Fertility Options

You made your husband switch from those tight underwear to loose boxers and he is prevented from using the hot tub. You are taking all of the right vitamins, and even gave up your one vice, caffeine. Your months are spent waiting, waiting for the ovulation tests to tell you when to try, waiting in the weeks after to take a pregnancy test. Things are starting to get frustrating, not to mention well-meaning friends and family members that keep telling you to relax and it will happen. The reality is, one in seven couples has trouble conceiving.

The first step in your quest toward pregnancy is to make appropriate life style changes. Obviously, put down the booze and stamp out the cigarettes. Make sure your body mass index is within the normal range. Those that are significantly under or overweight may have abnormal hormone levels. If these changes do not prove effective, make an appointment with your doctor. It is recommended that those under 35 seek medical help if they have tried for a year with no results. Women over 35 should see their doctor after trying for six months. Your doctor will generally start off by administering hormone tests for you and your partner as well as a sperm test. If these don't yield clear results a hysterosalpingogram may be administered to check for blockage of the fallopian tubes. Depending on the results of the above tests, there are a variety of fertility options.

For women with endometriosis, the leading cause of infertility, a simple laproscopic surgery to laser off adhesions and remove cysts may do the trick. Surgery is also an effective option for a woman with a fallopian tube obstruction. Unlike many other fertility treatments, most insurance companies will pay for this procedure.

For financial reasons, assisted reproductive technology (ART) is generally a last resort. These include: artificial insemination, gamete intra fallopian transfer (GIFT), and in vitro fertilization (IVF). Artificial insemination is generally used for women with mild endometriosis, problems with ovulation, cervical infertility, mild male infertility, or if a donor sperm is being used. With this procedure the sperm is placed in the cervix or the uterus. GIFT and IVF have similar methods, except that GIFT requires a functioning fallopian tube. Both processes require the use of fertility drugs and extraction of eggs. Within these procedures there are a variety of options from donor eggs/sperm, to the use of a surrogate, tailored to meet an individual's needs. What ever the course of treatment, there is a light at the end of the infertility tunnel!