Compass Fertility Clinic in Barton | Medical and health

Compass Fertility Clinic

Locality: Barton

Phone: +61 2 6175 9000

Address: 1/9 Sydney Avenue 2600 Barton, ACT, Australia

Website: http://www.compassfertility.com.au

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• Medical and health
• Reproductive service

25.01.2022 Designer babies are for the first time really possible with the new gene editing tool, CRISPR. It is complex, expensive and requires IVF technology with editing of genes on the early embryo. Cloning and gene editing are illegal in western countries and experimentation of embryos is highly regulated with very few researchers granted permission, and all results are published and available for the scientific community and the public to review. Ethics committees and regulators o...versee the whole process and the parents of embryos must give specific permission. This all sounds good, however it does push much new and pioneering research to unregulated countries such as Mexico and China. In November last year, Chinese scientists announced news of the birth of the world's first genetically engineered baby. The paper was presented at an international scientific conference in Hong Kong. There was international condemnation. The Chinese government brought the lead scientist in for questioning. It is not clear if he is still detained or if this research is being banned by the Chinese Government. This case is a new case. Stay tuned Dr Nicole Sides Compass Fertility https://www.abc.net.au//what-we-risk-as-humans-if/10824860

25.01.2022 Its Fertility Week this week and the theme is Healthy You, Healthy Baby. We thought we would share some posts throughout the week to spread the message to our Facebook friends. We hope you find this helpful. #fertilityweek

23.01.2022 A beautiful story from the Berlin Zoo. Are you looking for advice and/or support negotiating your way around fertility and potential donor programs? Call Compass Fertility to discuss your options. P.S wishing Skipper and Ping all the best. X

23.01.2022 We are excited! Next week Compass Fertility will be participating in Random Acts of Kindness Week. Our unsuspecting patients will be delighted when we spring an act of kindness on them and we can't wait! We have movie passes, spa treatments, care packages and some beautiful succulents to put a smile on your dial. Stay tuned people......

23.01.2022 Comment from Dr Nicole Sides, My heart goes out to couples in remote areas with infertility. I am a country girl. I grew up on large properties on the Hay plains, then far north Queensland on big Brahman studs, and finally at Glen Innes in the New England region of northern New South Wales, a place that makes my current town Canberra look tropical!... I practiced Obstetrics and Gynaecology and established an IVF clinic in Tamworth. I even had IVF myself when living there. A 10 hour (there and back) trip to Sydney as I could not treat myself! So I know about the tyranny of distance. I also know country people are practical, pragmatic and able to make it work. They can plan some treatment around trips to the big smoke to pick up supplies or arrange other business. To a point at least. Now I live in Canberra and work in my Doctor’s office and run Compass Fertility. We are boutique. We are adaptable. Our team really care and happy to individualise treatments and go that extra mile. We serve south western NSW as well as the Canberra area, but actually manage patients who have been posted overseas to Asia, Europe or tiny Pacific Islands, or travel for government work to places around Australia. We even have patients from northern Western Australia in the Kimberley work with us, as we offer more telemedicine than clinics in Perth! It is often a challenge with delay in blood testing and no ultrasound, but we work with what we have. We offer the best care we can, given the isolation and resources. Few can afford to move to a city for a month or many months to have treatments. We use Skype (just learnt Zoom this week!) or phone and use email and SMS messaging. We can use different drugs and urine LH test kits to minimise trips to town. We can schedule IVF if that is what is needed, to fit with farm schedules like harvest and shearing. So if you wish to make an appointment in person or by telemedicine, I will try and help or at least guide you through how to get appropriate care nearer to home, Nicci Dr Nicole Sides Canberra 02 6273 7175 [email protected]

22.01.2022 Currently playing out in the High Court of Australia.

22.01.2022 Following up on Fertility Week "Healthy You, Healthy Baby", check out the link below. It provides important information about how we can improve our diet, it even has a free meal planner!#fertilityweek

21.01.2022 Compass Fertility is participating in Random Acts of Kindness this week!Compass Fertility is participating in Random Acts of Kindness this week!

21.01.2022 #EachforEqual #IWD2020 March 8, 2020#EachforEqual #IWD2020 March 8, 2020

21.01.2022 Canberra is famous for being cold in the winter and everyone stays inside wrapped up. Even in summer, people here are skin cancer conscious and wear sunscreen and hat and avoid the high UV time of the day. Added to this, Canberrans work long hours in offices and we are a town dependent on cars rather than walking, resulting in Vitamin D deficiency all year round. Vitamin D deficiency links with less chance of becoming pregnant quickly and more chance of miscarriage. Immune sy...stems need Vitamin D and there is evidence that people with low Vitamin D are more prone to viral illness and slower to get better. Osteoporosis with fractures resulting in hip replacements, crushed spines and chronic pain in later life are also a result of Vitamin D deficiency although lack of calcium in the diet and lack of weight bearing exercise such as regular walking are also factors. Lastly breast cancer is more in populations with Vitamin D deficiency. So if more sun is not possible or the risk of skin cancer is too high, consider taking a Vitamin D capsule every day or every second day, especially in the winter months. See more

20.01.2022 Compass Fertility celebrates International Women's Day today. Let's build a gender-balanced world. #Balanceforbetter

19.01.2022 As Fertility week draws to a close "Healthy You, Healthy Baby", Compass would like to remind our patients that we do offer Canberra's first and only tailored fitness program designed to improve fertility outcomes. Simply click on the link below for further information or call the clinic on 6175 9000.#fertilityweek

18.01.2022 We all know that drinking, whether limited or excessive, can have detrimental impacts on the chances of falling pregnant and the health of you and your unborn child. So why not make a change this year and join the Dry July cause! With less than 2 weeks to go, put down the drinks for 31 days to raise vital funds for people affected by cancer and experience the benefits yourself.

