Patient Support Group

We are pleased to offer a fertility support group, which generally takes place the second or third Friday of every month from 7-9 PM.  Spouses, partners and friends are welcome; we invite couples to attend together, if at all possible.  You do not have to be a patient at the Center for Reproductive Medicine and Surgery.  Our support group is open to all.  There are no fees. Refreshments will be provided along with caring hearts.

We meet at the Center for Reproductive Medicine and Surgery, Suite 460, 300 Park Street in Birmingham.

Our next meeting is scheduled for Friday, February 10th at 7 pm.  If you would like to attend our February meeting, please send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.   by Wednesday, February 8th to confirm your (and any guests') attendance.  Although drinks and snacks are provided by Dr. Mersol-Barg, everyone is welcome to bring something for themselves or to share.

Expect that the evening will be low-key and comfortable. Please be aware that some people planning to attend may already be pregnant, and that those who are pregnant offer hope to others who have not yet achieved a successful pregnancy. We can all gain from each others' experiences and support.

We will occasionally invite guest experts in a variety of supportive health care specialties such as acupuncture, psychology, urology, chiropractics, naturopathic medicine, massage and yoga. We are happy to facilitate their participation and will announce any guest experts in advance of the meeting.

There is also a group email exchange so that patients can communicate when they wish to--outside of meeting dates. If you would like to add your name to this exchange, please email us with your request.

Our CRMAS Fertility Support Group continues to be a wonderful success! Many new friendships have been established as we continue to grow.

**The Infertility Support Line is now up and running! The number is: 248-593-8907.**

Please leave a message with your complete name, phone number and the hours you are available to receive a return call, and one of the Infertility Support Line volunteers will get back to you as soon as possible.

The Infertility Support Line will give you the option of speaking on the phone with a volunteer who has had infertility issues and wants to reach out to others. The volunteers are not our employees or medical professionals; they are not in any way involved with medical care available at our practice. The Infertility Support Line is strictly a free public service offered by caring individuals wanting to help those struggling with infertility issues.

Our meetings, along with the support line, are usually run by Don and Tracy Harrison or Garett and Julie Gould.  This is Tracy’s message to anyone looking for support and/or new friendships:

“For all the new people who might be interested in attending, but are not sure what to expect, or maybe you're feeling a little nervous, don't be. This is where people get together to listen to other people's stories, ask questions and just open up. Everyone is free to just listen or share their infertility experience with others; you will be amazed how many people are going through the same experience as you. The most rewarding thing that comes out of the meetings is the friendships that you build with other group members.

I will tell you a little about my husband and I. Many years ago I was diagnosed with a fibroid tumor the size of a grapefruit on my uterus. I was asked by my doctor if we were done having children. Because the tumor had to be removed from the uterus, it was a possibility that we might never be able to get pregnant. After several surgeries and trying to get pregnant on our own, we knew that we needed some help. It was pretty obvious to us that with all the adhesions that developed after surgeries we would have difficulty getting pregnant. We were referred to Dr. Mersol-Barg, and long story short, we did several IUI's and two IVF cycles; we miscarried at twelve weeks with the first round of IVF and the second round with IVF we were blessed with twins but lost one in the early stages of the pregnancy. We were finally blessed with our first son Grant in 2005 from the 2nd IVF cycle.

The journey seemed so long and hard. We had never shed so many tears as we did that year. Don and I joined a support group during that time and I began running a helpline where I was able to talk with hundreds of couples looking for information and support. Then something amazing happened.  Thirteen months later we were blessed with our second son Bryce, and this pregnancy was a complete surprise to us.

You never know what life has in store for you, but what I do know is that our journey would have been so much more difficult if it were not for all the friends that we have met along the way in our infertility journey. I would also like to thank Dr. Mersol-Barg and his staff for all the support and especially making this support group open for everyone.”

Here's a note from a couple who attended our March 2011 support group:

"Thank you for inviting us to last night’s support group meeting.  Our families, friends & coworkers have been very supportive and understanding of our (my) infertility treatments & concerns. They have offered advice, embraced us when needed, and remained silent when appropriate.  By attending the support group meeting, however, I learned how helpful it is to discuss & share your journey with couples who truly understand this part of our lives.  I noticed for the first time how the feeling of “isolation” had disappeared – a feeling I had created and hadn’t been fully aware of until now.  When my husband and I left the meeting we had shared unpleasant experiences with couples but were encouraged by positive stories. We are looking forward to IVF and couldn’t ask for more support!  We would like to thank you and the group leaders for taking the time for us during our family building journey. We truly appreciate it."

Here's a note from a couple who attended our April 2011 support group:

"Wow! I have never seen so many people turn up to a support group!! It made me happy that people were sharing their stories and getting the support that they needed, while it made me sad that so many people who so desperately want children are having difficulties. I hope by me coming to this support group I gave some couples hope again and courage to carry-on. We feel so extremely grateful that we are pregnant and feel so blessed that we found you to be Doctor. Like I said at the support group, in more than 12 years of trying we have never been pregnant. We have been to 4 other infertility Doctor's and never once had a positive result! We feel that your practise is the best and that your lab and staff are top-notch. We hope that other's are as lucky as we were to find you! We can never thank you enough for all you have done for us!"

Questioning why you should consider a support group? Take a look at this news clip of an anchor on 'Fox & Friends' explaining "Why I'm speaking out about my struggle with infertility." The video itself is about 7 minutes long, and directly addresses the benefits of having a support group.

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