Ray asked:


Hi,
I am 33 years old and was diagnosed with a blighted ovum in January 2007. That was my first pregnancy and finally I had to get a DC done in February. My period is irregular most of the time. But it became very regular since the DC and my doctor advised me to get blood test done on every 7th and 10th day after ovulation. I got that test done this month and my progesterone level is low (6.28) and now my Dr wants to put me on Clomid. I did some research in internet and it looks like Clomid is used for infertility treatment and for women with PCOS. I know I ovulate and I was able to conceive last time and I don’t have PCOS. Last time they did an u/s and confimred that I don’t have any problem with my ovaries. Does anyone know if Clomid is prescribed by the Drs just because of low progesterone level? Does this also help in sustaining the pregnancy once after you conceive? Any advice would be appreciated.
Thank you.
Ray

Melinda

MIKE SELVON asked:


Clinics that offer infertility IVF treatments aim to help couples who are in need of treatment for infertility. There are factors, however, that should be considered when looking into different clinics that offer in vitro fertilization and other fertility treatments.

Some of the factors will be dependent on your emotional needs and your own individual preferences. Other factors will depend on the type of procedure you need, the procedures that the clinic specialize in and the success rate that the clinic has had with such procedures.

One of the many factors that should be considered when choosing an appropriate infertility clinic is the percentage rate of live births per treatment cycle. This will tell you how successful the clinic is. Another thing to check is the rate of pregnancies that are produced by treatment at that particular clinic.

While unfortunately, not every treatment of infertility issues can end in a successful pregnancy, you will want to choose a clinic that does have a high success rate of helping couples with issues of infertility. If possible, it is always a good idea to find out how successful they are with the particular procedure that the patient will need.

One question that you should ask right away when looking to choose a clinic for infertility IVF procedures is about the independent infertility counseling that is offered there. The infertility counselor’s role is to aid couples with issues of infertility and help them deal with the range of emotions that comes with these infertility issues.

The counselors should always be able to give up-to-date information about different types of infertility treatments and also assisted reproductive treatments. The counselor will most likely be able to answer many of the questions about not only issues of infertility itself, but the procedures and treatments that the clinic offers and how high their success rates are.

Infertility issues can cause stress, feelings of anger and even guilt. Understanding that these issues affect the both of you and are probably causing stress on you both is a great start. The next step is asking questions to find an infertility IVF clinic that can suit both of your needs.

If you have the option of choosing between different clinics, then make sure that you investigate all of them. Gather as much information as you can to help you make a solid decision. Ask questions about the percentage of multiple births that are produced from procedures at that clinic. The more information that you have available to you, the less strain will be put on you and your partner when having a procedure to help you conceive.



Theresa

Pat Burns asked:


Menopause is a condition all women go through at some time in their lives. It means the cessation of the production of eggs and the cessation of the menstrual cycle. Women can undergo menopause in their thirties but generally undergo it in their early to mid fifties. It is preceded by pre-menopause or perimenopause, where the ovaries are still somewhat functional.

Menopause is generally a natural process; however there are certain medical conditions that trigger menopause earlier than normal. For example, if a woman has a hysterectomy and her ovaries are removed, she goes into sudden and immediate menopause. There is no perimenopausal phase when there is a surgical menopause.

Women who have chemotherapy or radiation therapy for cancer can have the ovaries affected enough to go into menopause. A total of 1 percent of women undergo premature ovarian failure, which involves having menopause before the age of forty. This is often due to genetic factors or due to autoimmune diseases but can be idiopathic.

A woman is considered in menopause if she hasn’t had a menstrual period for a year. The symptoms and signs of menopause, though, can appear for years before the actual time of menopause. Symptoms include decreased fertility, hot flashes, irregular periods, mood swings, sleep problems, vaginal dryness, increased fat around the midsection, thinning hair and a loss of the fullness of the breasts. The symptoms can be mild and not need any treatment or they can be so severe that treatment is necessary in order to get through it.

One can tell a person is in menopause just by tracking the symptoms a person has or the doctor can check an FSH level to decide whether or not the person is in menopause. FSH stands for follicle stimulating hormone and is a brain chemical that is normally blocked by estrogen and progesterone release from the ovaries. When the ovaries fail to produce estrogen and progesterone, the FSH level increases and above a certain value can indicate a person is in menopause. Doctors also recommend checking a thyroid stimulating hormone or TSH because low thyroid conditions are common around the time of menopause.

