The human body is made up of several systems that work together to produce and sustain life. The function of the reproductive system is the survival of the species, and it’s driven by hormones in both men and women. A healthy body and healthy mind require balanced hormones. Many factors can have an impact on reproductive health, and hormone surges or imbalances can have an impact on mood and emotions. How does the reproductive system contribute to mental health?
The experts at the Center for Reproductive Health work with people to help them understand the role hormones can play in mental health and how the reproductive system and mental health are intertwined.

Hormonal Fluctuations in Women and Mood
From the time you hit puberty up until and including the time you go through menopause, hormone changes can wreak havoc with your emotions. Some of the hormone fluctuations women experience include:
Puberty. Not many of us can forget the intense emotions experienced during puberty while hormone surges were just beginning to affect our bodies.
Menstruation and PMS. During child-bearing years, the menstrual cycle brings with it rises and falls of estrogen, and for many women, it also brings tension, irritability, mood swings, and depression.
Pregnancy. Big changes in hormone levels during pregnancy can affect brain chemicals that affect mood known as neurotransmitters.
Post-partum period. More hormonal changes happen after a baby is born which can throw some women into a deep depression.
Perimenopause. During this phase, your egg production dwindles, which causes many women to feel emotional and irritable.
Menopause. Hormones that affect serotonin, the brain chemical that makes you feel happy, take a nosedive at this stage and can lead to feelings of sadness or anxiousness.
Throughout each of these phases in a woman’s life, overall health plays a role. Being proactive about lifestyle choices can help to balance your hormones and may make hormone-related mood swings less severe.

How Do Hormone Imbalances Happen?
When hormones are out of balance, it can affect brain chemistry and mood, which can worsen existing mental health conditions. Hormone imbalances don’t only happen to women. Shifts in testosterone levels can cause reduced muscle mass and declining libido in men.
Hormone dysregulation has a definite impact on mental health, but how do hormone imbalances happen? Poor eating habits or a sedentary lifestyle can lead to being either overweight or underweight, both of which can affect the balance of hormones in your reproductive system. Health problems such as thyroid problems and diabetes can also affect your reproductive system and your mental health. Both an underactive thyroid and an overactive thyroid can cause anxiety.
Unhealthy habits like smoking and heavy consumption of alcohol or caffeine can affect the delicate balance of hormones in the body. One of the worst causes of hormone imbalances in both men and women is chronic stress. Stress can trigger a hormone imbalance, and in return, a hormone imbalance can trigger mood swings, sleep disturbances, and more stress. Take charge of your reproductive health and overall health by working with the experts at the Center for Reproductive Health today.

There are many factors that blend together to affect reproductive health. One of the most important factors is lifestyle choices such as exercising, eating right and avoiding smoking or vaping. As important as healthy habits are, they’re not the only factors that can affect reproductive health. Culture is another factor that can contribute to the health of your reproductive system. How does culture affect reproductive health?

Cultural and Sexuality

An individual’s beliefs about sexuality are formed based on what’s taught at home and in the community, which may include the neighborhood, the school and the church. Many of the choices people make are influenced by what’s socially acceptable in their culture. While this is true for people of all ages, cultural beliefs and attitudes can have an especially big impact on adolescents and young adults.
In adolescents, behavior that may be considered risky in some cultures is acceptable in others. For example, in Western cultures, behavior that may include underage drinking and sexual activity is often considered part of growing up.
Making the choice to have unprotected sex increases the risk of unplanned pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Impulsive decisions that are made during adolescence and early adulthood can lead to long-term consequences such as damage to reproductive organs and infertility.

Access to Healthcare

Within every culture, there are various sub-cultures that may be based on differences such as ethnicity, socioeconomic status or religion. Some of these sub-cultures may not have access to adequate healthcare or family planning information and may not have a clear understanding of why routine healthcare visits are important.
People may postpone seeking medical attention for cultural reasons, even when they’re experiencing symptoms that are concerning or out of the ordinary such as pelvic pain or changes in the menstrual cycle. Not having regular gynecological exams increases the risk of not being aware of having conditions like cervical cancer or pelvic inflammatory disease.

