When you become an egg donor, you can help a couple who has trouble conceiving to complete their family. At the California Center for Reproductive Health, we invite qualified young women to help struggling couples build families while also learning more about their own reproductive health.

In addition to the altruistic aspects of donating your eggs, you receive handsome compensation for your efforts. The providers take care of you as a donor. You get routine gynecological screening, genetic screening, and fertility diagnostic testing – all for free. Our care gives you a clear picture of your personal reproductive health that you can use in the future when planning your own family.

Here’s how to get started with the egg donor process.

Qualifications for egg donors

Before filling out an application, make sure you meet the following requirements:

• You are a female in generally good health between the ages of 20 and 31
• You have the requisite body mass index
• You have not been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease in the past 12 months
• You are a nonsmoker
• Your family history includes no significant health or hereditary issues
• You are not contracted to donate to another agency

If you meet these eligibility requirements, fill out an application so we can contact you to arrange an in-person interview.

Egg donation interviews

If you’re chosen as a possible egg donor, we review your medical history and perform a physical exam. This exam includes a pelvic ultrasound to check the health of your ovaries.

Once you’ve passed these initial interviews, you undergo more detailed evaluation. The doctors perform a full medical history review, physical exam, and sexually transmitted disease screenings. You’ll also undergo a genetic carrier screening test. Even if you’re healthy, you may have a genetic mutation that could be passed on through your donor eggs.

Legal aspects of egg donation

You’ll be asked to enter a legal contract with the recipient or with the California Center for Reproductive Health. Typically, egg donation is done anonymously, so you won’t know the family to whom you’re donating.

The legal contract protects your privacy and that of the couple trying to conceive. It also outlines parental rights, your compensation, and rights and duties as an egg donor. You can request an attorney’s support when reviewing the documentation.

Once you’re selected

You’ll undergo the egg donation process, which begins on the second or third day of your period. You’ll have an ultrasound and blood test and then go on birth control pills for 2-3 weeks to help schedule your egg donation cycle.

Right after you take your last prescribed birth control pill, we repeat the ultrasound and blood tests. When cleared, you begin daily injections of fertility hormones in an effort to recruit multiple egg follicles to grow. During this period, you’ll come to our office regularly to undergo blood tests and ultrasounds.

Once the eggs are mature, we do a minor in-office procedure to retrieve the eggs. We pass a needle through your vagina and into the ovaries to acquire the follicles. You will be under twilight sedation during the procedure so you’ll feel no pain. You can go home the same day.

The retrieval process does not affect your future fertility.

To learn more about becoming an egg donor, call one of our offices in Encino, Valencia, Alhambra, or West Hollywood, California, to set up an appointment. Alternatively, reach out via this website.

If you’ve invested your time, energy, and heart into in vitro fertilization (IVF) in the attempts to grow your family, you want every chance for the procedure to succeed.

IVF can be challenging to experience. It is one of the most successful forms of assisted reproductive technology, but the pregnancy rate is just about 55.6% for people under 35. And IVF success rates go down the older the mother, too.

At the California Center for Reproductive Health, our fertility specialists, Eliran Mor, MD, and Irene Woo, MD, do everything possible to make your IVF experience successful. We know how heartbreaking it can be when IVF doesn’t result in a pregnancy.

IVF can fail due to health of the embryo, usually related to genetic errors, but also because of problems with the mother’s uterine lining, called the endometrium. This lining sits inside the uterus and prepares each month for the arrival and implantation of the embryo. Even if the embryo is genetically healthy, an inhospitable lining means pregnancy can’t occur.

At the California Center for Reproductive Health, we use a cutting-edge test called Endometrial Receptivity Analysis (ERA®) to improve the chances of successful embryo transfer.

Here’s when we recommend ERA and how it can help you grow your family.

What Is ERA®?

ERA was developed by the company Igenomix. It provides a personalized genetic diagnosis that evaluates the receptivity of the endometrium for embryo implantation.

In response to estrogen and progesterone levels, the endometrium produces proteins responsible for preparing the area for implantation. The proteins increase the endometrium thickness and receptivity for an embryo.

