fertilization, Lotus Blossom Consulting works with individuals on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration clients’ emotional,physical and financial infertility issues then develops an individualized,comprehensive plan, including relevant insurance information, to help clients make informed decisions. Lotus Blossom Consulting has worked with many individuals to enrich their lives by helping them to fulfill their dreams of having children.

For more information about Lotus Blossom Consulting, LLC, call tollfree (877) 881- 2685, email consultant@lotusblossomconsulting.com or visitthem on the web at http://www.lotusblossomconsulting.com.

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Financing Your Fertility: Healthcare Plan Arrangements

by Mindy on November 1, 2007

Before beginning any discussion about insurance coverage, it’s important to explain the status of fertility benefits in the United States. Not every employer is required to cover fertility treatments; this benefit is delineated per state.

States that do require some benefit level for infertility treatments are called “mandated to cover” states, although specific rules may vary from state to state: Arkansas, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island and West Virginia are “mandated to cover” states.

Others, called “mandated to offer” states, require infertility benefits to be offered for additional purchase: California, Connecticut and Texas are “mandated to offer” states (This list may have changed as of the printing of this article).

To make it more complicated, large, national corporations oftentimes offer the same benefits company-wide, resulting in exceptions to the states’ directive. For example, you may live in a state that mandates coverage, but work for a company that is not required by the federal government to meet the state’s benefit mandate. On the other hand, if you live in a state that does not require fertility coverage; you may still be covered through your employer. In addition to these complications, many times your healthcare plan may cover some parts of your treatment even if you work in a state that does not mandate coverage. It is extremely important, therefore, that you contact your Human Resources department and your healthcare plan provider to discuss in detail your benefits.

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I’m the cover story on City Woman Chicago!

by Mindy on October 24, 2007

Check out the full issue table of contents here.

It’s difficult to express how excited I am – Seeing my family on the front cover of the magazine was overwhelming.

While this is a print publication, they also have a .pdf version online so you can read the article even if you aren’t in Chicago. (Fact: Over half of my clients are international, so I’m used to making sure people that aren’t in the same area I am get the info they need!)

Let me know what you think of the article…thanks!

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ART balance of expense to cost.

by Mindy on October 23, 2007

“The economics of health care is of vital importance to our patients, and to society generally. Using a standard measure like cost per additional year of life, infertility treatments are one of great bargains in modern health care,” stated David Adamson, MD, President-elect of ASRM. (Full Article Here)

Wow! It was actually shown in a study that adding ART as a benefit of a health insurance plan only increased the cost of insurance per member an eensy weensy bit.

The ASRM is the American Society of Reproductive Medicine. The information and studies they do are published in peer-reviewed journals (the good kind) and the results are really promising!

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