Fertility Health Feed

The human body works as directed by the various hormones released by the endocrine system. These hormones are essential for coordination of various body functions. From the height a person achieves to the metabolic reactions in the body to the reproductive cycle to the stress levels a person can handle, all are hormone controlled.

Pregnancy is another critical, complicated phase that a woman goes through. It is one of the most awaited phases in a woman’s life; however, it is not very simple either. The above-noted hormones play a major role in this pregnancy, as the baby is dependent on the mother for its initial supply of hormones until it can start producing its own hormones. If the baby does not receive the require amounts, there could be various detrimental effects during development and post birth.

Hypothyroidism or an underactive thyroid is extremely common in women and there are multiple theories about how hypothyroidism can affect a woman’s chances of getting pregnant. While the correlation between hypothyroidism and pregnancy are quite well researched, a strong connection stating hypothyroid women being not able to be pregnant is yet to be proven.

The following are some correlations between hypothyroidism and pregnancy.

Increased chance of miscarriage: Women with reduced thyroid functions have double the chances of having a miscarriage. Women suffering from thyroid are at a risk of recurrent miscarriages during the first trimester. The chances of miscarriages during the second trimester are also about 40% higher in hypothyroid women. These women are also at a risk of:

1. Premature labour
2. Low birth weight
3. Increased chances of stillbirth
4. Maternal anemia
5. Postpartum hemorrhage
6. Developmental defects and/or delays in the newborn
7. Placental abruption
8. High blood pressure

One of the reasons identified for infertility in women is hypothyroidism. This range varies from 1% to 40% and so remains to be proven still. In addition, the hypothyroid mother will have a set of symptoms to live through, which may be further complicated given the pregnancy. Thyroid replacement should be religiously done and monitored to ensure TSH levels are at the optimal required levels (2.5 to 3 mIU/L) during the entire duration of pregnancy.

If you have the following, be sure to go through a comprehensive thyroid screening before and during pregnancy.

1. Family history of thyroid
2. History of thyroid dysfunction or goitre or thyroid antibodies
3. Clinical signs and symptoms suggestive of hypothyroidism
4. History of repeated miscarriages
5. History of head and neck radiation
6. Family/personal history of autoimmune disorders

While it still remains to be proven that hypothyroidism per se can stop a woman from being pregnant, there are definitely effects of hypothyroidism on the developing child and the mother. A comprehensive screening and close monitoring through pregnancy are extremely essential. 

It's normal to be concerned with your fertility after early miscarriage. Many couples want to try to conceive again right away, while others need time to heal. Ultimately, though, fertility following a miscarriage is an issue of concern for most couples.

Once you are ready to start trying for a child again, there are a number of things you can do to increase your chances of having a successful pregnancy.

1. Rest and Recuperate- Many women want to hurry and start trying to get pregnant again right away after their miscarriage. This is a perfectly normal response, but may not be the best way to guarantee a healthy pregnancy. Give your body a chance to rest so your menstrual cycle can get back to normal. You also want to give yourself plenty of time for your mental balance to return so you are ready to take on the trials of trying to become pregnant. Be gentle and give yourself time to rest and focus on taking care of your physical and emotional needs until you are ready to try again.
2. Change Lifestyle- Eliminating unhealthy habits can help increase your chances of conceiving later. Eliminate drug or alcohol use and quit smoking before you start trying for pregnancy. Cutting down or eliminating caffeine can also help you conceive a healthy pregnancy.
3. Eliminate Stress- Eliminating stress can also make conceiving easier. Stress can reduce fertility levels, making it harder to get pregnant. Practicing meditation, yoga or taking time to relax after dealing with tough issues in your life can make it much easier to conceive.
4. Eat Healthy- Eating a healthy diet is also essential to having a healthy pregnancy. This can also help women manage the depression caused by their miscarriage. Getting a variety of vitamins and minerals and cutting down on saturated fats and processed foods can help you get pregnant and maintain a healthy pregnancy.
5. Take Fertility Drugs or Therapies- There are various fertility drugs and therapies on the market today. Your doctor will prescribe different medications based on your overall health and age.
6. Use an Ovulation Predictor- An ovulation predictor can help you map out your cycle. This will allow you to determine which days in your cycle will be the most likely for you to conceive. 
7. Support the Uterus and Liver- Performing a fertility cleanse after your period has stopped can help support the uterus and liver, promoting overall fertility health. Sometimes stagnant blood can get left behind after your period which can cause discomfort or health issues. Following a fertility diet to help rid your body of the excess blood and hormones in your system can help your conceive more easily.
8. Massage the Uterus- When you have stopped bleeding after your miscarriage, performing a uterus massage can help your body relax. This massage will help bring fresh blood to the area and soothe the body so you can relax. 

