5 Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Infertility
Getting pregnant is a challenge for many couples trying to conceive. While there’s around a 25 to 30 percent chance per cycle that a woman will get pregnant in her 20s or 30s, that percentage decreases with age. Seeking professional help about infertility can be a stressful experience. However, if you and your partner are struggling with conception your seeing a fertility specialist can give you the best advice for your individual needs.
What’s the first line of treatment for infertility?
After your doctor diagnoses you with infertility or low chances of fertility, the first line of treatment for infertility is usually medication. Specific medications are engineered to increase the likelihood of pregnancy.
How does my lifestyle affect my fertility?
While fertility chances can weaken with age, your health conditions can help improve or lower your chances for conception. Illnesses that affect the thyroid can affect women’s fertility. Cancer, poor nutrition, and infections can affect the reproductive chances of both men and women, just as smoking, drinking alcohol and come medications. Being in good health condition prior to conception ideally helps increase chances of pregnancy.
Will surgery be involved in infertility treatment?
If your infertility involves issues with your reproductive organs, your doctor may opt to perform female fertility surgery. Surgery could be used to fix blocked or fallopian tubes so that an egg can be released and fertilized successfully.
What are the risks involved with infertility treatments?
Some fertility medications may have side effects. Fertility surgery, like most surgeries, can run the risk of infection. Fallopian surgery can increase the risk for ectopic pregnancy, a serious condition where the fertilized egg and later fetus grows outside of the uterus.
What are my chances of success with fertility treatment?
Some estimates put infertility treatment between an 85 to 90 percent success rate. Of course, it depends on the type of treatment and other variables like the patient’s health and age. For example, doctors could estimate that Intrauterine insemination or IUI (artificial insemination) could have a 20 percent chance for success while an embryo donation could have a 50 percent chance for success. Your doctor will be sure to give you a better idea of your chances of success with different treatments based on your individual needs.
Beginning your journey into fertility treatment can be overwhelming, feel complicated, and scary. Before selecting a fertility clinic, make sure you research fertility specialist near me to research infertility specialists in your area. A well-established fertility clinic will usually be more than accommodating and welcome questions about their specialists and discuss any concerns you may have. Your doctor will be able to provide options and offer you realistic advice. The right fertility specialist should be able to provide easy-to-understand information so that you are well prepared to make the best, informed decisions about growing your family.
Books and Movies That Tackle Fertility Issues
When you’re experiencing infertility, it may seem as if nobody understands what you’re going through. And while friends and even family may be very sympathetic and supportive, it can sometimes feel very lonely.
It’s incredibly important to build a strong support network around you of family and friends, even if they don’t quite understand it. At the same time, you can also find support groups in Chicago of similar women experiencing infertility. Given the size of this town, it’s not uncommon to meet other women who may be seeing a fertility specialist in Chicago or the suburbs (like at an IVF clinic in Naperville, for example) and receiving fertility treatments, possibly even at the same fertility clinic.
Infertility and undergoing fertility treatments can be exhausting, which is why finding entertainment is another good way to make yourself feel better. This list of books and movies are a great way to escape your own infertility briefly, and also relate well to the characters who may be experiencing the same thing as you.
Fiction novels about infertility
Where I Lost Her – by T. Greenwood. A New York power couple’s marriage is left fraught after years of failed infertility treatments and failed adoption, and the wife begins to find ways to mend her broken heart through the search for a lost girl in Vermont.
The Snow Child – by Eowyn Ivey. A childless older couple in Alaska happen upon a girl in the woods, seemingly made from snow, and changes their lives.
Then Came You – by Jennifer Weiner. Four separate women, two who donate eggs, one experiencing infertility who receives the eggs, and a fourth who is a stepdaughter, are thrown together in a scenario that examines what being a mother is about.
Movies about infertility
Private Life, starring Paul Giamatti and Kathryn Hahn. A stark, poignant look at what infertility means to a middle-aged couple.
