We are so fortunate in these modern times with the medical advances that have been made to make parenting possible for so many people who otherwise may never have had the chance. Alternative parenting includes single women, gay and lesbian couples, older women needing donor eggs as well as women with partners with severe male factor who need donor sperm.
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Approximately 15 % of infertility is secondary to ovulatory dysfunction. It is very important to figure out what the dysfunction is, as different causes have different treatments.
First and foremost comes obtaining adequate information from a patient’s history. If a woman is having irregular periods or lack of periods or bleeding all the time,
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A positive pregnancy test is a joyous occasion, but is the pregnancy normal? How do we know that things are ok? This is a common question patients have once the news has sunk in. The best way to follow an early pregnancy in via blood levels of the pregnancy hormone HCG. A gestational sac is not visible until about 5 weeks gestation or when the HCG is over 1500 miu/ml.
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Couples having trouble with conception are certainly not alone; approximately 1 in 6 couples are thought to have issues with infertility. An infertility evaluation is warranted after one year of trying if the woman is under age 35. For women over age 35 an evaluation is recommended if they have been trying for 6 months without success.
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Many of us don’t always think about how the things that we consume can affect our bodies. This is especially so when it comes to fertility. Certain lifestyle factors such as smoking cigarettes can have a profound negative impact, not only on egg quantity and quality, but also increase the risk of miscarriage and ectopic pregnancies.
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Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common reproductive endocrine disorder that affects approximately 10% of reproductive age women. It causes menstrual irregularity due to disruption of normal ovulatory mechanisms. PCOS is also associated with increased male hormones in the circulation which cause increased coarse facial/body hair and acne. Many women with PCOS are obese, however lean women can also have PCOS.
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Many of us have a daily battle with the scale, which is often difficult to win. For the purposes of fertility, being overweight can have a significant impact on the chances of successful conception, as well as on the risk of miscarriage.
We talk a lot about women and female hormones when it comes to fertility, but what about the men?
Is more testosterone better? Does it make the sperm super?
Actually, the contrary occurs. Testosterone is very important for men as it is responsible for normal libido, muscle tone, feeling of well being and sperm health.
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Around the holidays overindulgence in carbo- loaded sweet treats may be nearly impossible to avoid, and many of us will be making a New Year’s resolution to quit consuming carbohydrates, but are carbs really all that bad for us? Obesity can certainly have a negative impact on fertility and even a 5% weight loss can cause significant improvement in metabolic parameters.
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The average age of menopause in the U.S. is age 51 yrs. If a woman enters menopause before age 40 yrs, she is considered to have premature ovarian failure (POF) which essentially means that the ovaries have stopped functioning earlier than would be expected. The signs and symptoms would include seldom or absent periods as well as hot flashes,
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