Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis are both conditions that affect women of reproductive age. While it is possible to get pregnant with either diagnosis, both conditions can impact fertility — in addition to the person’s quality of life.  We spoke with Dr. Shahab Minassian of Main Line Fertility, a renowned expert in the relationship between infertility and PCOS, to help us delve into this topic and unpack what each diagnosis ultimately means for women and their fertility.  What's the difference between PCOS and endometriosis? The simplest explanation: PCOS is a metabolic disorder, and endometriosis is...

What’s for breakfast? Or lunch? Or dinner? Those are probably just some of the questions you sit with when deciding what to eat when you’re trying to conceive. Like every fertility journey, every mealtime is unique and meant to support your body, lifestyle, and dietary needs.   Rather than depriving yourself of all of the good things that make your meals fun, try thinking of nutrition as a way to learn how to have all of your favorites in the right pairings. In this article, we’re focusing specifically on how protein can fold into your everyday meals....

You’ve almost certainly heard the term “autoimmune” a lot recently. It may seem like a health buzzword that gets traction on social media — and in some ways, the term is being treated as such. But autoimmune issues represent a range of genuine health issues that affect many people in very serious ways.  If you feel like many people you’ve encountered recently are suffering from some sort of autoimmune condition, it’s not in your head. According to Stella Bard, MD, a board-certified rheumatologist, autoimmune conditions are on the rise among women. Here’s what you need to...

We've all been there before: maybe you've felt a little bit off, perhaps even with a fever and some flu-like symptoms. If you've experienced this while on your period, then the possibility of having toxic shock syndrome may have crossed your mind. I mean, how long are you supposed to keep a tampon in for, anyway?   What is toxic shock syndrome? Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a rare but serious condition that can happen when certain types of bacteria produce toxins that affect your body's immune response. These toxins can cause everything from a high fever...

A diagnosis of polycystic ovarian syndrome (or PCOS) can feel scary and overwhelming, particularly if you’re concerned about how PCOS will affect your reproductive future. There’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding the diagnosis, as there are still a lot of unknowns when it comes to conditions like PCOS. While there’s a consensus that the condition can lead to infertility, there’s no singular course of treatment or plan of action for those affected by PCOS. That’s because even though PCOS is very common — according to the Cleveland Clinic, it affects up to 15 percent of women...

We know that our fertility relies on so much more than just the health of our reproductive organs. Our bodies are complex systems in which individual parts rarely work on their own. For instance, gut health can have monumental effects on different body parts and functions.  In fact, the gut’s microbiome has various effects on the intestines, which influence distant organs and pathways. According to the National Library of Medicine, the microbiota even affects the reproductive endocrine system by interacting with a woman’s estrogen levels, androgens, insulin, and other hormones.  An imbalance in the gut’s microbiome...

In the realm of fertility and the pursuit of building a family, the journey can often be filled with twists and turns. However, amidst the search for effective solutions, a newfound ally has emerged, offering renewed hope to those seeking to conceive: Dehydroepiandrosterone, also known as DHEA.  What is DHEA?  DHEA, short for dehydroepiandrosterone, is a precursor hormone that’s naturally produced by your adrenal glands. A precursor hormone serves as the building blocks for other, specific hormones —  in this case, estrogen and testosterone.  DHEA is considered an androgen, a class of hormones that are primarily...

One night at dinner, a conversation came up with my 13-year-old son that reminded me of a moment I had when I was just a little younger than he is now.  I was almost 11 — one of the oldest in my 5th-grade class — and I was your typical New England preppy: plaid skirts, boat shoes, chunky fall sweaters, and heavy straight-across bangs that always seemed to have a cowlick in the front just above my right eyebrow. I had gone into school believing it was a regular day until my class was split into...

FSH: Many of us know of it as it relates to a menstrual cycle, but what role does it play, exactly? Follicle-stimulating hormone, or FSH, is produced by the pituitary gland in the brain and not only initiates follicular recruitment during the menstrual cycle, but also promotes follicular growth, or ovarian stimulation, leading up to the releasing of an egg by the ovaries during ovulation.  In a typical fertility workup, FSH is one of the hormones evaluated to help determine a woman’s ovarian reserve or the number of eggs remaining in the ovaries.  To better break...

Sponsored by Organon. Visit fertilityjourney.com to learn more.  Photo of author and infertility patient, Jenny Cooke Malstrom. Jenny Cooke Malstrom is a licensed marriage and family therapist, infertility patient, and reproductive mental health advocate. Her online therapy practice, Sea Change Therapy, serves people in Washington and Florida. She has spent the past decade navigating infertility both personally and professionally, including: primary infertility, in vitro fertilization (IVF), miscarriage, endometriosis, secondary infertility, and recurrent pregnancy loss. She loves spending time by the water with her husband, their IVF son, and mini-Aussie puppy. This article is written from Jenny’s point of view...