We do care!

Posted on June 27, 2011 by admin

Blog written by Amy Erickson Hagen GIVF Compliance Officer

Do they care or do they just collect the money? I can tell you, we do care! Cryogenic Laboratories, Inc. (CLI) has been in business since 1971, you can’t do that by just collecting the check. CLI is lead by a management team that represents the laboratory, distribution, client services, genetics, marketing, compliance and client development. We make decisions not just thinking about the laboratory or marketing but putting the patient and their physician first and then worry about the rest.

We have learned that you don’t have to be the biggest but you have to be the best at what you do. When a report comes in from a clinic about a specimen quality issue, we sacrifice a dose internally for that specimen date or donor to ensure the quality meets our high internal parameters. When you state you like a product we offer on a donor, we attempt to obtain that information from other donors. When our medical team determines we should offer a test, we attempt to update previous donors for this testing. CLI wants to go above and beyond your expectations!

We are accredited and licensed by all the required agencies but go above and beyond to be inspected by other agencies to only improve our quality systems. Currently we are licensed and inspected by FDA, the Minnesota Department of Health, and New York Department of Health however we also hold optional accreditation with the American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB). CLI is one of only three sperm banks accredited who provide donor sperm. This accreditation process isn’t easy through AATB and it is expensive, but CLI finds it important to continually have our systems evaluated by knowledgeable staff. CLI is also a member of the Better Business Bureau where we have an A+ rating!

We are also reaching out to donors who have previously donated at CLI to obtain current medical information. This will take time but we find this important and will work hard to update as many donor profiles as possible. We not only care about you at the time you make your decision to become a parent by donor semen, purchase a dose of semen but also after you are pregnant and your child as they grow into adults.

CLI has been here since 1971 and will be here for you many years down the road to support your children. You can loose sleep when you worry about becoming pregnant or a parent. I can attest to the fact that we loose sleep ourselves and will worry about everything else for you. So contact us when we you have a concern or exciting news, we want to hear from you.

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Two Week Wait Stir-crazy

Posted on June 22, 2011 by admin

Blog written by CLI Family Forums Moderator Desiree

Once the donor insemination is completed, there is a two week period before a pregnancy confirmation test is completed at the fertility specialist’s office. Although this does not seem like a long time in the grand scheme of life, this is the dreaded two week wait (2WW) for women anxiously wanting to find out if they have conceived a child. There are some great stories on the CLI Family Forums about how some women did to pass this time.

Some women are just too curious to wait out the full two weeks before taking a home pregnancy test. One woman shared that she bought 10 pregnancy tests and used one every day until she got her positive results.

Another woman rented every movie about pregnancy, child birth, and babies that she could find. She spent the full two weeks laughing, crying, and enjoying Hollywood make-believe families.

Other women are on information overload during this time. They spend countless hours on the internet researching every possible early pregnancy symptom. Everything from a minor cramp to a vivid dream becomes a hopeful sign that in nine months they will be enjoying motherhood.

Unfortunately, it may take several inseminations before a woman achieves a pregnancy. These women have learned the 2WW goes much faster if they do not dwell on the upcoming test. Yoga, exercise, hanging out with friends, and catching up on sleep is the consensus of how to keep their minds from wandering to baby thoughts.

Check out the CLI Family Forums for more fun stories on how to survive the 2WW without going stir-crazy. You may even connect with someone who is going through it at the exact same time!

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Celebrity Baby Names

Posted on June 17, 2011 by admin

Blog written by CLI Family Forums Moderator Desiree

Whether you like them or not, celebrities always seem to come up with some creative names for their children. Here are a few of my favorites from past and present.

2011 – Moroccan (son) and Monroe (daughter): Nick Cannon and Mariah Carey

2009 – Sparrow James Midnight (son): Joel Madden and Nicole Richie

2008 – Sunday (daughter): Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman

2008 – Zuma Nesta Rock (son): Gavin Rossdale and Gwen Stefani

2006 – Suri (daughter): Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes

2005 – Kal-El (son): Nicolas Cage and Alice Kim

2005 – Moxie CrimeFighter (daughter): Penn Jillette and Emily

2004 – Apple (daughter): Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow

2003 – Lucky (daughter): Daughter of Cedric The Entertainer and Lorna Wells

2002 – Kyd (son): David Duchovny and Tea Leoni

1999 – Zola Ivy (daughter): Eddie Murphy and Nicole Mitchell

1998 – Sailor Lee (daughter): Peter Cook and Christie Brinkley

1988 – Rumer Glenn (daughter): Bruce Willis and Demi Moore

1971 – Zowie (son): David and Angela Bowie

1967 – Moon Unit (daughter): Frank Zappa and Adelaide Gail Sloatman

Have a fun baby name to share? Visit the CLI Family Forums to post the unique baby name you have heard!

