Your Fertility Questions Answered

For most couples, infertility is defined as not being able to get pregnant despite having unprotected intercourse frequently for at least one year. Infertility affects 10-15% of couples in the United States.

There are many factors that cause infertility. These issues can be with you or your partner, or a combination of things. Factors affecting fertility may include PCOS, endometriosis, low sperm count and more.

Absolutely. Sperm is half the equation and 40-50% of couples that face infertility are due to male factor infertility¹. About 2% of all men exhibit suboptimal sperm (low sperm concentration, poor sperm motility, abnormal morphology). Male fertility rates have been declining for decades: a 2017 paper showed a 50-60% decline in sperm concentration between 1973 and 2011 in men from around the world².

If you’re over 35 years old and have been trying to conceive for 6+ months unsuccessfully, it might be time to consult with a fertility specialist.

Each individual is unique and your doctor will discuss the tests they prescribe with you. These may include the following for you and your partner:

• Blood work
• Semen analysis
• Ultrasound of follicles
• Hormone testing

Unexplained infertility refers to fertility cases in which standard infertility testing cannot identify a cause.

There is currently no evidence that any vaccines, including COVID-19 vaccines, cause fertility problems.

In most cases, insurance benefits do not cover the expenses associated with IVF for female couples. Oma Fertility does provide various financing options, which you can learn abouthere.

IVF for female couples will follow the same procedures as regular IVF, but will require a sperm donor and embryo transfer. Oma partners with LGBTQIA+-friendly sperm donor banks and other third-party services. Our staff has received training on protocols for common processes in same-sex fertility treatment. More information regarding IVF for female couples may be found here.

The cost of IVF through Oma will be the same for female couples as it is for everyone else. However, as a female couple, there will be separate expenses associated with both the sperm donor and the embryo transfer. These expenses will be handled by third parties apart from Oma. Review the pricing information here

Typically, insurance benefits do not cover expenses associated with IVF for gay couples. Oma Fertility does offer different financing options which you can read about here.

IVF for gay couples will follow the same steps as traditional IVF, however an egg donor and gestational surrogate will be required. Oma partners with LGBTQIA- welcoming egg donor banks and other third-party services. Our staff is trained in protocols for processes common in same-sex fertility care. You can read more about IVF for gay couples here.

Oma’s IVF services for gay couples will cost the same as IVF for anyone else. You can review pricing here. As a gay couple, there will be separate costs associated with both an egg donor and a gestational carrier, however those will be coordinated with third-parties outside of Oma.

Weight, smoking, consuming alcohol, drug use, excessive caffeine, exposure to toxins, stress, and over-exercising are all among common factors that may affect fertility or IVF success for women.

Similar to the issues that may affect fertility for women, weight, smoking, excessive caffeine, consuming alcohol, drug use, and stress are all lifestyle factors that may affect fertility or IVF success for men.

IVF and IUI are two different types of fertility treatments to help a woman get pregnant. IUI, or Intrauterine Insemination is a process where sperm is placed directly inside a woman’s uterus to facilitate fertilization. IVF, or In Vitro Fertilization is a process where eggs and sperm are combined outside of the uterus to create fertilized embryos. Following IVF, an embryo can be transferred to the womb to develop. You can learn more about IUI here and IVF here.

From the time your IVF cycle starts to getting embryos created, typically takes about two weeks.

While it might seem counterintuitive, to prepare your body for IVF you’ll take birth control pills. These help prepare your ovaries to better respond to stimulation medication, and also help coordinate your cycle to treatment can be planned accordingly.

Next, you’ll begin hormone therapy either taken as a pill or injectable medication. This medication encourages your ovaries to produce more mature eggs than they would naturally. The end goal is to get at least three mature and fully-developed eggs.

Once you’ve produced enough mature eggs, you’ll receive a hormone injection that induces ovulation (releasing of the eggs). After about 36 hours, you’ll return to our office for the outpatient egg retrieval procedure.

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection or ICSI (pronounced ick-c) is a technique used in IVF where a sperm cell is injected directly into the center of an egg to increase the chances of fertilization. In traditional IVF, without the use of ICSI, eggs and sperm are combined in a dish to begin the fertilization process. In both traditional IVF and IVF using ICSI, not all eggs fertilize and not all fertilized eggs develop into healthy embryos. Our embryologists closely monitor embryo development and after completing genetic testing on those that reach maturity, an embryo can be transferred to a woman’s uterus. ICSI has a ~72% fertilization rate compared to ~60% for regular IVF.

