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Infertility and IVF clinic
This success is, in part, due to our experience and laboratory expertise, and,
in part, due to the fact that all of our ova donors are between the ages of
twenty and twenty-nine years old. Our anonymous donor egg program has no waiting
list, and all of our donors undergo genetic, psychological, medical and
infectious disease testing.
We believe that our ova donor program is one of the strongest in the country
because of our personalized care and dedication to you, our patient. As a part
of this dedication, at Dominion Fertility all eggs obtained are used exclusively
for you.
The success of our donor ova program has allowed women who previously were
unable to conceive to experience pregnancy and childbirth. Using donor ova,
pregnancy is realized for many patients.
All of our donors are screened for HIV using both the standard testing and PCR.
They are also tested for hepatitis B & C, general health profile, prolactin, RPR,
TORCH, thyroid function, cervical cultures, and pap smear. The donor’s spouse or
significant other is tested for HIV, hepatitis B & C, and RPR. Genetic testing
is performed on all new ova donors. In addition to medical testing, all donors
must have at least one psychological evaluation. Patients seeking ova donation
have a strong input into deciding which donor they will use. Our Egg Donor
Coordinator works closely with all patients to ensure the best possible
compliment is achieved.
www.dominionfertility.com
Washington, DC
Tel: (703) 920-3890
Covington & Hafkin and Associates
Mrs. Covington received her degree from the University of Maryland School of
Social Work and Community Planning in 1973 and is a Board Certified Diplomate in
Clinical Social Work, with over 30 years of clinical experience as an adult
psychotherapist and over 20 years working in reproductive medicine providing
infertility counseling services. She is a nationally recognized leader on the
psychological aspects of reproductive health problems and is widely published on
the topics of pregnancy loss, stillbirth, infertility, and other reproductive
health issues.
Mrs. Covington is co-author and editor of the highly regarded text, Infertility
Counseling: A Comprehensive Handbook for Clinicians and has contributed textbook
chapters as well as clinical manuscripts to numerous other scientific and
clinical publications. In addition, she has written Silent Birth: If Your Baby
Dies, a patient booklet on pregnancy loss used by many hospitals nationwide. Her
work has been featured in local and national publications such as The Washington
Post, Washingtonian Magazine, Savvy, ePregnancy, Web MD, Social Work Today, and
Resolve’s Family Building Magazines. Mrs. Covington recently received a national
honor from RESOLVE, the National Infertility Association, for her significant
contributions in the field of reproductive medicine and to the infertile
community.
Mrs. Covington is an Assistant Clinical Professor at the Georgetown University
School of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Washington, D.C.
In addition, she is Director of Psychological Support Services at Shady Grove
Fertility Reproductive Science Center and an associate investigator in the
Section on Women’s Health Research, Developmental Endocrinology Branch of the
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at the National
Institutes of Health. In 1981, Mrs. Covington co-founded M.I.S. (Miscarriage,
Infant Death, and Stillbirth) support group in Metro Washington, D.C.
She is an active professional member of Resolve, the National Infertility
Association, and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), having
been a founding member and past chairman of their Mental Health Professional
Group (MHPG), as well as serving on the Executive Committee of the Society for
Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART).
www.covingtonandhafkin.com
Sharon N. Covington, LCSW-C
15001 Shady Grove Road, Suite 220
Rockville, MD 20850
(301) 279-9030
MidAtlantic Fertility Centers
In vitro fertilization was first developed as a treatment for infertility due to
blocked Fallopian tubes, but is now used to treat many different problems. To
maximize chances of achieving a pregnancy, ovarian stimulation is used to
produce many follicles (each containing an egg). During a normal, unstimulated
cycle, only a single follicle develops and one egg is ovulated. Growth and
development of follicles are monitored very carefully during a stimulated cycle.
When the follicles (and eggs) are mature, a hormone known as human chorionic
gonadotropin (hCG) is given and egg retrieval is scheduled 34-36 hours later.
Egg retrieval is usually performed under light anesthesia and using ultrasound
guidance, but under certain circumstances, may require laparoscopy. The
follicular contents are aspirated and handed to a laboratory technologist who
then looks for eggs. The eggs are placed in dishes containing culture medium and
incubated in a chamber maintained at body temperature. Shortly after the eggs
have been retrieved, the male partner produces a semen sample. The semen is
processed to isolate the most vigorous sperm to inseminate the eggs.
The day after retrieval and insemination, the eggs are examined for
fertilization. Normal fertilization is indicated by the presence of two
pronuclei. One pronucleus contains the genetic material from the mother and the
other from the father. The fertilized eggs are examined every day until embryo
transfer. Embryos can be transferred 2 to 6 days after egg retrieval and may be
from the 2- to 4-cell (2-3 days after retrieval) stages of development to
blastocyst (5-6 days after retrieval).
Embryo transfer is usually a simple procedure that does not require anesthesia.
Embryos are loaded into a catheter (a thin plastic tube) and catheter is gently
passed through the cervix into the uterus. Ultrasound is commonly used to
confirm that the catheter tip is in the proper position in the uterine cavity.
Embryos that have not been transferred can be frozen and stored for use in the
future.
midatlanticfertility.com
2440 M Street
Suite 401
Washington, D.C. 20037
Phone: (202) 293-6567
IVF
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