Going through fertility treatments can be a particularly trying time. In addition to the sheer financial expense involved, getting fertility treatments can create a roller coaster of emotions for both partners. The cycle of hope, expectancy, disappointment, and depression can be very difficult. Because of these things, it is important that you optimize your chances of success by avoiding certain things while going through fertility treatments.

When trying to conceive through fertility treatments, it is important to keep with a balanced diet. Being overweight or underweight can severely affect your chances of conceiving. In addition, maintaining good health habits now will help you to have a healthier pregnancy once you do conceive.

You should definitely avoid alcohol when going through fertility treatments. Alcohol negatively affects sperm in a man, both in terms of sperm count and in terms of sperm motility, and can also reduce a woman’s ability to conceive. If you do conceive while going through fertility treatments but are drinking alcohol, that alcohol consumption may affect your baby at a very critical stage of development.

Smoking also may negatively impact your ability to conceive while going through fertility treatments. Nicotine, one of the main ingredients in tobacco, will affect the way that your body produces the hormones that you need to become pregnant. In addition, smoking can interfere with the movement of the egg through the fallopian tubes and on to the womb. In addition, smoking during pregnancy if you do happen to become pregnant will affect your pregnancy negatively as well.

A variety of illicit drugs can also negatively impact your fertility, and these should be avoided while going through fertility treatments as well.

To optimize your chance for conception, you should also avoid having sexual intercourse during the time leading up to your ovulation. Having sex too often can reduce a man’s sperm count, and thereby making for less of a chance that you will be able to successfully conceive.

Depending on the type of fertility treatment you are undergoing, you should check with your health care provider to identify anything else that you should avoid during your treatments.

If you are seeing a fertility expert for trouble with conceiving, there are three main tests that are usually administered to a couple. The first test is a sperm test, which will test the amount and quality of sperm in a man’s semen. The next is a hysterosalpingogram, also known as an HSG, which will test the fallopian tubes to make sure they are not blocked. Finally, is the FSH test. This test will check your FSH levels.

It is important to understand what FSH levels mean. Follicle Stimulating Hormone, which is produced in the pituitary gland, helps to promote the growth of eggs, in the case of women, and sperm, in the case of men. When Follicle Stimulating Hormone levels are too high, it generally indicates a problem with the number of eggs that a woman has on reserve. It has been estimated that only about 1% of women with high Follicle Stimulating Hormone levels will not have problems conceiving. Follicle Stimulating Hormone levels can be checked with a simple blood test. A test of Follicle Stimulating Hormone levels will produce a number. If that number is 10 or below, it is considered average. If that number is between 10 and 25, the levels of Follicle Stimulating Hormone are borderline. If that number is over 25, Follicle Stimulating Hormone are elevated, and the woman may have a great deal of difficulty conceiving.

After having your FSH levels checked, the next step is to determine a treatment plan. If you have elevated levels of FSH, it can indicate a problem with your ovarian reserve. If you do not have enough or any viable eggs, it will not be possible for you to conceive a child with your own eggs. In this case, the next step is most often very aggressive fertility treatment, including the use of donated eggs for In Vitro Fertilization (IFV).

It is also likely that, after having your FSH levels checked, your health care provider might want to do some other tests to determine whether your FSH levels are being affected by another condition, such as PCOS.

Many couples who are considering having a baby worry about having trouble getting pregnant. Some couples, after having tried to become pregnant for a couple of months, are concerned that they may be infertile. Infertility is defined as the inability to become pregnant after one year of attempting to become pregnant. Infertility is a common problem. Roughly 10 percent of women who attempt to become pregnant encounter problems with infertility.

Infertility can be caused by many factors. In about 50% of the cases, infertility is caused by a problem with the woman. In around 40% of cases, it is due to male infertility. In the remaining 10% of cases, it is a problem with both the man and the woman.

For men, the most common cause of infertility is a low sperm count. In addition to a low sperm count, some men’s sperm have problems with motility, or the ability of the sperm to swim forward. For some men, their bodies may contain antibodies that counteract their own sperm. Sometimes, there is a problem with the vas deferens, the tube that carries the sperm from the testicles into the body.

