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IVF & Donor Conception
Sometimes it takes three to make a baby. Sometimes it takes four. And sometimes it takes one and someone that person has never met. IVF is allowing an increasing number of women to become mothers, and donating sperm or eggs so that another can experience parenthood is one of life’s great acts of giving. It also poses unique challenges and rewards.
Margaret Ambrose
Jan 63 min read
Publicly funded IVF making dreams come true
Victorians are celebrating one year of publicly funded IVF - especially these families.
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Margaret Ambrose
Sep 9, 20242 min read
Essential Victorian donor-linking service facing the axe
It's an authority that facilitates the sometimes tricky and emotionally charged path of connecting donor-conceived people and their...
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Margaret Ambrose
Jul 28, 20241 min read
Meet Australia’s First IVF Baby
For her 40th birthday, Candice Thum reflects on her life as Australia's first 'test-tube baby'
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Margaret Ambrose
Jan 1, 20232 min read
Melbourne’s donor sperm drought
Melbourne fertility specialists are sounding the alarm about a shortage of sperm donors and are warning that the problem is set to get worse
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Margaret Ambrose
Dec 1, 20221 min read
Why everyone should teach their kids about donor conception
At just 10 years, my daughter Greta can explain, in language appropriate to her age, donor conception.
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Margaret Ambrose
Nov 1, 20222 min read
The Bluey episode that deals with infertility
It’s the Australian children’s show that is loved by parents as much as their kids.
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Margaret Ambrose
Nov 1, 20221 min read
Why universal healthcare is essential for single mothers
When I decided to become a single mother, there were a lot of things weighing on my mind — such as how it'd be to go through in vitro...
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Margaret Ambrose
Sep 1, 20221 min read
Are infertile women the new enemy?
When Sally’s* best friend had to unexpectedly go into work on her day off, Sally offered to look after her son, James, aged two. She...
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Margaret Ambrose
May 1, 20221 min read
COVID-19 vaccine and fertility
All you need to know about vaccination and fertility.
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Neera Bhatia, Deakin University
May 1, 20225 min read
Thinking of using your super to pay for IVF?
People can access their superannuation early to pay for expensive fertility treatments such as IVF.
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Fiona Kelly
Mar 1, 20223 min read
Victoria’s egg and sperm bank will reduce the risks of seeking donors online. Here’s why it’s needed
The Victorian government’s budget announcement to fund a public egg and sperm bank will be welcomed by couples and single women.
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Margaret Ambrose
Oct 1, 20211 min read
‘I started working two jobs’: The real cost of IVF
On average, in Australia the out-of-pocket costs of a single IVF cycle can range from $3400 to $4400, depending on the individual treatment.
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Margaret Ambrose
Jul 28, 20211 min read
History made as baby girl born from 27-year-old embryo
Her birthday may be October 2020, but the birth of Molly Gibson has actually been 27 years in the making.
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Margaret Ambrose
Jun 1, 20212 min read
Cabinet papers reveal John Howard’s attempts to restrict IVF treatment
Newly released historical cabinet papers from 2000 have revealed the Australian Federal Government’s efforts to restrict IVF treatment, and
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Margaret Ambrose
Apr 1, 20212 min read
Second time unlucky
You had no trouble falling pregnant with your first child, so conceiving Baby Number Two should be a breeze, right?
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Dr Anne Poliness, Clinical Director at City Fertility Centre Melbourne
Feb 1, 20214 min read
Six common causes of infertility
While there are many problems that can affect a person’s ability to fall pregnant, some are more common than others. But the good news is...
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Margaret Ambrose
Mar 1, 20201 min read
How I never met your father
Karen*, 35, was standing in the kitchen of her family home when she discovered the truth about her identity. The then-teenager’s parents...
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Margaret Ambrose
Feb 1, 20201 min read
Could daylight savings affect IVF?
A new report has revealed that daylight savings could affect IVF treatment and the amazing reason why. The authors of the report claim...
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Margaret Ambrose
Dec 1, 20191 min read
Why we need more clarity around what constitutes a parent
I often hear friends and family say things like “Greta and Rori’s father is a donor”, and I always correct them...
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Margaret Ambrose
Aug 1, 20191 min read
The search for donor dads
In the 1970s and 80s – the early days of IVF and treatment via donor insemination in Australia – fertility clinics, desperate to shore up...
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Margaret Ambrose
Feb 1, 20194 min read
Why are these men making time capsules for their children they have never met?
Roger Clarke, 74, has spent a lot of time considering what should go in his time capsule. So far he’s chosen photos of himself throughout...
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Margaret Ambrose
Jan 1, 20171 min read
Sperm donation laws can lead to untold heartache – for both donors and recipients
Today there are men in Victoria who may be dreading a very uncomfortable knock on the door...
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