While the final stage of the IVF process is the embryo transfer, from a financial standpoint, these are two separate Oma treatment packages because we don’t want any patient forced to pay for an embryo transfer if there are no viable embryos in a cycle.

The most common type of transfer Oma performs is the frozen embryo transfer, however in some cases a fresh embryo transfer is also an option. We typically perform frozen transfers because it allows for genetic testing which increases the chance of an embryo successfully implanting. In either case, the embryo transfer is a quick outpatient procedure that requires no sedation and feels similar to a pap smear.

There are many factors that can influence IVF success rates. In general IVF with ICSI has a much higher success rate than regular IVF (~72% fertilization rate compared to ~60%). At Oma, we include ICSI as a standard part of our IVF treatment package and not an add-on cost like many other clinics. Our goal is to increase your chances of success with the fewest number of cycles and ICSI is just one way we try to accomplish that. You can read more about success rates here.

IVF can result in a range of side effects during the various stages and procedures. You can read about some of the side effects that can be expected during IVF here and day-by-day signs and symptoms of embryo transfer here. Additionally, with IVF there is an increased risk of multiple pregnancies.

In general IVF is not a painful procedure. Your doctor will prescribe injections that you’ll be required to self-administer which could be somewhat painful. Both the egg retrieval and embryo transfer procedures are not typically considered to be painful procedures, and are often compared to the feeling of a pap smear.

From the time your IVF cycle starts to getting embryos created, typically takes about two weeks.

Everyone’s IVF experience is different. While some people might achieve a successful pregnancy after one cycle, others might require several. At Oma Fertility, our embryologists are armed with Oma Sperm InSight™ to identify the most promising sperm cell¹ in every sample. We want to give you greater odds—and independent studies² have shown that choosing promising sperm increases the odds of a successful pregnancy.

Different fertility treatments do have different side effects, however each patient is likely to have a unique experience. You can read more about IVF side effects here and Embryo Transfer side effects here

Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) is a process where sperm is placed directly inside a woman’s uterus to facilitate fertilization. IUI is performed to increase the number of sperm that reach the fallopian tubes thereby increasing the chance of fertilization. Read more about IUI here .

The difference between IUI and IVF is that IUI inserts washed semen into a woman's uterus in an attempt to fertilize an egg, while IVF creates an embryo in a lab and then transfers it in the uterus where it hopefully implants. Read more about IUI vs. IVF here .

The process starts by notifying the clinic on the first day of your cycle. Depending on your treatment plan, you typically take a limited course of oral medications that encourage the recruitment and growth of 1-2 dominant follicles. This is followed by a trigger shot to induce ovulation. The timing of the trigger shot is determined by an ultrasound to see and measure the dominant follicles.

A day or two after the trigger shot, you'll come to the fertility clinic for insemination. The sperm sample is collected and processed, which essentially extracts the seminal fluid and only uses healthy sperm cells. Similar to a pap smear, the cervix is visualized using a vaginal speculum and the sperm is inserted through a tube that goes through your cervix into the uterus. The sperm is then deposited. Read more about IUI here .

There are a few tasks that need to happen in preparation of an IUI procedure:

• Ovulation monitoring: Your doctor may monitor your natural ovulation cycle to schedule your IUI. This might involve an ultrasound and bloodwork to view ovarian follicles and determine the stage of your cycle.
• Semen sample preparation: A semen sample is not only collected, it's also optimized to maximize the chances of successful fertilization. It is washed to remove dead and weak cells, as well as bacteria. It also removes seminal fluid so only the strongest sperm cells are used in the IUI process.
• Optimal timing: As you go through the preparation stages for your IUI procedure, your doctor will schedule the treatment on the optimal timing based on your body and evidence-based best practices. In addition to monitoring your ovulation, the process is also scheduled based on research revealing the best IUI time is the 24- to 36-hour window following the trigger shot.

Read more about IUI here.

There are a number of factors that can lead to a successful IUI. Some of them include age of the mother, weight of the mother, male factor infertility, fallopian tube blockage, severe endometriosis, pelvic infections and more. You can read more about IUI success rates here.

The IUI procedure is a low-risk fertility treatment, but there are some potential symptoms and side effects to be aware of. You can read more about potential risks here.

At Oma, we charge $2000 for IUI. Compared to other types of fertility treatments, it's one of the cheapest options out there. It's also a fast outpatient procedure. You can read more about IUI at Oma here.

Implantation typically occurs 6-12 days after an IUI is conducted.

