Many couples who find it difficult to conceive a child are resorting to fertility treatments, known as Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART). One of the most popular forms of ART is in vitro fertilization, or IVF. This method allows a couple to utilize the eggs of the woman and the sperm of the man, but carries out the fertilization process outside of the woman’s body – in vitro – in a glass laboratory dish. Once the woman’s egg has been fertilized with the man’s sperm via IVF, it is implanted in the woman's uterus.

While IVF is very popular, successful outcomes are not guaranteed. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), which publishes an annual “ART Success Rate Report,” there are several factors that contribute to your success rate with in vitro fertilization. The general health of a woman and her partner will play major roles in their success with IVF, as will genetic factors. Additionally, a couple’s willingness to commit time, effort, money and emotional energy to ongoing or repeated treatment cycles will play a role. Here are some other factors that may contribute to your success with in vitro fertilization:

• For the greatest in vitro success, age matters. Scientific data shows that women who undergo IVF treatments at a younger age have a greater chance of success. If you are aged 21-35 when you seek IVF treatment, you will have the greatest chance for getting pregnant and giving birth successfully.

• Successful IVF relies on a woman’s response to fertility drugs. A woman’s body can be prepared for the IVF process with fertility drugs that help stimulate her ovaries. A woman must be monitored closely while she is taking the fertility drugs, and everyone responds to them differently.

• The quality of your eggs and his sperm is paramount. For IVF to be successful, the woman has to produce several mature eggs, and the man’s sperm must have good motility and the ability to penetrate the egg.

• The quality of your fertility clinic is important. According to the CDC, the experience and training of your fertility clinic staff and the services they provide can factor into your success. When choosing a clinic, find out which treatments they specialize in, and if they are experienced in helping patients who have your specific medical situation. You will also want to choose a clinic that has good rapport with patients and offers supportive counseling.

• Your partner may need to consult with his doctor to rule out the possibility that he has male infertility stemming from other health issues. It is important to remember that the male partner’s health is not always fully examined when a couple is exploring the underlying causes of infertility. In fact, it is estimated that nearly thirty-five percent of all cases of infertility experienced by couples during their first attempt to get pregnant result from male infertility.

To find a fertility clinic in your area click here.

Sources:

http://www.cdc.gov/ART/index.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/data_stats/index.htm

If you've changed your mind after having your tubes tied and want to conceive, you're likely deciding between a tubal reversal procedure vs. IVF treatments.  But which option is best for you?

Tubal Reversal

A tubal reversal is a surgical procedure where the where the blockage in the tubes is removed and a doctor reconnects the severed tubes.  A tubal reversal gives patients about a 70 percent overall chance of getting pregnant--about twice as high as IVF treatments. However, if the tubes were cut too short, a reversal may not be possible. If tubal reversal is successful, a woman can get pregnant as many times as she’s naturally able and not have to rely on drugs and regular procedures like IVF.

IVF

If a women does not want to undergo surgery, she may opt for IVF treatments. The best candidate for IVF after tubal ligation would be a women who is producing healthy eggs and doesn’t have fallopian tubes damaged by scar tissue. Woman older than 38 who want to get pregnant may opt for IVF since tubal reversal is not always effective in older women when it comes to conceiving. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an in vitro fertilization treatment after tubal ligation gives women about a 35 percent chance of getting pregnant. IFV is more expensive than tubal reversal, and if more than one attempt is needed, costs can really add up.

If you want to conceive again or for the first time but have had your tubes tied, consult with a fertility specialist in your area to see which option is right for you.

If you've changed your mind after having your tubes tied and want to conceive, you're likely deciding between a tubal reversal procedure vs. IVF treatments.  But which option is best for you?

Tubal Reversal

A tubal reversal is a surgical procedure where the where the blockage in the tubes is removed and a doctor reconnects the severed tubes.  A tubal reversal gives patients about a 70 percent overall chance of getting pregnant--about twice as high as IVF treatments. However, if the tubes were cut too short, a reversal may not be possible. If tubal reversal is successful, a woman can get pregnant as many times as she’s naturally able and not have to rely on drugs and regular procedures like IVF.

IVF

If a women does not want to undergo surgery, she may opt for IVF treatments. The best candidate for IVF after tubal ligation would be a women who is producing healthy eggs and doesn’t have fallopian tubes damaged by scar tissue. Woman older than 38 who want to get pregnant may opt for IVF since tubal reversal is not always effective in older women when it comes to conceiving. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an in vitro fertilization treatment after tubal ligation gives women about a 35 percent chance of getting pregnant. IFV is more expensive than tubal reversal, and if more than one attempt is needed, costs can really add up.

If you want to conceive again or for the first time but have had your tubes tied, consult with a fertility specialist in your area to find out which option is right for you.

E!'s Guiliana Rancic revealed on Monday that "through [her] attempt to get pregnant for the third time through IVF, [she] found out that [she] has early stages of breast cancer." She is just 36-years-old. She revealed the personal news to Ann Curry of the TODAY show.

It was her fertility specialist that recommended she get a mammogram, and it was through the breast screening that the cancer was discovered. Her doctor told her that he would not begin the cycle of IVF "if possibly there's a small chance that you have cancer because the hormones will accelerate the cancer," according to Rancic.

