In order to diagnose infertility properly,  it is advisable for a couple to first see their doctor or their regular OBGYN as soon as possible. A specialist in infertility may then be recommended for them to see. A good fertility specialist is fully knowledgeable and able to explain all of the various treatments available.

Common Signs Of Infertility

• the most common sign of infertility is an irregular menstrual cycle.  Although it may be a sign of infertility it could also mean many other things

• the inability to produce sufficient sperm for conception  can be caused by men wearing too tight of jeans or tight underwear.  Heat exposure to the scrotum and testes, poor diets, lack of exercise and not drinking enough water can also contribute to infertility. The average sperm count was two hundred million just fifty years ago. Today it is twenty million.

• weight problems. Because obese women have a tendency to store more fat in their bodies the amounts of estrogen increase. This is problematic as an increase in the production of estrogen can influence ovulation and conception in a negative way

• being underweight, undernourished or not getting the proper nutrients

• amounts and frequency of drinking can reduce the chances for men of producing offspring. Men who are heavy drinkers can experience difficulties in getting and maintaining an erection, ejaculating or delayed ejaculation,reduced sexual desire and increased sexual aggression. Alcohol abuse can damage the sperm or even lower sperm count.substance abuse has also been shown to affect the sperm and sperm production.

Further Signs of Infertility

• women who drink heavily or even moderately reduce the chances of getting pregnant. The effects of alcohol consumption also increase the risk of spontaneous abortion and can cause numerous dysfunctions in ovulating

• smoking and drinking too much coffee

• the use of recreational drugs

If a couple are trying to get  pregnant and still failing, rather than giving it up to be an infertility issue they should take the necessary steps to ensure that they are having intercourse when the woman is ovulating. Ovulation kits are available allowing the woman to see exactly when she is ovulating. She can even track her body temperature.

Sometimes it’s just a simple matter of having intercourse around the right time of the month. With these things in mind you can boost your chances of getting pregnant.

It is now common medical knowledge that the root cause of   PCOS  is a hormonal imbalance.  Women with this condition don’t experience normal menstrual cycles. The ovaries appear to have small cystic structures, but when seen on an ultrasound, they appear as  polycystic.

Although the ovaries contain follicles with eggs, the follicles don’t develop and mature as they should. On average, the body is producing only one mature follicle every month and normal ovulation isn’t taking place.

Proper Diagnosis of PCOS

In order to make a proper diagnosis, your doctor will look for the presence of male hormones through a simple blood test, irregular menstrual cycles or the presence of many small follicles that would indicate PCOS. This is done with the aid of an ultrasound.

Although this condition is caused by a hormonal imbalance it is actually rooted in the problem of insulin resistance. It can be extended even further back to your master hormone: insulin.

While insulin aids in the storage of sugars in your bloodstream it also signals both your pituitary gland and reproductive system when and how many hormones to release which would include the hormones response for your monthly ovulation. Without a monthly cycle there’s a high failure rate of getting pregnant.

The good news is that PCOS can be treated with relative ease. So your chances of giving birth increase. But if it’s left untreated, your chances of ever conceiving are slim.

Treatments For PCOS

It has been found that clomid, a popular fertility drug gives women thirty-five years of age and younger a ten to fifteen percent chance of getting pregnant each month while under treatment.

If after trying for several months while on clomid and you’re not ovulating properly, your physician has other medications that he can offer to prescribe for you.  Most physicians prescribe injectable gonadotropins or the FSH hormone.

Statistics indicate that this specific treatment for PCOs works for about ninety percent of women who eventually get pregnant.  While this hormone has been shown to work really well,  you do need to know that there is a risk of multiple births. Multiple births can put the very life of a newborn at risk. Riskier too, are birth defects and eventual disabilities.

Your doctor may also recommend In Vitro Maturation (IVM) or In Vitro Fertilization (IVF).  IVM is a procedure where immature eggs are harvested  early on in a woman’s cycle. The eggs are incubated in a lab. Once they have matured, the eggs can then be used for fertilization

IVF harvests the eggs after they are already mature. The eggs are then fertilized and implanted in the woman’s uterus. These treatments also include medications that help the eggs develop.  IVM has been found to be helpful for women who do not respond to drug therapy.

There are many  excellent books on the subject of  infertility. Knowledge will give you the best chances for conceiving.

Infertility Statistics: What You Know Or May Not Know

The following are some interesting infertility statistics,

• any women don’t even know that they have a problem until they start trying to conceive
• a majority of women have been helped being treated with low technologies compared to high technologies such as IVF
• 3.8% have taken ovulation drugs
• 1.1% have received artificial insemination
• women aged 43 have a  5% chance or one in 100,000 of conceiving
• no one is collecting any data on low technology.  More data is available for high technology such as IVF
• 60% of couples are successful in becoming pregnant.
• stress can have an impact on what goes on while undergoing treatments and also in the outcome. There are many relaxation programs out there to help in coping with the fertility process
• twins and triplets have been conceived through artificial insemination
• 11.8%  of women between the ages of 15 and 44 not only have had problems in getting pregnant but they also had problems carrying to full term

Additional Infertility Statistics

• as women age the production of eggs is very low making conception even more difficult
• 15.2% of women between the ages of 35-39 have used an infertility service, 17.3% have been used by  30-34 year olds, and 2.9% services were used by 15-29 year olds. In 2002 11.9% women between the ages of 15 and 44 years of age used infertility services
• 27.4% of women are infertile by the ages of 40 and 44, 22.6% between the ages of 35 and 39 16.9% for 30 and 34 years. 11% of married women between the ages of 15 and 29.
• at age 31, the percentage of live births after undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) was about 38%, 22% by the age of 39. But after the age of 43, the percentage of live births dropped to less than 10%.
• women have also used an egg donor.  Even though IVF success was less than 10% at age 40 using the mother’s own eggs, women who used an egg donor from a much younger women had a success rate of about 45%.  It is an even higher percentage than women using their own eggs in their early 30s.

