My fertility struggle is taking the pleasure out of my sex life. What can I do?

Posted & filed under Sex, Sperm, The Basics, The Journey.

Despite some early reports, fertility doesn’t improve if the female partner orgasms. Sex doesn’t have to be emotionally or physically satisfying in order to conceive. Sexuality and fertility don’t have to fit together at all. But that doesn’t mean sexuality doesn’t matter. Sexuality and fertility and, yes, love, are all mixed together for all of… Read more »

How do I find a therapist/psychologist in Toronto who specializes in infertility?

Posted & filed under News, The Journey.

Fertility struggles can put an immense strain on your emotional well-being and your relationships. But many of us don’t realize how badly we needed some extra support…until we’ve finally received it. I recommend checking out our coping tools, but it’s also a good idea to see a therapist who specializes in infertility or fertility issues. This is… Read more »

I’m trying to conceive or already pregnant. Should I get the H1N1 flu vaccine?

Posted & filed under News, The Journey.

Yes, you should — in fact, receiving the vaccine is even more important for you. It’s our recommendation, and the Canadian National Advisory on Immunization, Motherisk, Mount Sinai hospital, World Health Organization, and Public Health Agency of Canada all support this as well: the H1N1 flu vaccine (and similar vaccines) have not been shown to cause… 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 »

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 more effective: IUI or FSP?

Posted & filed under Sperm, The Journey.

“My husband and I have unexplained secondary infertility and are about to start our first IUI. I was reading about the success rates of FSP (fallopian sperm perfusion) for unexplained infertility and how FSP may be more effective than IUI. It is suggested that couples with unexplained infertility may benefit from FSP over IUI, resulting in higher… 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 »

Alcohol when you’re trying to conceive.

Posted & filed under The Basics, The Journey.

I pause when counseling around alcohol. How do I address this difficult subject? Toronto Public Health is very clear on its relationship to alcohol and pregnancy. Its May 2014 communique references these very clear key messages: There is no safe level of alcohol exposure at any time in pregnancy, and that when planning a pregnancy… Read more »

How long does it take to improve my sperm quality?

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

It takes about 72 days for sperm to mature from stem cells to fully-functioning sperm, so any changes you make need to be consistent for about three months. You can talk to your doctor to find out whether HCG, clomiphene, letrozole, and rFSH preparations will be helpful for you. Vitamin therapy is one of the… Read more »