Unless instructed otherwise by a doctor, you can return to normal activity immediately following an IUI procedure. It is typical to experience some light spotting and cramping in the days following the procedure. Additionally, it is important to treat your body as though it’s pregnant by avoiding alcohol, drugs, and limiting caffeine.

After an IUI, you’ll take medications to help support your pregnancy in the early stages. A pregnancy test is taken about two weeks after the IUI procedure. If it is positive, we’ll administer another test in our office to confirm.

The appropriate number of developing follicles in an IUI cycle is highly dependent on your age and history. Your doctor will be able to set your medication based on this information aiming for the best and safest outcome.

An FET cycle can be done at any time, as long as your frozen embryos are available and viable for thawing and transfer. However, it is important to discuss with your healthcare provider if an FET is the best option for you, as there may be other factors to consider in deciding whether or not to pursue an FET cycle.

Another factor to consider is the age of your frozen embryos. Embryos can typically be frozen for several years before their viability begins to decrease, but it is important to discuss this with your healthcare provider and fertility clinic.

It is possible to do multiple FET cycles, as long as there are frozen embryos available. However, it is important to discuss with your healthcare provider the potential risks and benefits of multiple FET cycles before making a decision.

The success rate for FET can vary depending on a number of factors, such as the age and quality of the frozen embryos and the individual patient's unique fertility factors. In general, studies have shown that the success rate for FET is comparable to fresh embryo transfer. It is important to discuss your specific situation with your healthcare provider to understand your potential likelihood of success with an FET cycle.

In some cases, it may be possible to select a specific frozen embryo for transfer. This selection can often be based on the embryo's characteristics, such as cell number and appearance under the microscope. However, this decision should be made in conjunction with your healthcare provider, as they will have important expertise and knowledge about

All IVF appointments at Oma Fertility are outpatient procedures, meaning you never have to stay overnight at our clinic.

Yes. Our team of Care Advocates can help you coordinate details including the transfer of frozen eggs/sperm or frozen embryos from another clinic.

IVF success rates using donor eggs are quite high, which is encouraging since 12% of IVF patients use them for the embryo transfer. You can read more about IVF success rates here.

Donor Egg IVF costs $17,500, and like all of Oma Fertility’s pricing it is a flat price without hidden fees, surprise costs or inflated margins.

The cost for Donor Egg IVF includes 6 donor eggs, sperm selection aided by Oma Sperm InSight, ICSI technique, and one year of storage for viable embryos.

Donor Egg IVF is designed for women who are unable to provide their own eggs for fertilization. When you use Donor Egg IVF through Oma, eggs from a thoroughly vetted donor can be used for IVF. The IVF process will remain the same as in any other case, however instead of your own eggs, the donor eggs will be combined with sperm to create embryos.

The process to choose your donor can be variable. Your donor banks can provide more information.The process to create embryos via IVF typically takes about two weeks. After that, it takes another 3 weeks to grow them out. Once this step is complete, you can proceed with your transfer cycle.

When doing IVF with an egg donor, a healthy lifestyle is always important when starting IVF of any kind. Exercise and a nutritious diet are both important. Your doctor will also recommend you begin taking a daily prenatal vitamin before conception. Lastly, stress-reducing activities like mediation, yoga or acupuncture are also a good idea as less stress is better for your overall health.

IVF can result in a range of side effects during the various stages and procedures. You can read about day-by-day signs and symptoms of embryo transfer here. Additionally, with IVF there is an increased risk of multiple pregnancies.

Once the screening process is complete, the egg donation cycle takes about 12-14 days. The cycle includes about 10-14 days of medications and ends with egg retrieval. Egg retrieval is a quick, 30-minute, outpatient procedure done under IV sedation. Patients return to their home (if local) or hotel the same day and can travel the next day (if home is not local).

It is important to note that side effects are extremely variable from person to person. In general, egg donation does have potential side effects. Possible symptoms from the medication taken prior include bloating, abdominal pain and swelling, breast tenderness, and moodiness. The egg retrieval procedure is guided by transvaginal ultrasound, and while serious complications are quite rare, they can include bleeding, internal organ damage, and infection.

The short answer is yes. There are few restrictions when undergoing egg donation. The most critical thing is keeping on schedule with required medications leading up to the procedure.

Donors will take birth control prior to the cycle start for timing purposes. Once their cycle starts, they will take injectable medications for 10-14 days. They will also receive some medications during the egg retrieval procedure through their IV administered by anesthesia. Your physician will outline the full regimen with you in more detail during your first visit.

