How To Get Pregnant Now! » Symptoms of Infertility – Articles of Interest

Reasons for Infertility – Ovulation Induction’s Role?

Randy Beckett — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:06:10 +0000

One of the main causes of female infertility is the lack of ovulation. Ovulation is a very complicated cascade of events that we take for granted, like so many things in the world, that results in the production of an egg in the woman’s ovary, and then a release of that egg so that the egg can be picked up by the fallopian tube and then be fertilized. If this is not happening, we can augment the process by stimulating the ovary to release the egg.There are two general classes of medications that are available for this. One class of medication stimulates the body to make more of a particular hormone called FSH, follicle stimulating hormone. The body that makes the FSH, and the FSH stimulates the ovary to cause ovulation to occur. These medications are typically given in pill form, and they consist of clomiphene or Clomid, tamoxifen. There are the aromatase inhibitors. All of these drugs work the same way. They are given orally, they fool the body into thinking there is less estrogen than there should be, and the body makes more FSH, and causes the woman to ovulate. The majority of women with a condition such as polycystic ovary syndrome, PCOS, will ovulate in response to these oral agents. However, if these do not work, we have to move on to injectable medications. Injectable medications essentially are injectable FSH, follicle stimulating hormone, which is the hormone that stimulates the follicle to grow and then to release the egg. Injectable FHS can be given in a variety of doses, again, to help the ovary produce the egg. The trouble with FSH injections is, first of all, they are expensive. The woman has to take daily injections, and it’s quite difficult to control the production of a single egg. Most commonly, we get the production of multiple eggs. This is good if you’re doing high-tech fertility, but it’s not so good if you’re doing ovulation induction, where you really don’t want the woman to have more than one baby at a time. So it’s pretty tricky to control the dose just right to get her to ovulate that single egg. For this reason, that patient is required to have ultrasounds, blood tests, and so on, to monitor her response in the ovaries, whereas the orally active agents like clomiphene or tamoxifen typically do not require that type of monitoring. The patient can take the pill at home and then simply have intercourse at the time of ovulation.

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Infertility Insurance

Randy Beckett — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 20:13:18 +0000

When a couple finds out that they are infertile, there are several options still available to them to fulfill their dreams of holding a precious newborn baby in their arms. Very often the only thing that stands in their way of becoming parents is money.

There are several different fertility treatments available to couples but the costs are very expensive. In-vitro fertilization is a very effective option but just one in-vitro treatment can run into the tens of thousands of dollars. Most likely it will take more then one treatment to become pregnant. Also some fertility medications can cost around $1,000 a month and some assisted reproductive technology procedures cost over $4,000. Many couples can not afford to finance fertility treatments on their own. Luckily there is supplemental infertility insurance for couples that will give them the treatments they need without going bankrupt. It usually is very affordable and you can usually get it from your existing insurance company although each policy is very different so the couple really needs to look around before they buy into one. For a monthly premium, insurance providers will supply you with a plan that will cover a range of fertility treatments. These treatments usually include diagnostic fertility tests, artificial insemination, and other types of assisted reproductive technology. They may also cover diagnostic test procedures, including laparoscopic surgery. Normally, infertility insurance plans cover the most inexpensive treatment that will most likely work for the couple. They most likely will also only cover treatments for a certain number of cycles, usually between three and five. But, the use of donor eggs and donor sperm is not normally covered by infertility insurance.

There are three different types of infertility insurance. First there is standard health insurance. This type of insurance requires that you pay a monthly premium in exchange for specific fertility coverage. There are also refund programs. Refund programs require you to pay upfront for your fertility treatments. If the couple does not have a baby then between 70% and 100% of the money is paid back to them. The other type of infertility insurance is financing. The couple can take out a loan to cover the infertility procedures. If they do not have a baby, these loans do not need to be paid back in full.

Unfortunately, not every couple is able to get infertility insurance. It varies from insurer to insurer but there are certain qualifications that you have to meet before being approved for infertility insurance. These qualifications usually require the couple to already hold an existing insurance policy. They may also have to be under the age of forty. They may also have to be struggling with infertility problems for one to five years. The couple then must hold on to the policy usually for a year before they can use it.

Although there are a lot of variables for the couple to look into and there are certain requirements that need to be met, overall getting infertility insurance for a couple who has been dealing with infertility is a wonderful idea. After the treatments are successful, the couple is going to need money in order to provide for their new born. With infertility insurance, couples are able to become pregnant without breaking the bank.

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PCOS and Infertility

Randy Beckett — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 20:11:44 +0000

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is one of the main reasons for infertility problems in women. It is believed that due to excessive insulin production in some women their bodies respond by producing high levels of male hormones or androgens. Women with PCOC are insulin resistant which leads to diabetes.

