Simply put, you should always talk to your health care provider about taking any other sorts of medications or nutritional supplements while you are on fertility drugs. It may be that there is no reason for concern, but it may also be that there are reasons that you should not take pre-natal vitamins while on fertility drugs.

Some health care providers may recommend that you do begin a regimen of pre-natal vitamins once you begin to try to conceive. The important minerals and vitamins in these pills, such as Folate and iron, are extremely important in your baby’s development and can even help your baby’s growth in the very early days just after conception. Generally speaking, there is nothing in a standard pre-natal vitamin that should interfere with your fertility drugs either.

There is some research that suggests that certain vitamins can help with conception, as well. Some studies suggest that vitamin B6 and Vitamin C in particular can help with conception. Certainly both vitamins, and vitamin C in particular, are important nutrients that the body regularly needs an uses. However, studies are somewhat inconclusive as to whether these vitamins truly help with conception. These vitamins are not known to interfere with fertility drugs.

There are some nutritional supplements that should be specifically avoided while you are on fertility drugs as well. While these are not pre-natal vitamins per se, many of them contain the same types of vitamins that are typically found in pre-natal vitamins. The fertility products FertilAid and Fertility Blend are both known to contain extracts of chasteberry or Vitex. Vitex is actually known to work against the fertility drug Clomid, and these supplements should definitely not be taken if you are on fertility drugs such as Clomid.

Again, it is important that you discuss with your health care provider which sorts of vitamin or nutritional supplements may be best for your individual situation.

PCOS, which is short for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, can cause a variety of symptoms. 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.

One of the most common and most pronounced symptoms of PCOS can be weight gain, particularly upper body weight gain. Many times, women who have PCOS become insulin resistant. Insulin resistance tends to develop slowly and over time, and greatly affects a woman’s metabolism. This insulin resistance makes it much easier for a woman to gain weight, and also makes taking weight off more difficult. In addition, the production of androgens, or male hormones, is a common side effect of PCOS. The production of androgens not only produces symptoms such as abnormal hair growth or hair loss, it can also be responsible for weight gain.

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, such as weight gain. 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. By working both on insulin resistance as well as the production of androgens, Metformin can assist a woman with getting a handle on her weight gain.

PCOS can be an extremely frustrating and troubling condition for a woman to have. In addition to being one of the leading causes of infertility, PCOS can have several other problematic symptoms, such as chronic pain, high blood pressure, and weight gain in the upper body. In addition to these symptoms, PCOS can cause a variety of difficulties with a woman’s hair.

When a woman has PCOS, her body tends to produce androgens. Androgens are a type of hormone that can cause a variety of problems, such as acne. Androgens can also interfere with ovulation, causing fertility problems. One of the androgens, testosterone, can cause unwanted hair growth when there is too much of it in the blood. Testosterone coverts into dihydrotestosterone, sometimes known as DHT. Body hair is affected by dihydrotestosterone more than the hair of the head. If a woman has a large amount of dihydrotestosterone in her system, the body hairs that are normally very fine will become coarse, and tend to grow toward the navel and on the face.

If dihydrotestosterone and other androgens are at very high levels, the head on the hair can actually react differently than body hair. It is much more sensitive to these hormones, and will fall out rather than growing. This can lead to male-pattern balding in women.

An excessive amount of androgens such as dihydrotestosterone can also lead to the deepening of a woman’s voice, and even enlargement of the clitoris.

For some women with PCOS, the increased levels of androgens are not necessarily from their ovarian cysts; rather, many women with PCOS also have trouble with their thyroid gland, which can contribute to not only hair growth and loss, but many of the other symptoms of PCOS, including weight gain.

Hair loss and unwanted hair growth can be a severe problem. Many women are greatly impacted in their self esteem, and this unwanted hair or lack of hair can cause them a great deal of social anxiety. There are some medications and procedures that may help with the unwanted hair or hair loss. If you have PCOS and are having problems with your hair, contact your health care provider to discuss what options are available to you.

FSH refers to Follicle Stimulating Hormone. Produced by the pituitary gland, FSH is present in both men and in women. FSH helps both eggs and sperm to grow. FSH is necessary for pregnancy. However, high levels of FSH in women can be directly related to infertility. In fact, high levels of FSH will cause a woman problems with conception in 99% of cases. The good news is that high FSH levels may, sometimes, be decreased naturally.

First, it is important to understand that FSH levels can be a sign that a woman’s ovarian reserve is low. That is, she may just not have many eggs left. If this is the case, decreasing FSH levels won’t always help her to conceive. Still, it may be worth a try to decrease your FSH levels through natural ways.

One of the natural ways to help your FSH levels decrease may be to help improve blood flow to the ovaries. By using acupressure or acupuncture, the eggs may recieve more blood, and be more receptive to being fertilized, thereby reducing levels of FSH.

Another natural way to reduce your levels of FSH is with dietary supplements. Some of the supplements that may help can include blue-green algae, royal jelly, and wheat grass. Other dietary choices can cause FSH levels to increase, such as things like sugars, refind carbohydrates, coffee, and tobacco.

