I’m researching test results & hormone levels, but some sources use different measurement units. How do I convert them?

Posted & filed under Tests, The Basics.

When you’re researching your own fertility, you may come across numbers and data you’ve gleaned from the web, or from your own personal results. It can be helpful to empower yourself with information, but with one important warning: pay attention to the units! Some common values such as AMH, estrogen and progesterone can be measured… Read more »

My TSH is low. Should I be worried? What should I do?

Posted & filed under Tests.

We received this excellent question from a woman whose email address seemed to have a typo in it, so we were unable to respond directly to her — we hope she’s reading this! The most common reason for a low TSH is taking too much thyroid medication. If you aren’t taking medication of that kind,… Read more »

Hypothyroidism and Fertility

Posted & filed under Tests, The Journey.

The thyroid is a gland that sits in your lower throat and secretes a hormone called thyroid hormone. Hypothyroidism is a condition that results when the gland does not produce enough of this hormone. The gland can also produce too much hormone, and this is called hyperthyroidism. What can happen if you have hypothyroidism? You… Read more »

3 situations where you’ll want to consider IVF

Posted & filed under Aging, Eggs, IVF, Sperm, Tests, The Basics.

Nobody wants to do IVF. Whenever a couple or individual arrives at a fertility clinic, the strong goal is to work as naturally as possible to maximize the chances for pregnancy. My suspicion is that this comes down to two reasons. Financial, yes, but importantly, emotional: For all of us, the plan was to achieve… Read more »

What is DNA Fragmentation?

Posted & filed under IVF, Sperm, Tests, The Basics, The Journey.

The DNA Fragmentation is one of several elements of semen quality used to assess the male fertility potential. Sperm’s ability to fertilize an egg is dependant on healthy DNA. But some sperm are fragmented. Healthy DNA is arranged in a double-helix spiral bound by cross-bonds resembling a ladder. DNA damage means the bridges become unstable… Read more »

What can I do about pain during procedures? 

Posted & filed under IVF, Tests, The Basics, The Journey, Uterus.

“I am scheduled for an Echovist HyCoSy test as part of my fertility diagnostic process. I have serious concerns about the pain I will experience during the procedure given the scar tissue on my cervix from a laser cone. (A regular pap test is painful; a colposcopy is almost unbearable.) I am wondering whether it… Read more »

What’s Betabase.info and is it reliable?

Posted & filed under Tests, The Journey, Uncategorized.

There’s been a lot of discussion about Betabase.info. For those unfamiliar, it’s an online database that has collected close to 90,000 real pregnancies’ beta test results. Beta tests measure the level of hCG in a woman’s bloodstream. This is the first test given to confirm pregnancy. In a common pregnancy, hCG is released after implantation… Read more »

How do I improve my chances for embryo implantation?

Posted & filed under Eggs, IVF, Sperm, Tests, The Basics.

Embryo implantation is complicated, as you can imagine! But here’s a breakdown of some of the key elements that can help you maximize your chances: 1. Oocyte (egg) quality Implantation is more likely to happen when a healthy embryo is present, and the best predictor for a healthy embryo is a healthy egg. Egg quality… Read more »

Will pre-implantation genetic screening improve my IVF chances?

Posted & filed under Eggs, IVF, Tests.

Pre-implantation genetic screening, or PGS, is when we analyze individual cells of embryos prior to embryo transfer. It holds great promise for maximizing pregnancy rates. Most IVF failures can be attributed back to embryo quality. Is PGS right for you? Perhaps, but it’s a highly personal choice. It depends a lot on your circumstances and… Read more »