In today’s episode, Professor Michael Chapman talks about his recent Member of the Order of Australia award for recognition of his significant contributions to his field of work. He then goes on to explain that, usually, women over 40 need to go down the egg donor route, if they want to conceive via IVF. Most IVF clinics in Australia don’t treat patients over 50 so if you’re seeking assistance beyond that age, you’ll probably have to seek help overseas. Prof also discusses a few other topics inc...
Mar 09, 2021•12 min
In this episode, Prof talks about when he considers testing embryos. He explains that if his clinic typically tests embryos of women at 30 years of age, half of them will be genetically abnormal and therefore will never be able to produce a successful pregnancy. There may be miscarriages. There may also be failed implantation by 40. 75 to 80 percent of embryos produced in a woman at 40 will be genetically abnormal. At age 45, it increases to 95 percent. He explains the risks involved in testing ...
Mar 02, 2021•10 min
In this episode, Prof talks about an increase in couples putting off childbearing to their later years due to work-related pressures. Unfortunately, fertility is constrained by the aging process of the eggs in the female and this presents a significant challenge. The aging of eggs begins from about thirty-five and egg quality continues to decline through to menopause. For a woman approaching 40, the chances of pregnancy are around about 20 percent in one cycle, compared with 50 percent when she ...
Feb 24, 2021•9 min
Recurrent miscarriage is where you persistently get pregnant and unfortunately have a miscarriage. The majority of miscarriages are going to be due to nature’s mistakes. In other words, the embryo that was created when the sperm and the egg came together was actually genetically abnormal. The research is pretty clear that somewhere between 50 and 70 percent of miscarriages that get beyond six weeks of pregnancy are caused by genetic abnormalities in the embryo. And it’s basically nature stopping...
Feb 16, 2021•8 min
Managing pregnancy after previous miscarriages can be quite challenging. In this episode, Prof talks about what you and your doctor can do to improve your chances of a successful pregnancy. He discusses progesterone — a hormone worth measuring because it keeps the uterus relaxed and also reflects the way your ovaries respond to your pregnancy. Symptoms like nausea are often a reassuring sign that the hormones are doing their job. Nausea usually starts at around the five or six-week mark in pregn...
Feb 16, 2021•10 min
Establishing a relationship with an IVF patient often makes the whole process simpler. As an IVF patient, you’ll likely need the support of someone walk to walk you through the hard work of going through blood screens, getting injections, the mental pressure around the pregnancy test, and lots more. But after it’s all done you’ll probably wonder why you were so scared and wish you’d done it earlier. Prof has always supported a service where his team spends a lot of time with each patient. He doe...
Jan 27, 2021•11 min
What exactly is embryo glue? How does the enzyme work on the eggshell? Do studies suggest that this action is beneficial? IVF Australia now tends to use embryo glue on all patients because our senior scientists believe that it’s beneficial. What are the chances of a 44-year-old woman having a successful procedure if they use the IVF glue? Ever heard of natural killer cells? Does an excess of these killer cells affect implantation? Will controlling them impact the process in any way? If you’re wo...
Jan 20, 2021•10 min
Do same-sex couples in Australia face challenges having a baby? It’s quite obvious that for a baby to be made, there needs to be an egg and a sperm. These can come from anybody as long as they’ve been screened in accredited IVF units. The embryo that’s created is then carried either by the surrogate, the egg donor, or the recipient. What does the screening entail? How are potential life-threatening issues like infections and previous medical conditions managed? Going through an IVF clinic might ...
Jan 07, 2021•9 min
In this episode, Prof Chapman talks about miscarriage which is a very common occurrence. Unfortunately, most people don’t like to talk about it due to the emotional trauma that it brings. The risk of miscarriage increases as a woman grows older. For women under 35, the rate is 1 in every 6 pregnancies – that’s about 15%. At 40 the rate goes up to 25% and at 45 it increases to 50%. Did you know that most miscarriages (about 99%) occur within the first 12 weeks after conception? Yup! So if you get...
Dec 31, 2020•7 min
In the past, surgery was widely used to correct pelvic anatomy. But how successful is surgery as a way of correcting abnormalities of the uterus? Has IVF changed in terms of the types of surgeries done today? In this episode, Prof Chapman talks about endometriosis and how it affects fertility. Laparoscopy (keyhole surgery) is very helpful in removing the endometriotic cysts found in the ovaries. Tune in to find out whether surgery is effective in eliminating endometriosis and whether the burning...
