Sponsored by Organon. Visit FertilityJourney.com for infertility resources and information. LGBTQ+ couples navigating family planning and fertility options may face unique questions and circumstances like, “How do we start our family planning journey?” “Are there restrictions against LGBTQ+ partners that may impede our access to care and options?” “Will my doctor understand our specific needs or have a personal bias?” Through our conversations with those in the (in)fertility community, every couple’s family planning journey and needs are different. For LGBTQ+ couples, additional considerations may be at play. Taking the first step to explore the options available...

Chances are, you’ve come across several stories about intrauterine devices (IUDs) in the news lately. One of the biggest details from Britney Spears’ conservatorship battle was the pop star’s claim that she wanted to have a baby, but she wasn’t allowed to have her IUD removed. There have also been numerous viral TikToks in the past year highlighting patients’ negative experiences with IUDs.  First of all, let’s clarify what exactly an IUD is: It’s a small, T-shaped type of birth control inserted directly into the uterus by a healthcare provider, used for the purpose of long-term...

A fertility journey can sometimes feel like being stuck in the middle of a loud rush hour traffic jam. The noise is overwhelming, but there’s nowhere else you can really go if you want to keep driving down this path.  Since we know external triggers can add to an already overwhelming season of life, we asked Nurse Suzie Devine of Binto to share some insight on how to quiet the noise. It turns out, the things that are in your control can help minimize how much things like social media (or that one family member who...

Many women will stop at nothing to support their fertility if they are ready to have a baby. From quitting their boozy girls' nights to committing to taking a prenatal vitamin regimen every day, mamas-in-waiting typically happily make appropriate changes to hopefully increase their chances of a successful cycle.  Some will take their fertility diet as far as completely giving up their beloved bread, pasta, and any other gluten-containing food, hoping that avoiding gluten will help them on their quest to make a baby.  But is going gluten-free really necessary to support your fertility, or is...

PGT-A, or preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy, is a test that can be performed on embryos to see if they have the correct number of chromosomes. These embryos, also known as “euploids,” are more likely to lead to a successful pregnancy, which makes PGT-A a useful selection technique. PGT-A involves biopsying a tiny piece of a blastocyst, freezing the embryo, and sending the biopsy to a lab to have its DNA tested. Once the results are in, the embryo is thawed and transferred to the uterus. The decision to do PGT-A is usually made before an...

For as long as I can remember, I recall seeing menstrual products portrayed on TV commercials as pristine white clouds, tested by being soaked with a clean, blue fluid.  This always seemed kind of silly to me because I grew up in a house where my mom was open about her period. As I got a little older, I expected that I would eventually start my period, too.  When I think about those commercials now, I believe they all feed back into the culture of “Let’s Sanitize Women’s Experiences,” “Your Body is Shameful and Disgusting,” or...

I managed to make it through my teens without ever having a single pimple. That’s not to say I didn’t have an awkward stage — I definitely did. But acne simply wasn’t a part of the equation.  In my twenties, I’d have the very, very occasional, short-lived zit (we’re talking, maybe …twice a year), but for the most part, acne was something I really didn’t have to think about. And then I turned 35. Right after my birthday, I started breaking out into tiny clusters of painless red bumps. They would go quickly, but they’d also...

If you’ve been on the health and wellness side of social media anytime in the past 5 years, you've likely heard of the term “adrenal fatigue." For those of us who have experienced the physical effects of burnout, it feels like a very real phenomenon, but for those who haven’t, it usually results in an eye roll.   The unpopular truth? Adrenal fatigue isn’t a real diagnosis, nor is it a legitimate medical term. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t a valid warning sign from the body and a gentle nudge to look within.  Where did the...

Have you ever heard of a loop electrosurgical excision procedure? If not, you’re not alone. While most of us are familiar with Pap smears and pelvic exams, loop electrosurgical excision procedure — commonly referred to as LEEP — is a women’s health procedure that doesn’t get a lot of press. Though it’s not a commonly discussed procedure, it’s a vitally important one that can save lives.  According to the American Congress of Obstetricians (ACOG), LEEP is a treatment to remove precancerous cells from the cervix, which can stop them from turning into cancer.  Because it’s rarely...

One of the big things that can make failed implantation even harder to process is not knowing why it failed.  Dr. Bruce Lessey, the foremost expert on BCL6, is a Reproductive Endocrinologist, Infertility Specialist, and Professor at Wake Forest Baptist Health in North Carolina. He notes that the reasons for failed implantation during IVF can range from lifestyle (think smoking or obesity) to systemic (PCOS-related) to issues with the endometrium (or the uterine lining). While many common reasons exist for failed IVF cycles, we wanted to dive deeper into the connection between endometriosis and failed implantation. ...