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.

Over the past few years, fertility treatment has gained some much-needed visibility. As public figures and celebrities share their stories of IVF treatment, surrogacy, PCOS struggles, and more, we see that willingness to share mirrored in our own community. Not only do patients seem to be more willing to open up to friends, family, and social media about their fertility or family-building journeys, but they are sharing the physical, mental, and emotional toll that may accompany these reproductive challenges.

Like so many things in life, our expectations of what family building is going to look like may differ greatly from our reality. For our patient Angela, even though she knew that fertility treatment was going to be part of her story from the start, there were still some surprises along the way. We are so grateful to Angela for openly sharing her journey and for demonstrating the power of perseverance and believing in yourself. Read the full story in her own words below.

It’s the IVF outcome you don’t ever want to think about.

It's true! Laser Acupuncture can increase implantation success rates by up to 15% when administered just before and immediately after an embryo transfer. Jump down in the article for acupuncture FAQs and all the study details straight from Illume Fertility's expert acupuncturists.

You're waiting - counting the days until you can share your pregnancy news. We're taught that sharing pregnancy news is safe at 12 or 13 weeks but that telling anyone before that milestone is iffy, at best. Where did we learn this? And what are the facts behind miscarriage, pregnancy, and silence?

To the Women Fighting for Their Fertility,

Sickle cell disease is a relatively common genetic disorder affecting approximately 100,000 Americans. Luckily, with the help of IVF treatment and genetic testing, carriers of the trait can now prevent passing it on - leading to healthier babies.