Dec 24, 2020•10 min
This is one of the most frequently asked questions from the IVF Journey Podcast listeners. Thanks to Medicare, Australians are very lucky when it comes to sorting out most of their medical bills. The taxpayer supports people struggling with infertility. The out-of-pocket cost is between 4,500 to 5,000 per cycle in most premium bracket clinics in Australia. This cost includes getting nursing and an individual doctor doing all collection and transfer, seven days a week, etc. However, public hospit...
Dec 15, 2020•6 min
Going through an IVF cycle involves stimulating follicles and some people believe that this brings forth menopause. Is this true or false? Does this procedure have any long-term effects on a woman’s health? The treatment requires that high doses of hormones be administered to women within a short period. High levels of hormones most certainly have short-term effects on women. Do these hormones pose a risk of various types of cancers such as ovarian or breast cancer? Is there a risk of damaging b...
Dec 08, 2020•10 min
Is there anything that you should do to improve your chances of conceiving? Apart from taking medication to produce a high number of quality eggs, there are other things you need to do. What does Prof Chapman warn against if you’re trying to conceive? Smoking, drinking excessively, having lots of caffeine, and being overweight doesn’t help. Prof recommends that to maximize chances of success, you need to stay healthy, and find an IVF specialist who’s experienced. Is putting in one embryo at a ti...
Dec 01, 2020•10 min
Over 8 million babies were born via IVF over the past 4 decades. IVF children are probably the most investigated group of babies. Are they monsters? Is there evidence that these children are different from others? There have been major concerns from many religious groups, and media, that doctors who perform these procedures are altering God’s creation and interfering with nature. What does Prof Chapman have to say about IVF babies being predisposed to diseases like cancer? Tune in to find out if...
Nov 23, 2020•11 min
How many times can a couple try IVF? According to Professor Chapman, his highest record with an IVF couple is 39 cycles. They were persistent. The average patient goes through somewhere between 2 ½ and 3 cyles. Prof explains that the number of embryos can influence the likelihood of pregnancy. The more embryos there are, the greater the potential for the embryo to attach, and the higher the chance of getting pregnant. For example, 3 good embryos increase your chance of conceiving by 75%. But hav...
Nov 18, 2020•9 min
Do you need to lose weight before your IVF transfer? Studies suggest that the environment that the egg goes into is very important. Prof discusses this and more in this episode. Did you know that about 30% of women experience some sort of spotting during pregnancy? However, bleeding beyond that isn’t normal and one should seek medical attention. There are several options for left-over embryos that aren’t used in a live IVF cycle. Prof discusses some of these options. He also discusses whether eg...
Nov 11, 2020•13 min
In this episode, Prof Chapman goes on to answer more questions sent by Facebook live listeners. He talks about doing tests on the uterine wall to see if it’s receptive. There are also some sophisticated tests that look at gene expression in the endometrium. He also explains that uterine receptivity doesn’t seem to affect pregnancy rates. Some other questions he addresses include: Are there particular meds that increase egg production? Do implanted eggs tend to have fewer genetic abnormalities? H...
Nov 09, 2020•10 min
In this episode, Professor Chapman answers different questions that people have on IVF treatment. He discusses Premium IVF unit & low-cost IVF unit prices and what makes the rates differ from each other. He also explains that the possibility of miscarriage in natural and IVF is almost the same (though age might play a role here). Additionally, he talks about whether or not fibroid cysts need to be removed surgically.
Oct 22, 2020•9 min
In this episode, Professor Chapman discusses the factors that affect the cost of your IVF Treatment. Prof also explains the risks and factors that might affect IVF treatment success in overweight women. Some of these include higher doses of medication required, quality of the eggs, and possible health problems like diabetes. He also discusses the possibility of successful IVF treatment following ligation and the process of acquiring sperm donors through the IVF Australia Clinic....
Oct 15, 2020•8 min
In this episode, Professor Chapman discusses chances of fertility following having a dermoid cyst removal. He also explains the protocols around assessing your chances of success, and some factors that might affect your IVF success rates. Prof also explains how the Australian government is offering support to couples who undergoing IVF treatment.