The proteins are also regulated by a woman’s gene activation (or inactivation). The ERA test evaluates all 238 genes related to the receptivity of the endometrial lining. It can then determine when the optimal window for implantation is, increasing the chance that a successful pregnancy occurs.

Who is a candidate for ERA?

ERA testing can improve the chances of a successful frozen embryo transfer in patients who have experienced 1 or 2 frozen implantation failures. In these patients, the embryo was healthy and the woman’s uterine lining and uterus are normal.

While most women have a window of transplantation that typically occurs after 5 days of progesterone supplementation, this isn’t true for all women. We may find that you have a different window that makes it more likely for a successful pregnancy. The ERA test helps determine your personalized embryo transfer time.

What happens during ERA testing?

ERA testing involves taking a biopsy of the woman’s uterine lining and then testing that sample for its gene expression.

The biopsy is done at the moment when our doctors would usually transfer the embryo into the womans’ uterus. She undergoes a process like the transfer cycle, but doesn’t actually have the embryo transferred.

This preparatory cycle requires a woman to take oral medications and injections to stimulate the uterine lining. Our doctors also perform transvaginal ultrasounds and do blood testing to measure reactions to the medications.

When the uterus is ready to receive an embryo, our doctor performs the biopsy, which is a 2-minute procedure that may be slightly uncomfortable. Sedation is not required, as the doctor places a flexible plastic tube into the patient’s uterus and moves it back and forth to collect cells.

Our office then sends the sample to a specialized lab to test the genes. Your results determine how we time the embryo transfer during the next cycle.

If you’re having trouble with IVF success, contact the California Center for Reproductive Health. We use advanced technology and years of experience to do everything possible to help you achieve a successful pregnancy. Call one of our offices in Encino, Valencia, Alhambra, or West Hollywood, California, to set up an appointment. Alternatively, reach out via this website.

Tubal ligation gives you nearly a 100% guarantee that you won’t get pregnant. It can be an attractive contraceptive option because it doesn’t alter your hormones or require anything on your part. There are no pills to take or devices to insert.

Tubal ligation is permanent and only recommended when a woman has decided her family is complete. At the California Center for Reproductive Health, our fertility specialists Eliran Mor, MD, and Irene Woo, MD, often treat women who have changed their minds after having tubal ligations and wish to have children.

While our team is experienced and talented when it comes to performing tubal reversals, some cases are easier than others. This is often due to the technique used for the original tubal ligation.

You may be certain now that you don’t want any more children, but circumstances can change. Here are your options when it comes to getting your tubes tied and what to consider when considering each option.

What is tubal ligation?

Tubal ligation is known as “getting your tubes tied” because it refers to blocking off the fallopian tubes, thin passageways that connect your ovaries to your uterus. An unfertilized egg travels through the fallopian tubes to meet up with a sperm. When the fallopian tubes are blocked or cut, the sperm and egg never meet.

What are the types of tubal ligation?

There are many ways in which to perform a tubal ligation. These are some of the most common:

Bipolar coagulation

This is the most popular way to perform a tubal ligation. It involves using an electrical current to seal off sections of the fallopian tube.

Tube damage only involves about 2-3 centimeters of the organ, so reversal is easier.

Irving procedure

This form of tubal ligation removes a segment of the fallopian tubes surrounded by two sutures. The ends of the fallopian tube connect back to the uterus and other connective tissue. Because two healthy fallopian tube sections remain intact, reversal is usually successful.

Monopolar coagulation

This form is less common than bipolar coagulation. It also uses an electrical current to seal the tubes together, but the current travels farther along the tube and causes more damage. As a result, reversal of this method is usually more difficult to achieve.

Tubal clips and rings

This form of tubal ligation uses a clip or ring to seal off the fallopian tube. These methods have a high success rate when it comes to reversal and are considered safe and effective when the goal is to prevent pregnancy.

Pomeroy tubal ligation

During a Pomeroy tubal ligation, part of your fallopian tube is cut off and strangled with a suture. The affected part is then cut and burned to prevent a pathway for an egg’s travel. This form of tubal ligation can usually be reversed.

Deciding to have your tubes tied is a serious decision. While our team at California Center for Reproductive Health is skilled at reversing the procedure, it’s not always easy.

