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Dr. Zhang Explains How Needle-Free IVF Works
Our innovative Needle-Free IVF protocol does not require injections or blood draws. Look: The patient’s ovaries are stimulated into producing multiple egg follicles through the use of oral fertility medications. That’s not all. Hormone levels are measured through urine and saliva tests. This holistic IVF protocol eliminates the fear, pain, and anxiety many patients experience with injections and blood draws. Needle-Free IVF also lowers the patient’s cost of fertility medications.
Needle-Free IVF is New – Simple – Pain Free – Convenient
- No shots
- No needles
- No blood draws
Needle-Free IVF Benefits
Through Needle-Free IVF, patients are treated in a less-invasive manner.
- No shots
- No needles
- No injections
- No blood draws
Needle-Free IVF Protocol
How is Needle-Free IVF patient-friendly?
- Improves patient safety
- Improves patient compliance with medication regimen
- Reduces possibility of error in medication administration
- Eliminates the risk of accidental needle sticks
Needle-Free IVF Fertility Medications
Depending on the woman’s medical needs, an oral fertility medication – typically Clomid and/or Letrozole– are prescribed to gently stimulate her ovaries into producing multiple eggs. Synarel is administered nasally for 3 days at the beginning of the cycle and then again 36 hours prior to surgical egg retrieval to trigger ovulation.
- Clomid and/or Femara to stimulate egg production
- Synarel to trigger ovulation
- Oral progesterone tablets
- Vaginal progesterone suppositories
Compared to the Mini-IVF Protocol
In Very Well Family (8/20/18) – Dr. John Zhang explains that producing too many eggs with large doses of injectable fertility drugs can backfire and cause medical problems, such as PCOS. Look: Our Mini-IVF protocol is a simple, convenient, and patient-friendly fertility treatment protocol calling for a minimal amount of stimulating fertility medication injections to produce 3 to eggs. Bottom Line: A woman’s body no longer needs to be forced into producing multiple eggs to achieve a successful IVF pregnancy.
Compared to Conventional IVF Protocol
A Conventional IVF protocol calls for daily injections of hormone medications to produce multiple egg follicles – 10 – 15 one cycle. These egg are retrieved surgically and then fertilized in vitro for transfer to the woman’s uterus. Excess quality embryos may be cryopreserved for future Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) procedures.
strong>One Good Egg Policy
Customized IVF care is the best. Remember: It only takes one good egg and one healthy sperm to make a baby. Our focus is to help you produce good quality eggs during a fresh IVF cycle – not a high quantity of eggs using large doses of injectable fertility medications. This policy is perfectly suited for our new Needle-Free IVF protocol.
Difficult Patients Welcome
Women diagnosed as difficult or hopelessly infertile by other fertility clinics are welcomed at New Hope Fertility Center. The best part? Because of our One Good Egg Policy, we happily accept candidates for IVF that other fertility clinics decline to treat and have proven success where others failed to even try.
Egg Collection Results and Success Rates
Our Needle-Free IVF protocol has resulted in comparable egg collection results as that of the Conventional IVF protocol. We are – on average – able to retrieve at least 10 eggs from patients who have undergone our Needle-Free IVF protocol. These results are reassuringly comparable with other IVF protocols in terms of number of eggs collected and pregnancy success rates.
High Tech IVF Laboratory
Our goal is to maximize every patient’s chances of having a successful pregnancy. At New Hope Fertility Center, we offer the latest:
- IVF technology
- IVF ingenuity
- IVF customization
Our IVF laboratory is comprised of a powerful air filtration system to facilitate the best conditions for success of procedures and research. We have one of the largest and most powerful air filtration systems in the world. Bottom Line: This quality air filtration system provides optimal clean air pressure in every laboratory process.
Celebrated Needle-Free IVF Expertise
It is important to work with a fertility doctor having the expertise required to design a customized IVF treatment protocol meeting your personal needs. To schedule your initial consultation with Dr. John Zhang at New Hope Fertility Center – call 917.525.5496.
How Quality Sleep Will Increase Your Natural Fertility Level
The National Sleep Foundation has found through studies that sleep has a powerful influence on a woman’s reproductive hormonal system.
Sleep deprivation adversely affects your BMI, your mood, and your stress level. Your Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) level is directly affected by lack of sleep. Your FSH level should ideally be at its highest level just before you ovulate.
Let’s take a look into:
- Sleep and BMI
- Sleep and Mood
- Sleep and Stress
Women averaging 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night had a 20 percent higher FSH level than those who go 6 or fewer hours – regardless of age, BMI, mood, or stress level.
Bottom Line:
Enhancing your quantity and quality of sleep will increase your natural fertility level.
- Improve your BMI
- Improve your Mood
- Decrease your and stress level
Quality Sleep Will Increase Your Natural Fertility Level
To increase your natural fertility level, you must establish a healthy sleep pattern and get your circadian rhythm – and hormonal levels – in sync. Look: When a woman’s body is deprived of rest, she can experience weight gain, mood disorders, and increased stress levels. Why is this important? Adequate sleep will improve your natural fertility level. Women in their prime childbearing years (25 to 35) need 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep every night during a work week to sustain an optimum fertility level.
Sleep and BMI
A healthy adult Body Mass Index (BMI) is between 18.5 and 24.9. Look: A 2016 review of studies shows that not getting enough sleep leads women to consume an average of 385 more calories the next day.
Here’s the real story about women who don’t get enough sleep.
- They gain weight
- The make less healthy food choices
- They eat foods higher in fat
- They eat low protein foods
Over a five year period, women can gain 2.1 BMI points for every hour of sleep they lose. Why is this important? A two pound weight gain can easily throw a woman off of her healthy BMI.