Despite the Infertility Statistics You Still Have a Good Chance of Conceiving

Despite problems of getting or staying pregnant and the infertility statistics, it  doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s impossible. A good fertility specialist will help you to understand why you are having problems conceiving.  They can’t promise that you will conceive but will explain the different treatments that are available.  You needn’t be an infertility statistic.

Supplemental Infertility Insurance

Treatments can be covered by something called Supplemental Infertility Insurance which makes the financial burden a little easier. It is easy to get from your existing insurance company and you may be surprised at just how affordable it is. Policies differ, so it really is wise to shop around. Plans covering a range of different fertility treatments can be available at a monthly premium. Insurance providers can supply you with a plan.

In-vitro fertilization (IVF) a popular infertility treatment can be very costly. One treatment alone can often cost tens of thousands of dollars. It usually takes more than one treatment for a successful pregnancy. If a couple decides on fertility medications the costs can amount to around $1,000. Assisted reproductive technology procedures can be even more costly. They can be priced at over $4,000.

Additional Treatments Covered By Infertility Insurance

• artificial insemination
• diagnostic fertility tests
• other kinds of assisted reproductive technologies
• diagnostic test procedures including laparoscopic surgery may also be included

Treatments that will work and that are not all that costly are usually covered by most infertility insurance plans. Between three and five treatments are the general number of cycles covered. The disadvantage is that these plans normally don’t cover the costs of using donor eggs or donor sperm. But that’s okay, as most couples usually find an effective treatment that is usually covered by an insurance plan.

Types of Infertility Insurance

Basically there are three different types of Infertility Insurance that are available:

• Standard Health insurance. Under this type of insurance you are required to pay a monthly premium in exchange for specific fertility coverage.

• Refund Programs.  They require that any upfront fees for fertility treatments are paid in full by you. If you do not successfully conceive,  between 70 and 100 percent of the money that you paid is reimbursed.

• Financing. The costs of infertility procedures can be covered by a loan. Again if you are unsuccessful at conceiving those loans need not be paid back in full.

Qualifications For Infertility Insurance

For some couples infertility insurance is difficult to obtain.  Because it’s different for some insurance providers there are certain qualifications that have to be met before you’re approved.

It’s usually a requirement that you already have an existing insurance policy. And you may have to be under the age of forty. Experiencing infertility problems from one to five years may also be another requirement. A couple may have to hold on usually for one year before it can be used.

In summary, if a couple has been struggling with infertility issues, then getting infertility insurance may be an option. Granted there are many variables and certain requirements that must be met but this may work in your favor.

Once they are successfully pregnant, a couple will have to have money to buy all the things needed for their new baby. Infertility insurance ensures that when couples finally do get pregnant they don’t go broke.

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How Acupuncture Works

Thin, hair like strands of sterilized needles are inserted onto specific acupressure points.  Endorphins which are inhibitors of pain are released. Neurotransmitters and neurohormones are also released, helping the body to heal itself.

By stimulating the central nervous system it helps to regulate blood pressure. The body not only feels better allowing healing to take place but the follicular and ovarian functions are also improved. Infertility experts have found that acupuncture works most effectively when utilized with traditional Chinese medicine or conventional methods of treatment.

When treating hormonal imbalances, it can be used when combined with infertility treatments. Shown to help regulate the body’s system it increases blood flow to the vital organs effectively helping to regulate hormone levels.

Acupuncture: Improving The Success Rate of InVitro Fertilization

Recognizing that acupuncture may help to improve the success rate of invitro fertilization (ivf), many fertility specialists and centers now offer it as part of their IVF treatment.  The embryo transfer process was shown to significantly improve, resulting more often in a pregnancy.

To get the best benefits it is also recommended that women receive treatments before and after an embryo transfer. Blocked tubes do not respond well yet spasmed tubes are often de-spasmed.

It is common in fertility treatments to combine acupuncture with herbs to treat the following conditions:

• polycystic ovarian syndrome (pcos)
• luteal phase defect
• irregular cycles
• repeated miscarriages
• unexplained infertility
• problems in men including those affected with sperm DNA-fragmentation

Typically before insemination, IVF or donor egg transfer, women can be treated for three to four months.  The benefits by continuing with acupuncture this way before a fertility treatment has been shown to have a healing effect.

Few Risks Involved

There are few risks involved when using acupuncture with any infertility treatment, although the incorrect use of acupuncture points could cause a miscarriage. When including acupuncture as part of fertility treatments it is always wise to choose an acupuncturist who specializes in treating infertility disorders.

If you decide to use conventional pain killers during labor it is recommended to use electro-acupuncture as it can shorten the time spent in the hospital and costs you less.

It can be a stressful process for a couple, especially for the woman when undergoing any fertility treatments. Stress levels, anxiety and depression seem to be reduced when acupuncture treatments are used.

Acupuncture and Herbal Remedies

Although, acupuncture and herbal medicines have not been known to help with conception on their own, research would indicate that the most effective infertility treatments often involve a combination of acupuncture, herbal medicine and traditional medical treatments.

You may want to consider it as part of your treatment. Whatever choice that you make good luck!

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