If you have questions about tubal ligation and its effects on your long-term fertility, call one of our offices in Encino, Valencia, Alhambra, or West Hollywood, California, to set up an appointment. Alternatively, reach out via this website.

Gestational surrogacy is a great option for people who want to have a baby, but due to uterine abnormalities just cannot do so on their own.

The process involves impregnating a surrogate mother via in vitro fertilization. The parents’ sperm and egg are used, so the baby has their parents’ genes. Egg or sperm donation may also be used to create the embryo.

At the California Center for Reproductive Health, we recommend gestational surrogacy for women with irreparable uterine problems or for same-sex couples. If you’re considering gestational surrogacy, but still have questions about the procedure and if it’s right for you, read on.

When you might opt for gestational surrogacy

If you’re in a couple who wants to become parents, but problems with the woman’s uterus makes pregnancy inviable, surrogacy may be for you.

These may be cases in which a woman had a hysterectomy, but still has her ovaries, or a woman diagnosed with an irreparable uterine anomaly or recurrent pregnancy loss.

If you’re a woman for whom pregnancy is contraindicated — for example if you have a history of hormone responsive cancer, severe cardiopulmonary concerns, or likelihood for a poor obstetrical outcome — surrogacy is smart.

Gay men and couples looking to build their families may also successfully use surrogacy to create their families.

Maintain a biological connection to your child

Surrogacy allows you to be biologically connected to your child. You get to decide which sperm and eggs are used to create the embryo. If you’re a male and female parenting duo, you can use your own. If either partner has problems, donor sperm or eggs can be used. Same-sex couples usually need to seek a donor sperm or egg to proceed with surrogacy.

High success rates

We do a thorough evaluation of all potential gestational carriers to ensure your embryo is going into a healthy environment. Prior to embryo transfer, your surrogate undergoes numerous screening tests, including sonohysterogram, hysterosalpingogram, and an hysteroscopy to evaluate their uterus.

Ideal surrogates have also already carried a baby to term, which also confirms their ability to carry your pregnancy successfully.

We also perform emotional and mental screenings to ensure your surrogate is fit for the role.

We take care of the legalities

When you go through the California Center for Reproductive Health, you can rest assured that all parties have entered into a legal agreement to establish parenting rights during the surrogacy process. This eliminates any confusion or surprises that may come up in the future.

Surrogacy means you’re involved in the process

The legal agreements and surrogacy process means you can be present at all doctor’s appointments and during the baby’s delivery. You can still experience the excitement and joy that comes with having a baby as you get to be there every step of the way.

You do have options when it comes to building your family, even if it seems like your body is working against you. Gestational surrogacy means you can be a parent to a baby that has your genes, even if you can’t conventionally carry a baby to term.

Our team is dedicated to helping you get the family you dream of having. Call one of our offices in Encino, Valencia, Alhambra, or West Hollywood, California, to set up an appointment. Alternatively, reach out via this website.

Sperm extraction is a way to overcome male factor infertility. In cases where there’s no sperm present in the ejaculate (azoospermia), our doctors at California Center for Reproductive Health use a variety of techniques to acquire sperm to use in IVF (in vitro fertilization) or ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection).

Azoospermia may be due to a blockage in the male reproductive tract. You can produce sperm, but it can’t get into your semen to fertilize your partner’s egg. In nonobstructive azoospermia, you have little or no sperm production, usually due to defects in your testicles’ function or structure.

We call on the most skilled reproductive urologists from the greater Los Angeles, California, area to perform sperm extraction procedures under local anesthesia.

Conception using extracted sperm

When healthy sperm is successfully extracted from the testes, epididymis, or vas deferens, we use it in one of a few different procedures.

In vitro fertilization (IVF) involves fertilizing mature eggs with sperm in a lab. Once a healthy embryo forms, we place it in the woman’s uterus with hopes of implantation.

During intracytoplasmic sperm injection, a single sperm is injected into the center of a mature egg to create an embryo in a lab. Once the embryo is deemed viable (after one to five days), we implant it into the woman’s uterus for possible implantation and pregnancy.

Types of sperm extraction

The type of sperm extraction you undergo depends on your particular condition.