No. Except in rare circumstances where uncommon side effects result from the egg retrieval process, donating will have no impact on future fertility.

Yes. Assuming all goes well during your first donation, you are welcome to do it again. Future donations can be quicker because you’ve already been through the initial screening process.

The costs to run a fertility clinic have come down since the early days of IVF but most fertility clinics have not passed on the savings to patients. At Oma Fertility, we practice ethical pricing and believe that fertility clinics can make a profit without taking advantage of families – we price more affordably simply because we can.

IVF at Oma Fertility costs $13,000 - $15,000 which includes:

• All bloodwork, ultrasounds, appointment and monitoring
• Fertility Assessment Testing
• Sperm selection aided by Oma Sperm InSight™
• Egg retrieval
• ICSI procedure
• One-year storage for embryos

Advances in infertility treatment have helped thousands of people become parents, but insurance coverage requirements vary by state and insurance plan. Check with your insurance provider to understand the fertility treatment benefits available to you.

At Oma Fertility our financial coordinators can help make your treatment even more affordable. They’ll help you navigate your insurance options, how to use your FSA/HSA benefits, apply for financing, and assist you with grant applications. We also partner with CapexMD for fertility financing.

CapexMD reviews more than just credit score when evaluating a loan application. There is no specific credit requirement as there are many factors considered when determining applicant eligibility.

CapexMD funds a loan for the exact amount of your treatment as determined by Oma Fertility. Once you have accepted your approved loan, the funds will be disbursed directly to Oma within 2 business days on your behalf.

All applications received before 12 noon EST will be approved on the same day. All applications received after 12 noon EST or outside of our normal business hours will be approved the following business day. Once approved, loans are typically funded in two days.

We recommend that anyone interested in financing with CapexMD apply to see if they get approved. CapexMD will make every effort to customize a loan within the framework of your current financial status.

Oma Sperm InSight™ is our patent-pending, proprietary AI that examines, scores and tags the most promising sperm cells in a semen sample per World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Our embryologists use it to help identify the most promising sperm in every sample.

There are about 100M sperm cells in a sperm sample vs a handful of eggs that are typically retrieved — making eggs very precious. Even though only 4% of the 100M sperm in a sample may be normal³, it gives us a greater pool to choose from, and selecting the right sperm to pair with eggs can increase the odds of a successful pregnancy.

There are many factors that impact IVF success rates. Influencing factors include things like the efficacy of your practitioner, the method and technology used, your personal health, lifestyle, and other complicating factors like age. You can read more about success rates here.

Typically, sperm banks require donors to undergo a battery of tests to ensure both physical and mental fitness as well as sperm analysis to screen for genetic disorders. Additionally, infectious disease testing and confirming an absence of high-risk behaviors are required per FDA regulations. Oma works with the reputable sperm donor bank of your choice and coordinates with them to ensure the process is seamless.

Donor sperm is sperm that is donated from a male with the intention of helping others conceive a child and grow their family. Sperm is collected by a sperm bank, then processed in a lab to ensure quality for use in fertility treatment. Donor sperm is kept frozen and safely stored until purchased by a family for treatment. Sperm donors from a bank always remain anonymous.

The demand for donor sperm continues to increase and is most widely used for single women, lesbian couples, and heterosexual couples experience infertility.

Oma Fertility offers a full spectrum of fertility services including:

• IUI
• IVF
• Egg Freezing
• Frozen Embryo Transfer
• IVF with Donor Eggs
• IVF with Donor Sperm
• IVF with Gestational Surrogacy

If you have a desire to have a family, but aren’t planning to do so in the near term, egg freezing may be an option for you. By freezing younger, healthier eggs, you can improve your chances of a successful pregnancy later in life.

Embryo freezing is a good option for couples that want to conceive but have their child later.

There are many factors that may be contributing to your inability to get pregnant even if you’ve had a baby before. These factors are similar to infertility overall and may include age, sperm issues, ovulation, fallopian tube damage, endometriosis, or other.

Your care advocate is your first point of contact at Oma Fertility ensuring clear communication during and in between appointments.

No you do not.

Oma Fertility partners with CapexMD fertility financing. Once you’ve received your care plan from Oma, you’ll fill out an application with CapexMD and get approved within 24 hours. You can read more about financing options here

There is currently no waiting list for fertility treatment at Oma.

There can be some restrictions and guidelines for who is eligible for various fertility treatments. It’s best to consult with your fertility specialist so you can get an understanding of what the restrictions are and what your options might be.