What to Expect when you’re Expecting, starring Anna Kendrick, Elizabeth Banks and Jennifer Lopez. Women experience different types of fertility struggles: miscarriage, difficulty, adoption.
Maybe Baby, starring Hugh Laurie and Joely Richardson. A perfect London couple’s perfect marriage erupts when infertility enters the picture and display to what extent normally rational people would do to have a baby.
One More Shot, documentary by Maya Grobel Moskin and Noah Moskin. This film follows the husband-and-wife documentary team as they face the challenges in overcoming their infertility.
Vegas Baby, documentary by Amanda Micheli. She follows several aspiring parents with fertility problems who enter a contest from a Las Vegas doctor. The winner gets a free round of IVF treatment.
IVF as a Solution to Infertility
In vitro fertilization, or IVF, is a method of fertility treatment where eggs are removed from your ovaries and fertilized in a lab to grow into embryos. The embryos are then transferred back to your uterus to complete the pregnancy.
IVF is a viable method for people who have a difficult time conceiving naturally or for other reasons in which traditional conception cannot happen. You may be one of these people in Chicago who thinks IVF is a possible option for you, or who has been told by a fertility doctor in Chicago to consider IVF.
The good news is there are many IVF centers here in Chicago, Illinois and in the outskirts. Many of these fertility centers of Illinois can look over your medical history and your partner’s, test you both, and give you several choices regarding pregnancy. These include IVF, IUI (intrauterine insemination), egg donation, sperm donation, surrogacy, and more.
How do I find an infertility doctor near me?
The best place to start when inquiring about IVF is with your own ob/gyn. He or she will have plenty of knowledge when it comes to the best fertility doctors in Chicago or which doctors in Chicago specialize in IVF. You can also seek out the opinions of other women who are currently undergoing IVF in Chicago. These women can be found in Facebook support groups and other fertility groups, such as Shine Fertility.
How do I know if I’m a good candidate for IVF?
Once you decide on a fertility center in Illinois, the fertility doctor will examine you and your history, test you and your partner, and then make that recommendation. In some cases, your situation may be related to a condition that requires a visit to the gynecologic surgery institute. These can sometimes fix the problem and then no further treatment is required. In other cases, you might undergo a surgical procedure, and then discuss IVF to make pregnancy viable.
I have a busy schedule. Is it better to find an infertility specialist near me or one that’s better in reputation?
That all depends on your situation and your flexibility. Some of the best fertility doctors in Chicago may not be at all near your work or home. Because infertility treatments can be stressful, it may be best to decide what will reduce your stress – a doctor you feel most comfortable with or ease of access to the fertility center. Whether you work in downtown Chicago but prefer a fertility institute in Naperville, or vice versa, you’ll need to figure out what’s the best approach for you. You can also try one practice but if it becomes too difficult, then try another.
Most important is that you have a supportive network around you during this time. You can find other women going through the same treatments to talk to, and also make sure your family and close friends understand and are available for you as well.
IVF Frequently Asked Questions
What is IVF? It stands for In Vitro Fertilization, but it means a whole lot more for many women and their partners who are going through it.
Scientifically, IVF is an assisted reproductive technology in which eggs are extracted and manually fertilized with sperm in a laboratory setting. The resulting embryo is then transferred to the uterus.
IVF has created millions of successful births to couples who opted to use the technology to become pregnant. It is an option for women and men who have had trouble conceiving naturally, including older women who statistically have a more difficult time becoming pregnant. It is also a viable option for single women who are interested in becoming pregnant as well.
How does IVF work?
In most cases, women are first given fertility drugs to help stimulate egg production so that several eggs can be extracted at once to boost the chance of success. During this time, your fertility specialist will take blood samples to test hormone levels and examine your ovaries as well.
Once the eggs are ready for retrieval, the woman undergoes minor surgery to have them removed. The procedure involves the use of a needle in the pelvic cavity to remove the eggs. After retrieval, the eggs are placed in a laboratory dish along with semen from a partner or donor. In some cases, particularly in situations where fertilization chances are lower, a sperm is directly injected into an egg to encourage fertilization. Once the eggs are successfully fertilized and monitored for cell division, they are then transferred into the woman’s uterus using a catheter. This usually takes place between three to five days after fertilization.