Posted in CLI Family Forums, Pregnancy | Leave a comment

Common baby names

Posted on June 14, 2011 by admin

Blog written by CLI Family Forums Moderator Desiree

An article from ABC News reports how unconscious influences may be to blame for creating common baby names. Of no surprise, one of the greatest influences may be due to television. Popular T.V. characters can cause an upswing in a name’s popularity. Names of current celebrities also tend to show up as more common for newborn babies. The article points out that these famous names can date a person over time. And if the child is named after a popular musician or actor, you may have an insight into the personality of their parents.

The article also mentions that trendy baby names may fluctuate in popularity for a few years. This is probably because if new parents hear the name too often, they will try to avoid using it. But a year later, other new parents may not realize how common it was in recent past.

Picking a name for a new baby is a fun and exciting way to past the time before the little one arrives. How did you decide on your child’s name? For future parents, will you try to avoid the trendy names or just pick something that sounds like a good fit regardless of how common? Please share your comments and stories on the CLI Family Forums.

Source: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/MindMoodNews/trendy-baby-names-sign-group/story?id=9244045

Stay tuned for a future blog on creative celebrity baby names of past and present!

Posted in CLI Family Forums, Pregnancy | Leave a comment

Club CLI: Top Five Reasons Why You Should Join TODAY

Posted on June 9, 2011 by admin

5. Become a part of an exclusive Club and receive monthly specials made available only to you for an annual fee of only $100!

4. View our newest donors before they are made available to the general public! By becoming a Club CLI Member, you would be able to view a donor’s profiles and purchase his vials one week prior to his information being released to the general public. 

3. Once you become a member of Club CLI, you will receive one-time free shipping on your next order!

2. If you purchase five semen vials, you will receive the sixth vial for free. Even if you purchase the vials one at a time, you will still receive the sixth vial for free once you cumulatively purchase five vials. 

1. SAVE MONEY! Since Club CLI was instituted in February 2011, our members have saved tens of thousands of dollars on shipping fees alone!

To view more information regarding our exclusive Club CLI, please click here: Club CLI.

If you are interested in becoming a member of Club CLI, please call Client Services at 800-466-2796 to pay your yearly dues. Then the savings will start rolling in!

Posted in About CLI, Donor Sperm | Leave a comment

Is everyone pregnant?

Posted on June 6, 2011 by admin

Blog written by Amy Erickson Hagen GIVF Compliance Officer

Why is it when you are on the quest to become a parent or have another child everyone seems to be pregnant? My girlfriend asked me this question the other day as she proceeds down her path to become a parent. I had noticed this before so I could understand where she was coming from. Instead of focusing on how everyone else is pregnant, we started to talk about how enjoyable children are and that she wants to have children in her life.

So while trying to become parents maybe it makes sense to see how you can have children more in your life. Volunteering to be a big sister or brother, playing catch with the neighbor kid, coaching sports, tutoring or reading books at the library have help bring these smiley faces into your life. You seem busy now but there is likely a little bit of room you can share with children until you have one of your own to hold. School is ending and weather is getting nicer so you will likely be seeing more children. Embrace them instead of looking as if everyone has one but you. They will bring you joy!

What else can we do to prepare ourselves for being parents? Take care of yourself now, you don’t have to wait until you are pregnant to eat your veggies and drink your milk. Look at your life, what do you want to change but feel so occupied with getting pregnant you aren’t taking the time to do it? Make a list! My goal (as most peoples) is to save more money for things I really want versus just a little bit here and there. I decided to make a list of all the things I wanted to do around the house and treated myself to one item (window washing) to pay someone for and then realized I can do the rest. It may take longer but then you could have more money for something you really wanted or needed, aka like your fertility treatment.

Posted in Pregnancy | Leave a comment

From a male perspective

Posted on June 2, 2011 by admin

Blog written by Laboratory Staff Zachary K.

I would like to use this blog as an opportunity to explain some of my experiences as a male working in this field. I am the only male at my location so I feel that while I may share an overall view with my female co-workers I also have a unique perspective on the work that we do. When I tell people where I work, sometimes they giggle a little, get a surprised look on their face or say with a little chuckle, “Wait, really?” After some explanation of what Cryogenic Laboratories does for it clients and patients, most people shift from my job sounding “silly” to it becoming “cool” or “very beneficial and significant”.

However, I am constantly asked how it feels being a man working primarily with semen. In our society some may consider openly talking about anything pertaining to “private matters” as taboo. Through working for CLI and openly explaining our work’s mission, I have been able to break down some of those taboo walls, at least among my friends and acquaintances.

Due to those societal taboos I definitely had some reservation when I first started this position. However, over time I have grown more and more involved in what I am doing. I also have become much more comfortable talking about what it is we do at CLI. I don’t necessarily think of the specimens we work with as just semen, but a chance for a couple or person to begin a family of their own.

