Fertility

Fertility is defined as your ability to become pregnant and reproduce. While having children is a natural human process, it isn’t easy or even possible for some women. To be fertile, your body must undergo normal ovulation, and a viable sperm must be able to fertilize the egg.

If you’re infertile, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll never be able to have natural children on your own: You may simply need medical assistance or treatment to do so. If you’ve tried to get pregnant for over a year without success, or for six months if you’re 35 or older, you may need fertility treatments to conceive. Sometimes, the problem is not getting pregnant, but staying pregnant. If you’ve had several miscarriages, you may need an in-depth investigation to determine the cause of the problem before proper treatment can be prescribed.

Fertility problems can stem from many different reasons and underlying conditions. Most problems with fertility start when your body doesn’t ovulate properly. A good indication of this is irregular or nonexistent periods. Medical conditions that can lead to ovulation problems include:

• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
• Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI)
• Complex medical conditions
• Chronic steroid use to treat serious medical diseases
• Hypothyroidism
• Hyperprolactinemia (caused typically by a benign overgrowth of certain cells in the pituitary)
• Extremes of body weight (obesity and extreme weight loss as noted with eating disorders or some elite female athletes)

Other lifestyle factors and circumstances can affect your fertility, too. You may struggle to become or stay pregnant for these reasons:

• Heavy alcohol use
• Smoking (cigarettes, marijuana)
• STDs (sexually transmitted diseases)
• Stress
• High-intensity athletic training
• An older age

The team at Physicians for Women works to identify the reason behind your infertility and creates a plan to help improve your chances of pregnancy.

An infertility diagnosis isn’t hopeless. There are many advanced treatments and suggested lifestyle changes that can help boost your fertility. After thoroughly reviewing your case and finding the reasons behind your fertility problems, the team at Physicians for Women may recommend:

• Ovulation-stimulating medications
• Hormone treatments
• Surgery to correct blockages or remove endometriosis
• Stopping or reducing your alcohol use
• Stopping smoking
• Losing or gaining weight

Your plan is entirely personalized and catered to you. The team works hard with regular appointments to promote your fertility and give you the best chance of having a baby in the future.

To get started on fertility treatments guided by expert obstetricians and gynecologists, call Physicians for Women or book an appointment online today.