Are there risks with IVF?
IVF has its risks the same as any other medical procedures. Some include nausea and vomiting, shortness of breath, severe stomach pain, infection to the bladder and bowel, and risk of carrying multiple pregnancies, which has its own risks.
People who choose to go through IVF should consider counseling with an IVF specialist first to decide whether it’s the right path for you. While IVF often comes with a rewarding end – a successful pregnancy – it can also have many emotional and physical, not to mention financial tolls.
How do I find an IVF clinic?
There are many doctors who specialize in infertility and IVF. Talk with your gynecologist about doctors they are familiar with and whose reputations are highly rated. Meet with a few specialists to see what their approach is and whether they seem like a good fit. While it’s tempting to go with a place that’s known to be friendly with good bedside manners, which are important, sometimes it’s best to choose a place with a high success rate because, in the end, that’s what you’re aiming for. Most importantly, when going through IVF, it’s important to have a strong support system in place. Involve your partner and your family through the process, and seek out friends or a group who understand what’s happening as well.
Fertility Treatment FAQ Answered
Fertility Treatment
What is a fertility treatment? It’s a method of helping people who are having trouble conceiving and can range greatly from surgery to fertility drugs. Fertility treatments are available to women and men and their effectiveness vary by each individual’s needs.
When should I consider a fertility treatment?
Many men and women suffer from various fertility issues that will affect their ability to become pregnant right away. If either of you are aware of any issues, you should speak with a fertility specialist. If you have also had trouble conceiving for a while, you should consider fertility treatment to help.
What type of fertility treatments are there?
There are many types of fertility treatments available, and as technology improves, so do women’s chances of becoming pregnant. Depending on your situation, your fertility treatment may be any of these: a routine surgical procedure to correct an anatomical issue, fertility drugs to encourage your ovaries to release eggs, in vitro fertilization (IVF), intrauterine insemination (IUI), embryo transfers, donor eggs or sperm, and surrogacy. The options are many, thereby allowing doctors to help you find the fertility treatment that’s most appropriate for you.
How much will fertility treatment cost?
Fertility treatments range in costs and sometimes are covered by insurance, depending on the procedure and the state in which you live. Some companies now are offering fertility treatments and egg freezing as part of the benefits package to encourage a more family-friendly, supportive work environment.
How difficult are fertility treatments?
Each situation differs from individual to individual. For some, the fertility treatments work right away, for others, it may take some time and patience. The most important thing with regard to fertility treatment is to make sure you have a strong support network. Talk to your partner or family about what you’re doing and ask for their support. Find a support group of other people who are going through the same time and feel free to speak openly about your feelings. Fertility treatments are extremely common, and there is no need to feel alone in the process. Just because you are seeking a fertility treatment doesn’t mean you are less able-bodied than anyone else to have a baby or can’t be a good parent.
Fertility Treatments: Understanding Your Options
If you’re having trouble conceiving, there are plenty of fertility treatments you can try. If you’ve been trying to get pregnant for several months without any luck, you should contact a fertility specialist. The specialist will do a thorough examination and collect your medical history to determine what’s causing your fertility issues.
How do I know if I need fertility treatments?
When you visit the fertility specialist, he or she will test you and your partner to see what the cause for the problems are. Sometimes the treatments will be just for you, or just your partner, and sometimes it’s a combination to boost the chances between the two of you.
What type of fertility treatments are there?
There are many options for fertility treatments. There are fertility drugs which regulate hormones and trigger multiple egg releases each month. Surgery is another option which can correct any gynecological problems, such as removing fibroids, remove tissue caused by endometriosis, or treat PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). In vitro fertilization (IVF) is another popular method in which eggs are removed from your ovaries, fertilized with sperm, and then the resulting embryos are transferred to your uterus. There is also intrauterine insemination (IUI), the use of donor eggs or sperm, and surrogacy. Because of the plentiful options, you and your doctor can work together to find the fertility treatments that are best for you.
