Whether you’re trying to conceive right now, or just thinking about growing your family someday, it’s a good idea to get a grasp on your fertility. Understanding your body is an important tool when TTC, and learning more about yourself can also help you determine if you may need assisted reproductive technology (ART) at some point.For the most part, there are several high-fertility predictors that you can keep an eye out for on your own, without making an appointment with your doctor. By familiarizing yourself with these signs, you can start your pregnancy journey from a...

When it comes to infertility, there are a lot of common misconceptions. It would be impossible to list them all here, because even in today’s age of transparency around fertility issues and treatment, there are still just so many misguided ideas. But it all starts with the definition of the term itself. The word “infertility” suggests that someone is just completely lacking in the ability to be fertile — to conceive a child. So when someone hears or even receives that diagnosis, their head may go straight to “I can never get pregnant." A lot of...

No matter when pregnancy loss occurs, and no matter which word is used to define the experience, it is a crushing time for the intended parents as they navigate their grief. A pregnancy loss is usually described as either a “miscarriage” or a “stillbirth.” Although “a lot of people use these terms interchangeably,” says Dorothy Bestoyong, DO, an OB/GYN based in Orlando, Florida, “the biggest difference between [miscarriage and stillbirth] is the timeframe or gestational age at which the pregnancy loss occurs.”  The biggest similarity between miscarriage and stillbirth? Neither should ever be dismissed as a...

Another day, another Internet myth about women’s health that needs to be debunked. In our post-Roe world, where abortion and birth control access are under very real threat, it’s essential that we dispel this one. The myth in question is about Plan B — according to several people on social media, this emergency contraceptive can cause infertility. One TikTok, for example, features a creator pretending to pop multiple pills as the text overlay reads “Finding out that taking a certain amount of Plan B can make you infertile.” The TikTok is clearly a joke (the creator...

Egg freezing is not just a physically and financially demanding process. It is also an extremely emotional experience, where taking care of your mental health becomes crucial.  Egg freezing can also take on different meanings for different people. Maybe you’re freezing your eggs because you and your partner would like to grow your family someday but aren’t quite ready yet. Maybe you're freezing your eggs because you would like to start a family on your own and are thinking about exploring the donor process, or maybe you're freezing your eggs as the first step in fertility...

Ever thought about helping someone create a family? It’s a pretty amazing thing to do, and egg donation is one way to make it happen. Whether they’re a single parent, a same-sex couple, or anyone else facing challenges with conceiving, donating your eggs can be a real, meaningful way to give them a chance at parenthood. And guess what? If you enjoy the experience, you can donate more than once!  Before we get into details on how often you can donate, let’s talk about why someone would donate their eggs in the first place. What’s the...

Pregnancy loss is a traumatic time for most people, so the last thing anyone wants to hear is the word “stress” in the same sentence as “miscarriage.” At the same time, this topic warrants discussion, if anything, to avoid the spread of misinformation. While increased stress can potentially cause some health issues in pregnancy, let's be clear: Stress itself can't trigger a miscarriage. First of all, it’s always important to remember some basic facts about miscarriage, which is the loss of a pregnancy before the 20th week. According to the Mayo Clinic, about 10% to 20%...

When it comes to fertility, there are a lot of acronyms out there — from DPO (days post-ovulation) to IVF (in vitro fertilization), and so many more. But there’s one acronym that’s incredibly important, yet not often considered until people are deep into the processing of TTC (trying to conceive).  That acronym is AMH, which stands for antimullerian hormone. Essentially, this hormone is used as a marker of egg quantity. It plays a major role in overall fertility: A 2019 study dubbed AMH the most reliable indicator of ovarian reserve, and one of the most powerful...

When it comes to fertility, there are a lot of acronyms out there — from DPO (days post-ovulation) to IVF (in vitro fertilization), and so many more. But there’s one acronym that’s incredibly important, yet not often considered until people are deep into the processing of TTC (trying to conceive).  That acronym is AMH, which stands for antimullerian hormone. Essentially, this hormone is used as a marker of egg quantity. It plays a major role in overall fertility: A 2019 study dubbed AMH the most reliable indicator of ovarian reserve, and one of the most powerful...

With the rise of assisted reproductive technology (ART), egg donation is now a necessary conversation for many people looking to grow their families. There are a multitude of reasons why people choose egg donation, including, but not limited to, diminished ovarian reserve, ovarian insufficiency, the absence of ovaries due to surgery, and advanced reproductive age. Egg donation is also an option for same-sex male couples and single people who want to have children. If working with an egg donor is the right path for you, the next choice you’ll likely need to make is whether it...