If you have been having trouble conceiving it may be time to talk to a fertility expert. Your doctor can perform fertility tests on you and your partner to determine if there are any underlying issues present. Then you can work together to determine if any additional medical treatment is necessary to help you get pregnant.

Infertility refers to being able to get pregnant after one year of trying. Women who can get pregnant but are unable to stay pregnant are also termed as infertile. Ovulatory disorders are one of the most common reasons why women are unable to conceive and is presen in 30% of women suffering from infertility.

1. Hormonal problems: Ovulation is linked with a complex balance of hormones and any disruption in the process can hinder ovulation. The disruption includes the fact that the ovaries are not producing normal follicles in which the eggs can mature. Ovulation is rare if the eggs are immature and there are no chances of fertilization. Polycystic ovary syndrome is the most common disorder responsible for infertility. Malfunction of the hypothalamus leading to failure in triggering hormonal stimulus to ovaries for egg maturation leading to immature eggs and ovarian failure. Malfunction of the pituitary gland leading to imbalance in hormonal secretion thus causing disturbance in ovulation. This can occur due to physical injury, a tumour or a chemical imbalance in the pituitary.
2. Scarred ovaries: Ovulation failure can also be due to a physical damage to the ovaries. Invasive surgeries involving ovarian cysts leads to damaging or scarring of capsule of the ovary to become due to which follicles cannot mature leading to disruption of ovulation.
3. Premature menopause: Early menopause or premature menopause before the normal age means that the natural supply of eggs has been depleted. This is most common in extremely athletic women with a history of low body weight and extensive exercise.
4. Follicle problems: Infertility is also caused due to non-ruptured follicle syndrome in which women who produce a normal follicle, with an egg inside of it, every month but the follicle fails to rupture. This leads to disruption of ovulation as the egg remains inside the ovary.
5. Others: Treating female infertility by chemotherapy is next to premature ovarian failure by loss of primordial follicles. Sexually transmitted infections are a leading cause of infertility. Tobacco smoking is detrimental to the ovaries and the amount of damage is dependent upon the amount and length of time of exposure of smoke in the environment. Nicotine in cigarettes interfere with the body’s ability to create oestrogen, a hormone that regulates ovulation. In addition, blocked fallopian tubes due to pelvic inflammatory disease or surgery for an ectopic pregnancy also causes infertility. Infertility can also be due to physical problems with the uterus or fibroids of uterus where non-cancerous clumps of tissue and muscle on the walls of the uterus.

Women with infertility should consider making an appointment with a reproductive endocrinologist—a doctor who specializes in managing infertility. Reproductive endocrinologists may also be able to help women with recurrent pregnancy loss, defined as having two or more spontaneous miscarriages.

Pregnancy is the result of a process that has many steps.

To get pregnant

• A woman’s body must release an egg from one of her ovaries (ovulation).
• A man’s sperm must join with the egg along the way (fertilize).
• The fertilized egg must go through a fallopian tube toward the uterus (womb).
• The fertilized egg must attach to the inside of the uterus (implantation).

Prevention-
If you're a woman thinking about getting pregnant soon or in the future, you may improve your chances of having normal fertility if you:

• Maintain a normal weight
• Quit smoking. 
• Avoid alcohol.
• Reduce stress.
• Limit caffeine.

IVF is a useful process for people who want to become parents but have exhausted all other means of being so. However, the in-vitro fertilization method is definitely not suitable for everyone. Here are some facts you need to know about the procedure and they will help you determine whether you are suited for the program or not.

1. IVF Takes Time
Even though most clinics may not tell you this, but the IVF procedure takes a bit of time to deliver the desired results. On an average, the treatment can take anywhere between four weeks to a couple of months to produce results, depending on the patient’s ability to respond to the medicines used. The procedure involves artificially stopping the menstrual cycle of the woman. Next, the ovulation process is stimulated so that the healthy egg can be extracted from the womb. The eggs chosen are then fertilized and left to undergo embryo culture for another six days. After this, the eggs are implanted back into the mother’s body.

2. The process Can Be Stressful
IVF treatment and pregnancy can be quite a stressful period of time for the parents in question. The mother needs to be constantly monitored to check for any abnormal response to the pregnancy. Regular checkups by the doctor along with blood tests may also be suggested. However, this stress has very little chance of affecting the quality of the pregnancy. So, do not worry that overstressing yourself will lead to complications for the embryo.