The takeaway. Sleep is an important moderator of neuroendocrine function and glucose metabolism. Sleep loss alters metabolic and endocrine alterations.
Sleep and Mood
Your quantity and quality of nightly sleep is directly connected with your mood when you wake. It can’t be emphasized enough, chronic insomnia increases the risk of developing a mood disorder – especially depression and/or anxiety.
Sleep-related mood disorders can be self-corrected through a variety of methods.
- Improved sleep habits
- Behavioral interventions
- Sleep assessments
- Mood disorder assessments
Look: Every woman realizes that she is more vulnerable to certain emotions after a sleepless night.
- More irritable
- Short-tempered
- Stressed out
It’s pretty common to realize that once you’ve had a good night’s sleep, your mood becomes stabilized throughout the next day.
A Harvard Sleep Study confirms that sleep deprivation has a significant adverse effect on one’s mood. University of Pennsylvania researchers found that limiting sleep to 4.5 hours per night for one week causes:
- Stress
- Anger
- Sadness
- Mental exhaustion
That’s not all. Making it even more difficult to sleep, disruptions in mood increase:
- Anxiety
- Agitation
- Arousal
These affects make it difficult to get to sleep and rest comfortably because you are awake and alert. These abnormally exaggerated responses to stress make one suffer from sleep deprivation.
Sleep and Stress
Stress keeps us alert and energetic. Although stress is an innate force helping us to perform at top level in our daily activities, too much tension and anxiety can cause a person to experience sleep deprivation. Stress is a natural response to daily life.
Here’s the catch. Too much stress causes:
- Sleep deprivation
- Depression
- Tension
- Anxiety
- Lack of concentration
- Apathy
- Inadvertent mistakes
You must manage your stress to enhance your reproductive health and overall well-being. The amount of stress a woman experiences while undergoing In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) treatment can be determinative of pregnancy success or failure.
That’s not all. Research has shown that stress can reduce your chances of conceiving through IVF. Stress has been linked to an egg’s ability to be fertilized and an embryo’s ability to implant in a woman’s uterine lining. Studies have shown that women undergoing IVF with anxiety had fewer eggs retrieved and fewer embryos implanting successfully.
Bottom Line: Lessening stress levels will help to increase your chances of a successful IVF cycle.
Improving Fertility with Quality Sleep
The fertility specialists at New Hope Fertility NYC recommend some simple approaches to achieve quality sleep. These measures will help with relaxation at the desired time sleep is needed.
The take away:
- Maintain a comfortable sleep environment
- Encourage a balance of nutrition and exercise
Implement a strict sleep schedule and stick to it. The human body flourishes on routine. Having a regular schedule of when you fall asleep and awake will help your body regulate its internal clock. Designate a time you normally feel tired. Making a scheduled bed time will keep you from spending a lot of time struggling to fall asleep. Keep your sleep schedule consistent on the weekends and holidays.
- Maintain a regular sleep-wake schedule
- Avoid caffeine, alcohol, nicotine – these interfere with sleep
- Make your sleeping space comfortable
- Establish a calming pre-sleep routine – avoid stimulating news or entertainment
- Go to sleep when you are tired – don’t watch the clock and procrastinate rest
- Limit your light exposure in the evening – turn off the TV
- Limit eating and drinking before retiring to bed – let your stomach rest
- Exercise regularly – 30 minutes per day – but not before bedtime
More Helpful Resources to Increase Your Natural Fertility Level
It is important to work with a fertility doctor having the experience to accurately diagnose the root cause of your infertility. To schedule your initial consultation with Dr. John Zhang at New Hope Fertility Center in NYC – call 917.525.5496.
How Embryo Quality is Enhanced by EmbryoScope Technology
Dr. John Zhang is proud to be one of very few fertility specialists in the world to use EmbryoScope technology. Quality embryo development is crucial to a successful IVF pregnancy. Here’s the deal: Embryologists must observe embryos culturing in vitro regularly in order to make accurate assessments of their development progress and quality. Minimizing the disturbance of embryos has been aided by time-lapsed technology – the EmbryoScope. Why does this matter? Before time-lapse technology, embryos used to be physically removed from the incubator by the embryologist for observation. This physical movement would disturb the culturing process by exposing the embryo to stress and fluctuations.
EmbryoScope Time-Lapse Technology
The EmbryoScope is an innovative, cutting-edge, time-lapsed photography and software solution. Bottom Line: The EmbryoScope allows the growth and development of embryos in vitro to be monitored without disturbing the culturing process.
The EmbryoScope improves IVF outcomes.
- Quantitative data on an embryo’s early stage of development in vitro
- Objective information on an embryo’s early stage of development in vitro
- Utilizes time-lapsed photography and software
- No need to manipulate embryos within the incubator in vitro
- No need to remove the embryos from the incubator in vitro
Candidates for EmbryoScope technology:
- Couples having previous failed IVF attempts
- Couples suffering from recurrent pregnancy loss (miscarriage)
Embryology Expertise
From a cell – to a newborn baby – embryology is the branch of biology and medicine focused on the study of an embryo from the point of fertilization through development to the fetus stage. The practice of embryology is key to pregnancy success through IVF technology.
Working with fertility doctors to successfully treat every patient’s underlying cause of infertility, the clinical embryologists at New Hope Fertility Center are responsible for:
- Assisting in the surgical retrieving of a woman’s eggs
- Performing post-surgical retrieval tests on eggs
- Performing in vitro tests on embryos
- Maintaining patient clinical records
Our acclaimed team of embryologists give careful attention to nurturing quality embryos as they develop in vitro. Only quality embryos are transferred to the patient’s uterus.