18.01.2022 Research has shown that up to 1 in 6 couples will experience difficulties trying to conceive. You are not alone on your path to pregnancy. Come in and speak to our friendly staff who will guide you through your fertility journey.

17.01.2022 Compass Fertility celebrating Canteen's National Bandanna Day #bandannaday

17.01.2022 Dr Sides visits the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota USA Last month I spent some time at the Mayo clinic in Rochester Minnesota, USA, which is possibly the most respected and famous hospital in the world. The Mayo is the American centre of excellence, and leads the way with high quality patient care and world class research. The town has only 220 000 residents, and is surrounded by corn fields, but has an international airport lined with private jets from patients flying i...n from around the world... and eight golf courses. The IVF clinic is relatively new and still growing, with the team just moving into the new unit. It is headed by my friend and colleague, Professor Charles C. Coddington III, who heads up a team of specialists and Training Fellows and is also head of research including PhD supervision. He is a world leader in IVF having been president of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, and a regular contributor to the top journals. The clinic runs very like Compass, with similar protocols and success rates. They ensure top quality care with attention to the latest research. One difference is that the couples do not always see the same doctor with each doctor covering a different day. They have access to hundreds of other medical and surgical specialists, with no waiting as a bonus to the enormous hospital complex that cares for everything from trauma to transplantation to intrauterine surgery on abnormal babies. Of note IVF costs $15 000 US and upwards per stimulated cycle and drugs are extra with no subsidy from Medicare or the PBS. Most of the patients here are ordinary people, and as all wages are less than we have in Australia it can be a real struggle for couples to afford care. The Americans were thoroughly professional and a very friendly bunch. They were generous with their time, showing me around and introducing me to some of their specialty team, senior nurses and embryologists, to discuss how we do things and to swap ideas. I am excited to incorporate some of the processes they have there to further improve the care we have at Compass. Nicci

14.01.2022 The recent article about over exercising and infertility is welcome but also a bit misleading. Getting pregnant and growing a whole person inside you is a miracle. It has evolved through the ages. Unlike modern times in western societies, humans have lived through severe famines, wars and worked so hard in extreme circumstances they became very thin and often malnourished. Survival of the mother and baby was unlikely during these times. So nature puts the brakes on. ... Long distance running and ultramarathons is like this. Women can have very reduced fat, much of the exercise depletes the glucose reserves and reduced oxygen to some tissues. It looks to the body that a war or a famine is on. So ovulation and periods can stop. Without careful attention to calories and nutritional needs, the woman can become malnourished. Like a famine. So fertility is shut off. Even if ovulation occurs there is less chance of the embryo implanting and growing. However, not every sport has this effect. I have helped care for Olympic and world class athletes. We see this with long distance runners, but not swimmers. Gymnasts and ballet dancers switch off their periods and restrict calories and become (temporarily) infertile. Discus throwers and rowers do not. Long distance running and marathon running can be addictive making care of these women difficult. But a healthy baby and a healthy family is surely a priority! When you are ready to start trying, back off on the extreme exercising. It is only nine to twelve months! At Compass and my practice, Nicole Sides’ Consulting, we believe in moderation in all things. Concentrate on eating real foods like lean meat and chicken and fish, fresh vegetables, fruits and nuts and only drink alcohol (2 glasses tops) on weekends. Exercise is great. But that means an hour of walking, or gym work or swimming, or cycling. Lots of water so urine is always dilute. Floss your teeth and take Folic Acid supplement and top up of vitamins deficient in Australian soils like Selenium, Zinc and Iodine. Vitamin D deficiency is rife these days with everyone protecting their skin, so check levels are over 75. Update antenatal screens and boos Rubella immunity if needed. Check thyroid hormone levels. The man must also follow these lifestyle tips and ejaculate or have sex twice a week or more to ensure fresh sperm with minimal DNA breakages. Broken DNA in the sperm programme happens more as men age and is linked with not getting pregnant, miscarriages, abnormal babies, autism, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in the child. It takes 7 weeks to make a sperm so results are fast. You will feel better too! And if you want to be a parent and set a great example to your kids, start today! Dr Nicole Sides

13.01.2022 Please note that Compass Fertility will be closed from Thursday 19 December and will return on Monday 6th January 2020. We hope you all have Merry Christmas and safe and happy holiday. The Compass Team x

12.01.2022 And here we go......one of our thoughtful embryologists treated staff with her delicious brownies this morning as part of RAOK week. Why not do a RAOK today for the people in your life?

