Entering the world of fertility treatments for the first time can be an overwhelming process, to say the least. In my case, dual-factor infertility led my husband and I to pursue IVF to grow our family. However, everyone’s journey is different. With so many varying paths to consider when it comes to taking care of your reproductive health, what’s important to remember is that you’re certainly not walking alone. If you’re considering your own options, here are a few tips I wish I had known before beginning IVF: 1. Realistically, how much time I would need...

I am a clinical embryologist, a position that has held the highest place of honor among the many accomplishments I have achieved throughout my career. I also know first-hand the pain, emptiness, and emotional anguish that comes from not being able to build the family you desperately want when you want it. As the person behind-the-scenes in the IVF lab, I can’t describe the profound happiness that comes from being there at the very beginning of your family. From literally choosing the genes that will become your living child and placing those resulting embryos into your...

As a Reproductive Urologist, I specialize in treating male patients who want to get their partner pregnant or preserve their fertility. Even though men are 50% of the fertility equation, the topic of male fertility is not discussed nearly enough or as thoroughly as female fertility. So, how do you know when to get your male partner's fertility tested? 5 Signs It's Time to Get Your Guy Checked 1. You’ve made the decision to try to get pregnant. When couples decide to try to conceive, it’s time for both partners to get their fertility evaluated. For the female, this...

Did you know that male fertility issues are responsible for approximately half of all cases of infertility? The good news is that often, sperm health can be improved with lifestyle changes such as regular exercise, a healthier diet, and supplement intake. Men’s prenatal supplements can also “fill in the gaps” to help support healthy sperm production, hormone health, and overall male fertility.   If you and your partner are trying to conceive, if you have received abnormal semen analysis results, or if you are going through fertility treatment such as IUI or IVF, it might be time...

Nearly three-quarters of men who are trying to conceive or thinking about starting a family have no knowledge of their sperm quality, according to a 2021 survey.  People with a menstrual cycle get a monthly message from their bodies that can alert them to any fertility “red flags.” Irregular, very light, or heavy menstrual cycles can all be signs of hormone imbalance, ovulation disorders, or endometriosis, all of which can affect a person’s chances of conceiving. People with sperm, on the other hand, get no such signals. In many cases, men don’t have a reason to...

I will never forget the day I was sitting in my therapist's office, telling her how poorly my relationship with my husband was bearing the weight of infertility. She locked eyes with me and said, “what happens if you get the baby you want so badly but your marriage doesn’t survive as a result”? My heart started pounding. I felt my all-consuming infertility anxiety screech to a halt in surprise. The reality at that moment was that I had let our struggle to conceive completely take over our lives. Everything else took a backseat to my...