You may also have some success decreasing your FSH levels naturally by trying to balance out your overall hormone levels with herbal medicines. A variety of herbal medications and formulas are known to help balance a woman’s overall hormone levels, and taking these sorts of supplements may help your FSH levels to decrease. Talking to your trusted herbalist may be the best way to find out exactly which herbs may be the most useful in your particular situation.

Finally, if you have high levels of FSH your physician may have other procedures, medications, or advice for you. You should discuss your fertility problems with your health care provider, who can help to create an overall treatment plan that can take natural methods into account.

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is one of many fertility treatment procedures that a couple may undergo in order to become pregnant. In IVF, the eggs and sperm are combined in a lab. Once these become embryos, the embryos are placed inside the uterus. IVF tends to be a comparatively complex procedure, and it is more expensive than many other fertility treatments.

IVF can be a viable option for a variety of fertility problems. These can include a low male sperm count, ovulation problems, hostile cervical mucus, uterine problems, endometriosis, problems with the fallopian tubes, or other, unknown fertility problems.

IVF is, for many couples, a method of last resort. Most often other treatments, such as fertility medications or a variety of artificial insemination methods are tried before attempting IVF.

According to the CDC, success rates for IVF are around 25%. This success rate can vary greatly based on age. IVF is most successful for women younger than 33; The rate of failure continues to drop after 35, and begins to greatly decrease after age 38. Very few women who attempt IVF after the age of 43 are successful.

To identify whether or not you are a good candidate for IVF, your health care provider will likely perform a variety of tests. The most common of these is to test your FSH and estradiol levels for three days. The best candidates for IVF will have FSH levels of 10 mIU/ml or less, and their estradiol levels will be at 70pg/ml or less. The higher that these levels are, the lower the chance that IVF would be successful.

Another test that your health care provider may use is known as a “clomiphene challenge” test. This test will help determine a woman’s egg supply.

Some other statistical information about IVF, provided by the CDC:

- Less than 1% of the time, IVF results in an ectopic pregnancy.

- In 11% of IVF pregnancies, the woman becomes pregnant with twins or multiples.

- Around 17% of IVF pregnancies resulted in miscarriage.

A tubal ligation, also know as getting your “tubes tied,” is a common sterilization technique that many women choose. Having your tubes tied closes the fallopian tubes, through cutting, burning, or blocking with clips, bands, or rings. This blocking keeps the egg from traveling from the ovary to the uterus. In addition, it prevents sperm from reaching the fallopian tube. A tubal ligation, while it is around 99.5% effective at preventing pregnancy, does not protect against Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs).

A tubal ligation is generally considered to be a permanent method of birth control. For women who think that they may change their minds about wanting children in the future, other birth control options are generally recommended.

After having your tubes tied, there are essentially three options if you decide you want children (or more children.) They include:

- A reversal of the tubal ligation. This is an operation that attempts to reconnect the fallopian tubes. This works best if you are in good health, in your late thirties or younger, and if you have a fertile partner. This is also most successful if it has been less than 10 years since the original tubal ligation. Your physician can determine through a physical exam, tests, and review of the original tubal ligation whether or not you are a good candidate for a reversal. Also, there is a greater risk for an ectopic pregnancy after a reversal. Additionally, reversing a tubal ligation can be difficult and expensive. Success rates for a reversal of the tubal ligation range anywhere from 20 to 70 percent.

- Assisted reproduction, such as in vitro fertilization. If your physician determines that you are not a good candidate for a reversal of your tubal ligation, you may still be able to conceive a child through in vitro fertilization. With IVF, there is no need for the egg to pass through the fallopian tubes.

- Adoption. While this is not the first choice of many women, it is certainly a viable option when the other possibilities have been exhausted.

Sperm motility refers to the way in which the sperm has an ability to move forward through the reproductive tract, by swimming through the vagina, passing by the cervix, and arriving finally at the fallopian tubes where it has the potential to fertilize an egg. Sperm motility is measured by your health care provider as a percentage. This percentage refers to the percentage of sperm that are able to move forward. Generally speaking, motility should be at least 50% for a man to be able to conceive.

There are several different problems with sperm that can result in sperm motility troubles. One problem can be a low sperm count. If there are not many sperm, it is also likely that not many of the sperm that are there will be able to swim forward. Another problem with sperm motility can occur when you have sperm that will swim, but they don’t necessarily swim forward, in a straight line, or they swim slower than they ought to. Other sperm may swim in a way such that they are not able to penetrate the outer layer of an egg.

A variety of different factors can cause a man to have problems with sperm motility. First, if the sperm are exposed to extreme heat, such as occurs when a man has a varicocele, the sperm can be hindered in terms of their mobility. In addition, if sexual activity is prolonged, sperm motility may be reduced also. Ironically, the ejaculation right after prolonged sexual activity tends to have less sperm motility. The ejaculation following that one, however, tends to have an improved level of sperm motility.