The treatment of menopause depends on the symptoms and how severe they are. Menopause itself doesn’t require any treatment unless a woman desires treatment. The mainstay of treatment is hormonal therapy in the form of estrogen and progesterone, which are good treatments for hot flashes. In some cases, low dose antidepressants have been found to reduce hot flashes, particularly the SSRI class of antidepressants. They can also help with the mood swings of menopause.

Neurontin, also known as gabapentin, is an anti-seizure medication that has been found to improve hot flashes. Clonidine, given as a pill or a patch is a medication used to treat high blood pressure but also reduces hot flashes in menopausal women. Bisphosphonates are often used to treat osteoporosis that is at an increased risk during and after menopause. It is commonly prescribed to women going through menopause as a preventative. Medications like Evista can also be prescribed in menopause for osteoporosis. Some women get by on vaginal estrogen cream that reduces atrophic vaginitis or vaginal dryness so common around menopause.



Sandra

Rachel I asked:


does anyone know what types of foods, vitamins, etc that a man should consume in order to improve his sperm count/motility?? we have been ttc for 8 years and found out today that we didnt concieve (again) and just trying to figure out what we can do to improve our chances.

by the way i have pcos and im on clomid so we are already doing that route.

Nathan

lisa asked:


I have two children, ages 6 (conceived in 3 months), 4 (conceived in 1 month). I miscarried our third child 5 months ago (after taking 5 months to conceive). I just tested this morning and am still not pregnant after actively trying for 5 months (temping, ovulation kits, diet). I truly feel like giving up and every month that I am not pregnant I feel worse. How do I cope and is there hope?

Renee

Dr. Eric Daiter MD asked:


Many couples face infertility. This is a very emotional obstacle to overcome. In addition to the mental strength that you’ll need to conjure, you will also need money. Some infertility treatments can be very expensive for most couples. Your intense desire to have children can make infertility treatment seem like more of a necessity than a desire in your life. Many couples who simply can’t afford the treatment that they need, will start to look elsewhere for financial help. This is where the question of insurance comes in.

Insurance coverage for couples seeking infertility treatment may be hard to come by. The first thing you need to do is contact your employer or insurance company for a copy of your insurance coverage contract. Some contracts will specifically exclude infertility treatment as covered by the policy. If not, then you may have a case to get your infertility treatment covered.

Sometimes, there will be a specific list of treatments not covered. Check to see if the actual diagnosis is excluded. Laparoscopic procedures and hysterosalpingograms can be considered diagnostic, especially if you are experiencing abdominal pain or heavy bleeding. If your insurance denies a claim for these procedures and your contract simply excludes infertility treatment, then you have a case to get the procedures covered. Keep in mind that insurance companies are only allowed to deny claims for things that are specifically excluded on the contract.

Meeting with an infertility specialist and getting the diagnostic procedures may be covered by your insurance without question. Once you have been informed of your possible causes of infertility, then a good infertility doctor will consider your insurance coverage when developing treatment recommendations. You can decide with the help of the specialist which routes to take. Do you want to go with an aggressive procedure that may cost you more up front, but can improve your chances of conceiving more quickly? Would you rather go for the cheapest options first and see if any of them work? Either way, it can be expensive and these decisions will ultimately be yours to make.

If you are denied coverage for a procedure or visit that you believe should be covered, then ask your insurance company for contractual proof in writing that the claim is justifiably not covered. If they claim that your infertility treatment or diagnosis is not medically necessary or that infertility is not an illness, then you can still fight it. Keep track of all conversations that you have with your insurance company. Communications should be in writing whenever possible. Many will try to slip through a loophole and deny coverage that you paid for. If it’s not specifically noted as a procedure that is not covered, then it often will be covered by your insurance.

Some states require insurance companies to cover infertility treatments, such as in vitro fertilization (IVF). Keep in mind that there are many exclusions to these state mandates (such as self insured companies and having less than 50 company employees with medical insurance benefits), so check your state mandates to be sure that you know the extent of your insurance coverage. Some insurance companies will ask for documentation from your doctor that you have been infertile for one or two years before they will consider infertility treatment necessary, so make sure that you are working with your doctor early on. If you are running into walls when trying to get your infertility treatment covered, then contact an attorney familiar with insurance claims to help you come up with the best solution.



Rose

Wade Robins asked:


If you have a progesterone deficiency, it can cause some uncomfortable problems and make you infertile. The levels of progesterone will rise and fall dramatically during monthly cycles. At ovulations, the levels increase rapidly. Then if fertilization does not occur, they drop back down. This sudden decline of progesterone and estrogen levels that trigger the menstrual cycle. If pregnancy occurs progesterone production increases shedding the lining of the uterus is prevented.

