Archive for the ‘female infertility’ Category
Friday, November 11th, 2011
If you’ve been trying to conceive for awhile, you know the anxiety of the two-week wait (known in online forums and message boards as the acronym TWW). It’s that period of time between ovulation and your expected period, when you’re waiting to see if your efforts to conceive worked or whether you’re going to have to try again next month.
This is a torturous time period for any woman wanting to get pregnant, and that stress is magnified when you’re undergoing fertility treatments. In those instances, there are often family members and friends who are keeping up with your efforts, and they’re waiting and hoping to hear about a successful pregnancy right along with you. Also there’s money on the line, not to mention the physical, mental and emotional effort you’ve put into treatment process and all the procedures that come with it.
Whether or not you’re undergoing fertility treatments, here are a few tips to help you handle the two-week wait.
- Stop obsessing about symptoms. The more you Google “pregnancy symptoms” the more you stress about not having any. Every woman’s body experiences pregnancy differently, and just because your breasts aren’t tender or you’re not nauseated in the morning doesn’t mean you’re not pregnant. You don’t have to “feel” pregnant to be pregnant, so don’t be consumed by phantom symptoms that don’t necessarily mean anything.
- Ease up on the pregnancy tests. All those pregnancy tests that claim to be able to detect a pregnancy earlier and earlier do little more than disappoint and waste your money. It’s called a two-week wait for a reason, and every single line on a failed pregnancy test will do nothing more than shake your confidence.
- Tune in to TWW stress triggers — and then tune them out. If you get depressed and stressed every time you log onto your “trying to conceive” message board and read about another woman’s good news, maybe it’s time to take a little break from that outlet. If a friend who knows you’re undergoing the process asks every morning at the office if you “feel any different” and it makes your worry even more, tell her to stop asking, and that she’ll be among the first to hear the good news when it happens
We know it seems like a lifetime, but trust us: The clock does not slow down. Those 14 days will go by quickly in the grand scheme of things, and hopefully you’ll have good news waiting on the other side of the wait.
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Tags: Acronym, anxiety, Body Experiences, Breasts, Dr. Hearns, Dr. Munabi, Emotional Effort, Family Members, Fertility Treatments, Google, Instances, Little Break, Obsessing, Online Forums, Ovulation, PA Infertility, Period Of Time, Philadelphia Infertility, Pregnancy Symptoms, Pregnancy Test, Pregnancy Tests, Reading, Single Line, successful pregnancy, Time Period, Trying To Conceive, Trying To Conceive Message Board, two-week wait, Wyomissing
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Friday, November 4th, 2011
The term “biological clock” is often used to describe a woman’s fertility. But what in the world does it really mean? Essentially, it’s important to understand that it refers, basically, to the diminishing amount of viable eggs that she has in her body.
When a female is born, she has about two million eggs. That number never increases, so what she has is what her body will one day use to potentially conceive a child. But when a woman begins to menstruate, her number of eggs has already dropped by about four-fifths to 400,000 total eggs.
As the months and years progress, she will lose about 12,000 eggs annually. At that rate, she will have no eggs within 33 years or so from the onset of menses, which is the point where menopause takes over.
Of course, other factors are involved in what happens to her eggs. Illnesses and medical conditions can affect the strength and health of the eggs over time, sometimes leaving them unavailable for fertilization. For instance, chemotherapy and radiation for cancer can create female fertility issues. (This is why some women free their eggs prior to undergoing such types of treatments.)
Getting back to the “biological clock”, though, it’s critical for all women to realize that there’s no set time period. The aforementioned figures are only generalizations and statistics. That’s why it’s important not to make assumptions without medical assistance to back up theories.
At The Reproductive Science Institute (RSI) of Suburban Philadelphia, we’re here to answer any questions related to female fertility or other similar concerns. Give us a call today and set up an appointment to learn more about your personal situation.
