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How to Prepare for Fertility Treatment

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Many couples experience the disappointment of having month after month pass without being able to get pregnant. Making the decision to find out about fertility treatment takes both courage and commitment. Once you’ve made that decision, the next thing to do is to find out how to prepare for fertility treatment so you can be ready for what’s ahead. 

When you’re ready to go through fertility treatment, it’s important to work with reputable and compassionate experts in the field of assisted reproductive technologies. That’s exactly what you’ll find at the Center for Reproductive Health.

Work on Your Overall Health

Fertility treatment results in a successful pregnancy for many people, but unfortunately, it doesn’t work for everyone. There are some things you can do that may improve your chance of getting pregnant. Work toward attaining a healthy weight, since being either overweight or underweight can affect your hormone levels and may make it more difficult to get pregnant. If you’ve been leading a sedentary lifestyle, make an effort to be more active and to fit exercise into your daily routine. 

Talk to your fertility specialist to find out if you need to take prenatal vitamins or any other supplements. Some supplements such as omega 3s or DHEA are believed to improve sperm count or egg quality.

Break Bad Habits

People often have habits that have consequences on fertility and health. When you’re committed to doing whatever you can to get pregnant, it’s time to break bad habits such as smoking, drinking, or consuming too much caffeine. If you’ve been living on fast food or junk food, work on sticking to healthier food choices. Developing better habits is important for both men and women. Tobacco and caffeine can affect both eggs and sperm.

Another thing to pay attention to is your sleeping habits. Sleep is important for the regeneration of cells, and staying up late night after night can impact your fertility and your overall health.

Stress Management

To a point, stress is part of life and it’s impossible to control or prevent all forms of stress. Uncontrolled stress can take a toll on your overall health and it can interfere with the ability to conceive. There are many things you can do to help manage your stress level. What works for someone else may not work for you, but some things to try include:

  • Meditation
  • Journaling
  • Acupuncture
  • Listening to music
  • Walking
  • Aromatherapy

Talk therapy may be beneficial for reducing stress and for working through feelings of sadness and disappointment that often surround infertility. Practicing yoga can help to tone and strengthen your muscles and can also help to increase blood flow to your reproductive organs and improve your ability to relax.

Working With Your Fertility Team

There are some factors that you can’t control even with good lifestyle choices, such as your age. The chance of attaining success from fertility treatment may get lower for women over 35 or 40. If you’re younger than 35, don’t put off scheduling a consultation for fertility treatment. 

When you’re ready to consider fertility treatment, reach out to the experts at the Center for Reproductive Health. They have the knowledge and experience needed to create a treatment plan that gives you the best chance of attaining a successful pregnancy. Schedule a consultation today.

 

See Dr. Mor’s Publications

Eliran Mor, MD

Reproductive Endocrinologist located in Encino, Santa Monica, Valencia & West Hollywood, CA
Reproductive Endocrinologist located in Encino, Valencia & West Hollywood, CA Doctor Mor received his medical degree from Tel Aviv University-Sackler School of Medicine in Israel. He completed a four-year residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at New York Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn, New York. Subsequently, Dr. Mor completed a three-year fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility […]
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FAQ

What does a reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist do?

Reproductive endocrinology and Infertility is a sub-specialty of Obstetrics and Gynecology. In addition to managing medical and surgical treatment of disorders of the female reproductive tract, reproductive endocrinologist and infertility (REI) specialists undergo additional years of training to provide fertility treatments using assisted reproductive technology (ART) such as in vitro fertilization.

Reproductive endocrinologists receive board certification by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology in both Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility.

When should I see an REI specialist?

In general, patients should consider consulting with an REI specialist after one year of trying unsuccessfully to achieve pregnancy. The chance of conceiving every month is around 20%, therefore after a full year of trying approximately 15% of couples will still not have achieved a pregnancy.

However, if a woman is over the age of 35 it would be reasonable to see a fertility specialist earlier, typically after 6 months of trying.

Other candidates to seek earlier treatment are women who have irregular menses, endometriosis, fibroids, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), women who have had 2 or more miscarriages, or problems with the fallopian tubes (prior ectopic pregnancy).

What are the reasons we are having trouble conceiving?

Approximately 1/3 of the time cause for infertility is a female factor, 1/3 of the time a male factor, and the remaining 1/3 a couples’ factor.

At CCRH, we emphasize the importance of establishing a correct diagnosis. Both partners undergo a comprehensive evaluation including a medical history and physical exam.

Furthremore, the woman’s ovarian reserve is assessed with a pelvic ultrasound and a hormonal profile. A hysterosalpingogram (HSG) will confirm fallopian tube patency and the uterine cavity is free of intracavitary lesions. A semen analysis is also obtained to evaluate for concentration, motility, and morphology of the sperm.

Additional work up is then individualized to direct the best possible treatment option for each couple.

What is IVF? What is the process like?

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is the process that involves fertilization of an egg outside of a woman’s body.

The process starts with fertility drugs prescribed to help stimulate egg development. In your natural cycle, your body is only able to grow one dominant egg, but with stimulation medication we can recruit multiple eggs to continue to grow. After about 8-10 days of stimulation, the eggs are surgically retrieved and then fertilized with sperm in a specialized laboratory. Fertilized eggs are then cultured under a strictly controlled environment within specialized incubators in the IVF laboratory for 3-5 days while they develop as embryos. Finally, embryos (or an embryo) are transferred into the uterine cavity for implantation.

Should I have IVF?

Before deciding if IVF is the right choice, it’s important to sit down with an REI specialist to discuss available treatment options. For some people, other methods such as fertility drugs, intrauterine insemination (IUI) may be the best first choice treatment. At CCRH, we believe each individual couple is unique and not everyone needs IVF.

Is the IVF procedure painful?

While not painful, the fertility medications may some side effects including headaches, hot flashes, mood swings, and bloating. The injection sites may also bruise.

Will IVF guarantee a baby?

Unfortunately, no. Many people think once they start IVF it’s a matter of time that they will be pregnant and have a baby. But according to national statistics per the Society of Assisted Reproduction (SART), on average 40% of assisted reproduction cycles achieve live births in women under age 35. The chances of success then continue to decrease with advancing age.

At CCRH, we employ only evidence-based interventions to ensure patient safety and optimal outcome. While we cannot guarantee a baby, we guarantee that you will receive the best, most advanced, personalized care to help you maximize your chance of a baby.

What is the success rate for IVF?

The average IVF success rate (success measured in live birth rate) using one’s own eggs begins to drop around age 35 and then rapidly after age 40. This is due to the decline in egg quantity and egg quality as a woman ages.

Our clinic’s success rate consistently beats the national average year after year.

Do insurance plans cover infertility treatment? How much does IVF cost?

Individual insurance plans often do not have any coverage for infertility treatments. If you have a group plan, you can call members services to see if they have coverage for infertility (including consultation/workup and IVF).

After your consultation with our REI specialist, one of our dedicated account managers with sit with you to go over the cost of treatment.

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