12.01.2022 Today, we thank all the amazing women and men who in one way or another, display the qualities of a mother; unconditional love, perseverance, thoughtfulness and dedication. No matter your story, we appreciate the roles you play in our lives.

12.01.2022 Compass Fertility is looking for people's thoughts/opinions on egg freezing as a part of a survey being run by Monash University. If you would like to be involved in this anonymous study, head to the below website for further information. Thanks! www.is.gd/eggfreezing

11.01.2022 If you're as curious as us when it comes to female fertility, have a listen to Dr Jessie Sutherland from the Hunter Medical Research Institute as she discusses some of the current questions and future directions of fertility treatments in Australia

10.01.2022 Well that's nearly a wrap for Random Act of Kindness Week 2019! All of our staff have participated this week, and if anyone deserves a RAOK it is our dear patients. We are going to make an effort to continue this throughout the year, just because it feels so good to be KIND!

10.01.2022 We are incredibly proud of our embryologists here at Compass Fertility - who all happen to be female! To the amazing female scientists out there, Happy International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2019! May you all continue to make a difference in your chosen field. To our own Compass Fertility scientists - Simone, Vanessa, Crystal and Kimberley, we continue to be in awe of what you do here every day. Thank you! Compass Team

08.01.2022 It is very difficult comparing statistics between fertility clinics. It is harder still to agree on what to measure. Do you measure success rates per woman or per cycle? Do we look at pregnancy rates, or take home baby rates? And are we comparing the same groups of people? People are diverse, and have different chances of success depending on their unique situation. The Australia-wide chance of success (the take-home baby rate) on your first IVF cycle if you are aged 34... is 30%, while if you are 40 it is 7.6%. Pregnancy rates are higher if you put in 8 embryos (as in some centres in the USA), but the risks associated with that are enormous. At Compass we have a strong philosophy of tailoring individual care, and only moving to IVF when it is really necessary. That means a large number of our best-prognosis patients achieve pregnancy by tracked ovulation with intercourse, progesterone supplementation, or ovulation induction with letrozole, clomiphene or FSH injections. They dont factor into our IVF figures. Even after taking this into account, we achieve pregnancy rates and outcomes which we are very proud of. Dr Nicole Sides See more

08.01.2022 Happy World Embryologist Day to our adorable, kind, smart and caring scientists here at Compass Fertility! We are incredibly grateful for everything you do at Compass. So heres a toast to science, and these three incredible humans. Share if you agree!

07.01.2022 "If at First You Don't Conceive"......this fantastic book written by legendary netballer Liz Ellis is out now. It gives a very accurate account of fertility and its complexities from a patient's point of view. For further information we recommend you listen to the Mamamia No Filter Podcast at www.mamamia.com.au/podcast/liz-ellis-interview/

06.01.2022 Dear Compass Family The COVID 19 crisis is upon us all with lockdowns, self -isolating, working from home, and for many, unemployment. Some are sick and there are some dying. Our best wishes and thoughts are with everyone as we confront this frightening new reality.... It is also frightening for those battling infertility. There is a real risk that the delays will mean couples and women missing out on ever having their own children. Infertility care and treatments are undertaken by couples who are already trying and struggling with failure to become pregnant and have a family. Delay may be possible for some, but others with few quality eggs left, with endometriosis, already on medications and suffering fear and depression, the Corona virus is another blow. Compass Fertility is still here with you. We are locally run, employ local staff and serve our Canberra and regional community. We have cancelled leave, and remain open to work with you. Other stock market listed and overseas owned and run clinics are closing their doors. We are still open. Our Doctors are still seeing patients. Compass is doing Tracking Cycles and Ovulation Induction cycles. We have discounted Insemination IUI cycles to the same price as Ovulation Induction cycles to minimise pathology visits and use ultrasound and triggering for timing to minimise virus exposure in the community. We are still doing IVF Frozen Embryo cycles if you are in good health. We are completing IVF Stimulation cycles already begun, and will see what happens in our community in the next three weeks. The Fertility Society of Australia and the government recognise care must still rest with the patients needs and the individualisation of that care by their Doctor. We plan to move to restart Egg Collections at Barton Private as soon as the government lifts the hospital operating ban. We plan to shortly commence Procedure Room Egg Collections to keep away from the COVID hospitals. These use oral and inhaled pain killers and use no gowns or masks that are resources needed in the big COVID hospitals. We will keep our Canberra and region community updated on the website and by emails as news becomes available. Our admin team are at work as usual to answer your questions. We wish you all safe as we face this huge challenge together. Nicci Sides and the Compass team Medical Director Compass Fertility Canberra

04.01.2022 Dear Compass Patients Our rooms will be closed from 12pm on Friday 21st December until Monday 7th January 2019. Happy Holiday's everyone!

02.01.2022 Look for the beauty in each day - even it it happens to be in the bottom of a Liquid Nitrogen Dewar! #compasslabnerds

01.01.2022 Interesting article in the Canberra Times regarding women's reproductive health. Education and a shift in attitude could be the key to planning better long term health for women.