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Tags: 33 Years, Biological Clock, Chemotherapy, Dr. Hearns, Dr. Munabi, Female Fertility, Fertility Issues, Fertility Treatment, Fertilization, Four Fifths, Generalizations, Illnesses, Medical Assistance, Medical Conditions, Menopause, Menses, PA Infertility, Personal Situation, Philadelphia Infertility, Reproductive Science Institute, Rsi, Suburban Philadelphia, Two Million, Viable Eggs, Wyomissing
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Monday, October 24th, 2011
If you’re a woman and you’ve been having difficulty getting pregnant after trying for at least six months on a regular basis, you may want to consider the possibility that you could have polycystic ovary symptom (PCOS).
PCOS has been shown to affect fertility in women by interfering with hormones. Consequently, menstruation and ovulation may become irregular, leading to infertility or challenges in naturally conceiving a child without fertility treatments.
Ironically, many women with PCOS do not realize they have the condition. After all, PCOS symptoms can easily “mimic” ordinary experiences for many females. These may include menstruation changes, trouble with pregnancy, ovarian cysts (benign) and skin problems.
Because infertility or problems with fertility are often reasons for diagnosis, most women with PCOS are in their 20s and 30s. However, some teenagers have been known to discover that they have the condition.
For fertility specialists like the Philadelphia and Reading, Pennsylvania area’s Reproductive Science Institute (RSI), discovering PCOS can help greatly in deciding upon the best fertility treatments for a female patient and, if applicable, her partner. PCOS can be addressed with a number of medical interventions, including birth control pills, progesterone pills and medications.
The good news is that PCOS is quite treatable and can be overcome for women and couples who seek to become parents. If you’re interested in finding out more about PCOS and fertility treatments, contact RSI at your convenience to set up an appointment with one of our team.
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Tags: Birth Control, Birth Control Pills, conceiving a child, Cysts, Dr. Hearns, Dr. Munabi, Female Patient, Fertility Specialists, Fertility Treatment, Fertility Treatments, Hormones, Infertility, Medical Interventions, Menstruation And Ovulation, Ovary, PA Infertility, Pcos Symptoms, Pennsylvania Area, Philadelphia Infertility, Polycystic Ovary, Progesterone, Reading, Reading Pennsylvania, Reproductive Science Institute, Skin Problems
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Wednesday, October 12th, 2011
If you’ve been having difficulty becoming pregnant naturally and you’ve never been tested for endometriosis, it may be time.
Endometriosis is a common cause of female infertility, but it’s often undiagnosed. That’s because endometriosis symptoms mimic PMS and other female-related conditions that do not affect fertility.
Some of the symptoms associated with endometriosis include:
- Pelvic pain, especially right before and during menstruation.
- Pain during sexual intercourse.
- Pain during yearly pelvic examinations.
- Pain during bowel movements.
Obviously, the type and intensity of pain experienced by women varies. For some, it’s nagging; for others, it’s excruciating. And because endometriosis is so undiagnosed, numerous individuals who have female infertility issues don’t ever realize the true cause of their fertility problems.
That’s one of the reasons it’s so critical to choose a reproductive health specialist, like those at Philadelphia and Reading Pennsylvania area’s Reproductive Science Institute (RSI), to examine your particular case. If it is determined through testing that you have endometriosis, your fertility specialist may recommend assisted reproductive techniques (ART) such as IVF and IUI to help you get pregnant.
Remember – the first step is diagnosis. From there, treatment can begin.
Endometriosis Statistics:
- Over 5.5 million American women are estimated to have endometriosis.
- About 30-40% of females with endometriosis suffer from infertility.
- Endometriosis is one of the top three causes of infertility in America.
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Tags: Bowel Movements, Causes Of Infertility, Dr. Hearns, Dr. Munabi, Endometriosis, Endometriosis Symptoms, female infertility, Fertility Problems, fertility specialist, Fertility Treatment, Health Specialist, Infertility Issues, Intercourse Pain, IUI, Menstruation Pain, Pain During Sexual Intercourse, Pelvic Examinations, Pelvic Pain, Pennsylvania Area, Reading PA Infertility, Reading Pennsylvania, Reproductive Science Institute, True Cause
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Monday, October 10th, 2011
If you’ve ever had surgery or trauma (as in tearing) in or on any part of your reproductive system or (sometimes) in areas surrounding your reproductive system, you may end up with pelvic, abdominal or other adhesions.
