In general, women with low ovarian reserve will have difficulty in achieving pregnancy. But what about in advanced reproductive technology (ART) such as IVF?
Ovarian Reserve
Let’s first discuss what the term ovarian reserve means. Ovarian reserve refers to quantity, or number, of eggs remaining that are available to achieve pregnancy. We are unable to measure this exactly,
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Dr Kaylen Silverberg, of Texas Fertility Center in Austin, TX and his co-authors just published a paper about a patient who conceived following radical cervical cancer treatment. Using IVF stimulation and freezing her embryos, Texas Fertility Center was able to protect the patient’s fertility while she underwent extensive cancer treatment. Following radical surgery to remove her cervix,
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The “two week wait” can often be a very stressful time for women who are trying to conceive. The two week wait is the time between ovulation and when the next period should occur. This is the time when women are waiting to find out if they are pregnant.
For many women the two week wait can be stressful and worrisome.
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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.
An ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy which occurs where it should not. The most common location is within the fallopian tube, but ectopic pregnancies have been reported on the ovary, on the bowel, and even on the aorta! Unfortunately, an ectopic pregnancy cannot be replaced into the correct location (the uterus), and thus it must be treated appropriately to avoid potentially serious harm to the patient.
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It is well known that a woman’s age has a large impact on her fertility. However, what impact does a man’s age have on his partner’s fertility and pregnancy? Recent research tells us that the father’s age impacts these issues, though the overall effect is quite modest compared to the effect to that of the mother.
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Last week on our radio talk show (Talk Radio 1370 AM at noon each Saturday), we discussed a very frustrating problem of miscarriage. Losing a pregnancy in the first trimester is so common that health professionals may not realize how devastating the event can be to a couple. Approximately 15% of all pregnancies end in a miscarriage.
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Now that flu season is upon us, the question continually arises, “Should I get the flu shot if I am pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant?” The answer is “YES!” with very few exceptions. According to the CDC,
“…No evidence exists of risk from vaccinating pregnant women with inactivated virus or bacterial vaccines or toxoids.
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Recently, I saw a new patient who wanted to be evaluated for difficulty in becoming pregnant. She told me that a close friend of hers had recently delivered a baby with a genetic disorder. The patient seeking our assistance was very worried about having a similar experience.
It turns out that the patient’s friends (both the man and the woman) were carriers of a recessive gene that combined during fertilization.
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