Posted in Working at a sperm bank | Leave a comment

Importance of Pregnancy/Live Birth Reporting

Posted on May 31, 2011 by admin

Blog written by CLI Director Stephen H. Pool, Ph.D.

Clients who have used donor sperm are often members of organizations or web based groups that provide support or information about infertility issues. In addition, they often monitor various blogs, or web sites to find out information that may be helpful to them when dealing with issues/concerns or questions about being a parent of a donor child. These sources of information are helpful in a number of different ways but one should caution the accuracy of the information provided. One piece of information that parents of donor offspring often seek is information about half siblings to their child. These same recipients are often shocked to find that their donor has produced a number of offspring and they feel is higher than they anticipated. This can lead to anxiety and concerns about many issues of how their child(ren) might feel about knowing this information down the road if they are informed that they are a donor offspring.

Cryogenic Laboratories, Inc. has a production limit for each donor and that production limit is based on a formula to calculate the expected number of offspring that could be produced from the use of the donor’s samples. The formula is based on information that can be found in the literature of peer reviewed scientific journals. The formula takes several factors into consideration:

The average pregnancy rate (percentage) reported per insemination/cycle. Insemination/cycle meaning: 1 insemination/menstrual cycle.

The average number (percent) of pregnancies that reach term and result in a live birth. Not all pregnancies result in a live birth, some are lost to spontaneous abortions, miscarriages, or early terminations for medical or genetic issues.

The average number of vials purchased for an insemination/cycle. Some physicians perform a single insemination/cycle others perform back to back inseminations 12 to 24 hours apart/cycle.

As with any calculation based on a formula that utilizes averages, there is room for error. The calculation may be too high or too low. Therefore, in order to have the most accurate information, actual data must be collected and verified. CLI asks that all of our clients please report their pregnancy/live birth(s) by calling 1-800-466-2796 or go to our Pregnancy Reporting Website. This will provide us with accurate information on offspring and family units (multiple children by the same donor within the same family). We can assure you that information disclosed is confidential and will never be released outside of the cryobank. CLI typically receives pregnancy/live birth information on only 20-30% of the outcomes from the use of their donor samples. You can easily see how this can lead to inaccurate information being reported when it comes to number of offspring/donor. Your participation in the reporting process will lead to more accurate pregnancy/live birth reporting.

Posted in About CLI, Donor Sperm | Leave a comment

CLI follows and exceeds strict guidelines

Posted on May 23, 2011 by admin

Cryogenic Laboraties, Inc (CLI) was established in 1971 and is known as the first private sperm bank in the country.

With a long history of quality, CLI adheres to the strict guidelines set forth by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) governing reproductive tissue banks. FDA requirements for the donation of human cells, tissues, and cellular and tissue-based products (HCT/P’s) as specified in 21 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) Part 1271, went into effect on May 25, 2005. Cryogenic Laboratories Inc. has been registered with the FDA since January 2004.

CLI is one of the few sperm banks fully accredited by the prestigious American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB), which is a national organization dedicated to improving and promoting safety, quality and availability of donated human tissue.

CLI is also licensed and inspected by the states of MD, CA, and NY. This laboratory also obtains CLIA certification provided by the Department of Health and Human Services. All laboratory technicians must pass American Board of Bioanalysis (AAB) proficiency testing for clinical laboratory professionals.

CLI remains committed to providing a high quality product that exceeds regulatory standards.

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Sperm Banking- A Topic that Needs Attention

Posted on May 19, 2011 by admin

Blog written by cryobank staff D.H.

There are certain medical topics that are stereotypically seen as taboo in public settings. And while some of these topics are better left to be discussed with a doctor in private, there are others that need to be brought to public awareness. One of these topics is sperm banking.

At Cryogenic Laboratories we have many patients who choose to store their sperm with us for different reasons—pre vasectomy patients, cancer patients prior to chemotherapy treatments, males undergoing a sex change, back-up for IVF treatments and military officers prior to deployment. They all come to us to bank their sperm because if they do not have stored sperm the chances of conceiving a child afterwards could be significantly more difficult.

There have been numerous occasions when we would schedule emergency appointments with patients because they had to bank their sperm that day or else it would be too late (i.e. they were deploying, surgery was the next day). The reason for the high number of emergency appointments is because people do not realize the insurance stored sperm can give them. It is not always their fault; the topic is not commonly talked about. One specific time that I can recall was for a young teenage boy who had cancer and was scheduled for chemo the next day which would potentially kill most of his sperm. It is not just grown men who can benefit from sperm banking.

As previously stated, storing your sperm can offer insurance that you cannot get elsewhere. Even if you have an illness that requires extensive treatments, once we freeze your sperm it can safely last for a very long time. Do not gamble with this if you do not have to.

Posted in About CLI, Client Depositor Sperm Banking | Leave a comment