All families should have access to fertility care, but unfortunately, many still end up paying out of pocket or delaying treatment (sometimes indefinitely) due to the overwhelming financial burden.

For the last 32 years, when I find something interesting or intriguing, I take it straight to the people I care for the most: those that need help building their family. More specifically, those faced with infertility or those in the LGBTQ+ community who need reproductive health services.

Some people dream of having twins. Some even enter into the fertility treatment process hoping for twins. But no matter what, finding out that you're pregnant with multiples is a shock! In this special Illume Fertility family story, Stephanie shares her journey through unexplained infertility, a high-risk pregnancy, and creating her family of four.

One of our favorite things about helping families grow is witnessing the diversity - both in what each patient's version of success looks like, and what each family looks like. No two families are exactly the same, and we believe that uniqueness is part of what makes each story so beautiful. In this blog, former Illume Fertility patient and single mom by choice Alison shares her journey through fertility struggles, an unexpected divorce, and choosing to add another baby to her family as a newly solo parent.

When you experience difficulty conceiving Baby #2 after having a relatively easy time getting pregnant with Baby #1, it can be shocking, confusing, and heartbreaking. There might even be a lingering sense of guilt: "Well, I already have a child, so I should just be happy."

Every person deserves to have the opportunity to build a family. Infertility is a reproductive disease, and like any other disease, it should be covered by insurance. While there are an increasing number of grants out there, providing funds for the people in 31 states that have no state-mandated coverage (19 states do have limited mandated coverage, including Connecticut), would we expect someone with cardiac or pulmonary disease to apply and hope for a grant for medical treatment? Or would we expect that the medical coverage that we pay for would instead provide coverage for our medical problem? With 1 in 8 people affected by fertility issues (similar numbers to those who are challenged by breast cancer), we do not have to face these discriminatory exclusions by ourselves. When asked, many legislators will tell you that their families are among the most important aspects of their lives. We stand together, to tell our legislators that our families are as important to us as theirs are to them.

Navigating the world of fertility testing isn’t easy. Trying to remember all of the medical terminology can bring you back to high school science class (and no one wants to go that far back). As a fertility nurse with more than 15 years of experience, I find myself answering a few key questions more often than others.

According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), male factor issues account for 50% of all infertility cases. The good news? Simple lifestyle changes can often significantly improve sperm count. Here's what to do to increase your chances of success.