- Quality embryos have the highest chance of implantation into a woman’s uterine lining
- Quality embryos thrive into a fetus
- Quality embryos have the best chance of achieving a full-term, healthy pregnancy
After Egg Retrieval and In Vitro Culturing
Excess, quality embryos produced during a fresh IVF cycle are cryopreserved for future transfers via Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET). Only the highest quality embryos are cryopreserved for the best chances of a future FET pregnancy success.
Embryology Roles in the IVF Process
Our cutting edge laboratory technology provides embryos culturing in vitro with an optimum environment for healthy development prior to fresh transfer and/or cryopreservation for future FETs.
- HRSS – High Resolution Sperm Selection is technology used to identify and choose only highest quality sperm cells for fertilization of a healthy egg
- ICSI – Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection is technology used to treat male factor infertility by assisting in each healthy egg’s direct fertilization with only a high quality sperm
- Assisted Hatching is technology used to help embryos erupt from their shell and become more amendable to implantation in the uterine lining
- IVF/M – In Vitro Maturation is technology used to surgically retrieve a woman’s immature eggs and mature same in vitro before fertilization via ICSI
- EmbryoScope technology is used to gather time-lapsed data by monitoring every embryo’s development without disruption of the in vitro culturing process
HRSS – High Resolution Sperm Selection
Embryologists at New Hope Fertility Center choose only the healthiest sperm to fertilize an egg in vitro. HRSS technology provides embryologists with the ability to view sperm at 6000 x magnification using Differential Interference Contrast (DIC) microscopy. Through HRSS, an embryologist can view the physical details of each sperm – its shape, size, and motility – looking for good morphological appearance. Healthy sperm is essential to the development of a quality embryo in vitro. Normal chromosomes and less fragmentation in DNA are key factors that play a significant role in the quality of an embryo.
ICSI – Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection
ICSI is an IVF laboratory ancillary procedure designed to help resolve male-factor infertility due to low sperm count or poor sperm quality. ICSI is the micromanipulation of fertilizing an egg by injecting a single sperm directly into the cytoplasm of a mature egg using a pipette (glass needle).
Assisted Hatching
A computer-assisted laser procedure – known as Assisted Hatching – helps the mass of cells inside an embryo escape during transfer for better uterine lining implantation success. A tiny opening is made in the Zona Pellucida through a computer-assisted laser after the embryo has cultured for up to five days.
(IVF/M) In Vitro Maturation
Through IVF/M – in vitro fertilization with maturation – immature eggs are retrieved for maturation in vitro and fertilization using ICSI.
EmbryoScope Technology Expertise
To schedule your initial consultation with Dr. John Zhang at New Hope Fertility Center – call 917.525.5496.
Dr. Zhang Explains IVF and FET Pregnancy Success Rates
Correctly interpreting the data reporting yearly pregnancy success by nationwide fertility clinics is critical for IVF patients. Here’s the deal: This data helps patients choose the best fertility clinic giving them the highest chances of pregnancy success through IVF technology. It can’t be emphasized enough. Before choosing a fertility clinic, you must know how to read and interpret official IVF pregnancy success records. Why is this important? A substantial amount of IVF pregnancy success is accomplished through Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) procedures.
- You should inquire about embryology policies and procedures
- You should inquire about FET pregnancy success rates
- You should inquire about recent accomplishments in IVF/FET research, as well as changes in IVF/FET technology
IVF and FET Pregnancy Success
IVF and FET pregnancy success is reliant on many patient-focused variables.
- Age
- Infertility diagnosis
- History of previous pregnancies
- History of previous miscarriages
- Number of failed IVF cycles – fresh and frozen embryo transfers
- Number of embryos transferred in a single cycle
- IVF protocol recommended
- IVF ancillary procedures used – ICSI, Assisted Hatching, In Vitro Maturation
- Genetic testing to select only quality embryos for transfer – PGD, PGS/NGS
- Gender Selection
IVF Protocols
Difficult Patients Welcome
We don’t refuse those patients diagnosed as a difficult case. At New Hope Fertility Center, we welcome patients rejected by other fertility specialists because they are deemed to be hopelessly infertile.
- No refusals based on a woman’s advanced maternal age
- No refusals based on low FSH levels
- No refusals based on the number of potential eggs (follicles) a woman can produce per fresh cycle
- No refusals because a woman does not respond well to fertility medication
One Good Egg Policy
Customized IVF care is the best. Remember: It only takes one good egg and one healthy sperm to make a baby. Our focus is to help you produce good quality eggs during a fresh IVF cycle – not a high quantity of eggs using large doses of injectable fertility medications.
SART and CDC
The Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) is the official source to which fertility specialists report their IVF and FET pregnancy success rates. You can also look to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) for IVF and FET pregnancy success and birth rates.
SART is a fertility specialist organization that is dedicated to setting professional standards in the practice of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART). Its mission is to inform and serve fertility specialists and their patients.
From the SART website:
Accurate and complete reporting of IVF pregnancy success rates reported by the members of SART is complicated because of the variation of ART practice from clinic to clinic. These differences may inflate or lower IVF pregnancy rates provided by another clinic.
IVF and FET pregnancy success rates vary from clinic to clinic based on:
- Differences in patient selection
- Differences in treatment approaches
- Differences in IVF cycle reporting practices
All fertility specialists in the United States report and verify data on their IVF and FET pregnancy procedures over a calendar year period.
Valuing IVF and FET Pregnancy Success Rates
Yearly data on IVF and FET pregnancy success rates is a valuable source of information for every patient. This rich data gives patients a better idea of their average chances of pregnancy through IVF and FET.