Testicular sperm aspiration

Testicular sperm aspiration (TESA) is done while you’re under local anesthesia. The procedure is coordinated with egg retrieval from your partner to time it perfectly for IVF or ICSI.

We obtain your sperm by inserting a needle in the testicle to aspirate the sperm. This method is effective for men with obstructive azoospermia (often caused by a vasectomy).

Percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration

Percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration (PESA) can be effective for men with obstructive azoospermia due to vasectomy or infection. It involves removing sperm from the epididymis, a tube attached to each testicle where sperm is stored and matures.

This procedure is also timed with egg retrieval for effective IVF.

Testicular sperm extraction

Testicular sperm extraction (TESE), is a bit more invasive that TESA. It involves making a small incision in the testis, so we can examine the tubules for the presence of sperm. We remove small fragments of testicular tissue and isolate any sperm.

This procedure may be timed with egg retrieval, but many patients cryopreserve the sperm during this procedure for future IVF/ICSI.

Microepididymal sperm aspiration

Microepididymal sperm aspiration (MESA) may be recommended if you have obstruction due to vasectomy or due to congenital absence of the vas deferens, an excretory duct of the testes.

Usually, couples choose to cryopreserve sperm acquired through MESA, as it allows for a large collection of mature sperm

Microdissection TESE (microTESE)

MicroTESE is effective when you have a sperm production problem. We coordinate your microTESE the day before your partner’s egg retrieval. Sperm may also be cryopreserved after the procedure.

We often recommend you have donor sperm as a back-up plan just in case no sperm can be retrieved.

At the California Center for Reproductive Health, our team is dedicated to helping you get the family you dream of having. Call one of our offices in Encino, Valencia, Alhambra, or West Hollywood, California to set up an appointment. Alternatively, reach out via this website.

A woman’s cervical mucus needs to be hospitable to sperm for conception to occur. When her mucus is too thick for sperm to swim through, doesn’t contain the right nutrients, or holds antisperm antibodies, sperm can’t reach the egg for fertilization to occur.

Here at the California Center for Reproductive Health, our team considers cervical factor when assessing fertility. Here’s how we evaluate cervical mucus and overcome cervical factor infertility.

About cervical mucus

The cervix is the opening to the uterus. The cervix produces a fluid, called mucus, that is important to conception. You might notice your mucus changes throughout the month due to hormones. Before ovulation, your cervical mucus tends to be thick, white, and dry.

Just before ovulation, the time when an egg is released, your mucus turns clear and slippery. This consistency indicates it’s a great time to try to conceive, as the mucus is ideal for sperm to swim through.

What can go wrong with cervical mucus

In women who have cervical factor infertility, the mucus may contain antisperm antibodies that attack the sperm. The antibodies perceive sperm as a foreign invader, much like bacteria or viruses. The antibodies are produced by a skewed immune system.

Cervical mucus can also be too thick or not have the nutrients to support sperm. Cervical factor infertility may also be caused by certain medications, cervical or uterine surgery, congenital anomalies, and unexplained factors.

Diagnosis of cervical factor infertility

We start your infertility workup with a comprehensive review of your medical history. This can help us determine if you have risk factors that make cervical factor a possible contributor to infertility.

The old way to diagnose cervical factor was a postcoital test. This test searched for sperm in the cervical mucus after intercourse at the time of ovulation. But the postcoital test gave inaccurate and inconsistent information and isn’t the best way to assess cervical factor.

At California Center for Reproductive Health, we use transvaginal ultrasonography and mock embryo transfers. This method is much more reliable in determining whether abnormalities exist within your cervical mucus.

Think of the mock embryo transfer as a trial run of an actual embryo transfer. It allows us to determine the best way for the embryo to enter your uterus and check for problems like scar tissue or poor quality cervical mucus that might deter your ability to successfully conceive with IVF (in vitro fertilization.)

Treatment for cervical factor infertility

For women with mild cervical factor infertility, intrauterine insemination is a valid treatment option. We pass sperm directly into the uterine cavity, bypassing the cervix. This allows the sperm to meet the egg with no swimming required.