There are a few things that can be done to help with sperm motility. There are supplements available that many men have had success with. There are, occasionally, medical answers, such as removing a varicocele. IN some cases, In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) or Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injections (ICSI) may be the only way that a man who has low sperm motility will be able to conceive.

When we think about fertility problems, we most often tend to think of the various problems that women face in terms of fertility. However, the fact of the matter is that things are rather equitable, statistically speaking, when it comes to male and female fertility. Around 40% of the time, fertility problems are due to a male problem, about 40% of the time they are due to a female problem, and the other 20% of the time they are due to problems with both the man and the woman. In terms of male factor infertility, there are essentially three very common problems, all of which are related to the man’s sperm. The three problems are a low sperm count, low sperm motility, and abnormal sperm. Of these, low sperm count is the most common male factor infertility problem.

Sperm count is measured in a ratio of sperm per milliliter of semen that is ejaculated. A normal sperm count is considered to be somewhere in the 40 to 300 million sperm per milliliter of ejaculate. A low sperm count means that a man has fewer than 20 million sperm per milliliter ejaculated.

There are a variety of things that might cause a low sperm count. A low sperm count does not mean that there is something permanently wrong with the man. In some cases, for example, having a low sperm count might just mean that a man has a specific nutritional deficiency that can be resolved through the use of a variety of fertility-related nutritional supplements. Having a low sperm count might just mean that a man has an illness or infection that is temporarily lowering his sperm count. In other cases, however, having a low sperm count may mean that there is a more serious problem, or at least a problem that is harder to address. In many cases, there is no clear reason why a man has a low sperm count.

The good news is that having a low sperm count does not mean that a man will not be able to conceive. If the cause of a low sperm count is easily identified, it is possible that it can be treated. If the cause of the low sperm count cannot be identified, this still does not mean that the man with a low sperm count will not be able to conceive. There are advanced fertility procedures, such as IVF and ICSI that may help out a man with a low sperm count to conceive.

Problems with sperm motility can be very frustrating. The fact of the matter is that, in many cases, a man may never know exactly why he has low sperm motility. In addition, the solution to low sperm motility is often a complex fertilization procedure, such as ICSI. The good news for the man with low sperm motility is that, in many cases, a man may be able to improve sperm motility through other means.

One way to improve sperm motility is to make sure that the sperm have the energy that they need for their journey. Prior to ejaculation, sperm build up this energy by burning off fat. After ejaculation occurs, the sperm use fructose, the natural sugar that is also found in the seminal fluid. The middle of the sperm, just below the head, has mitochondria, which are like tiny furnaces that are used to burn the sugar to turn it into energy for the long journey. Two specific proteins, L-carnitine and acetyl-L-carnitine are needed to stoke those furnaces. Using a supplement containing these two proteins may indeed be able to help the sperm to be able to move more effectively.

Having said that, the fact of the matter is that some sperm motility problems cannot be improved. When, for example, sperm motility is low due to a genetic abnormality, there is nothing that can help with motility. In these cases, treatments like IUI or IVF may be necessary. In other cases, where the low sperm motility is caused by a varicocele, surgical treatment may be able to correct the problem. However, research has not yet effectively determined whether or not treating a varicocele surgically will result in low sperm motility after the procedure. Still other men have a hormonal deficiency that causes low sperm motility. In these cases, studies have shown some degree of limited success using medications to address the hormone deficiency, which then helps improve sperm motility.

There are a variety of supplements available over-the-counter that may also be able to improve sperm motility. Many of them contain those important carnitine proteins, as well as other vitamins, minerals, or other nutrients that may help with conception.

Low sperm motility, while it is not the most common of the possible causes of male factor infertility, can be one of the most frustrating causes of male factor infertility. Sperm motility refers to a measurement of how the man’s sperm are moving. It measures, as a percentage of the total sperm, how many sperm are moving forward at such a pace that they will reach the fallopian tubes in order to fertilize an egg. There are relatively few treatments for low sperm motility, medically speaking. And, while other treatments, such as nutritional supplements may be helpful for some men, the fact of the matter is that many men with low sperm motility have to rely on some form of reproductive assistance.

IUI, or Intrauterine Insemination, is the most basic of the reproductive treatments available. In this procedure, sperm are “washed” and then placed into the uterus directly. This procedure helps a higher number of sperm to make it to the fallopian tubes, where it can fertilize an egg. IUI is an effective method of reproductive assistance in some cases. IUI is especially effective, in terms of male factor infertility, when a man has a low sperm count, because it allows the health care provider or reproductive fertility specialist to concentrate sperm and place them in a much more beneficial spot. However, low sperm motility and IUI are not a particularly good match.

When you have a problem with sperm motility more aggressive treatments are often necessary. IVF, or In Vitro Fertilization, is often a better option for a man with low sperm motility than IUI. With IVF, sperm motility becomes less of an issue. Another method of addressing low sperm motility is with a procedure known as ICSI, which stands for intracytoplasmic sperm injection. In this procedure, the sperm are inserted directly into the center of the egg for fertilization. ICSI, rather than IUI, is the preferred treatment when a couple is having fertility issues due to a problem with low sperm motility.