During a women’s normal menstrual cycle, several follicles develop within the ovaries. Each follicle contains an egg. As the menstrual cycle continues, only one follicle will remain which will produce the egg during ovulation. After the egg has matured, LH levels will surge causing the egg to burst from the follicle thus causing ovulation. Because women with PCOS do not normally produce enough female hormones necessary for ovulation, these follicles do not mature to become eggs. Some follicles may develop into cysts. PCOS may show up on an ultra sound as a “string of pearls” within the ovary. This “string of pearls” are the follicles that have not developed. The ovaries will typically have several small cysts covering the outside. Because ovulation does not occur, progesterone is not produced which is what causes the lining of the uterus to thicken.

Some symptoms of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome include the absence or an irregular period. As a woman gets older, PCOS can become worse. Some women may ovulate irregularly as well as not at all. Five to ten percent of women of childbearing age have PCOS. Most women are unaware that they have it. In fact, less the twenty-five percent of women with PCOS have been diagnosed. Some women are lucky enough to conceive during an irregular ovulation cycle. Other symptoms include increased hair growth on back, chest or face, thinning hair, obesity, high insulin levels or type two diabetes, acne or pelvic pain. Symptoms for PCOS vary with each woman. Some women only have an irregular period as a symptom.

Obviously PCOS affects a woman’s ability to conceive because of a lack of ovulation. But, there are several steps that can be taken to correct the problem. Some women can simply treat their PCOS by losing weight. Weight loss can sometimes help to improve hormone imbalances. Metformin is a drug that improves the body’s ability to absorb insulin. It is considered safe to use on women who do not have diabetes because it affects insulin levels and does not actually lower blood sugar directly. Clomid or other fertility drugs are often used in the treatment of infertility relating to PCOS. Clomid blocks estrogen receptors in the brain. With these receptors blocked, the brain thinks there are low estrogen levels. Low estrogen levels trigger the body to produce more FSH and LH which signal the body to ovulate. Even though Clomid is often successful at bringing about ovulation, only thirty to forty percent of the women who do ovulate from Clomid will actually become pregnant. In vitro Maturation (IVM) or in vitro fertilization (IVF) is also options for women with PCOS. In vitro maturation is a procedure where immature eggs are harvested early in a woman’s cycle. The eggs are then matured in a laboratory and afterwards can be used for fertilization. In vitro fertilization harvests the eggs after they are already mature. The eggs are then fertilized and implanted in the woman’s uterus. IVF treatments also include medications that help the eggs develop. IVM is helpful for women who do not respond to drug therapy.

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Infertility Statistics

Randy Beckett — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 20:10:07 +0000

Couples who are going through infertility problems often feel alone in their struggle. They see other people with their babies and wonder why it’s not them. They forget that there are other people in the world that are going through the same things they are going through.

There are about 7.3 million women in this country alone between the ages of 15 and 44 who have an impaired ability to have children. Many of these women don’t even know that they have a problem until they try to start a family. Some women have gotten pregnant with issues like polycystic ovarian syndrome and the diagnosis didn’t come until after they had kids. But, most often this is not the case. There are many other couples who have gone through fertility treatments. Often when seeing the happy couples with their babies, infertile couples do not contemplate whether that parent had to receive some sort of infertility treatment in order to conceive. In 2002 11.9% or 7.3 million women between the ages of 15 and 44 years of age have received some sort of infertility services. 6.1% have received professional advice. 5.5% of women have received some sort of medical help to prevent a miscarriage. 4.8% have undergone a fertility test. 3.8% of women have received ovulation drugs. And 1.1% of women have received artificial insemination. 11.8% of women between the ages of 15 and 44 years of age have impaired fecundity which means they not only have problems getting pregnant, they have problems carrying a baby to term.

It is commonly known that as women age their ability to become pregnant decreases with the loss of their eggs. In fact, the percent of childless women who have ever received any infertility service between the ages of 35 and 39 years of age is 15.2%. Childless women who have received any infertility service between the ages of 30 and 34 years of ages was 17.3% and women between the ages of 15 and 29 was only 2.9%. The percent of married childless women between the ages of 15 and 44 years of age are infertile by these ages. 27.4% of women are infertile by the ages of 40 and 44. 22.6% of women are infertile by 35 and 39 years of age. 16.9% of women are infertile by the ages of 30 and 34. And 11% of married women are infertile by the ages of 15 and 29. But just because there are problems getting or maintaining a pregnancy, that does not mean that it is impossible. At age 31, the percentage of live births after undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) which is a very affective fertility treatment was about 38%. By age 39, the percentage of live births was around 22%. But after age 43, the percentage of live births drops to less than 10%. Women have also used an egg donor. Even though IVF success was less than 10% at age 40 using the mother’s own eggs, women who used an egg donor from a much younger women had a success rate of about 45%. It is an even better rate than women using their own eggs in their early 30s.

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Signs of Infertility

Randy Beckett — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 20:07:31 +0000

Many women deal with some sort of infertility. Many women show symptoms of infertility and other women do not know there is a problem until they start trying to conceive. With the many different types of infertility, the signs and symptoms range from women to women or can even affect the man in the relationship.

