Fertility

Egg and embryo freezing

Egg freezing, also known as mature oocyte cryopreservation, is a method used to save women's ability to get pregnant in the future. Eggs harvested from your ovaries are frozen unfertilized and stored for later use

Ovarian transposition

Ovarian transposition is a surgery that moves your ovaries out of the field of radiation. This will lower the amount of radiation your ovaries are exposed to during your radiation therapy.

Ovarian tissue freezing

The process of freezing ovarian tissue to save for future infertility treatment. Part or all of an ovary is removed, and the tissue that contains the eggs is cut into thin slices and frozen. The tissue may later be thawed and placed back into the woman's body, usually on the remaining ovary.

Ovarian suppression

Ovarian suppression is the term used to describe treatments that stop the ovaries from making oestrogen, either permanently or temporarily.

SPERM CRYOPRESERVATION

The process of freezing sperm and storing it for future use. The sperm cells are then frozen and stored.

RADIATION SHIELDING

A procedure used to help keep a man fertile by preventing damage to the testicles during radiation therapy. A protective shield is placed over the scrotum (the external sac that contains the testicles) during radiation to the pelvic area.

Sperm, egg, and embryo donations

Egg or sperm donation allows one of the intended parents to keep the genetic link to the child. With egg donation, the intended parent is able to experience a biological connection to the child through the pregnancy. With embryo donation, there is no genetic link.

Surrogate

In a surrogate pregnancy, eggs from the woman who will carry the baby or from an egg donor are fertilized with sperm from a sperm donor to make an embryo. The embryo is implanted in the uterus of the surrogate mother, who carries the baby until birth.

International or domestic adoption

An adoption process is a wonderful option for building a family. Although you may have to delay your journey until you finish cancer treatments.

Foster care

Those who are interested in adopting a foster child usually start by getting information from the local foster care agency where they live. In some localities the task of recruiting and approving adoptive homes has been contracted to private agencies. However, you are not limited to adopting a child from your local county agency but can apply to just about any foster care agency. There are websites that provide information about foster children available for adoption. Usually, there are no application fees and the home study and foster parent training is also free.

Living Child-free

Navigating the emotional journey toward being happy in a life without children involves a process of grieving, it’s a loss of your dream. You may feel depressed, and your anguish is often, rarely understood. Outsiders incorrectly assume that people living childfree have chosen not to have them.

Identify and prioritize what you will do to nurture your maternal/paternal instincts. Give yourself the space to grow, always seek support from a medical professional to help you through the process of living child-free.