There is a very interesting article in the news today. There was a study done recently that shows that couples who are using IVF to conceive are less likely to get pregnant if the dad is overweight. According to the study, which was done by Dr. Zaher Merhi of Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center in New York City, for every increase of 5 in the dad’s BMI, the couple’s chances of getting pregnant decrease by a whopping 28%. That’s quite the difference! The study accounted for a multitude of factors and was extremely comprehensive. There were … Continue reading →

IVF can help couples conceive when they experience problems such as endometriosis, low sperm counts, ovulation problems, problems with the uterus, or antibodies attacking the eggs or sperm, as well as other fertility problems that may not be diagnosed. During IVF, sperm meets egg outside the womb and the embryo is left to grow in a culture dish until it is ready for implantation in the mother’s uterus. In the body, however, things aren’t so still. Aside from the fact that women don’t lie perfectly still for days following conception, fertilized eggs also get jostled around as they travel towards … Continue reading →

I really love being pregnant. I am one of the fortunate ones who are spared most of the sickness and complications. I love my shape, feeling the baby move, shopping for tiny clothes and decorating the nursery. Besides the hip and joint pain near the end of pregnancy, the whole experience is fun for me. That said, I don’t think I would want to be pregnant eight times… with other people’s children. That is what one woman is doing in Britain. Jill Hawkins is pregnant for the eighth time, but she is not a mom, per say. She has never … Continue reading →

In vitro fertilization involves implanting fertilized embryos in the uterus in order to achieve pregnancy. When the eggs are ripened, an egg retrieval procedure is done to remove them. After the eggs are fertilized and begin to grow into embryos, the embryo transfer procedure is done. If donor eggs or frozen embryos are used, the woman’s cycle must be prepared for implantation, just as would naturally happen during a menstrual cycle. Depending on the health and infertility history of the woman, either the natural cycle will be followed or estrogen and progesterone will be given. This is a relatively simple … Continue reading →

Egg retrieval is an integral part of the IVF cycle. Throughout the first half of the cycle, you will take fertility drugs to stimulate the development of several eggs. There are a few different injectable medications on the market that are used for this purpose. Your doctor will determine the most effective drug for you. As the eggs are developing, you will be monitored by transvaginal ultrasound and blood work to track your hormone levels. When the eggs are ripened, the egg retrieval procedure will be scheduled. The retrieval generally takes place in the infertility clinic. The procedure is known … Continue reading →

The recent news of the birth of octuplets has brought the debate about embryo transfer back into the spotlight. Higher order multiples usually result from IVF treatments involving the transfer of many embryos. In most cases, all transferred embryos don’t implant. However, in some cases all do implant successfully, resulting in a higher order multiple pregnancy. Infertility clinics vary widely in the United States regarding the number of embryos transferred during one IVF cycle. The logic behind implanting a larger number of embryos is to improve the success rates for the clinic. Since many embryos will not successfully implant, there … Continue reading →

Yesterday was my 40th birthday. The occasion got me thinking about life and motherhood. No, I am not thinking of adding another baby to our family, but many women my age are having babies or trying to conceive. The common belief is that fertility drops off dramatically after the 40th birthday. While there is truth to the idea that conceiving at 40 is more difficult than at 25, the news isn’t all grim. Many women are having babies later in life. It happens every day. Getting pregnant past 40 is possible, but it is more of a challenge. Women over … Continue reading →

Fertility medications work by stimulating the ovaries. The medications given via injection are most successful at stimulating the ovaries. For the most part, this is a good thing and the desired result of the treatment. However, the ovaries can sometimes become overstimulated. This is referred to as ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome occurs in about 5 percent of women using fertility medications. The symptoms can range from mild to severe. Between 1 and 2 percent of women experience severe symptoms. The ovaries can become sensitive to the medications and increased estrogen level. This causes the ovaries to swell to … Continue reading →

Fertility medications are expensive, especially the injectibles. A prescription for pills such as Clomid will cost about $50 per cycle. If this doesn’t work, your doctor will probably recommend one of the injectable medications. These are really expensive. For one cycle, the cost is approximately $2,000 per cycle. For many couples, the high cost of fertility medications is not in the budget. As the economy worsens, couples are finding it even more difficult to afford the treatments and the cost of the drugs needed for the treatments to work. The first step in affording fertility medications is to check with … Continue reading →