In essence, adhesions are a form of scarring that can occur. Sometimes, the adhesions are quite small and unnoticeable. In other cases, however, adhesions can pose problems, especially when it comes to fertility concerns. Many women even experience secondary infertility as a result of adhesions from their first or last childbearing occurrence.
So how do you know if adhesions could be a contributing cause of your fertility issues? For many women, adhesions accompany pain. Or they’ve been having unprotected sex regularly for six or more months without getting pregnant. Obviously, only a trained medical specialist can help you determine if adhesions exist. And if they are, you can proceed to either look for alternatives to natural conception or try surgical methods to reduce or remove adhesions.
Obviously, you need to examine the possibilities thoroughly. And that’s where a reproductive specialist who has an exemplary background can help you make the right choices for your fertility needs.
If you are within driving distance of Philadelphia or Reading, Pennsylvania, we suggest you consider setting up an appointment with The Reproductive Science Institute (RSI) of Suburban Philadelphia to talk about adhesions, fertility and other similar medical concerns.
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Tags: Abdominal Adhesions, Abraham Munabi, Dr. Hearns, Dr. Munabi, Driving Distance, Fertility Concerns, Fertility Issues, Fertility Treatment, Having Unprotected Sex, Infertility, Medical Concerns, Medical Specialist, Natural Conception, Occurrence, Possibilities, Reading Pennsylvania, Reproductive Science Institute, Reproductive Specialist, Reproductive System, Right Choices, Rsi, Secondary Infertility, Suburban Philadelphia
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Monday, October 3rd, 2011
For many women, irregular (or non-existent) ovulation is a contributing factor to their female infertility. But it’s interesting to note that not all ladies understand how the ovulation process works.
To help better understand this potential cause of female infertility, we’ve put together a quick timeline to help you become better informed on ovulation and its relationship to fertility issues.
What Is Ovulation? During ovulation, an egg (ovum) is released from one of a woman’s two ovaries. The egg is typically referred to as “mature”, meaning it’s ideally ready for fertilization.
The egg travels down the fallopian tube to the uterus, the lining of which has thickened enough to allow a fertilized egg to implant. If the egg becomes fertilized and implants, pregnancy results. If the egg is not fertilized, a menstrual period begins.
When Does Ovulation Occur? Ovulation generally occurs 12-16 days after the start of a woman’s last period. Thus, if a woman’s period began October 5, she would likely ovulate sometime between October 17 and 21.
During this window (and for a few days after), a woman is considered most fertile. This means if she has unprotected intercourse, she has the best chance of becoming pregnant for that menstrual cycle.
How Do You Know if Your Ovulation Is “Off”? Ironically, many women do not ovulate or ovulate infrequently and never realize it. Though they may skip periods or have a longer-than-average cycle between the times they menstruate, they may not associate their difficulties with ovulation.
Tests to determine if you’re ovulating can be performed by a fertility specialist, which will enable you to decide how to best proceed with fertility treatments.
What Are My Fertility Treatment Options? If it’s discovered that you are not ovulating at all or are ovulating at irregular rates, medication can be given to either start ovulation or regulate it. Other fertility treatments like IVF and IUI can be used if your body is unresponsive to the medications or you have serious side effects.
Where Can I Get More Information? If you’d like further info on female infertility and you are within traveling distance to Philadelphia or Reading, Pennsylvania , please consider contacting the Reproductive Science Institute (RSI) for an appointment to discuss your options.
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Tags: Dr. Hearns, Dr. Munabi, Egg, Fallopian Tube, female infertility, Fertility Issues, fertility specialist, Fertility Treatment, Fertility Treatments, Fertilization, Implants, Infertility, Last Period, Medication, Menstrual Cycle, Menstrual Period, Ovulation Tests, ovum, Philadelphia Infertility, Reading PA Infertility, Reproductive Science Institute, Rsi, Timeline, Treatment Options, Unprotected Intercourse, Uterus, Wyomissing PA Infertility
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Monday, September 12th, 2011
Many times, women who have trouble conceiving immediately assume the worst; but often, something as simple as getting them ovulating regularly can solve their fertility issues.