For women, there can be many different problems that can cause infertility. PID or Pelvic Inflammatory disease can lead to infertility. Some women develop antibodies to a partner’s sperm. Some women have irregular ovulation cycles. A woman may have failure of the ovaries or of the pituitary gland. Endometriosis may head to infertility. Some studies suggest that long-term use of the birth control pill may also lead to infertility. A woman may have a blockage or damage to the fallopian tubes. Several conditions involving the reproductive organs, such as fibroids, an abnormal womb shape, or congenital abnormalities may also lead to infertility.

In both men and women, several things can lead to infertility, including nutritional problems, extreme stress, exposure to heavy metals, Chlamydia, the use of some prescription and illicit drugs, and smoking.

The good news for a couple experiencing infertility is that there are a variety of treatments available that may help a couple who are trying to conceive. If you believe you are experiencing infertility, contact your health care provider and she may be able to help identify the cause of infertility and correct it.

IVF, IUI and FET all refer to a variety of Assisted Reproductive Therapy treatments, or ART treatments for short. IVF and FET are similar and related procedures, while IUI is unique.

IUI stands for Intrauterine Insemination. In this procedure, the sperm are washed, concentrated, and directly injected into the uterus of the woman. This greatly increases the number of sperm that make it into the fallopian tubes, which is where sperm can fertilize an egg. IUI can use sperm from the male partner or from a donor. IUI is not effective if the male has problems with his sperm, such as a low sperm count or abnormal sperm. IUI is often coupled with medications to help a woman ovulate, such as Clomid.

IVF refers to In Vitro Fertilization. If a woman does not have any success with IUI, she will often be a candidate for IVF. In IVF, eggs are retrieved from the woman. Sperm are then used to fertilize the eggs outside of the womb in the lab. Once the eggs are fertilized, creating embryos, the embryos will then be transferred into the uterus around three to six days after the eggs were retrieved. IVF is one of the oldest ART treatments, and has been in use for over three decades.

FET, which stands for Frozen Embryo Transfers, is, procedurally, similar to IVF. When a woman has IVF, if there are extra embryos that are available, they can be frozen. If this is the case, they can be transferred into your uterus at a later time. FET is most useful for a woman who does not get pregnant with the first cycle of IVF treatments, or with a woman who has a successful IVF pregnancy and wants to become pregnant again in the future.

IVF and FET both carry a risk of having twins or multiples. The ovulation medications that often accompany IUI also create an increased risk for twins or multiples.

PCOS, which is short for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, is a relatively common disorder that can greatly interfere with a woman’s fertility. The causes of PCOS are known entirely, but there are some things that research has been able to determine that do contribute to the risk of PCOS.

The symptoms of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome tend to appear gradually. These symptoms of PCOS can include:

- irregular or missing periods
- irregular ovulation, or anovulation
- vaginal bleeding
- loss of hair on the head, and growth of hair in other places
- oily skin and acne
- Infertility
- Repeated miscarriages
- Hyperinsulinemia, or too much insulin
- Weight gain in the upper body
- Sleep apnea or other sleeping problems
- Chronic pelvic pain
- High blood pressure.

As with many other health concerns, genetics may be an important factor in PCOS. Some research suggests that the female children of a woman with PCOS have somewhere around a 50% chance of developing PCOS themselves. Frequently, a woman who has PCOS will have a mother or a sister who also has PCOS.

Other studies suggest an important link between PCOS and a variety of hormonal changes. These can include: - Androgens. Androgens are hormones that can cause a variety of problems, such as hair appearing in odd places and acne, and it can also interfere with the process of ovulation. - Ovarian hormones. The hormones that trigger ovulation are an important part of a woman’s cycle. If these hormones are not at the correct levels, the ovaries will not relapse an egg each month and ovulation will not occur. - Insulin and blood sugar. Roughly 50% of the women who suffer from PCOS will have difficulty with the way that there body uses insulin. This is known as insulin resistance. Insulin resistance causes their blood sugar levels to grow to dangerous levels. IN some instances, this can even lead to diabetes.

PCOS cannot be cured, but it can be treated. Possible treatment options include birth control pills, diabetes medications such as Metformin (also called Glucophage), fertility medications, medicine for increased hair growth or extra male hormones, and even surgery.

FSH levels are directly affect fertility in women. If FSH levels are higher than normal, conception may be difficult or even impossible. Because of this, it is important to understand what exactly can affect FSH levels in a woman who is trying to conceive.