IVF is also a an option as is GIFT or ZIFT (gamete or zygote intrafallopian transfer). This procedure takes eggs from your ovaries and puts them in a catheter along with sperm. The gametes (eggs and sperm) or zygote (fertilized egg) are place in the fallopian tubes via a minimally invasive surgical procedure that uses tiny instruments and a micro camera.

If you’re struggling with infertility, reach out to California Center for Reproductive Health. We’ll assess your cervical mucus and other aspects of your reproductive health (and your partner’s) to create a customized plan to help you achieve pregnancy. Call one of our offices in Encino, Alhambra, Valencia, or West Hollywood if you’re ready to explore your fertility options.

A semen analysis is a standard step in any infertility workup when the reason for trouble conceiving isn’t clearly evident. It’s even a good idea when the woman has a known fertility issue; a semen analysis sheds light on whether male factor infertility will complicate future assisted reproductive technology like in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Here at the California Center for Reproductive Health, our team makes getting a semen analysis as simple and comfortable as possible.

Here’s how the procedure can help your fertility journey.

What answers can a semen analysis provide?

In up to 40% of cases, male factor infertility contributes to a couples’ trouble conceiving. Oftentimes, this is because a man has abnormalities in sperm number or function – making it that much harder to fertilize an egg.

A semen analysis looks at several different factors that could impact fertility. These include:

Semen volume and concentration

If a man doesn’t ejaculate enough semen, it reduces the likelihood of conception.Even if a man has enough semen, sperm analysis looks at the number of sperm per milliliter of semen to ensure there are enough to make pregnancy a viable option.

Sperm morphology

During semen analysis, we look to see if the sperm are of a normal size and shape

Sperm motility

Healthy sperm have the ability to swim toward an egg. Immobile or slow sperm have less of a chance of creating a pregnancy.

Vitality

We want to see if the sperm in a man’s semen are actually alive.

pH level

If a man’s semen is overly acidic, it can impair sperm health.

Time to liquefaction

The time it takes sperm to change from a sticky substance to one that is more fluid impacts conception. The liquefaction process helps sperm gain their motility and ability to get to a woman’s Fallopian tubes.

White blood cell presence

If a man’s sperm has a higher-than-normal amount of white blood cells, it could be a sign of inflammation or infection, which could impede fertility.

What is involved in semen analysis?

Prior to your appointment, we ask that you refrain from intercourse or masturbation for 2-7 days. This ensures your semen has an accurate sperm sample.

When you come to our office, you’re sent to a private, comfortable room to masturbate and provide the resulting semen sample. It’s then sent to a laboratory for analysis.

What do the results mean?

The results of your semen analysis helps us create your customized infertility treatment plan. Abnormal results mean you have a less-than-average chance of getting a woman pregnant.

In some cases, you may need to make lifestyle changes like quitting smoking, avoiding excessive alcohol use, improving your intake of antioxidant-rich foods, and losing weight. If your hormones seem to be a factor in your male factor infertility, you may also benefit from hormonal treatments.

More severe issues with your semen may require in vitro fertilization or intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

Ultimately, our goal is to help you and your partner conceive and go on to have a healthy pregnancy. Call one of our offices in Encino, Alhambra, Valencia, or West Hollywood if you’re ready to explore your fertility options.

You have every right to change your mind after having a tubal ligation for “permanent” sterilization. If you do decide you want to add to your family after tubal ligation, our skilled providers at California Center for Reproductive Health are ready to help.

We offer advanced surgical techniques with very high rates of success. If you’re considering a tubal reversal, here’s how to prepare.

Initial consultation

Both you and your partner will need a consultation and physical exam prior to scheduling your tubal reversal. This exam helps determine your eligibility for reversal. It can also reveal any other issues that might stand in the way of pregnancy even after a successful reversal. It helps if you can bring any information from your original tubal ligation procedure.

Blood tests, imaging tests (like an ultrasound) to look at your ovaries and other reproductive organs are part of your initial evaluation. As part of this workup, we also have you undergo a hysterosalpingogram to check the length and viability of your remaining fallopian tubes. Your original tubal ligation blocked these tubes where the sperm and egg meet for fertilization.

Your partner may benefit from a sperm and semen analysis to make sure there are no fertility issues.