Lack of Accurate Information

In some cultures, it’s unacceptable to speak openly about sex or to ask questions. Without accurate information, it can be difficult or impossible to make smart choices about things that can affect reproductive health on a long-term basis. When a group of people don’t have the information they need to make good decisions, those who have contracted STIs or HIV don’t seek medical care. This means their illness isn’t diagnosed or treated and the risk of illnesses that are sexually transmitted quickly spreading increases.
It’s crucial for people to have the opportunity to obtain information on sexuality without fear of stigma or being condemned by their communities. Women who are pregnant need to have access to medical care throughout their pregnancy for the sake of their own health and the health of their child.
It’s important to be proactive about your overall health and your reproductive health. To make sure your reproductive system is as healthy as possible, call one of our offices at the Center for Reproductive Health to work with our experts on maintaining good reproductive health.

About 15% of couples have trouble conceiving. Male infertility plays a role in about 50% of these cases. Sometimes it’s the man and the woman who have infertility problems and sometimes it’s just the man.

At California Center for Reproductive Health, our specialists want to help you overcome fertility problems and grow your family. It’s important to us that you understand the nature of your infertility so you can take productive steps.

Knowing the myths and facts about male infertility helps you make smart choices. Being empowered with knowledge helps you make productive lifestyle changes and accept appropriate treatments to help you get the family you desire. Plus, you won’t waste your time and resentment on factors that are insignificant. Here’s what we want you to know about male infertility.

MYTH: A man’s fertility isn’t affected by age

TRUTH: Male fertility declines with age

Men do continue to produce sperm until death, but the quality and quantity of that sperm decreases as a man ages. When a man reaches the age of 35-40, the health of his sperm starts to decline. Beginning at 39, men’s fertility declines by about 23% each year.

Fertility declines can show up as:

• Poor sperm quality, including shape and motility
• Poor sperm concentration
• Low sperm counts

These factors affect pregnancy rates, the time it takes to conceive, miscarriage risk, and the baby’s health.

While it is possible for older men to father children, it’s not easy.

MYTH: Men don’t have to change their lifestyle to improve fertility

TRUTH: A man’s lifestyle matters to his fertility

When a woman is trying to conceive, she is encouraged to eat a healthy diet, to be physically active, to stop smoking, and quit drinking. These factors can negatively affect her fertility.

A man’s lifestyle also matters to the ability to conceive. Men who smoke have decreased sperm quality, lower sperm counts, and higher numbers of abnormally shaped sperm. Smoking also negatively affects the sperm’s motility.

Diet, sleep, and stress also affect sperm health and quality. So, as part of your fertility plan, we can help you transition to a more healthy lifestyle.

MYTH: Semen analysis gives answers about your fertility

FACT: Semen analysis is one part of your fertility workup

One of the first steps in determining why you and your partner are struggling to get pregnant is a semen analysis. While this test can reveal important factors, like the basic assessment of your semen volume along with sperm count, motility, concentration, and shape. But, a semen analysis can’t tell you that you’re infertile.

Men with poor semen analysis have been able to produce a natural pregnancy. It may take slightly longer, but some research concludes that there is “no clear relationship between the probability of conception and either the proportion of motile sperm or semen volume.”

Factors in your semen analysis can be changed, too, with lifestyle changes like quitting smoking, improving your diet, or taking certain supplements.

MYTH: If a man is diagnosed with infertility, you need a sperm donor

FACT: Male infertility can often be treated successfully

We offer many treatments for male-factor infertility before recommending a sperm donor. Intrauterine insemination (IUI), is a relatively simple treatment during which a sample of a man’s sperm is inserted directly into the uterus. This gives a couple a better chance of fertilization.

In vitro fertilization, or IVF, is another option to address male-factor infertility. During this procedure, we use a sample of sperm to fertilize an egg in a lab to create an embryo.

Other possible treatments include surgery or procedures to directly retrieve sperm from the testicles.

If you’re struggling with infertility, call one of our California Center for Reproductive Health offices in Encino, Valencia, or West Hollywood, or reach out via this website. We help men and women who want to optimize their fertility.