How much do fertility treatments cost?
Fertility treatments range in price depending on the procedure and whether they are covered by insurance. In some states, fertility treatments are covered by insurance. Consult with your doctor to see what’s covered by your insurance and what you can afford to spend.
Will fertility treatments work for me?
The outcome for each individual varies. For some, it will work immediately, and for others it might take some time. Make sure you talk with your doctor and nurses about any concerns or questions you have,
What should I do while undergoing fertility treatments?
It’s important to build a strong support network of friends and other people who have undergone fertility treatments as well. You’ll find Facebook groups and other online networks where you can ask questions and listen to stories of others’ questions and struggles. Make sure you have supportive friends and family nearby too. It’s easy to feel alone during this time, but having that strong network will help you through some of the tougher moments.
Infertility Doesn't Discriminate
Families are made up of many different sizes and types. There are parents and children, grandchildren, grandparents, sometimes great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, far-removed cousins, even pets. In my grandchildren’s case, there are stuffed lovies. Don’t even try to suggest to them that they are not part of the family.
I get similar types of families through our doors. Naturally, all of them are people who wish to become parents one day or to grow their existing families. They come from all walks of life and backgrounds. Some are heterosexual couples. Some are same-sex couples. Some are married, others not. Some are single or widowed. Some are disabled. Some are cancer patients, hoping to plan for a future family. Some are financially well-off, others are less so.
Despite the wide range of people who come visit our offices, the overarching sentiment is the same: Love. Love for their partner and for the future child they hope to have. Love for their own parents, who they want to make into grandparents.
Of course, there is another unifying theme: struggle.
Infertility is hard. It’s a difficult realization to grasp, and the journey of fertilization can be emotionally taxing, not to mention physically. It’s a huge waiting game, one that requires a lot of patience. We try hard not to add to the struggle but just to be the scientific voice in the whole messy equation. All of our patients persevere bravely through the process.
Infertility selects at random. It doesn’t matter what your background is or where you are in your life. It doesn’t discriminate, and neither should anyone else.
Lastly, there’s one unifying trait. Desire. To be a parent. To be able to one day hold a baby in their arms, care for it, raise it, watch it grow up. The people who walk through our doors have thought this thoroughly, done the research, made the decision to go forward with the process. And it doesn’t matter what their background is – they are prepared, they are knowledgeable, and they are willing to do whatever it takes to dedicate their lives to a little human being.
These people will be good parents.
For all these reasons, I know that every one of my patients deserves to be a parent and to have that chance to give themselves fully to another human being. We support every one of our patients’ decisions to give fertility a chance, and we believe that no one, even their own bodies, should tell them otherwise.
Keeping Hope Alive: My Infertility Journey
In 2009, I married my best friend. Joe was loving, fun, a protector and my perfect match. He loved going out, being social and living in the moment. He was okay to never commit or have children. But that all changed when he met me.
One warm April day I got in a car accident. Joe was the responding officer, and he wrote me a ticket! But Officer Joe saw me in distress and panic, and offered to drive me home. Talking about where I was headed, we quickly learned that we had mutual friends at the restaurant where I worked. Let's just say these friends made this relationship happen.
Over the next few months of dating, I learned Joe had testicular cancer years ago and was already in advanced stages when he found out. He quickly had surgery and started chemotherapy a few weeks later. His family encouraged him to bank his sperm, but his doctor assured him the type of chemo he was using would not affect his fertility. Since Joe always planned to be single and never have children, there was no need to bank. But when he met me in 2005, I told him on our first date that it was my dream to have children. Needless to say, he changed his mind and wanted a child just as much as me.