The news has drawn concern that there was some kind of connection between IVF and breast cancer. Two days later, Dr. Nancy Snyderman of the TODAY show told Curry that there is not a connection. "There's no known cause and effect," she said regarding the hormones used in IVF and birth control pills. "What we do know is that women who are older usually ask for IVF because they're having a harder time getting pregnant—and women who are older have a higher chance of getting breast cancer, so there is an age relation, but not a hormonal relation."

When trying to conceive, one’s diet usually does not make the checklist of things to consider. However, if you are struggling with fertility issues, making healthful food choices will only help you on your way to conceiving. Both you and your partner should get on board with a healthy eating plan to boost your fertility and increase your chances of becoming parents.

Tips for Women

Eat a highly nutritional, balanced diet. Be sure to get enough B9, zinc, iron and calcium, which regulate your hormones and ovulation. Having a regular cycle can help keep track of your fertile window. Sources of B9 or folic acid include leafy vegetables, egg yolks and legumes. You can find iron in red meat or spinach, lentils, beans and fortified cereals. Foods that are rich in calcium include dairy products, kale, nuts and seeds. You should eat more fiber, which you can find in whole grains, vegetables and fruits.

Tips for Men

Zinc is particularly effective in promoting the production of healthy semen. Zinc is found in oysters, kidney beans, beef, oatmeal or sole fish. Vitamin C increases sperm motility, so tell your partner to get supplements or increase his intake of papaya, bell peppers, oranges and broccoli.

Tips for Both

Avoid consuming alcohol in excess, quit smoking and limit your coffee intake to less than three cups a day. These factors may affect fertility both in men and women. Refined carbs have been linked to inflammation which may also reduce your chances of getting pregnant, so cut down on white bread, pasta or white rice. When trying to conceive, you should be in the best health possible. However, if you still don't see results after several months of healthy eating, consult a fertility specialist for help. Click here to find a specialist in your local area.

When we typically think about infertility, oftentimes we consider it mainly a women’s issue; however, in roughly 25 percent of infertile couples, it is the man who is infertile, so men should definitely also get tested.  

Luckily, stem cell research shows promise for helping men struggling with infertility. In a recent study, scientists at Japan’s Kyoto University have for the first time successfully created sperm from embryonic stem cells in mice, which were then used to produce healthy offspring. Using stem cells from mice, they were able to produce genetic precursors to sperm, which were used to fertilize mouse eggs in a lab dish. These fertilized eggs were implanted into female mice, developed normally as embryos and ultimately were born as healthy pups. Further, these pups fathered their own healthy offspring. This experiment leads researchers to be cautiously optimistic that the experiment could one day lead to an alternative treatment for infertility in men.

Stem cell research is just one of the many possible breakthroughs being explored in modern medicine today. Couples experiencing infertility issues should seek guidance from an experienced specialist to learn about the newest treatments and options available to begin their journey into parenthood. Click here to find a specialist in your local area.

Couples who are dealing with the frustration and disappointment of infertility may find new hope with recent advances in medicine that can increase many couples’ chances of finally conceiving and starting the family they’ve hoped for. Two of the most popular infertility treatments are IUI and IVF—read on to learn what these top treatments are all about.

IUI (IntraUterine Insemination)

IUI is a fairly simple treatment that is often recommended as the first treatment option after a couple has been diagnosed with fertility concerns. The idea with IUI is to help the male partner’s sperm by placing it closer to the egg, increasing the chances of the two making a connection. With IUI, your doctor will watch the development of your eggs using an ultrasound. Your doctor may recommend additional hormones to encourage your eggs to develop and your body to ovulate. Once your body is ready, the actual procedure only takes about half an hour, and involves the doctor placing the male partner’s sperm directly into the womb, where hopefully an embryo will be created and begin to develop into a healthy pregnancy.

IVF (In-Vitro Fertilization)

You’ve probably heard about IVF, the most popular fertility treatment, but may not be sure about what it actually involves. With IVF, the male partner’s sperm and the egg are joined together outside of the woman’s body, and then placed into the womb to develop into a pregnancy—this is done to take the ‘guesswork’ out of hoping egg-meets-sperm, increasing the chances of the woman becoming pregnant. To begin the IVF process, you will be prescribed hormones and other fertility medications to encourage the ovaries to produce eggs. Once the eggs are ready, the doctor will remove them and combine them with the male partner’s sperm, and then give the new embryo(s) a few days to grow and develop. Then, one, two, or more embryos (twins!) are placed back into your womb to continue to grow into healthy, normal pregnancy.

IVF and IUI are just a few of the many fertility treatment options available through modern medicine today. Couples should seek guidance from an experienced specialist to learn about the exciting new options that can help you conceive and begin building on their own dreamed-of family. Click here to find a specialist in your local area.

Many couples struggling with infertility face difficult choices when it comes to covering the costs associated with fertility treatments. Infertility treatments like IVF are covered by only about 10% of insurance companies, but new options like the infertility scholarships offered by The InterNational Council for Infertility Information Dissemination (INCIID -- pronounced “inside”) give many couples what they need to make their dream family a reality.



INCIID has arranged for a number of respected IVF clinics in the U.S. to donate their expertise and state-of-the-art facilities so that patients who do not have the financial resources may have the opportunity to build a family. The program will cover most of the basic IVF expenses.



Candidates must contact INCIID to start the process of determining eligibility for the scholarships. "Our goal," says Nancy Hemenway, INCIID Founder and Executive Director, "is to give those without insurance coverage an opportunity to fulfill their dream of becoming parents."



Visit http://www.inciid.org/index.php?page=programs to learn more.