First, it is important to really get a grasp on what FSH is and how it affects your ability to become pregnant. FSH stands for Follicle Stimulating Hormone. FSH is a hormone produced in the pituitary gland. FSH relates to several fertility issues. In particular, FSH levels can indicate how your ovarian reserve of eggs is doing. In addition, your FSH levels can affect how your body will respond to certain types of fertility treatments.

Several things can affect FSH levels in a negative way by causing them to be elevated. PCOS, or Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, is known to cause elevated FSH levels, as is failure of the ovaries prematurely. Menopause is the most common cause of elevated ovarian levels.

There are also things that might lower levels of FSH in a woman’s body. There are some medications, such as progesterone, estrogen, testosterone, digitalis, and clomiphene that can affect FSH levels in this manner. In addition, if you have a bone scan or a thyroid scan within seven days of having your FSH levels tested, the radioactive agents from those scans may affect your FSH levels. Stress is also known to affect FSH levels by lowering them. Finally, as it affects so many other areas of life, smoking cigarettes heavily may affect your FSH levels.

In addition, your FSH levels should change regularly throughout the month. During the luteal phase, for example, your FSH levels should be between 5 and 20 IU/L. During the middle of your monthly cycle, when FSH levels are at their peak, you may have between 30-50 IU/L of FSH. For this reason, when FSH is tested for fertility issues, the test is given on the third day of menstrual bleeding so that results can consistently be interpreted and compared.

Your health care provider or fertility specialist may be able to help you determine what your FSH levels mean in your particular situation, as well as the factors that might be affecting your FSH levels.

Ovulation refers to the release of a single, mature egg is released from the ovarian follicle. During the course of a monthly cycle, the largest of the of the eggs is released into the fallopian tube. Once released, the egg can then be fertilized over the next day or so before it begins to disintegrate. If the egg should be fertilized and successfully implants, a woman becomes pregnant. If the egg is not fertilized, it is passed from the woman’s body during menstrual bleeding. This occurs about two weeks after ovulation.

Sometimes, a woman may have a monthly cycle in which no egg is released at all. This is known as an anovulatory cycle. When a woman has an anovulatory cycle, this is known as anovulation. Anovulation can in general be avoided and can typically be corrected.

Any number of things can cause anovulation or an anovulatory cycle, including:
- Breastfeeding,
- Excessive or rapid weight gain,
- Excessive or rapid weight loss,
- illness or infection,
- cessation of birth control pills,
- stress,
- strenuous exercise,
- pituitary problems,
- thyroid problems,
- PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome),
- luteal phase defects,
- primary ovarian failure,
- resistant ovary syndrome, and
- the long-term use of certain medications, particularly contraceptives.

A single anovulatory cycle is not uncommon. Should you have several anovulatory cycles, there are things that your health care provider can do to help overcome anovulation. The most important thing to do is to discover the root cause, such as one of the above list. Then, you and your health care provider can address the specific issue. He or she may also prescribe fertility drugs, such as Clomid or Pergonal can greatly increase your chances of ovulating. These drugs can also greatly increase your chance of having a twin or multiple pregnancy.

Some women choose to address anovulation through herbal means. There may be herbs that can help with helping to induce ovulation. Vitex, also known as chastetree berry is one of the most popular. Evening Primrose Oil helps with producing fertile quality cervical fluid and vitamin B6 helps to lengthen the luteal phase (the time from ovulation to menstruation). Dong Quai is another herb that purports to regulate hormones, which would also help with ovulation.

There is no known cure for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). However, there are certain treatments that are often used to address the symptoms of PCOS. They sympoms of PCOS can include irregular or missing periods, irregular ovulation, or anovulation, vaginal bleeding, loss of hair on the head, and growth of hair in other places, oily skin and acne, Infertility, Repeated miscarriages, Hyperinsulinemia, or too much insulin, Weight gain in the upper body, Sleep apnea or other sleeping problems, Chronic pelvic pain, and high blood pressure.

Some health care providers will recommend diabetic medications, such as Metformin, to help the patient with PCOS. Also known as Glucophage, this medication impacts the way that insulin regulates glucose, and it also helps to cause a decrease in the production of testosterone. This can help ovulation to return, and can also help to slow down the irregular hair growth.