When progesterone levels drop while pregnant and premature, delivery can occur. Progesterone also influences the development of the breast and milk production. Progesterone protects the fetus and when we have a progesterone level that is too low we are unable to get pregnant or carry without miscarriage and problems during our pregnancy. This will lead to a deficiency of progesterone and infertility.

What Can I Do

There is a natural progesterone therapy that a woman can go through to bring the progesterone levels back up in her body. There has never been any pattern of birth defects for pregnant women who go on progesterone therapy while pregnant. Women who have high-risk pregnancy are encouraged to go through the progesterone therapy until after delivery.

If you find that, you cannot carry and have problems when you do become pregnant go see a specialist who can determine why you are having problems. They can run tests to check for different things. Many times women suffer from some kind of hormone imbalance are do not even know it. Progesterone and infertility is one of the easier ones to deal with due to the fact there does not seem to be any dangerous side effects on the mother or the baby.

If it is found that, you have a deficiency of progesterone and infertility has caused you not to be able to get pregnant then talk to your doctor about progesterone therapy. Have other levels of hormones checked to be sure there are no other underlying medical conditions that you need to be aware of. For more info see http://www.infertilitytreatmentoptions.com/Pregnancy_On_Ifertility_And_Mental_Health on Pregnancy On Ifertility And Mental Health.

Women that are prone to miscarriages or difficult pregnancies should talk to their doctors about progesterone levels and other hormone levels that may be causing problems. Progesterone is needed to facilitate implantation and to prevent rejection of the developing embryo, but the follicle may not respond to the ovum with enough progesterone.

If you think you may be pregnant do blood test for (HGC) and if you are start progesterone therapy and this will give you the hormone you need to have a successful and healthy baby.



Richard

irene_nicks asked:


We are young and healthy and have been trying for a baby for over a year now. My lab results are perfect, I ovulate regularly, husband’s sperm is very good - we have no problems at all. But, for some reason we cannot concieve. What are the next steps in the fertility treatment? To reiterate, lab results have been done and show no problem. I have been ovulating regularly - so no problems there, also.

Pamela

DOLA RAHEEM asked:


Infertility treatment has only recently started to receive the attention the subject demands, infertility is both a medical and social problem in America where it is responsible for an estimated one in every nine couples remaining childless. There could be any number of reasons for the infertility but only your doctor will be able to give you the answer to that question. It is just as important to know which partner has the problem as it is to know what the couple can do about it when they see an infertility specialist.

A full physical examination is only normally carried out when a couple have been trying to conceive for over a year and their doctor needs to assess their general state of health and discover if there is any reason for the condition.

Many older women convince themselves mentally, after listening to or reading misleading information that they are too old to conceive. The emotional and mental condition can also dictate the chances of becoming pregnant and many couples have convinced themselves so completely that they are infertile and this attitude destroys any attempts to cure the situation.

Unfortunately, there is another condition that affects women who have already had their first child but have failed to conceive again even after a full year of trying, and it is known as secondary infertility. A common problem for men experiencing infertility has to do with the sperm itself. This is often caused by high levels of oxidative stress and it creates a problem with the sperm quality. Clinical research suggests that by reducing this oxidative stress then the situation can be reversed and an improvement in the sperm quality will be seen.

Considering vitamins and minerals as an option for natural infertility treatment may be your best decision and it will do no harm while you are trying other medical procedures, the aim is to give yourself the best shot at success which begins with a healthy, nutrient-rich body. Another aspect to this is the cost, as staying healthy and improving your chances of fertility with vitamins and other supplements compared to other types of treatment, and medical procedures, is low in contrast. Another treatment that has been known to help is acupuncture by reducing the stress levels that can be associated with infertility.

If in your pursuit of fertility treatment you are denied medical cover, it is possible to appeal to your insurance company on the grounds that the fertility coverage is a legitimate and necessary medical procedure. Still, if you are unlucky with your claim then take heart because infertility treatment is tax-deductible.



Alma

chinwe o asked:


the docotor always send me for homonenal test which most of the time reports inbalance in two homones.after takeing drugs the story has not change.i have been trying to get pregnant for more than ten years now.lates result on HSG says my tubes are petnent but have fibrosis as a result of previouse instrumentation.WHAT DO THINK?IS THERE ANY TREATMENT FOR FIBROSIS

Ida