Meet well-known fertility specialist Dr Devora Lieberman. A woman as multi-faceted as she is multi-talented … and modest – the Northern Beaches local is a staunch advocate for women’s reproductive choice and rights but also responsible for the creation of countless babies over the past 20 years of caring for patients.
The head of NSW Family Planning for 12 years, Director of the Fertility Society of Australia for eight – Dr Devora, now the Medical Director at City Fertility, Sydney City CBD has words of wisdom for all of womankind…
Dr Devora, born in New York, studied and trained there as well as in Boston, Washington, and the Harvard Medical School where she had a faculty position and did a Master of Public Health.
She now lives on the ‘northern’ Northern Beaches, at Avalon. She moved here 26 years ago to marry her Australian husband John van der Wallen – who was born in Manly. The couple first met while studying in the U.S.
“It took a while for this city girl to adjust, but I feel my whole being relax every time I come out of the Wakehurst Parkway at Narrabeen. The relaxed pace and beautiful walks and beaches are respite after a hectic day.”
Dr Devora has devoted her professional life to helping women and couples plan their families.
“My earliest aspiration was to become President of Planned Parenthood, the American version of Family Planning. From an early age I recognised that reproductive freedom is inextricably linked to our ability to achieve and succeed.
“Although I didn’t stay in the United States long enough to achieve that goal, I was President of Family Planning NSW for 12 years, so there’s that.”
In addition to her role as NSW Medical Director at City Fertility, Dr Devora now consults at Women’s Health Road on the Northern Beaches. This clinic is located opposite the Northern Beaches Hospital in Frenchs Forest. It was established in 2020 to bridge the significant gaps in women’s health.
“Having a multi-disciplinary team approach to women’s health in one place isn’t common in Australia – it allows integrated care to be sure people and their concerns don’t get overlooked,” she says.
So after so much achievement over many years, what gets you up in the morning?
“The kookaburras! Seriously, I feel like I live in an aviary! As for work– it’s the people, our staff and our patients.”
In 2019, Dr Devora started City Fertility’s Circular Quay clinic. She specialises in IVF, fertility care, recurrent miscarriage, ovarian ageing, and helping people plan their families.
“My colleagues and I set out to build an IVF clinic where we would want to have treatment ourselves,” she says.
“City Fertility offers the full range of assisted reproductive services from egg freezing and ovulation induction through to IVF with genetic testing of embryos. We also cater to LGBTQ+ people with IVF, surrogacy, and fertility preservation prior to transitioning.”
Dr Devora is also co-author (with life coach Claire Hall) of the book Empowered Fertility, which provides readers with information and support to address physical, psychological, emotional and social challenges that arise when dealing with infertility and IVF treatment.
Some key issues in the fertility journey include loneliness and the sense of loss of control, she explained.
“It can be quite isolating even if you’re surrounded by family and friends … their experience is not your experience as you go through it. As much as people love you, they don’t have to go through the tests and the often challenging process.
“People can control just about every other aspect of their lives – just work hard enough at it and you’ll get there .. but when you face infertility .. it’s something that’s meant to be so natural and so easy … and it’s not … then that can be quite confronting.
“So our book offers some guidance on these areas.”
The main techniques for assisting conception are:
- Assisted insemination (also known as intrauterine insemination, or IUI)
- Ovulation induction
- In vitro fertilisation (IVF) and its variations
Egg freezing is an option for women wanting to delay motherhood, and for other situations surrogacy and donor eggs or donor sperm can also provide solutions.
“Getting and staying pregnant gets harder as we get older. IVF is the best option for women challenged by age-related decline in fertility,” she says.
Of course, for some couples it is male fertility that is the problem.
“Male fertility is not very much talked about, but about 40% of the time when I see a couple there’s an issue on the male side.”
Dr Devora is very much a pragmatist when it comes to dealing with the hope and expectation that arises with fertility treatments.
“I think it’s important to be open and honest – about what we can and can’t do,” she says.
“Giving people false hope may seem comforting at the time, but ultimately, it’s really not in their best interest. I’ve seen people spend many years and thousands of dollars pursuing futile treatment, when what they need is assistance getting off the treatment merry-go-round and seek solutions that might actually work. I would like to develop a way for them to come to terms with their new reality and embrace a new version of life.”
Dr Devora chose not to have children and devoted herself to her career and living her best life.
“People think it odd that I work in infertility when I never wanted children myself. But it’s not about me – it’s about my patients. Sadly, there are many people who won’t end up with the child or family they always wanted. I hope I can be an example of how it’s possible to live a very full and rewarding life child-free.”
Over the years, you have been involved in thousands of fertility treatments. How many babies has she helped to make?
“I’ve lost count!” she says.
Would you share any success stories?
“I don’t like to share my ‘miracle’ stories – I worry that it may give some people false hope.”
A significant reward for her dedication and effort comes with success in helping couples to conceive.
“It’s incredibly rewarding when IVF works, that’s for sure. Success rates have improved dramatically in the 25 years I’ve been in the field. It’s easy for people to think all IVF clinics are the same. A majority of my successes would probably have been successful elsewhere, but there are many who conceive, I like to think, because of something I and my team have done, some tweak or trick to get them there.”
There’s financial support available from the Federal and State governments, too.
“Australia has some of the most affordable IVF in the world. Medicare covers half the cost of an IVF cycle, and the medications. And the NSW government will rebate up to $2000 of IVF expenses.”
Whale Beach mum Meg Berry found Dr Devora after her life fell apart. She didn’t expect to be divorced and starting her life again in her 30s.
“I had three years of infertility before seeing a specialist, and then I met my partner, and we fell pregnant naturally,” she said.
Unfortunately, they miscarried at six weeks, but it made the new couple realise how much they wanted a baby.
After many ups and downs, they sought out Dr Devora, who never gave up on them.
Meg’s story is one of persistence and resilience. Often, Dr Devora says, fertility challenges and success are about the arc of treatment and having a support network.
Meg and her partner know all too well the fortitude it may take to achieve a successful pregnancy. They’ve just celebrated their son’s second birthday and have another bub on the way.
Planning a family? Stay healthy & start early.
Dr Devora’s best advice to women planning to start a family? Stay healthy and start early.
“Look after yourself! Give up bad habits and maintain a healthy weight. I always ask my IVF patients what their ideal family size is, because that would make a difference to how quickly they start trying to conceive. In sex education, we should be talking about that. If you want a large family, you should start young.”
Some interesting facts from Dr Devora:
- Even at a woman’s peak fertility, in her early twenties, her monthly chances of getting pregnant is only 25%
- Fertility declines a bit at about 30 … by 42, half of hopeful mothers won’t be able to get pregnant with their own eggs, and beyond 43-44 it’s almost impossible
- Being under or overweight makes conception more difficult
- Even after two or three miscarriages, the chances of the next pregnancy going to term isn’t terribly different to a woman who has had no miscarriages
- When you come off oral contraception, you are most fertile within the first couple of months
Reproductive choice is a hot topic particularly in light of the forthcoming U.S. Presidential election, prompting widespread discussion.
“Reproductive choice is one of my core values,” says Dr Devora. “I believe that all children should be planned and wanted, and that applies to those who encounter challenges along the way.”
For more on City Fertility, go to www.cityfertility.com.au
To learn more about Dr Lieberman, visit www.drdevora.com.au.
To make an appointment, call 1300 354 354 or (02) 9248 0200
Northern Beaches: 6 Hilmer Street, Frenchs Forest
Sydney: City Fertility, Gateway Level 18, 1 Macquarie Place
This article conceived by MO and sponsored by City Fertility in support of reproductive choice and local news.