Fast forward to September 2009: beautiful wedding, perfect life. We decided to start trying for a child in 2010. First month, nothing. Next month, nothing. 12 months later, nothing. We decided to get help. I scheduled an appointment with my ob/gyn and had tests conducted in November 2011 that determined I was not ovulating on time. He also wanted me to have a scan.
Concurrently, Joe's doctor wanted him to complete a sperm analysis. The office called and left a message saying that "everything looked good." During my scan, they determined I had what is called a septate uterus. Which means my uterus had tissue that divided it and that makes it difficult for an embryo to implant. My ob/gyn wanted to schedule surgery to cut the excess tissue out. Joe and I decided we needed a second opinion so we called a fertility specialist.
When we were meeting with the doctor, he turned to Joe and asked for the results of his sperm analysis. Five minutes later, a nurse retrieved our results and our world was rocked. Joe's analysis stated he had ZERO sperm. He wasn't okay. Our minds were blown to say the least. Then he asked us if we were open to adoption because we could never have children. We stood up crying in disbelief and left the office.
After doing some research and talking with my cousin who was an ob/gyn doing her fellowship in fertility, she recommended we visit a urologist and see if there was a way to "go in and get them". After seeing three different urologists over the course of four months, Joe had to start taking injections to prep for the TESE surgery in which sperm is surgically removed. Wouldn't you know in this six month span, our fertility specialist retired? Now we had to find a new one.
We were referred to Dr. Miller at the Advanced IVF Institute by many friends. They talked about everyone from the receptionists, nurses, and doctors. "They work miracles there," they said. Our first appointment with Dr. Miller was in late March of 2012. He looked over our file and said, "We are going to get you pregnant." He prepped us on the schedule of everything, including surgery to remove the septum and coordinating with the Urologist to prep Joe for surgery. Joe and I left the office that day smiling over our infertility struggle for the first time in two years.
In July of 2012, I had my surgery to remove the septum from my uterus. Everything went as planned and we were ready to proceed with ICSI, a type of in-vitro fertilization where a single sperm is injected into an egg. Over the next few months we had countless appointments with both Dr. Miller and the Urologist out of Northwestern. We had to wait for Joe to be at a certain level of testosterone in order to do surgery.
Fast forward a few months, and the doctor stated we were at the highest level he would ever be. It was time to start prepping me for my egg retrieval AND choose an anonymous donor sperm just in case Joe's surgery wasn't successful. Because we knew the TESE surgery was only a 50/50 shot, we had to have donor vials waiting after the retrieval. This was a huge obstacle as Joe was not sure how he felt about using donor sperm.
Over the next few weeks, I mulled through the cryobank checking for common traits and examining the donors’ health records. Finally, I found the perfect one! In April of 2013, my eggs were retrieved in Dr. Miller's office, while Joe was in the next room having TESE surgery.
After we both woke up, Dr. Miller informed us my retrieval was very successful and they retrieved 19 eggs. However, the Urologist did not have any good news. Joe had ZERO sperm, and they believed he may have been born infertile, so the donor sperm was used. Our worlds were rocked again! Days after the surgery, I ended up hyperstimulating and they had to cancel my transfer because of the swelling. However, the good news was we had 14 embryos fertilized. We were informed about the freezing process and discussed that many embryos would not mature normally to the freezing process at five days. We did and ended up with six viable embryos.
The following month, once again I was prepped for a transfer through hormones and many doctors’ appointment. Five days before my transfer I went in for the final check to start the progesterone shots. What the doctor and nurses told me was startling. My uterus was full of fluid and they had to once again cancel my transfer. Two weeks later, I went back to Dr. Miller and he did a quick procedure to ensure the septum wasn't growing back. It appeared that it was, so he once again scraped it out.
Unfortunately, this prolonged the next transfer. We had to wait until October to transfer our frozen embryos. We waited anxiously for the date, and began prep. Our transfer finally occurred on November 2, 2014. Two embryos survived the thaw and were implanted. I was over the moon!