If you’re eager to add to your family, a few lifestyle changes may support your attempts. Many factors figure into infertility, including some that are out of your control. But, certain healthy habits can help make your chance of conceiving more likely.

When you combine these healthy habits with the expert guidance and treatments provided by our team at California Center for Reproductive Health, you support your fertility and your ability to get pregnant.

Why lifestyle and healthy habits help improve fertility

Your hormone levels respond to your lifestyle. Not prioritizing sleep, being under stress, working long hours, and eating poorly can all negatively affect your fertility. Healthy habits can promote a more relaxed state, which means more balanced hormones and potentially easier conception.

A healthy, wholesome diet

A generally healthy diet includes whole grains, lean proteins, and dairy. Make that dairy full-fat, as research shows that consuming whole-milk products may discourage anovulation (the failure to release an egg each month.) Women who drank 1 cup of whole milk daily cut their risk of anovulation by more than half.

Prioritizing antioxidants from colorful, fresh fruits and vegetables and healthy fats from nuts, fatty fish, and avocados also optimizes your body.

Antioxidants help reduce inflammation caused by free radicals, which harm sperm and eggs. Healthy fats, particularly omega-3s, also reduce inflammation and protect the integrity of eggs and sperm.

You also benefit from consuming foods rich in folic acid, a B vitamin that helps protect a growing baby’s spine and brain. Leafy greens, fruits, and dried beans are good sources.

If you have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) that’s causing problems with ovulation, cut back on your carbohydrate intake. Eat 45% or fewer of your calories from foods like rice, bread, and sugars. Managing your carbs when you have PCOS helps you maintain a healthy weight, encourages fat loss, reduces insulin levels, and improves menstrual regularity.

Maintain a healthy weight because being overweight or underweight can negatively affect fertility.

As far as alcohol, an occasional glass of wine is fine, but keep alcohol intake at a moderate level.

Prioritize sleep

Insufficient sleep can negatively affect fertility. Aim for a consistent bedtime and wake-up time that allow you to get about 8 hours of slumber per night. Adopt healthy sleep hygiene rituals such as:

• A bedtime ritual to help you wind down
• Minimal screen time before bed
• A cool, dark room

When you get proper sleep, you balance your circadian rhythms.

Stay physically active

Moving your body keeps it healthy. A daily exercise routine helps reduce stress and strengthens your muscles. Exercising too much, like several hours per day or training for a long endurance event, can interfere with fertility. Talk to us about what is a reasonable level for you.

Quit smoking

It should go without saying that if you’re trying to conceive, quit the tobacco. We can help.

If you still struggle to conceive even when following a healthy lifestyle, don’t hesitate to reach out to our office. We offer some of the most cutting-edge fertility treatments to help you expand your family.

Call one of our California Center for Reproductive Health offices in Encino, Valencia, or West Hollywood, or reach out via this website. Our doctors and staff can offer guidance about adopting these healthy habits and help you achieve your goal of a healthy pregnancy.

If you’re among the 11% of women who are struggling with infertility, assisted reproductive technology (ART) may be the best way to help you achieve your family goals.

Egg donation means a fertile woman with healthy eggs donates an oocyte (egg) to a woman struggling with infertility. The recipient has an otherwise healthy reproductive system, but can’t can’t get pregnant because she has too few eggs or has a genetic disorder that she doesn’t want to pass on to her baby.

Egg donation offers a chance for pregnancy to couples who may have been trying to get pregnant for years and have undergone other ART, including in vitro fertilization. At California Center for Reproductive Health, our egg donation program can dramatically increase the likelihood that a woman will conceive.

Egg donation is fully regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. We vet donors to ensure a smooth and safe process for both the women donating eggs and those receiving them.

The process of egg donation requires many steps. Here are some facts about egg donation that you may not know.

Eggs are not sold

Women donate their eggs, just like they would any tissue. It is illegal to sell organs or tissue in the United States. The FDA regulates egg donation, and we follow strict protocols.