3. More Than One Cycle Needed For Pregnancy
IVF treatment occurs in cycles. Each cycle involves transplanting a fertilized egg into the womb. However, pregnancy, right after completion of the first cycle, is quite rare. In fact, almost all patients need to undergo several similar cycles in order to get pregnant. So, do not be disheartened if you do not get pregnant after undergoing the very first cycle of IVF treatment.

4. IVF Is Costly
Not everyone is able to afford the high cost of IVF. Others may be able to afford the cost of undergoing a couple of cycles of the same, after which the high costs can become a burden. Only a select few can bear to carry on with the treatment until the pregnancy arises. So, consider your financial condition prior to signing on for such a treatment option.

At any rate, consult with an expert to get an even better idea about the IVF procedure and the consequent pregnancy.

Fertility Preservation: Options for Cancer patients

Survival rates among young cancer patients have steadily increased over the past four decades in part because of the development of more effective cancer treatments. Today, both women and men can look forward to life after cancer, yet many may face the possibility of infertility as a result of the disease itself or these lifesaving treatments.

Fertility options for Men

Established fertility preservation options for men include sperm banking, in which a semen sample is produced, frozen, and stored for future use, and testicular sperm extraction, during which sperm is retrieved directly from the testes through a short surgical procedure and frozen.

Fertility Options for Women

Options for women to have children after cancer have increased significantly in recent years. Women should be counselled on established options such as embryo banking in which hormonal stimulation causes production of multiple eggs, which are removed, fertilized by sperm, and frozen for future use, and egg banking in which hormonal stimulation causes the production of multiple eggs, which are removed and frozen for storage and future use.

Fertility Options for Couples

Embryo cryopreservation is an established technique that has been proven to be safe and effective in couples undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). This process is basically for couples (if anyone of them undergoing chemotherapy/radiation treatment) where the stimulation injection is given to the female, which helps in the development of eggs, eggs are retrieved and fertilized with the sperm, further the fertilized egg i.e., embryo is then stored and preserved for the future use.

Reproduction (or making a baby) is a simple and natural experience for most couples. However, for some couples it is very difficult to conceive.

A man’s fertility generally relies on the quantity and quality of his sperm. If the number of sperm a man ejaculates is low or if the sperm are of a poor quality, it will be difficult, and sometimes impossible, for him to cause a pregnancy.

Male infertility is diagnosed when, after testing both partners, reproductive problems have been found in the male. 

When it comes to fertility preservation, egg freezing seems like the default option on the table. But, for some people, embryo freezing might be the way to go.

“ Many people also believe that a frozen embryo is more likely to “work”—AKA, become a pregnancy—than a frozen egg. But that’s not really a true comparison, statistically speaking. When comparing freezing eggs vs. freezing embryos, it typically requires several eggs to result in one embryo, no matter which method you choose. You can freeze many eggs, which may be fertilized later to create a few embryos; or, you can fertilize the eggs right after retrieval, and freeze the few embryos that develop. Either way, you will likely have the same number of potential chances at pregnancy.”

Egg freezing and embryo banking are similar in nature, as they both involve fertility preservation in the form of cryopreservation. However, there are several major differences between the two procedures and their results.

Egg freezing is the process of retrieving a woman’s healthy, unfertilized eggs and using cryopreservation to sustain their viability until the woman is ready to use them. On the other hand, the egg has already been fertilized via IVF treatment in the process of embryo banking. Fertilization is performed with partner or donor sperm, and is then frozen until the woman or couple is ready for conception, pregnancy, and family

IVF or In Vitro Fertilization is a very common treatment for infertility. This process of fertilization involves, extracting eggs, retrieve a sperm sample and then get the egg and sperm combined manually in a laboratory dish. The embryo then gets transferred to the uterus. It is an artificial way to conceive and applicable for couples who cannot have children conventionally.

Problems Which Lead To In Vitro Fertilization

Now we will have a look at the problems which ultimately force couples to go for IVF and conceive children through artificial procedures:

Infertility Issues in Female: Generally for women, they produce the egg and then it’s about moving it to the uterus where the sperm can fertilize it. When everything goes well, the fertilized egg goes on to become an embryo and then it gets implanted on the wall of the uterus and grows accordingly. Any deviation from this normal process can lead to infertility.

One of the most common causes of infertility among females is Endometriosis. Endometriosis causes scar tissue which results in the blockage of fallopian tubes. In some other cases, there may not be any blockage in the fallopian tubes but there might be difficulty in moving the egg along to the uterus where the fertilization can take place. In such a situation, IVF helps to the get the eggs extracted directly from the ovaries, fertilize them in the lab, hence avoid the problems of the fallopian tubes.

