Medical Professionals
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What Can I Do If I Haven’t Been Able To Get Pregnant? Although pregnancy may seem like an inevitable event in a woman’s life,1 in 8 women will have difficulty conceiving. If you have been trying to conceive and have been unsuccessful, you do not need to feel like you are alone. There are many resources available to help, and discussing your concerns with your gynecologist or infertility specialist may be the first step to achieve that goal. How long do I try before visiting my doctor? A healthy fertile couple has approximately a 20% chance of achieving pregnancy per month, with a cumulative pregnancy rate of 85% over the course of a year. It is recommended for a couple to seek infertility counseling and evaluation after the course of 1 year of monthly unprotected intercourse. Since the likelihood of pregnancy success decreases with female age, for women over age 35, it is recommended to seek further evaluation after a 6 month period of attempting conception.
When I see an infertility specialist, what will happen? A reproductive endocrinologist will take a medical history of both the female and partner. This includes a review of your menstrual history, and a discussion of any corresponding medical conditions, current medications, and surgical history. In addition, a physical exam and pelvic ultrasound should be performed as part of your infertility workup. Blood testing is done to determine hormone levels that affect your ability to achieve pregnancy. Finally, a uterus and fallopian tube assessment is performed to determine if any factors exist that can impair your ability to get pregnant.
Wishing you and your “Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning, but a ‘going on’, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us. Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.”
If there is a male partner, a semen analysis to evaluate for the presence and function of normal sperm should be performed. Approximately 30-40% of couples will have an identified “male factor” that contributes to their infertility.
What are my options if I need treatment? Depending on your infertility evaluation, your physician will recommend an individualized treatment plan that increases your chances of conceiving. In some cases, a woman needs help releasing an egg (ovulating). There are medications that promote the development and release of an egg from the ovaries. Oftentimes, pelvic ultrasound examination will be carried out to monitor and determine the response of the ovaries to stimulation medications. As mentioned previously, the cause of infertility may stem from the male, and a concentrated sperm sample can be placed directly inside the uterus via an “intrauterine insemination”, thus increasing the chances of the egg and sperm meeting to fertilize. In more severe cases of infertility, including blocked fallopian tubes, severely decreased ovarian function, or severe sperm abnormalities, your physician may recommend that you undergo in-vitro fertilization to best increase your likelihood of conceiving. At the Reproductive Science Center of New Jersey, we are available to answer your fertility questions, perform a complete fertility evaluation, and present you with individualized options for conception all in a comfortable and caring setting. Our patients are made to feel like guests in our home. We are a full service fertility center experienced in all the latest technologies and look forward to help you achieve success. Reproductive Science Center of NJ has three locations, Lawrenceville, Eatontown, and Toms River. Our center offers convenient hours along with Free Phone Consultations and Free Second Opinions.
For more information call our Eatontown office number at 732-918-2500 or visit www.FertilityNJ.com.
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The County Woman Magazine
• Comprehensive Fertility Care • InVitro Fertilization (IVF) • Intrauterine Insemination • Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) • Preimplantation Genetic Testing • Egg Freezing • Donor Egg • Treatment for Recurrent Pregnancy Loss
Happy New Year
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New Year in 2022!
“We spend January 1st walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives... not potential.”
- Ellen Goodman
January/February 2022