You don’t have to know your egg donor

While it is possible for a woman to donate eggs to a sibling or friend in need, we have a bank of donors who may be just right for you. These donors undergo a very careful selection process so they fully understand the process and can ensure our recipients that they are healthy.

Choosing an anonymous egg donor can also remove complications that arise when you’re familiar with the egg donor. We take care of all the legal issues and set the boundaries. You won’t have to worry about who the child resembles or who they are related to; those factors can complicate relationships with all the parties involved.

It’s important to do your research

Although egg donation is carefully regulated, there are still scammers out there. Carry out egg donation only with a trusted, reputable practice, like California Center for Reproductive Health.

Egg donors pass strict screenings

We carefully vet our donors to make sure they are physically healthy, have no mental health issues, don’t use drugs, and aren’t carrying specific genetic conditions that could be passed on to your baby.

There are limits on how many times a woman can donate eggs

Women can only donate their eggs for six cycles. It’s very unusual for a woman to reach this number, as most complete just one or two donor cycles.

This restriction helps protect the health of all involved in the donation process.

Egg donation can take weeks or months

Egg donors are screened first. This may take several weeks. Then, they wait to be selected for donation. Expect it to take another 1-2 months to draw up the legal contract and for the updated screenings and donor cycle to be completed.

Egg donation is a remarkable process that gives many parents the chance to grow their families when faced with infertility.

If you’re interested in becoming an egg donor or in exploring egg donation to help you conceive, contact our experienced, knowledgeable team at California Center for Reproductive Health. Our doctors and staff have your best interests in mind and want to do everything possible to help you achieve the dream of a healthy, successful pregnancy.

When you’re trying to conceive, it seems like everyone around you is having absolutely no problem getting pregnant. But, in reality 12-15% of couples are unable to conceive even after having unprotected sex for one year. After two years of trying, 10% of couples still struggle with adding to their family.

Knowing you’re not alone can be comforting, but it doesn’t take away the emotional impact of infertility. Whether you’re just beginning your fertility workup at California Center for Reproductive Health or are undergoing treatment, we recognize that the entire process can be stressful, emotional, and scary.

There are times you’ll feel lifted up by encouraging news and other times where disappointment takes hold. You may wonder why this is happening to you and feel overwhelmed by frustration and helplessness.

Here are some tips about how to manage the emotional rollercoaster of infertility. And, if you need help, please reach out. Our staff can recommend trusted providers in the area who can offer counseling and support as you go through infertility evaluations and treatments.

Remain hopeful

A large number of couples ultimately go on to have a healthy child after fertility treatment. At California Center for Reproductive Health, we offer the most advanced infertility treatments and assisted reproductive technology. You are in great hands with our team of specialists.

Accept grief

A diagnosis of infertility can feel devastating. Women who experience miscarriage or unsuccessful cycles rightfully feel loss and hopelessness. We can help you find a therapist to cope with loss and grief. Understand that your feelings are valid and that you may need time to process.

Educate yourself

Give yourself the power of knowledge. Once you know your diagnosis, learn as much as you can about it. Even if you have a diagnosis of unexplained infertility (which affects 15% of infertile couples), you can still learn a lot about your situation. Make a list of questions to bring to your appointments so you can be active in your own care.

Stay connected

Failing to share your emotional experiences, especially with your partner, can make you feel isolated. Reach out to family and friends to help you get through difficult moments.

Take care of yourself

Self-care is especially important at this time. That means different things to everyone. You might journal, do yoga, or immerse yourself in a hobby. Don’t deny yourself weekend getaways or a night out every once in a while. Giving yourself a chance to have a little fun can help you and your body relax.

Of course, continue to take care of your body by eating nutritious foods, exercising in moderation, and maintaining a consistent sleep schedule. Trust that our team at California Center for Reproductive Health has your best interests in mind and wants to do everything possible to help you achieve the dream of a healthy, successful pregnancy.

We are here for you. Call one of our offices in Encino, Valencia, or West Hollywood, California, to set up an appointment. Or you can reach out via this website.

The quantity and quality of your eggs is a big factor in your ability to conceive. A person who has ovaries is born with all the eggs they’ll ever produce. Egg cells do not regenerate.