IVF and FET pregnancy success rates can be misleading when based on a small number of transfer procedure performed. At New Hope Fertility Center, we omit graphed data when there are less than 20 transfers in a segment.
Reading SART IVF and FET
- Start by clicking here
- Check the box agreeing to SART’s terms and conditions of use
- Click on the 2015 Preliminary box to the right: I agree to the limitations on use of the data in this report and agree to abide by the SART Website Terms and Conditions of Use
- Scroll down to view our Profile, Services, and IVF Pregnancy Success Rates
Customized IVF and FET Expertise
It is important to work with a fertility doctor having the expertise required to design a customized IVF and FET treatment protocol meeting your personal needs. To schedule your initial consultation with Dr. John Zhang at New Hope Fertility Center – call 917.525.5496.
The Mini-IVF™ is in Fox News and Parents Magazine
The Mini-IVF™ is less invasive and more cost-effective than Conventional IVF because significantly less fertility medications are used. – Dr. Zaher Merhi – New Hope’s Director of Research and Development in IVF Technologies – as quoted in Parents. This helps keep the patient’s cost down and minimizes the amount of hormones a woman is taking into her body. You don’t actually need as much medication to help conception since the medication doesn’t create eggs, it only fosters the growth of the eggs that are already there. – Dr. Merhi (Parents)
Mini-IVF™ Fertility Medications
According to Dr. Merhi, [m]edication is like egg food, so if you have a lot of eggs, then a lot of medication may be fine because there’s numerous eggs to feed. If you have a low number of eggs, then all you need is a little bit of food. In other words, the amount of medication administered during a Mini-IVF™ cycle is tailored specifically for each patient based on her egg reserve.
As reported by Fox News, the Mini-IVF™ is an alternative to Conventional IVF that has been practiced successfully for years by Dr. Zaher Merhi. As explained by Dr. Merhi, the Mini-IVF™ is less taxing on a woman’s body because only small amounts of fertility medications are administered during a cycle.
Benefits of Mini-IVF™
Because less medication is used during a Mini-IVF™, women may not have an intolerable experience of unpleasant symptoms such as extreme swelling/bloating, night sweats, and weight gain as they do during a Conventional IVF.
- It’s very similar to IVF but you’re not stimulating the ovaries too much with high doses of medication. – Dr. Merhi Fox News
- There is this feeling that high doses of shots can be detrimental to the quality of eggs. – Merhi Fox News
The Mini-IVF™ is an option for women who may respond better to lower doses of fertility medication. This protocol may help women produce higher quality eggs for fertilization. Pregnancy success rates for Mini-IVF™ are comparable to Conventional IVF without the high cost of large quantities of fertility medication.
Mini-IVF™ Protocol
Although medication regimens vary based on the patient’s medical needs, this gentle IVF protocol includes:
- One Clomid pill consumed daily
- No more than one to three injections of Menopur
- A simple nasal spray of Synarel 36 hours prior to egg retrieval instead of repeated progesterone shots
Because the Mini-IVF™ protocol uses lower dosages of fertility medications, a woman only produces 3 to 5 high quality eggs. With a Mini-IVF™ protocol, the patient’s physical discomfort is lessened because her body is not forced into producing the 10 to 15 eggs typically reached in a Conventional IVF cycle.
- A fertility medication regimen to produce 3 to 5 quality eggs
- Cycle monitoring through ultrasound imaging and blood tests
- Surgical egg retrieval
- Fertilization of egg and sperm in vitro via (ICSI)
- Culture and monitoring of embryo(s) via EmbryoScope technology
- Grading and selection of quality embryo(s) for fresh transfer and/or future (FET)
- Single Embryo Transfer (SET)
Mini-IVF™ Cost
Because less fertility medications are used, the Mini-IVF™ is more affordable than Conventional IVF. Contact New Hope Fertility Center for most current pricing on our fee for the Mini-IVF™ procedure. Our quoted fee will not include the cost of fertility medications, which can range up to $1,500.
Mini-IVF™ Pregnancy Success Rates
Mini-IVF™ is the preferred protocol for women who do not have many eggs remaining in their ovarian reserve – common for patients over the age of 35. Mini-IVF™ pregnancy success rates for women over 35 were a third higher than for Conventional IVF. Women in their 40s were two times more likely to have a baby using Mini-IVF™ compared to if they had undergone Conventional IVF.
Yearly data on IVF success rates is a rich source of information for potential IVF patients. This data gives patients an idea of their average chances of pregnancy success through IVF. At New Hope Fertility Center, IVF success rates vary in the context of patient and treatment characteristics:
- Age
- Infertility diagnosis
- History of previous pregnancies
- History of previous miscarriages
- Number of failed IVF cycles – fresh and frozen embryo transfers
- Number of embryos transferred in a single cycle
- IVF protocol recommended
- IVF ancillary procedures used – ICSI, Assisted Hatching, In Vitro Maturation
- Genetic testing to select only quality embryos for transfer – PGD, PGS/NGS
- Gender Selection
At New Hope Fertility Center, we welcome difficult patients – those previously diagnosed by other fertility specialists as hopelessly infertile.
- No age restriction
- No FSH level requirement
- No requirement to produce multiple eggs per cycle
World Renowned Mini-IVF™ Expertise
It is important to work with a Mini-IVF™ expert having the expertise to design a customized treatment plan meeting your financial and medical needs. To schedule your initial consultation with Dr. John Zhang at New Hope Fertility Center – call 917.525.5496.
