- The most common cause of light spotting is caused by weak blood vessels on the cervix. Other causes include polyp and hormonal causes due to lack of ovulation.
- Spotting in the mid-cycle or after IUI is quite common and is not a reason for concern.
- Spotting in early pregnancy is quite common and usually benign. Sometimes it means it is not a normal pregnancy. Unfortunately, nothing can be done to save an early pregnancy that is destined to miscarry. Almost all of these are caused by chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus.
Whether or not you are experiencing infertility depends on your age and the amount of time you have been trying to conceive through unprotected intercourse. Women under 35 who have been unable to conceive after one year of unprotected intercourse, women over 35 who have been unable to conceive after 6 months, women age 40+, and men with low sperm counts are advised to speak with a fertility specialist as soon as possible. A fertility consultation will bring piece-of-mind and a structured plan to remedy any concerns you may have.
This is a common concern of fertility patients but this is normal and does not affect fertility. Most of the discharge is composed of vaginal secretions rather than semen.
It’s often easier said than done, but it is important to remain hopeful. There are a number of fertility treatments available today that present options for even the rarest of infertility cases.
Our technologies are more accurate and innovative than ever before. We regularly diagnose and treat complicated cases. Our fertility laboratory features many of the brightest minds in reproductive medicine – including scientists, Ph.D.’s, embryologists, and lab technicians who focus exclusively on ways to improve embryo development and success rates.
Without a doubt, the very first step is to meet with a NewLife Fertility Doctor. During your hour-long appointment, we will begin the process of evaluating the factors that could be affecting your fertility health.
As a general rule of thumb, if you’re within the time frame that your age specifies for infertility, you might plan on visiting your OBGYN for a checkup. If it’s been over one year without success, or if you are over the age of 35, a fertility specialist may be able to better serve you.
If you fit into the umbrella definition of infertility, it is an excellent idea to meet with a fertility specialist so that you can start to explore other options. If you under the age of 35 and have been trying to conceive for one year without success, over the age of 35 and have been trying to conceive for more than 6 months, or if you or your partner are experiencing medical concerns, such as PCOS, endometriosis, low sperm count, or prior miscarriages, it is time to see a fertility specialist.
IVF is the process of growing multiple eggs, retrieving them through an out-patient procedure in our clinic, and fertilizing them in our lab to produce as many embryos as possible.
3-5 days later, the embryos are transferred back into the uterus.
Each process of IVF is called a cycle. One full cycle takes about 2.5 weeks, depending on your menstrual cycle.
Because an imprecise dosage of hormones can lead to discomfort or injury, our doctors take measures to accurately diagnose each patient and determine an appropriate dosage of hormone treatment.
Your safety and comfort is always our primary concern!
Absolutely not. It’s a question we receive often. Patients often ask if IVF will deplete their egg supply, or in some way influence their long-term fertility.
There is no connection between premature menopause and IVF.
There is no standard number of embryos that are implanted for all patients. Many factors go into the decision of how many embryos to transfer, including your age and medical history. However, in order to offer the highest chance of a safe and successful pregnancy, we always look to minimize the risk of multiple births (twins, etc), which often means implanting as few eggs as possible.
It’s important to discuss your goals with your MD. If you want a single pregnancy, the approach to your cycle may be different than if you’re planning on a large family requiring several embryo transfers. The latter may indicate a cycle that creates a larger number of embryos available for freezing and use in future cycles, while the former may require lighter stimulation, reducing the number after the cycle is complete.
Your age is a great predictor of the number of eggs that you have. Generally speaking, the older you are, the fewer eggs remain. At birth, a baby girl has 2 million eggs. 400,000 eggs remain at puberty. 100,000 remain by age 30. By age 45 or 50, that number usually drops to 0.
This is all-natural and is associated with increased rates of embryo abnormalities, miscarriage, and infertility.
Whether you want to get pregnant now or wait, it’s a good idea to know where your fertility levels stand. Data definitively shows that egg quantity and egg quality begin to gradually decrease after age thirty. Yet it’s also important to know that everyone is different. We see women who experience infertility in their twenties, as well as women who are incredibly fertile in their late thirties.
One test that can tell you where you stand is an AMH blood test, which gives an accurate count of your remaining egg supply.
Female fertility begins to decline in a woman’s late twenties, and the continued loss of eggs associated with this decline results in increased rates of miscarriage, chromosomal (genetic) abnormalities, and infertility (especially for women older than thirty-five).
Egg freezing affords a woman the opportunity to use ‘younger’ eggs whenever she decides she would like to become pregnant. This allows her to avoid the decreased fertility and increased miscarriage rates associated with advanced age. It’s an empowering opportunity to pause your biological clock so that you can choose to build your family when you are ready. There are many reasons a woman might not feel ready to become pregnant “right now” — no matter the reason, freezing your eggs preserves them so that they maintain their health and youth until you are ready to start your family.
By freezing your eggs, you greatly increase your chance of a successful pregnancy in the future. For example – if you freeze your eggs when your 32 and use them at age 42, your success rate is that of a 32-year-old.
Absolutely. Male and female partners each play a role in achieving pregnancy, and infertility can impact both sexes. Because of this, we evaluate both men and women, and we offer treatments for both male and female infertility. We offer a full range of treatment for men infertility
Overall, don’t automatically assume infertility is just a female issue. In 35% of all infertile, heterosexual couples – the male partner is either the sole cause or a contributing cause of infertility. In fact, infertility affects men and women equally. If a couple has trouble becoming pregnant, we strongly recommend that both partners be tested to ensure a comprehensive, faster diagnosis.