How old a woman is and her health influence how many eggs she has at a given point in time. At the California Center for Reproductive Health, we consider your egg quality and quantity when recommending specific fertility treatments.

Here’s how many eggs a woman typically has as she moves through various phases of life.

At birth

When a female baby is born, she has about 1-2 million eggs in her ovaries. As she heads toward puberty, this number of immature egg cells, known as oocytes, drops by about 11,000 each month.

At menstruation

The eggs are not fully mature until a girl begins menstruating, usually around age 12-13. At this point, a girl has about 300,000-500,000 eggs. This number decreases steeply every month. Every month, a woman loses more eggs through ovulation and menstruation.

During adulthood

A woman’s fertility peaks in her mid-20s. She has a 25-30% chance of becoming pregnant each month. As she approaches her 30s, the quality and quantity of her eggs drop notably. By age 32, a woman has just about 120,000 eggs.

Rapid decline in fertility

As a woman ages and heads toward 40, her egg quantity drops considerably. By age 37, she has just about 25,000 eggs.

At age 40

By age 40, a woman has only a 5% chance of conceiving naturally in any given ovulation cycle. It can also be harder to successfully conceive through in vitro fertilization. Using eggs donated from a younger woman can increase the success rate of fertility treatments.

Older eggs are usually less viable. This is because every month, prior to ovulation, your eggs divide. Older eggs are more likely to suffer damage during this division process and end up with abnormal chromosomes.

If a woman is able to get pregnant naturally when she’s well into her 40s, it’s likely she was one of those women born with closer to 2 million eggs, so her egg supply diminished less dramatically.

At menopause

By time a woman reaches menopause, she has fewer than 1,000 eggs. When this supply dwindles down to zero viable eggs, your ovaries quit making estrogen and you pass through menopause – the end of fertility.

Women in the United States reach menopause around age 52, on average. But, your exact menopause time depends on the number of eggs you had at birth and how quickly you lose them.

Why you lose eggs

During ovulation, your ovaries release eggs to be possibly fertilized by sperm. Each month, your body pinpoints one egg out of the approximately 1,000 released to become the dominant follicle. The other eggs in this cycle that are released, but not chosen as dominant, simply die off.

So every month, you lose about 1,000 eggs. Smoking and certain chemotherapy and radiation treatments can accelerate egg loss.

If you’re having trouble getting pregnant, talk to our team at the California Center for Reproductive Health about your ovarian reserve and your egg quality. We can offer solutions like egg donation when your egg quality and quantity aren’t up to par.

And, if you’re younger with a good egg supply, but aren’t ready to start a family quite yet, talk to us about freezing your eggs for later pregnancies.

Call one of our offices in Encino, Valencia, Alhambra, or West Hollywood, California, to set up an appointment. Or you can reach out via this website.

If you’re undergoing in vitro fertilization, PGT-A is something you should seriously consider. An advanced screening technique, PGT-A, which stands for preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy, evaluates embryos created during in vitro fertilization procedures. At the California Center for Reproductive Health, we recommend the vast majority of couples going through in vitro consider the testing.

Here’s when and why we recommend PGT-A.

About PGT-A

PGT-A screens all 23 pairs of human chromosomes in an IVF-created embryo. PGT-A is sometimes referred to as PGS, or preimplantation genetic screening. Embryos must contain the correct number of chromosomes in order to be implanted in the mother’s uterus and develop into a healthy baby.

Abnormalities can happen early on in the development of the egg, sperm, or embryo and result in the incorrect number of chromosomes. The numerical abnormalities are called aneuploidies.

One of the most common reasons that IVF fails to turn into a pregnancy is abnormal chromosome numbers.

Benefits of PGT-A

PGT-A increases the likelihood of you becoming pregnant after a transfer. It greatly reduces the risk of miscarriage due to problems with the embryo.

PGT-A also means we can implant just one single embryo with confidence, instead of implanting several with the risk of causing a pregnancy with multiples. Pregnancy with multiples is complicated and puts all of the embryos at risk of not surviving, early delivery, and possible health complications.