A woman should see their doctor if they have not become pregnant even though they are trying. “Trying” means one to two years of unprotected intercourse on an average of three times a week. The couple should see first their primary care physician or their regular OBGYN in order to diagnose a fertility problem. They may then be referred to a specialist. Among the many possible signs of infertility, the most common for women is an irregular menstrual cycle. Although an irregular menstrual cycle may be one of the signs of infertility, it could also point to a lot of things and does not necessarily mean that the woman is infertile. Another sign of infertility can be a weight problem in regards to a women being to thin or obese. Some women who are too thin and bordering on emaciation can have a problem conceiving because they lack the proper nutrients. On the other hand, women who are obese sometimes suffer from hormonal problems, which in turn may affect their reproductive system. Substance and alcohol abuse can also lead to infertility. Although these are causes of infertility rather then signs of infertility because they can make a woman unable to conceive. Women who frequently use illegal drugs and other substances can harm their bodies affecting the way it works. They are likely candidates of being unable to produce children because substances and alcohol abuse can and may discourage the proper growth and conception of fetuses.

Signs of infertility can also be apparent in the man. Anatomic or physical problems may be signs of infertility in men. Undecided testicles can be a factor of infertility. Sometimes a sign of infertility in men is due to an outside cause. Men who wear tight underwear or jeans may have an inability to produce viable sperm for conception. Exposure to heat on their scrotum and gonads can also lead to an inability to produce children.

Some of the signs of infertility in women and men are the same. Both men and women can have an inability to produce offspring through weight problems like obesity or due to substance abuse. In the same way a women’s body can malfunction in a way that may not hold a pregnancy, a man might be affected because they may not be able to produce the right amount or form of sperm to conceive.

If a couple has been trying to get pregnant with no results, rather then jumping to the conclusion of infertility, the couple should take steps to make sure they are having intercourse when the woman is ovulating. The woman can track her basal body temperature or use an ovulation kit to see when she is ovulating. Often times, the couple is just not having intercourse around the right time of the month.

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Acupuncture and Infertility

Randy Beckett — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 19:59:20 +0000

Acupuncture originated in the East and has been around for an extremely long time. It is the technique of inserting and manipulating fine needles into specific points on the body to relieve pain and to help a number of medical conditions. Acupuncture typically regulates the blood pressure by stimulating the central nervous system. It releases endorphins which inhibits pain and gives the body the feeling of wellness and also releases neurotransmitters and neurohormones, which help the body to heal itself.

Acupuncture can be used in combination with infertility treatments in order to treat issues like hormonal imbalances. Since it helps regulate the body’s system, blood flow is increased to the vital organs and hormone levels are effectively regulated. It also improves ovarian and follicular function. It can increase blood flow to the endometrium, helping to facilitate a thick, rich lining. Plus, acupuncture may improve the success rate of in vitro fertilization (IVF). An increasing number of fertility specialists and centers offer it as a part of their IVF treatments. With acupuncture, the embryo transfer process in IVF was shown to have significant improvements resulting more often in a pregnancy. Acupuncture can also be used to treat fertility problems like spasmed tubes. Although blocked tubes will not respond to acupuncture, spasmed tubes are often de-spasmed with acupuncture. Acupuncture is often combined with herbs to treat elevated follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), repeated pregnancy loss, unexplained (idiopathic) infertility, luteal phase defect, hyperprolactinemia (when not caused by a prolactinoma), polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) with irregular cycles, and male factor including men affected with sperm-DNA-fragmentation.

Like physical therapy, acupuncture is a process that helps the body to heal itself over time. It is better to do more than less. Women can be treated for three to four months before an insemination, in vitro fertilization (IVF), or donor-egg transfer. Women are also encouraged to receive acupuncture treatments pre and post embryo transfer. Continuing with acupuncture for this amount of time before a fertility treatment seems to also have a therapeutic effect. Going through fertility treatments can be extremely stressful for the couple and for the woman in particular. Acupuncture is a great way to reduce stress, anxiety and depression. With so many ways that acupuncture has a positive effect on infertility treatments, it makes sense for a couple who is struggling with infertility to try every option that is out there.

There are very few risks when using acupuncture with infertility treatments. The biggest risk is that a miscarriage may develop if incorrect acupuncture points are used when a woman is pregnant. That is why using an acupuncturist who specializes in treating fertility disorders is extremely important for those who wish to include acupuncture in their treatment regimen. Also electro-acupuncture is a good alternative to conventional medical painkillers during labor. It can also result in shorter hospitalization times which mean lower costs.

Plus, research suggests that the most effective fertility treatments involve a combination of acupuncture, herbal medicine, and traditional medical interventions. Although, acupuncture and herbal medicines have not been known to help with conception on their own when traditional medical interventions are not used.

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