Why You Should Consider Fertility Counseling
Being proactive in taking care of your mental health care is key to securing your financial investment in fertility treatment. Action plan: Reflect and reach out for an expert in fertility counseling. Our fertility experts strongly recommend Professional In-House Fertility Counseling with Allison Rosen Ph.D. That’s not all: We are dedicated to promoting our patients’ awareness of genetic testing in conjunction with IVF to increase their chances of a successful pregnancy.
Fertility Counseling
Dr. Rosen is an experience clinical psychologist specializing in infertility. She has helped hundreds of couples cope during their struggle to have a baby.
- Experienced Clinical Psychologist
- Researcher
- Author
- Educator
Through individual, couple, and group counseling, the Doctor addresses the many challenges of dealing with infertility including:
- Pregnancy Loss
- Couple Conflict and Coping
- Complex Decisions Involved in Family Building Through Donor Egg or Sperm
- Parenting After Infertility
Education of Dr. Rosen
- A. – University of California – Graduated Summa cum Laude and Honored as most outstanding student in the college of science
- Master’s Degree and Ph.D – Michigan State University
- Certificate of Psychoanalysis – William Alanson White Institute
Dr. Rosen specializes in working with couples who have reach the one-year mark – or beyond – of infertility. After multiple failed attempts to conceive, patients begin to experience serious emotional disturbances.
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Relationship challenges
Reducing Pregnancy Loss through Genetic Testing
Today’s Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) helps to increase the healthy birth rates of babies through genetic testing. This is because only the healthiest embryos are transferred for implantation during a fresh IVF cycle and/or Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET). Genetic testing helps to reduce the number of cycles required to achieve a healthy pregnancy.
Preimplantation Genetic Screening (PGS)
PGS is the testing of an embryo’s overall chromosomal normalcy prior to being transferred to the patient’s uterus in conjunction with IVF. PGS detects chromosomal deficiencies – aneuploidy – an extra or missing chromosome in an embryo.
PGS Increases Pregnancy Success Rates By Up To 30%
PGS dramatically increases a woman’s chance of conception. Only the healthiest embryo(s) are transferred. Embryo biopsy and screening can increase a patient’s chance of a successful pregnancy by up to 30 percent.
Candidates for PGS
Because advanced maternal age (over 35) adversely affects the quality of a woman’s eggs – oocytes – resulting in chromosomal abnormalities, Dr. Zhang recommends PGS in conjunction with IVF to patients his over the age of 35.
- Women having a history of recurrent miscarriages (2 or more)
- Women having failed IVF cycles
- Gender Selection – Family Balancing
PGS Detects Low Quality Embryos
By extracting a cell from an embryo and analyzing it, poor quality embryos are detected. Biopsy of this cell will not damage the embryo.
Low quality embryos result in:
- Low pregnancy success rates
- High miscarriage rates
- High chance for birth defects
Next Generation Sequencing (NGS)
NGS is a new and improved method of PGS. NGS is the latest genetic screening test for primary candidates undergoing IVF. NGS is used for comprehensive chromosome testing of embryos created through IVF. NGS is on the horizon to replacing PGS because of the procedure’s lower cost and reduced errors.
NGS allows embryologists to screen for defects on the chromosomal level with higher accuracy and more detail than ever before. PGS results are comprehensive and a higher resolution than any other genetic testing method because it detects more translocations.
NGS is also helpful for those couples wanting to plan their family through gender selection.
Customized IVF Treatment
Because every patient’s personal, medical, and financial needs are different, we offer customized IVF treatment.
Our experience designing customized protocols provide a variety of successful IVF treatment protocols for you to choose from. We offer the highest quality care timed precisely around your body’s optimal state of performance.
High Tech IVF Laboratory
Our goal is to maximize every patient’s chances of having a successful pregnancy. At New Hope Fertility Center, we offer the latest:
- IVF technology
- IVF ingenuity
- IVF customization
Our IVF laboratory is comprised of a powerful air filtration system to facilitate the best conditions for success of procedures and research. We have one of the largest and most powerful air filtration systems in the world. This quality air filtration system provides optimal clean air pressure in every laboratory process.
Renowned Fertility Counseling Expertise
Dr. Zhang would like to introduce you to an expert fertility counselor if you are struggling with fertility treatment. To schedule your initial consultation with Dr. Allison Rosen at New Hope Fertility Center call 212.969.7422.
Dr. Zhang Explains the Benefits of Egg Freezing in Parenting Magazine
No longer do women have to be cornered into motherhood by their biological clock. You can put your maternal instinct on hold by taking advantage of egg freezing – also known as oocyte cryopreservation – in conjunction with IVF. Today’s smart women are planning for the future when it comes to her aging eggs. The younger your eggs are when trying to conceive, the better chance you will have of getting pregnant. – Dr. John Zhang as quoted in Parenting. If you know that one day you would like to become a mother, but feel that now is just not the time, we recommend freezing your eggs.
Egg Freezing Trend
When you are ready for motherhood, it only takes one good egg and a healthy sperm! More and more women are postponing motherhood past their prime childbearing years. You can join the force of women who are growing more confident in their ability to give birth to a biological child in the future – without fear of maternal aging. Read an amazing story in Harper’s Bazaar that features how our Division of Fertility Preservation has played a major role in informing women of their future family planning options.