Oct 06, 2020•7 min
Professor Michael Chapman is one of the leading IVF experts in Australia. He occasionally does Facebook live Q&A sessions where he answers questions related to IVF. In this episode, Professor Chapman discusses the New South Wales Fertility Check-up Rebate of $500 for Pre-IVF Fertility procedures. He also answers the questions around multiple-IVF failures, and the procedures that IVF Australia uses to look into the condition of both egg cells & sperm cells from the couple....
Sep 30, 2020•6 min
Professor Michael Chapman is one of the leading IVF experts in Australia. He occasionally does Facebook live Q&A sessios where he answers questions related to IVF. In this episode, Professor Chapman answers the question on the probability and effectiveness of IVF for women who’ve had tubal ligations. Since IVF was originally designed for women with damaged fallopian tubes, pregnancy after a tubal ligation is possible, but like a normal pregnancy, a woman’s age might still affect the quality ...
Sep 23, 2020•9 min
Professor Michael Chapman is one of the leading experts and in Australia’s IVF industry. He recently did a Facebook live Q&A session to answer your IVF questions. In this episode, Professor Chapman answers questions around the impact of aging on egg quality. Did you know that at the age of 46, 98% of eggs will be genetically abnormal and may not fertilize? However, getting clarity around your hormone levels, and your ovarian reserve might improve your chances of success. Would you like to tu...
Sep 09, 2020•8 min
Professor Michael Chapman — one of the leading experts in IVF in Australia — recently conducted a Facebook live Q&A session. This episode is an excerpt from that Facebook live Q&A. In this episode, Prof answers questions around donor sperm, low male-fertility, how to improve your chances of success with IVF. Would you like to tune into Prof’s next facebook live? Check out his facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/theivfjourney/...
Sep 03, 2020•9 min
Professor Michael Chapman is one of the leading experts and authority of Australia’s IVF industry. In his 35 years of international education and experience, he’s helped couples have over 3,000 IVF babies. In this episode, we tune in to one of Prof’s Facebook lives where he answers some listener questions around IVF. The questions range from issues around the possibility of getting a donor, IVF success rates and the factors that might affect it, how IVF works and lots more. Would you like to tun...
Aug 25, 2020•9 min
Professor Michael Chapman is one of the leading experts and authority of Australia’s IVF industry. In his 35 years of international education and experience, he’s helped couples have over 3,000 IVF babies. In this episode, we tune in to one of Prof’s Facebook lives where he answers some listener questions around IVF. The questions range from getting tested and treated in multiple IVF clinics in Australia, the cost of an IVF cycle, to possible treatments that could help a patient in her 40s with ...
Aug 18, 2020•11 min
Before investing in IVF treatment, most couples want to know if it will work for them – that they will have a healthy baby at the end of their cycle. A good IVF specialist will perform tests and will give you realistic expectations around numbers and probabilities of success. The IVF treatment involves stages, and a complication may arise in each stage, causing the IVF treatment to fail. e.g. low number follicles, under or over-response to medication, failed egg collection. Tune in to this episo...
Aug 11, 2020•10 min
An increasing number of women are curious about Premature Ovarian Insufficiency. They fear that their egg numbers are decreasing and that they may have difficulty conceiving. In this episode, Prof explains what Premature Ovarian Insufficiency is. He also talks about the different ways to measure a woman’s ovarian reserve (the capacity of the ovary to provide egg cells that are capable of fertilization). He also provides options available to couples where the woman has a low AMH and is unable to ...
Aug 06, 2020•9 min
With increasingly busy lifestyles, some women don’t have much physical and mental capacity to consider having children before their 40s. Because they’re focused on their careers, they’ve often not had the time to meet a life partner. In his consults, Prof often treats women seeking treatment for low egg-count. But unfortunately, there has not been a proven treatment that improves their chances of success. In this episode, Prof explains how egg quality deteriorates to 15%-20% at 40, lower as the ...
Jul 30, 2020•9 min
“Can I afford an IVF procedure? What does it cost? How can we afford one?” These are some of the most common questions asked by couples seeking IVF treatment. IVF treatment isn’t cheap, but if you’ve invested in the right clinic, you might get favorable results. In this episode, Prof discusses the factors that impact the cost of an IVF cycle – professional, administrative and medical staffing, operating theaters, and state-of-the-art equipment, to name a few. He explains your options to make the...
Jul 21, 2020•8 min
