What is infertility?
Infertility means having difficulties conceiving when you wish to start a family. Most people conceive within a year after starting to have frequent, unprotected sex. If you’ve been trying for at least a year (or six months if you’re over 35) without success, the Mesbah OB/GYN team can help you.
Sometimes you just need help with lifestyle changes like weight loss, stress reduction, and healthy eating. Or you might benefit from timing sexual intercourse to match your most fertile time of the month.
Mesbah OB/GYN can help with these issues and also diagnose underlying problems that might be causing infertility.
It’s important to recognize that both men and women can have fertility problems, so it’s essential for both partners to undergo testing. Mesbah OB/GYN focuses on testing and treating female infertility.
How is female infertility tested?
To begin with, your provider at Mesbah OB/GYN needs to determine if you’re ovulating (releasing an egg from the ovaries) each month. Home ovulation test kits can establish your cycle, or your provider might do a blood test or an ultrasound of your ovaries.
If you seem to be ovulating normally, they may perform other tests, such as:
Hysterosalpingography
This test involves using X-rays to see if your fallopian tubes are open and eggs can pass through them freely. Your gynecologist can also detect any abnormalities inside your uterus.
Laparoscopy
A laparoscope is a tiny camera on a flexible tube. Your gynecologist inserts it into a small incision in your lower abdomen so they can look at your ovaries, fallopian tubes, and uterus. They can also see any scarring or signs of endometriosis.
How is infertility treated?
The treatment your gynecologist recommends for infertility depends on the cause of the problem, your age, and your personal preferences. Among the common forms of fertility treatment used by the Mesbah OB/GYN team are:
Medication
Medications can help with ovulation issues by regulating hormone levels. If you take fertility drugs, your chance of having multiple births like twins or triplets increases.
Surgery
Surgery is an option if you have a physical abnormality in your reproductive system. For example, your surgeon could correct an irregularly-shaped uterus, remove uterine fibroids, or clear blocked fallopian tubes.
Reproductive assistance
Reproductive assistance involves manipulating the sperm and eggs to increase the chances of pregnancy.
One option is to have intrauterine insemination, where your gynecologist places millions of sperm directly into your uterus when you’re ovulating. Another is in vitro fertilization (IVF), where your gynecologist implants an egg fertilized in a lab into your uterus.
Discovering the cause of your infertility can be an emotional process, but the Mesbah OB/GYN team will be with you at every step. To find out how they can help, call their office today or book an appointment online.