Ovulation occurs when the ovum is released from one of the ovaries. Typically, this happens mid-cycle; however, there are some women for whom it happens infrequently or at a different time of the month. Thus, they try to have a child, but at the inappropriate moment.
Making it even tougher to diagnose this as the heart of your fertility issues, the signs of ovulation may or may not be present. Commonly, those include any or all of the following symptoms:
- Change in vaginal fluids making them take on an “egg white”, stringy appearance. (This should not be confused with a yeast infection or STD, which can cause thick, foul-smelling discharge.)
- Change in basal body temperature. This is the temperature of your body, typically taken by women in the morning before they get out of bed. Those females who use the “rhythm method” of birth control often keep a chart of their basal body temperatures so they recognize when they need to abstain from sexual intercourse.
- Light spotting or cramping. As a woman’s hormones shift, she may experience bleeding or muscle contractions. Bloating and breast tenderness can also accompany ovulation.
So what happens if you can’t be certain you’re ovulating? First, it’s a good idea to go to a fertility specialist or your gynecologist. He or she will help you figure out if you’re ovulating regularly.
Next, if you discover that you are not ovulating, a fertility specialist can prescribe medications to help your body “reset” itself. Drugs such as Clomid are used for this purpose and have had excellent results for females with fertility issues across the world.
Finally, if testing uncovers that you do not ovulate at all and you are unresponsive to medications like Clomid, other fertility options will be presented for your consideration.
If you’d like to discuss this topic further and you live in or within driving distance of Wyomissing or Chesterbrook, we invite you to make an appointment with the Reproductive Science Institute (RSI).
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Tags: Basal Body Temperatures, Bloating, Body Temperature, Breast Tenderness, Clomid, Dr. Hearns, Dr. Munabi, Fertility Issues, fertility specialist, Gynecologist, Inappropriate Moment, Irregular Ovulation, Mid Cycle, Muscle Contractions, ovum, Philadelphia PA Infertility, Reproductive Science Institute of Suburban Philadelphia, Rhythm Method Of Birth Control, Rsi, sexual intercourse, Signs Of Ovulation, Time Of The Month, Times Women, Vaginal Fluids, Wyomissing PA Infertility, Yeast Infection
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Friday, September 9th, 2011
For women who want to have a child, the number “35” seems to be almost magical. After all, it’s the age that people anecdotally agree upon as the point where a woman’s fertility begins to decrease. Yet that’s really not the “whole story”.
While female fertility does tend to wane faster after 35, there are many women who have trouble conceiving in their late 20s and early 30s. So for a woman, waiting until the “magic number” may not be the best idea.
Why are some women infertile before 35? There are a whole host of reasons, including:
- A pre-existing condition of the reproductive system, such as PCOS or endometriosis.
- A bout of cancer as a child, teen or young adult.
- An undiagnosed or diagnosed sexually transmitted disease (STD) like chlamydia.
- A problem with regular ovulation.
- The medications the woman is taking.
This is why most fertility specialists, like those at the Philadelphia area’s Reproductive Science Institute (RSI), recommend that women of any childbearing age not adopt a “wait for years” mentality. Typically, women should be able to become pregnant within six months of trying (e.g., having regular sex without protection.)
Whether you’re in your late 20s or your late 30s, you need to be aware of the facts. Will your fertility lessen as you age? Absolutely. But the numbers indicate that up to 7% of females are infertile by the time they reach their 30th birthdays. That’s why it’s critical to get assistance and medical advice sooner rather than later.