Ten days later, I returned to the office for my pregnancy blood draw. I went to work that day like it was any other day. I knew my nurse usually called me around 1:30 pm with my results from the mornings' tests. At 1:32, my phone rang. It was my nurse and she didn't sound positive... She told me that I wasn't pregnant... I quickly gathered my belongings and called my principal to get me a substitute. Then I ran out of my building and got in my car sobbing and shaking. I called my husband and he assured me it was going to be okay. This just wasn't our time, but that time would come.
The next day, I returned to the clinic for more testing. Again, not pregnant. Joe and I met with Dr. Miller a week later to discuss the failed cycle. Without genetic testing, the most likely reason for implantation failure is a genetically abnormal embryo. We decided that we would try again. Before we did though, he wanted to check my uterus for scar tissue from the surgery. 4 weeks later and another quick procedure, we got the clearance to begin our next cycle. On February 16, 2015, Joe and I entered Dr. Miller's office. We laughed and talked to our nurses and they comforted us in the situation. And then they transferred 2 more embryos while I was put under.
The next ten days waiting to do my pregnancy bloodwork were the longest days of my life. Joe and I were building a house at the time, so we tried to keep ourselves busy. Then on February 26th, I entered the office for my bloodwork. I continued to work as always, but I asked my nurses not to call me until after school. Every five minutes though, I kept checking my phone. The dismissal bell rings at 3:15pm At 3:14, I saw my phone light up... the bell hadn't rung and my students were cleaning up and organizing to leave for the day, but I couldn't miss this call.
I picked up the phone and I heard Patty's voice. "Danielle." I quickly asked her to hold on... the bell rang, I said goodbye to my students and picked up the phone. "Danielle... you are pregnant!" I heard all the nurses on speakerphone yelling and praising our pregnancy and actually felt emotions from each and every one of them coming through the phone. I almost think there were as many tears of joy happening in Dr. Miller's office as I had spewing down my face!
Over the next two weeks, I went in multiple times to assure my hormone levels were rising, and they were. Finally two weeks after we initially found out we were pregnant, we had our first ultrasound to confirm pregnancy and how many embryos took. The ultrasound technician confirmed one embryo implanted, and then we heard the heartbeat for the first time!
Our sweet girl, Elia Meadow, was born in October of 2015, four weeks early. While she had to spend a week in the NICU at the hospital, she was perfectly healthy. We were so in love with our miracle girl.
We are forever grateful for the love and support we received from Dr. Miller and the members of his team. After so many years and tears, his team made our dream a reality. There were so many times we thought we had to give in to our dream of having children, but they kept our hopes alive. Our nurse, Patty, was an absolute dream to us. I truly feel that they are just as excited as Joe and I are to have our sweet little girl. We truly believe that without the help of Dr. Miller and all his staff, we would not have our miracle baby in our arms.
Keep hope in your journey, as Dr. Miller and his team did for us. You too, can share your story one day and give hope to those who are facing infertility struggles. Thank you Dr. Miller, Patty, our nurses, and all of the staff. You have made our dreams come true with our sweet girl!
-Danielle
The Fertility Diet: Can It Boost Your Fertility?
A healthy fertility diet is one of the first things I mention when couples ask about what they can do to help achieve pregnancy. For that reason, I was interested in an article USA Today published last week discussing the fertility diet. It’s a plan based on research from the Nurses’ Health Study, one of the largest and most comprehensive studies on women’s health.
For years, I have been telling my patients to follow a diet high in protein, vegetables, fruits and iron, and low in fat and carbs. The fertility diet goes into more detail, which I certainly do not disagree with.
The study detailed steps for improving fertility through changes in diet, weight and activity for women with ovulation-induced infertility.
Here is a list of the top 10 recommendations from the fertility diet:
- Avoid trans fats. Eating trans fat raises the level of your LDL (bad) cholesterol, according to the Food and Drug Administration. It’s one of the reasons the FDA has ordered food manufacturers to phase them out.Trans fats are found in fried foods (like french fries) and in baked good (like cookies and cakes).