Problems With Ovulation Can Be Another Cause Of Infertility: Ovulation problems generally occur for women who are aged 35 years or over and can have issues in producing good quality eggs. This is where IVF can come into play. It can get the woman’s ovaries stimulated by fertility drugs, help produce a number of eggs and then allow them to be fertilized in the laboratory. In Vitro Fertilization helps in giving greater control, when there is a possibility of multiple births, rather than using only the fertility drugs. IVF makes sure to use donor eggs from a donor younger woman, which in turn largely improves the possibility of a woman, who is 40 years old or more than that, to get pregnant.

Infertility Issues Among Males: For males, it is about producing healthy sperm and get them inside a woman’s uterus, so that there is a chance of an egg fertilization. Now, infertility problems arise, if anything goes wrong with this particular process. One of the main problems could be, low sperm count, which fails to penetrate the egg, while other issues could be, sperm is unable to survive in the uterus’s mucus, problem with intercourse, tube blockage. Males can get rid of these problems through IVF treatment, where the sperm could get extracted from the testicles, avoiding the blockages and hence used for fertilization of eggs in the lab.

So, this segment has talked of what IVF is all about and what kind of problems among males and females could lead to IVF treatment.

There are two types of abortion, namely medical and surgical. In case of medical abortion, pills are taken to terminate the pregnancy; whereas surgical abortion is done if the pregnancy has reached an advanced stage when pills are ineffective. While generally there are no health risks or negative effects of abortion on fertility, there are rare cases of complications, which can give rise to severe symptoms post abortion. Following is the information you need to know about abortion and its effects on fertility:

When to seek medical assistance
It is advisable to seek medical help if you have the following symptoms post abortion:

• Persistent pain in the lower abdomen, which lingers even after taking medication
• Excessive bleeding
• A high temperature

Possible effects of surgical abortion on fertility

• Infection After Abortion: Infections post abortion like Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) if left untreated for long can spread and harm your reproductive organs, thereby impacting your fertility. It can cause complications like infertility or ectopic pregnancy.
• Damage to the cervix during abortion: Damage to the cervix during an abortion can cause cervical incompetence and consequently increase the risk of miscarriage.
• Damage to the womb during abortion: There are chances of damage of the womb (uterus) during abortion, resulting in scarring, which can cause fertility issues if not corrected. This is more likely in case you had multiple abortions.

Apart from the above-mentioned complications, there are a number of other complications, which can happen due to abortion, preterm birth, vaginal bleeding during pregnancy and low birth weight, etc. Further, infertility can also be a possible side effect of abortion pills, which happens due to scarring of the uterus during the procedure of forcible elimination of the fetus. In all such cases it is advisable to schedule regular check-ups with your gynaecologist. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Almost every man and woman craves to have a child they can call their own. This makes an inability to procreate one of the most dreaded situations. Infertility can be defined as the inability to conceive a child within 12 months of biologically appropriately timed intercourse. Infertility exacts a huge psychological toll on the person.

Infertility often triggers depression in a person. This may be acute and result from specific events such as the holidays, family celebrations of the news of a someone else having conceived a child or could be cyclic and coincide with phases of their fertility cycle. This depression could lead to problems at work and communication with the spouse.

Infertility can also make a person feel helpless and affect their self esteem. Infertility accompanied by depression can trigger the feeling of having lost control over one’s life and can make people withdraw into themselves.

An infertile person may also often feel guilty and make them blame themselves and their prior actions for the condition. This leads them to question their worthiness of being a good spouse and potential parent. A woman who has suffered from an STD (sexually transmitted disease) earlier or has undergone an abortion earlier can become obsessed with blaming herself for being infertile. 

This affects their daily lives and ability to work. An infertile person may also feel guilty for having robbed their partner of the chance to become a parent. This can put a strain on their relationship and in many cases lead to a broken marriage.

When they find themselves unable to conceive a child, a couple may try to time their intercourse with ovulation tools, such as an ovulation thermometer etc. and may try different positions, some of which may be fairly uncomfortable. They may also end up having intercourse more often than desired. In order to prevent sperm from leaking out of the vagina, a woman may also find herself lying in an awkward supine position after intercourse. A combination of all these factors makes the act a chore and with time can lead to a loss of libido.

Infertility can also trigger anger against life for having been treated unfairly or towards other parents. This may also be displaced towards their family and friends leading to situations where they feel ostracized and unsupported.

When dealing with infertility, it is important to understand that neither partner is to blame. Infertility is a physiological condition and can be treated in most cases. It is important for both partners to support each other during this process and if need be consult a counselor. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!