The IVF Journey with Dr Michael Chapman

Is IVF accessible in remote areas? Prof. explains how women, seeking IVF help, in remote areas, can reach out to him. Tune in to the IVF Journey podcast and get updates on the latest episodes.

In this episode, Prof. explains how batching of patients is done and how it can affect your results in IVF. IVF, in general, has few complications and side effects. Some complications include weight gain due to fluid retention, insignificant psychological effects associated with the stress of getting pregnant, procedural bleeding due to injected needles in the vaginal walls, and ovarian hyper-stim...

Prof. discusses the important tests that need to be done before concluding that the patient can undergo IVF. IVF is not always necessarily the first step to a successful pregnancy. Prof. also answers some questions about issues relating to stillbirth in IVF babies, and discusses next steps for a patient who had failed (natural) attempts by the age of 30.

Prof. discusses about the process of sperm donation for same sex couples. Can the eggs of 2 women be fertilised together? What are the effects of taking fertility drugs? He also discusses the process of egg transfers and how many egg transfers are needed. What are the chances of twin pregnancy in IVF? Prof answers these questions and more in this episode.

Male infertility is often overlooked and is an issue we should pay more attention to. In this episode, Prof explores several topics including: Typical challenges men with low sperm count face? One of the hardest parts of Prof’s job: breaking the news to a man with low fertility. Ways in which IVF can help men with infertility issues. Search for an IVF Specialist (CREI) that does IVF 60%-70% of the...

Does taking contraceptives over the long term affect your fertility?    Can you choose the gender of your baby? Should you?   What is Australia’s surrogacy program like?    Do fertility drugs have side effects?    Prof answers these questions and more in this episode … Tune in to listen to this episode on fertility for IVF clients.    If you know someone else who will benefit from this please do s...

Should you continue breastfeeding during an IVF cycle?    Prof answers this question in this episode.    He also talks about the importance of a strong support system when going through IVF, the importance of doing a proper investigation before you opt for IVF treatment, how to find an accredited IVF specialist with the right certification, and lots more …    Tune in to listen to this episode on c...

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...

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 ge...

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, t...

  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 we...

  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...

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 earli...

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...

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-threateni...

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 tha...

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. ...

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 a...

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 pos...

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...

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 Ch...

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...

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...

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 particu...

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 ne...