Aging and the Quality of Eggs
The natural aging process has a dramatic effect on the quality of a woman’s eggs. A woman in her prime reproductive years (early 20s and early 30s) has the option of freezing her eggs to preserve her future fertility into her advanced reproductive years (mid-30s and early 40s + beyond):
- Today’s modern women who are focused on their education and career opportunities
- Women whose circumstances in life are not presently conducive to rearing children
- Women who have not be able to find their life partner
- Women who are facing cancer treatment – chemo or radiation – that could damage the quality of their eggs and/or destroy their ovarian function by sending them into premature menopause
- Women who are undergoing IVF and are likely to produce excessive eggs, but have ethical or religious concerns over freezing embryos
Egg Freezing Process
Egg freezing is accomplished through a fresh IVF cycle, stopping short of fertilization with sperm in vitro.
- A woman’s ovaries are stimulated by using fertility drugs to produce several egg follicles
- The eggs are surgically retrieved from the woman’s ovaries and sent to the lab for cryopreservation preparation
- The preparation and freezing of the eggs for preservation is performed through a process known as vitrification
- The rapid-freezing technique of vitrification makes it possible to freeze eggs quickly so that damaging ice crystals do not form between cells
Customized IVF Treatment
Because every patient’s personal, medical, and financial needs are different, we offer customized IVF treatment.
Our experience designing customized protocols provide a variety of successful IVF treatment protocols for you to choose from. We offer the highest quality care timed precisely around your body’s optimal state of performance.
Future Pregnancy
When she is ready to start building her family, the egg freezing process continues.
- The frozen eggs are thawed and fertilized in vitro by injecting a sperm cell into a single egg – Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)
- The resulting embryos are cultured in vitro for up to 5 days (blastocyst stage)
- A predetermined number of quality embryos are transferred into the woman’s uterus for implantation into her uterine lining to achieve pregnancy
Genetic Testing and Gender Selection
Many of our patients opt to have their embryos undergo genetic testing prior to transfer.
- PGD Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis
- PGS/NGS Preimplantation Genetic Screening and Next Generation Sequencing
- Gender Selection
Resulting embryos are cultured to a blastocyst stage (5 days) and then are re-evaluated by our embryologists to ensure good health. PGS/NGS identifies chromosomal abnormalities and identifies the gender of each embryo.
High Tech IVF Laboratory
Our goal is to maximize every patient’s chances of having a successful pregnancy. At New Hope Fertility Center, we offer the latest:
- IVF technology
- IVF ingenuity
- IVF customization
Our IVF laboratory is comprised of a powerful air filtration system to facilitate the best conditions for success of procedures and research. We have one of the largest and most powerful air filtration systems in the world. This quality air filtration system provides optimal clean air pressure in every laboratory process.
World Renowned Egg Freezing Expertise
Pregnancy success rates using a woman’s egg that has been cryopreserved are comparable to success rates using a fresh egg. Continually increasing IVF Pregnancy Success Rates requires all-encompassing fertility care.
It is important to work with a fertility specialist having the research and clinical experience required to design a customized egg freezing plan meeting your personal and medical needs. To schedule your initial consultation with Dr. John Zhang at New Hope Fertility Center – call 917.525.5496.
NY Post News: Go Pain Free With Our New Needle-Free IVF
Our team of fertility specialists made news in the NY Post with the launching of Needle-Free IVF – a holistic method of treatment which promises pregnancy success without injections. What’s news? No longer does a woman have to undergo costly and painful injections and blood draws to achieve a healthy pregnancy through IVF. Why is this news? Dr. Zaher Merhi – Director of Research and Development at New Hope Fertility Center – is proud to have spearheaded this Needle-Free protocol in response to his patients’ feedback concerning the daunting cost, pain, and inconvenience of traditional IVF.
Pain Free Needle-Free IVF
Gone are the days of costly fertility medications, inconvenient daily blood draws, and painful injections.
- No shots – Injectable drugs are replaced with oral fertility medications to stimulate the production of multiple egg follicles
- No blood draws – Hormone tests are conducted via urine and saliva sample to monitor egg follicle development
- No hCG injection – A nasal spray triggers ovulation in preparation for egg retrieval
Women who are afraid of needles are particularly happy to hear about the new technique, Merhi said – (NY Post). They are very, very excited – they’re happy that there are no shots.
Holistic Approaches to IVF
Our research and clinical experience has proven that high dosages of fertility drugs may be associated with poor egg quality – making it more difficult to achieve a healthy pregnancy through Conventional IVF. As part of our commitment to increasing our patients’ chances of conceiving, we have established a focus on holistic IVF protocols – Mini-IVF™ and Natural Cycle IVF™. These holistic protocols give our patients the opportunity to achieve a pregnancy through IVF for less money and with little aggravation.
Candidates for Needle-Free IVF
This gentle and effective IVF protocol is designed to be patient-friendly to patients who have unique needs.
- Have a fear of needles
- Have polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
- Have difficulty self-administering medication via injection
- Experience discomfort or bruising due to injections
- Have problems submitting to blood draws because of difficult veins
- Have a high risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS)
- Want a more natural and holistic fertility treatment option
Needle-Free IVF Fertility Medications
Depending on the woman’s medical needs, an oral fertility medication – typically Clomid and/or Letrozole– are prescribed to gently stimulate her ovaries into producing multiple eggs. Synarel is administered nasally for 3 days at the beginning of the cycle and then again 36 hours prior to surgical egg retrieval to trigger ovulation.
- Clomid and/or Femara to stimulate egg production
- Synarel to trigger ovulation
- Oral progesterone tablets
- Vaginal progesterone suppositories
One Good Egg Policy
Customized IVF care is the best. Remember: It only takes one good egg and one healthy sperm to make a baby. Our focus is to help you produce good quality eggs during a fresh IVF cycle – not a high quantity of eggs using large doses of injectable fertility medications. This policy is perfectly suited for our new Needle-Free IVF protocol.