Another possible treatment for PCOS, for the woman who doesn’t want to get pregnant, is birth control pills. The pill can help keep the menstrual cycle regular, and it can also reduce the levels of male hormones. Birth control pills may also help to clear acne.

Birth control pills are not always a good option, however. Many women who have PCOS only discover that they have it because they are trying to conceive. In these cases, Clomid or other fertility medications may be used to help the woman’s ovulatory cycle stabilize. These medications may help control other side effects, as well.

There are medications available that will also help with the extra male hormones present in the woman’s systems. Spironolactone is a medication that is typically used for blood pressure, but is also known to help reduce hair growth. Some research suggests that Propecia, a medication used by men to combat hair loss, can also help with unwanted hair.

There are surgical options for the woman with PCOS as well. A process known as “ovarian drilling” is sometimes used to help start ovulation. This laparoscopic procedure is fairly non-invasive, but does carry certain risks and is not a permanent solution.

When you think about the accuracy of FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) testing, you are really talking about two separate questions. First, there is the question of the accuracy of FSH testing using over-the-counter FSH testing kits. The second question relates to the accuracy of FSH testing in regard to determining whether or not you will have problems trying to conceive.

First, FSH testing using home FSH testing kits can be very accurate. If the test is done on day 3 of your cycle (which is the third day of menstrual bleeding), and the results are read in the specified time frame, FSH testing can be as much as 96% accurate at telling you whether or not you have elevated levels of FSH. In this regard, the accuracy of FSH testing tends to be very high. Having said that, there are indeed some things that can drastically affect the accuracy off FSH testing. One of the potential things that can affect the accuracy of FSH testing is the fact that levels of FSH can vary throughout the day. Another thing that can affect the accuracy of FSH testing is that, if there is a tumor in the hypothalamus, FSH testing may show low levels of FSH. In addition, being pregnant or menopausal will cause FSH testing to be inaccurate altogether. Using oral contraceptives can affect the accuracy of FSH testing, as well. Even something as simple as breastfeeding can affect the accuracy of your FSH testing.

The second issue in terms of the accuracy of FSH testing is, for the most part, cut and dried. Research suggests that as many as 99% of women who show elevated levels during FSH testing will be unable to conceive without some sort of infertility treatment. In addition, infertility treatment for women with high FSH levels tends to be very aggressive, and can most often involve the use of donor eggs. This is because the woman with high FSH levels, very likely, has very few eggs on reserve that can be fertilized.

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, also known as PCOS, can be an extremely difficult condition to have. PCOS is one of the most common causes of infertility. PCOS is caused when a hormonal imbalance causes problems with ovulation. The symptoms of PCOS tend to appear gradually. Not all women who have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome will have the same symptoms, and not all women who have the same symptoms will have them to the same degree.

The earliest symptoms of PCOS can be varied. For some women, the first symptoms of PCOS are that they are having very few or even no periods. This typically is measured by having less than 9 periods in a twelve month timeframe. Some women with PCOS will have no period whatsoever. Some will have regular periods, but may not ovulate every month, or at all. Another early symptom of PCOS can be heavy and irregular vaginal bleeding. Around one third of all women with PCOS will have some vaginal bleeding. Another early symptom can be the loss of hair on the head, and growth of hair in other places. More than two thirds of the women who have PCOS experience hair loss or hair growth in unwanted places. For some women with PCOS, oily skin and acne can be symptoms as well.

Later symptoms of PCOS that will typically develop gradually over time can include:

- Infertility. This occurs when PCOS interferes with ovulation.

- Repeated miscarriages. The high insulin levels associated with PCOS can sometimes be responsible for miscarriages.

- Hyperinsulinemia, or too much insulin. This can lead to many of the other symptoms. Signs of too much insulin can include weight gain in the upper body, skin tags, and patches of dark skin on the neck, in the genital area, or under the arm.

- Weight gain in the upper body. This weight gain would typically be concentrated in the belly, as opposed to the hips.

- Sleep apnea or other sleeping problems.

- Chronic pelvic pain.

- High blood pressure.

If you are experiencing these symptoms, you should contact your health care provider immediately. There may be treatments for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome that you can discuss.