Before surgery

If we determine that a tubal reversal is possible, we will schedule your surgical appointment. It can happen anytime during your menstrual cycle.

We’ll have you undergo a preoperative exam about 2 weeks before surgery. This exam makes sure you’re in generally good health. It includes a pelvic ultrasound and blood work. At this time, we’ll provide you with instructions to prepare you for your procedure. For example, you should not eat or drink anything after 10pm the night prior to your surgery.

Most types of tubal ligation are reversible

Rest assured that we can reverse just about every type of tubal ligation. Even if your tubes were “burned” (or cauterized), the destruction happened at just a small segment of the tube, leaving much of the organ unharmed and viable.

Most women who undergo a tubal reversal are able to become pregnant within a year of the procedure. Your chances of success depend a lot on your age and whether or not you or your partner have other fertility issues.

We will not reverse a tubal ligation in women older than 45. Your likelihood of getting pregnant and carrying a healthy baby to term decreases significantly as you reach your late 40s.

If you’re unable to have a tubal reversal, know that you can still get pregnant using assisted reproductive technology (ART) methods, like in vitro fertilization. During these procedures, the egg and sperm are united in a laboratory and then placed directly into your uterus, bypassing your fallopian tubes. In vitro is a valid alternative to tubal reversal when the goal is to have a healthy baby.

Call one of our offices in Encino, Alhambra, Valencia, or West Hollywood if you’re ready to explore your fertility options. We want to help you create the family you want in the easiest, least invasive way. You can also reach out to us via this website.

In vitro fertilization (IVF) can help couples get pregnant when natural conception just doesn’t seem to work. At California Center for Reproductive Health, we stimulate and closely monitor the woman’s ovulatory process during IVF. When the eggs are ready, they’re extracted and put together with sperm in a laboratory.

Once the fertilized eggs form embryos, they’re placed back into the woman’s uterus with the goal of a successful pregnancy.

IVF uses fertility medications to stimulate ovulation and egg development. Mini IVF, also called micro or minimal stimulation IVF, is similar to traditional IVF but uses less medication. The procedure produces only a few eggs as a result and may not include any ovary-stimulating drugs.

We carefully review your history and health to determine if you’re a good candidate for mini IVF. If you are, there are five primary benefits of going with this form of assisted reproductive technology.

1. Reduced risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome

The daily injections of fertility medications that are part of traditional IVF can cause ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. This condition causes the ovaries to swell and become painful.

Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome can cause sudden and extreme weight gain and other unwanted health complications. Because mini IVF requires lower doses of fertility medications, your risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome is greatly reduced.

2. Less cost

Traditional IVF requires daily injections of pricey fertility medications. Not all couples can financially afford the process and then provide for their family. Mini IVF offers a more affordable alternative with as good of an outcome.

In general, each mini IVF cycle costs less than half of a traditional IVF cycle.

3. Better choice for women with low ovarian reserve

Low or diminished ovarian reserve means your ovaries do not produce a normal number of eggs. It may result from disease, injury, genetics, or aging. When you have this condition, it’s unlikely the high doses of fertility drugs used during traditional IVF will produce a high quantity of eggs.

The smaller doses used with mini IVF will give you the same results and equal chance at achieving a successful pregnancy.

4. No provocation of cancer

If you’re trying to preserve your fertility prior to cancer treatment, mini IVF may be the best option. The lower doses of medication are less likely to cause complications with your cancer but still allow you to look forward to a family after treatment.

5. Reduced risk of having multiples

Traditional IVF can increase your chances of having twins or other multiple births. The high doses of fertility drugs lead to the production of many viable eggs and embryos. Multiples can cause a high-risk pregnancy and other complications.

With IVF, you can choose to transfer just one or two embryos, reducing your chance of becoming pregnant with twins, triplets, or more.

Our goal with mini IVF is to create two or three quality embryos to place in the uterus to achieve pregnancy. The good news is that if a cycle doesn’t take, you can start again right away.

Call one of our offices in Encino, Alhambra, Valencia, or West Hollywood if you’re struggling with infertility. We want to help you create the family you want in the easiest, least invasive way. You can also reach out to us via our website.