PGT-A also reduces the time to pregnancy because we’re able to identify a normal embryo quickly and attempt implantation into your uterus as soon as the embryo is ready.

Couples who benefit the most

Just about any couple going through IVF benefits from PGT-A. Research suggests as many as 73% of embryos created through IVF are aneuploid. Aneuploidies cause failed IVF in couples of all ages. But, aneuploidies are more common in older women. Therefore, PGT-A testing is especially valuable for women who are of advanced maternal age, defined as 37 or older.

Chromosomal abnormalities are more likely to develop as the mother ages. Chromosomal abnormalities usually make it so the embryo cannot survive or is born with a genetic disorder like Down syndrome.

We also highly recommend PGT-A for couples who have had:

• Recurrent pregnancy loss
• Failed IVF attempts
• A family history of chromosome problems
• Unexplained infertility

PGT-A is also for couples who want a confident single-embryo transfer and those who want to avoid repeated cycles of frozen embryos leading to IVF failure.

The process of PGT-A

First, our fertility specialists retrieve a woman’s eggs and fertilize them in the lab with her partner’s or a donor’s sperm. Once the embryo reaches the blastocyst stage (in 5-6 days), the embryologist biopsies a few outer cells and sends them for genetic analysis.

At the California Center for Reproductive Health, our specialists assist you in all aspects of infertility and pregnancy. If you’re pursuing in vitro fertilization, call one of our offices in Encino, Valencia, Alhambra, or West Hollywood, California, to set up an appointment. Or you can reach out via this website.

The quality and quantity of a man’s semen and the sperm within it has a major effect on whether or not a couple can conceive. At the California Center for Reproductive Health, one of the first steps in your fertility workup is a semen analysis of the male partner.

Information gleaned from a semen analysis

This test is ordered because it provides our experts with a lot of important information. Here’s just some of what they (and you) can learn from a semen analysis:

• Ejaculate volume: to determine if a man produces enough semen during ejaculation
• Sperm concentration: to determine if there is a high concentration of sperm in the semen
• Sperm vitality: to determine the percentage of live sperm in a sample
• Motility: to evaluate the ability of sperm to swim toward an egg
• Morphology: to analyze the size and shape of sperm
• pH: to determine if semen is too acidic and negatively affects fertility

Ideally, you have active sperm that each have a single round head and tail.

Semen analysis also looks at how quickly semen changes from a sticky substance to a liquid. You want your semen to turn to liquid quickly so it travels readily through the female’s reproductive tract.

If there are an abnormally high number of white blood cells in the semen sample, it could indicate an infection or inflammation that affect the ability to conceive.

Other more rare and complex issues that arise with the sperm and can be detected through advanced analysis include the presence of antisperm antibodies, abnormal sperm DNA issues, and a central hormone balance.

The process of providing a sample

A man usually masterbates to produce a sample. You’ll go to a private, comfortable room and ejaculate into a sterile container. This is the cleanest way for us to obtain a sample. You may be asked to provide more than one sample spaced out days or weeks apart because sperm counts can change from day to day.

Refrain from sexual activity for 2-7 days prior to your scheduled test. This helps ensure your sperm counts are at their highest level and that we get a good picture of semen quality.

Evaluating the results of your semen analysis

If you have abnormal results, it means you have a below-average chance of conceiving with your partner. Following semen analysis, our doctors may do additional tests to look for blockages that prevent the body from releasing sperm into the semen.

They’ll also look for infection or low testosterone levels. Your semen analysis results may also be affected by certain medications or medical conditions.

Your sperm quality may also be impacted by your use of tobacco, alcohol, illicit drugs, or some herbal medications or supplements. If these factors are affecting your sperm count, you probably don’t have a problem with your fertility. We can help you make necessary lifestyle changes to promote sperm health.

Being unable to conceive is frustrating and disheartening. The team at the California Center for Reproductive Health know this, and we do everything possible to help you understand why you’re having trouble growing your family so they can offer state-of-the-art solutions.

Call one of our offices in Encino, Valencia, Alhambra, or West Hollywood, California, to set up an appointment. Alternatively, reach out via this website.