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Tags: 30th Birthdays, Childbearing Age, Chlamydia, Dr. Hearns, Dr. Munabi, Endometriosis, Female Fertility, Females, Fertility Specialists, Fertility Treatment, Magic Number, Medical Advice, medications, Mentality, Number 35, Ovulation, Pcos, Philadelphia Area, Philadelphia PA Infertility, Reading PA Infertility, Reproductive Science Institute, Reproductive Science Institute of Suburban Philadelphia, Reproductive System, Rsi, Six Months, Wyomissing PA Infertility, Young Adult
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Friday, July 22nd, 2011
For women, especially those under 40, a diagnosis of breast cancer is difficult enough to hear. But when compounded with the fact that she might not be able to retain her fertility after undergoing chemotherapy, it can be doubly devastating.
Realizing this, researchers have begun medical treatments on younger females who have early stage breast cancer to suppress the women’s ovaries. Using triptorelin, physicians in an Italian study have successfully been able to help breast cancer victims stave off early menopause, a common side effect of chemotherapy. Patients in the study were able to potentially avoid permanently losing their fertility, enabling them to possibly have children naturally in the future.
The use of triptorelin to reduce the rate of early menopause in subjects by greater than 17 percent made waves throughout the international fertility treatment community, especially after the Italian study was made public earlier this week by the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Of course, it’s important to note that results haven’t been confirmed long-term and are only the tip of the iceberg. Cautions oncologist Lucia Del Mastro, the study’s leading author, in an article widely spread throughout the Internet:
“This strategy [of using triptorelin] increases the probability of ovarian function maintenance but it doesn’t assure the fertility.”
Still, it’s a happy prospect for women who have been given the devastating news that they have breast cancer and who want to have children later in life.
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Tags: Abraham Munabi, American Medical Association, Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer Victims, Chemotherapy, Chemotherapy Patients, Diagnosis Of Breast Cancer, Dr. Munabi, Early Menopause, Facebook, Females, Fertility Treatment, Italian Study, Journal Of The American Medical Association, Mastro, Medical Treatments, Menopause, Oncologist, Ovaries, Probability, Reproductive Science Institute of Suburban Philadelphia, Rsi, Stage Breast Cancer, Tip Of The Iceberg, Triptorelin, Twitter
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Wednesday, June 1st, 2011
Even if you’re having difficulty getting pregnant, you still have to prepare your body for the possibility of carrying a baby. Because it is a desire of yours, whether you’re actively trying to get pregnant at this time or not, it’s always better to be ahead of your game. And if you’re looking into or you are already planning on IVF or IUI treatments, it is especially important to begin preparing your body for pregnancy, even if those treatments aren’t yet scheduled or are scheduled for a few months out.
Therefore, we’ve put together a few suggestions on how to make your physical health and wellness a part of your daily routine:
Mental/Emotional “Exercise”
Stimulate yourself mentally every day. Read a little poetry (or, if you’re inclined, write a little poetry!). Do crossword puzzles or sudoku. Listen to classical music. Look up a new word every day and incorporate it into your vocabulary. Start to learn that language you’ve always wanted to learn (or pick up the language you started learning in high school or college). Try to do the math on paper before picking up the calculator to check yourself. Stimulate yourself on an intellectual level and you’ll tap into areas of your brain that perhaps aren’t being used regularly.
Spiritual
Spirituality doesn’t have to mean religion. It can simply be the feeling that you get when you take a walk in the woods and “commune” with nature. Or the way that certain piece of music reaches into the depths of you in a way you can’t explain. Maybe you meditate on words of wisdom in the morning and reflect on them throughout your day.
Find whatever it is that puts your body, mind and spirit in a peaceful place and, due to a lower stress level, you’ll be healthier overall and better prepared for fertility treatments.
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Tags: Body Mind And Spirit, Classical Music, Crossword Puzzles, Dr. Munabi, Facebook, Fertility Treatments, Few Suggestions, Health And Wellness, Intellectual Level, IUI, IVF, Mind And Spirit, Peaceful Place, Physical Health, Piece Of Music, Preparing Your Body For Pregnancy, Reproductive Science Institute, Rsi, Stress Level, Twitter, Vocabulary, Walk In The Woods, Words Of Wisdom
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