We offer both pre-implantation genetic screening (PGS) and pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) for those interested in genetic testing. Through PGD and PGS, patients are able to greatly reduce the risks of miscarriages, chromosomal abnormalities, and genetic disorders. Genetic testing also opens up the option of sex selection.
Our committed staff is made up of phlebotomists, administrative assistants, doctors, nurses, financial coordinators, embryologists, all working in harmony with the same mission. Our staff are more than just employees — we’re dedicated, specialized, long-term employees working with a team approach: as a patient, you will get to know not only your doctor, but your nurse, administrative assistant, and financial coordinator. You will also have an opportunity to work with our in-house acupuncturists, psychologists, and nutritionist.
At NewLife Fertility, your fertility team treats more than your reproductive system — we see and treat the whole patient.
Several factors come into play:
- Drugs are expensive and you should budget and check insurance coverage.
- As you can tell in a fertility clinic, there are many more employees than in your Doctor’s office; these include nurses, phlebotomists, ultrasonographers, receptionists and laboratory technologists. These individuals are part of the team contributing to your success.
- Laboratory standards require certain equipment and disposable supplies that are also expensive. Unfortunately, this means higher cost of treatment.
Make sure you know the plan for your treatment ahead of time.
You need a review:
- After the investigation cycle; after 3 treatment cycles if unsuccessful.
- If the treatment needs to be changed because it is not effective in achieving ovulation.
- If you have unanswered questions or concerns. If you want to change your treatment plan.
- After IVF if you are not pregnant.
- After a surgical procedure to plan further treatment.
Stress does affect all body functions including reproduction. Severe stress can prevent ovulation. Several studies showed that stress does not affect pregnancy rates with IVF.
It is helpful to try and decrease your stress level at work and at home. Yoga, meditation, acupuncture, and prayer are helpful. We also have counselors experienced in dealing with infertility and are available to see you.
Yes the more your weight is outside your optimum range the more it will adversely affect your chances. This goes for both underweight and overweight. Quick weight gain and loss can also affect ovulation and your hormone levels. Body Mass Index (BMI) is an accurate measure of weight in relation to the height measured in Kg/height in meters squared. BMI outside the normal range of 18.5-22.5 has been shown to affect the chance of pregnancy.
Age of the female partner is the single most important factor in achieving a viable pregnancy.
- It directly affects the quality and the number of eggs. There is also an increased risk of miscarriages and abnormalities with advanced maternal age.
- The ability to have a normal baby decreases gradually but significantly from 32 years of age to almost Nil at the age of 46.
- High FSH >10 on day 3 is the second most important factor, even in younger patients, if found it severely reduces the chances of pregnancy with any treatment including IVF.
Other signs of the diminished ovarian reserve include:
- A short cycle especially if the cycle was longer before, a low number of follicles seen on day 3, elevated Estrogen levels on day 3 and poor response to Gonadotropins.
- Although successful pregnancy can occur with age above 42 and or elevated FSH, the best option is to go for Donor egg IVF. Given the right donor, this procedure is highly successful.
Some patients find this option difficult to accept and counseling is mandatory in these cases.
Success with infertility treatment is defined as pregnancy per cycle. It is important to understand what are the chances of pregnancy with and without treatment to avoid frustration and disappointment.
- Pregnancy rate after one year of infertility without treatment is approximately 4% per cycle (i.e. 4 couples out of 100 per one month).
- After 2 years it drops to 2% per cycle and after 3 years it is <1% per cycle. With treatment, there are a lot of variables that affect the pregnancy rate.
- The most important variable is the age of the female partner. In general when you look at all patients using the oral medication the pregnancy rates are 8-10%/cycle.
- For Injections and IUI, it is 20% per cycle and 50% after 3 cycles.
- For IVF/ICSI it is around 50% per cycle.
- 85% of the pregnancies happen in the first 3 cycles, with 15% happening over the next 3 cycles of any particular treatment. In other words, you have to try several cycles before moving on to the next level of treatment.
Therapeutic Donor Insemination (TDI) is the use of donated sperm from a sperm bank to conceive. This is indicated in single women, gay couples, in couples that have severe sperm factor or azoospermia or if ICSI is not possible or has failed to achieve pregnancy.
- It works the same way as IUI, you need monitoring to pinpoint ovulation. You may do TDI in a natural or stimulated cycle. The chance of pregnancy is around 20% per cycle and you have to try for at least 3 cycles before moving to the next level of treatment.
- Initial testing of your blood and your partner’s blood is needed for infectious diseases. You have to order your sample on or before day 3 of the cycle.
- Also, you have to verify with the nurse or the lab that the sample has arrived in our centre by day 10 of your cycle. The risk of catching a disease from donor semen is extremely low much lower than from a blood transfusion since the donors are tested several times and their samples are frozen for 6 months before it is used to ensure, they are free of infections. Information on donors is available from a catalog and they are screened for common genetic diseases
- They also have to pass a psychological assessment before they are accepted as donors.
Everyone’s journey to parenthood is unique.
No one understands this more than NewLife Fertility, whose staff is as diverse as its community. Since 2005, our pioneering fertility center has embraced all patients, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status.
At NewLife we welcome same-sex couples and single individuals who are interested in having a child. Options include donor sperm, donor eggs with surrogacy and IVF.
We’ll be by your side every step of the way.