- Consume more unsaturated vegetable oils. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated may help improve your blood cholesterol, according to the American Heart Association. Add more olive oil and canola oil to your diet, and try to consume healthy fats from foods like fish and avocados.
- Get more protein from vegetables. Instead of a serving of steak, consider a serving of lentils.
- Eat slow carbs. Choose whole grains, oatmeal and vegetables, which are not highly refined, over carbs like white bread and pasta, which can increase ovulatory infertility (meaning irregular ovulation or lack of ovulation).
- Make it whole milk. If you’re trying to get pregnant, a fertility diet consisting of whole-fat diary is the best choice. Opt for whole milk over skim, and enjoy a small dish of ice cream or full fat yogurt each day.
- Take a multivitamin. Folic acid (400 mcg) and vitamin B are essential. The CDC says folic acid helps prevent birth defects.
- Don’t neglect iron intake. Get plenty of iron, but not from red meat. During your fertility diet, eat vegetables high in iron, like spinach, and consider taking an iron supplement.
- Drink water. Skip the soda. Everything else (coffee, alcohol) in moderation.
- Get to a “fertility zone” weight. Being in the “fertility zone” means achieving a BMI of 20 to 24. Weighing too much or too little can affect your menstrual cycle.
- Be active. If you don’t exercise regularly, starting a workout plan could help your fertility. If you’re already active, be careful not to overdo it. According to Resolve, low body fat can affect ovulation and fertility.
The number one recommendation listed is for the use of trans fat to be drastically reduced and I must stress how important that is. I become especially concerned with a diet of excess fat and carbs when women have a hormonal imbalance related to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
I am somewhat surprised, however, with the recommendation of whole milk in the fertility diet, given the increased fat content. While it probably does not impact the normal female attempting fertility, it could have a negative effect on patients with PCOS. Dairy may even have a negative effect on endometriosis.
The PCOS patient may not only be impacted by the high fat in dairy but also by the sugar content as well. Women with PCOS have hyperinsulinemia (thus metformin is helpful). The high sugars can cause exaggeration of insulin output and long term, which can lead to weight gain. Glucose levels fall and have an impact on the menstrual cycle and egg quality.
Below is a list of foods to avoid in the fertility diet, because they can increase inflammation and may negatively impact endometriosis and subsequent fertility.
- Processed and packaged foods
- Sugar
- Gluten, white bread, and wheat
- Dairy products
- Meat (especially red and processed meats)
- Alcohol
- Fried foods
While this suggested fertility diet may not be the magic bullet couples are seeking, it is certainly a step in the right direction. Of course, every woman if different, so it is very important to talk to your physician regarding your diet.
In Good Health,
Dr. Chuck Miller
Hope for Pregnancy After C-Section: New Procedure May Help Secondary Infertility
Today's blog post is written by Michelle, a patient who was unable to get pregnant after having two c-sections and was diagnosed with an isthmocele. She traveled all the way from Houston to undergo an isthmocele repair procedure.
I was married in March of 2012 when I was 36 and my husband was 35. It was the first marriage for both of us and we did not want to waste any time starting a family. We were so excited to start our journey together and were blessed to be pregnant four months after our wedding. I took my first pregnancy test August 10, 2012, my 37th birthday, and it was positive! We both were elated. My dream to be a mom was actually happening. At first, all was going very well but by month 4 I was having extreme swelling. My doctor kept a close watch on me, but it seemed if there was anything gestational I got it! The worst was the gestational diabetes.
At my 32-week checkup my blood pressure was through the roof and at one point reached 190/115. I was immediately put in the hospital and diagnosed with preeclampsia. On my fourth day in the hospital, it appeared things were under control, until I took an extreme turn for the worse. I developed HELLP syndrome, a life-threatening liver disorder and a type of severe preeclampsia. It is characterized by Hemolysis (destruction of red blood cells), Elevated Liver enzymes (which indicate liver damage), and Low Platelet count. My liver and kidneys immediately started to shut down, so I was prepped for an emergency c- section. At the time of delivery, it was discovered I had a mild case of placenta accreta. Thankfully, my son was born very healthy considering coming so early. He was perfect, and I finally felt complete. I had dreamed of being a mommy all of my life.