Difficult Patients Welcome
Women diagnosed as difficult or hopelessly infertile by other fertility clinics are welcomed at New Hope Fertility Center. The best part? Because of our One Good Egg Policy, we happily accept candidates for IVF that other fertility clinics decline to treat and have proven success where others failed to even try.
Egg Collection Results and Success Rates
Our Needle-Free IVF protocol has resulted in comparable egg collection results as that of the Conventional IVF protocol. We are – on average – able to retrieve at least 10 eggs from patients who have undergone our Needle-Free IVF protocol. These results are reassuringly comparable with other IVF protocols in terms of number of eggs collected and pregnancy success rates.
Needle-Free IVF and Gender Selection
Many of our patients opt to have their embryos undergo genetic testing during their Needle-Free IVF cycle.
- PGD Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis
- PGS/NGS Preimplantation Genetic Screening and Next Generation Sequencing
- Gender Selection
Resulting embryos are cultured to a blastocyst stage (5 days) and then are re-evaluated by our embryologists to ensure good health. PGS/NGS identifies chromosomal abnormalities and identifies the gender of each embryo.
High Tech IVF Laboratory
Our goal is to maximize every patient’s chances of having a successful pregnancy. At New Hope Fertility Center, we offer the latest:
- IVF technology
- IVF ingenuity
- IVF customization
Our IVF laboratory is comprised of a powerful air filtration system to facilitate the best conditions for success of procedures and research. We have one of the largest and most powerful air filtration systems in the world. This quality air filtration system provides optimal clean air pressure in every laboratory process.
Celebrated Pain Free Needle-Free IVF Expertise
It is important to work with a fertility specialist having the research and clinical experience required to design a customized IVF treatment plan meeting your personal medical needs. To schedule your initial consultation with Dr. John Zhang at New Hope Fertility Center – call 917.525.5496.
All it Takes is One Good Egg With the Help of Natural Cycle IVF™
The success of our holistic Natural Cycle IVF™ supports our steadfast One Good Egg Policy. Here’s the deal: Our mission is to reduce frustrations associated with conventional fertility care through new and innovative IVF protocols. Every woman is different based on her unique medical history and fertility assessment. It is quality eggs that matter – not quantity. Bottom Line: It only takes one good egg and one healthy sperm to achieve a successful pregnancy and birth of a healthy baby.
Mission Statement for Natural Cycle IVF™
We don’t refuse patients because a woman has been diagnosed as a difficult case.
- No refusals based on a woman’s advanced maternal age
- No refusals based on low FSH levels
- No refusals based on the number of potential eggs (follicles) a woman can produce per fresh cycle
- No refusals because a woman does not respond well to fertility medication
One Good Egg Policy
By treating each of our patients as individuals, we are able to create treatment plans customized for their specific needs. This often entails reducing the amount of fertility medication used to increase egg quantity.
Our Natural Cycle IVF™ is a holistic, personalized treatment plan allowing for a high chance of pregnancy success without requiring the patient to undergo a harsh regimen of fertility medication administration.
How the Natural Cycle IVF™ Works
A woman’s body may need only a little coaxing to achieve a pregnancy with her one egg produced during a monthly menstrual cycle. A woman’s natural egg is the very best she can produce – without the need for numerous, costly, painful, self-administered fertility medication injections.
- As a woman’s natural cycle begins, the doctor will monitor the growth of her one good egg through pelvic ultrasound imaging and blood tests
- Once her natural egg has reached a prime stage of development, an ovulation trigger medication – hCG – will be self-administered by the patient at a designated time
- On a scheduled date, her egg will be surgically retrieved in an outpatient procedure while the patient is under general anesthesia
- After surgical retrieval, the egg will be fertilized in vitro through a procedure known as Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)
- ICSI is an ancillary IVF procedure in which one quality sperm is injected directly into the woman’s natural egg
- The resulting embryo cultures in vitro to a high quality stage of development – up to 5 days
- The high quality embryo is then transferred to the woman’s uterus via a thin catheter – similar to a Pap smear procedure
- A pregnancy test is scheduled in approximately two weeks
Pregnancy Success Rates Using Natural Cycle IVF™
Even though fertility medications are not prescribed, the pregnancy success rates for our Natural Cycle IVF™ rivals those of Conventional IVF and Mini IVF™. The personal attention provided by our fertility support team provides every patient with the medication and technology needed to conceive.
What’s the real story?
- No high cost, physically-challenging powerful fertility medications
- A woman produces her one natural egg
- Lowers health risks associated with Conventional IVF
- Avoids the high cost associated with large dosages of fertility drugs
- Helps women avoid the discomfort and side effects of daily fertility drug injections
- Eliminates the potential of a multiple pregnancy
- Resolves ethical and religious dilemmas for patients opposed to producing excess embryos
Prime Candidates for Natural IVF™
Women who will most benefit from a Natural Cycle IVF™ protocol are those:
- Women over 35 who have a regular menstrual period and are able to ovulate
- Women over 35 with elevated FSH levels
- Women over 35 with a poor ovarian reserve
- Women diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
- Women who are at risk for Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS) due to high dosages of fertility medications
- Women who want to avoid costly and painful fertility medication injections
- Women who are unresponsive to fertility medications
- Women who have been unable to produce multiple eggs during a Conventional IVF or Mini-IVF™ cycle
- Women over 35 with elevated FSH levels and poor ovarian reserve
- Women who do not want to produce multiple embryos for ethical or religious reasons
Customized Natural Cycle IVF™ Specialist
It is important to work with a fertility specialist having the experience required to design a customized Natural Cycle IVF™ treatment protocol meeting your personal needs. To schedule your initial consultation with Dr. John Zhang at New Hope Fertility Center – call 917.525.5496
Dedication to LGBTQ Fertility Treatment
We want to invite all LGBTQ couples wanting to start their family to visit New Hope Fertility Center in NYC. In today’s modern society, sexual orientation bias has no place in the practice of fertility treatment. Our fertility specialists are renowned worldwide for consistently and fairly sharing their expertise and counsel with the LGBTQ community. We have offered worldwide state-of-the-art fertility procedures to our LGBTQ patients since 2004. We have maintained our mission of reducing the physical, emotional, and financial toll of every LGBTQ patient during their quest to have a baby.
LGBTQ Fertility Treatment Mission Statement
Every person has the right to have a family of their own.
- No sexual orientation judgments
- No gender or transgender bias
- No personal or religious judgments
- No judgments toward interracial couples
- No judgments about marital status
Fertility Treatment Options for Female Couples
- IUI – Intrauterine Insemination (artificial insemination) using donor sperm
- IVF – In Vitro Fertilization using eggs from one partner and donor sperm
Fertility Treatment Options for Male Couples
Gestational Surrogacy – selecting and using donor eggs fertilized in vitro with the sperm from one of the partners
Gestational surrogacy can be used to achieve a pregnancy through IVF using:
- Donor Eggs
- Intended father’s sperm
Egg Donor Recipients – selecting and using donor eggs to accomplish gestational surrogacy
Donor Eggs and Sperm
Regardless of the gender combination of LGBTQ couples – or singles wanting to be a solo parent – the process of selecting donor eggs or donor sperm has been substantially streamlined for our patients’ ease.
We offer world class – yet affordable – support packages for the selection of donor eggs and donor sperm. Our donor program is extremely successful because we use the most cutting-edge cryopreservation and IVF technologies.
Cutting-Edge IVF Protocols
State-of-the-Art Fertility Treatment
You can realize your dream of building a family through our state-of-the-art reproductive technologies.
IUI Procedure
The most common fertility treatment for lesbian couples is IUI. Timed with induced ovulation, the patient is artificially inseminated with a highly concentrated amount of motile donor sperm. The IUI procedure is performed in the doctor’s office and requires no anesthesia.
- The patient’s monthly cycle is regulated using oral medication
- An oral fertility medication – typically Clomid or Femara – is then self-administered by the patient to stimulate multiple egg follicle production
- The growth of egg follicles are monitored through regular vaginal ultrasound imaging and blood tests
- Once the egg follicles have reached a mature stage, ovulation is induced using an injectable trigger medication – hCG – human chorionic gonadotropin
- The ovulation of multiple eggs, timed with sperm insemination, increases the patient’s chances of pregnancy
- A highly concentrated amount of motile donor sperm is inserted into the cervix using a very thin catheter – similar to a pap smear procedure
- The patient is instructed to self-administer progesterone to thicken her uterine lining in preparation for embryo implantation between the IUI procedure and the pregnancy test
- A pregnancy test is scheduled
Two IUI inseminations are performed between 12 and 36 hours after hCG administration to increase the patient’s chances of pregnancy.
IVF Procedure
One partner’s eggs are harvested for in vitro fertilization using donor sperm. The other partner carries the pregnancy.
- The partners’ cycles are regulated to coincide with one another
- The partner producing the eggs self-administers fertility medications to stimulate multiple egg production
- The growth and development of egg follicles are regularly monitored with pelvic ultrasounds and blood level hormone measurements
- Once the egg follicles have matured, the patient self-administers an ovulation inducing medication – hCG
- The eggs are surgically retrieved using a transvaginal ultrasound-guided aspiration tool
- The eggs are fertilized in vitro with donor sperm using The ovulation of multiple eggs, timed with insemination, increases the patient’s chances of pregnancy ICSI – a single sperm is injected directly into one egg
- All resulting embryos will culture in a controlled laboratory setting until they reach an optimum stage of development – up to 5 days
- A high quality embryo is transferred to the carrier partner’s uterus via an insemination catheter – similar to a Pap smear procedure
- The carrier partner is instructed to self-administer progesterone to thicken her uterine lining in preparation for embryo implantation between transfer and the pregnancy test
- A pregnancy test is scheduled
Gestational Surrogacy Using Donor Eggs
Gestational Surrogacy – Using donor eggs to be fertilized with the sperm from one of the partners. The resulting embryo is transferred to a surrogate who will carry the baby.
Egg Donor Recipient Program – Acquiring donor eggs to accomplish gestational surrogacy.
Gestational surrogacy may be used to achieve a pregnancy and birth using a surrogate mother.
- Donor eggs
- Intended father’s sperm
A surrogate match is selected by the Intended Parents through a leading agency specializing in gestational surrogacy – New Beginnings Surrogacy
- Once the perfect surrogate match has been located, the surrogate’s cycle is regulated in preparation for embryo transfer timing
- In sync with the surrogate’s cycle, the donor eggs are thawed and fertilized with the intended father’s sperm using ICSI
- ICSI is a procedure in which a single sperm is injected directly into the donor’s eggs in a controlled laboratory environment
- Once fertilization is achieved, the resulting embryos are monitored regularly for growth and development quality – up to 5 days
- A quality embryo is transferred to the surrogate’s uterus
- Excess quality embryos can be cryopreserved for future Frozen Embryo Transfers (FET) procedures
World Renowned Fertility Specialist Serving the LGBTQ Community
It is important to work with world renowned fertility specialists having the clinical experience required to design a customized IVF treatment plan meeting your personal and medical needs. To schedule your initial consultation with Dr. John Zhang at New Hope Fertility Center – call 917.525.5496.