Despite my complications, I knew without a doubt that I wanted more children. So, when my son was 8 months old we tried again. I got pregnant the first time we tried! I delivered my second son at 39 years old and had a great pregnancy with no complications. However, I had another C-section at 37 weeks and the doctor noted that my uterus was paper thin. He mentioned for baby #3 he would most likely deliver me at 36 weeks due to a thin uterus. Needless to say, we had our hands full with two beautiful boys that were just 18 months apart, so we knew we needed to wait a bit before trying.
After my second son was born, I noticed a difference in my cycles. They were very light and some months I didn't even have a period. I know that may not be uncommon for some women, but for me it was. Previously, I started my cycle like clockwork and was very specific in pattern every month. In addition to my irregularity, I was having extreme bloating, pain, pressure, and very light spotting that was dark in color and would last 7 to 10 days. The doctor told me that it was not unusual for your cycle to be different after having children. I went back two or three times with the same complaint and symptoms and was told I was fine. However, at Well Women checkups I was told that I had an unusual amount of cervical mucus. Well, that meant nothing to me at the time, but was key in diagnosing me later.
Fast forward to March 2016. We decided we were quite ready to try for baby #3 and naively thought it would be easy like the times before, but it was not. After 6 months of trying I went back to my OB because I was now 40 and concerned. After running some blood work, he referred me to an infertility specialist. The infertility specialist immediately told me that I was more than likely in menopause and then he proceeded to tell me that he thought I had cancer because of the amount of mucus in my cervix and uterus. I was devastated. It was 4:30 in the afternoon in the Houston Medical Center and I was all alone thinking I had cancer. A million things were running through my mind. I was thinking this just can't be happening. I immediately ran back to my OB that delivered my babies. After all, he saved my life on my first delivery and I absolutely adored him. He quickly did a biopsy and concluded I did not have cancer. Thank you, Jesus! But then we were left to figure out what was going on with the fluid in my uterus and my other symptoms. I continued to see the infertility specialist. We tried test after test and biopsy after biopsy. I even had surgery to remove "scar tissue" from my uterus. I had my tubes flushed, but nothing was helping. In April 2017 the infertility specialist had an MRI done and consulted with some other doctors. That was the first time I had ever heard the word An isthmocele is a C-section defect that occurs when the uterus does not heal correctly from the C-section incision; a portion of the two edges do not adhere. These surfaces often times become inflamed, develop scar tissue and can lead to problems with abnormal uterine bleeding, pain and infertility. I went to six doctors here in Houston, after all, this is Houston with one the best medical centers in the world. Only one of the doctors had performed the surgery one time. I was not comfortable with being patient number 2 so I set out to do my own research and that is how I found Dr. Charles Miller. I called his office and spoke with his nurse, Kate. She immediately knew what an Ismothcele was and set up a phone consultation with Dr. Miller for May 22nd. Dr. Miller was very knowledge and immediately put my mind at ease. He set my surgery for the following week for June 1st. He performed a surgery to correct my Isthmocele and also a uterine uplift procedure to keep pressure off of the newly created incision on my uterus. He was also very encouraging that I could try for baby #3 after three months post-surgery.
He concluded that the lining of my uterus measured normal and that the fluid was not present! Dr. Miller was very caring and had an excellent bedside manner. He is an extremely busy doctor, but he makes time for his patients and never makes you feel rushed. He was so positive and encouraging for me to try for baby #3. At my age, most doctors make you feel like you need to be making arrangements for a nursing home, not a baby. Now, I understand at 42 it may be more challenging, but it means a lot that he is so positive. Also, he has an amazing staff of people in his office from Theresa who performs the ultrasounds, to Kate who initially set up my consultation, to Jennifer who scheduled my surgery. I hope to follow up soon that I am pregnant!
-Michelle