This post is part one of a series where we will discuss how embryos, the uterus and overall health impact implantation. We judge embryo quality in three ways: the number of embryos present, embryo grading, and PGS. In this post, we’ll talk about embryo grading. Stretched over the first 96 hours of development, we… Read more »
What are the recent developments in implantation? (Part One: Embryo quality)
This post is part one of a series where we will discuss how embryos, the uterus and overall health impact implantation. For many years in fertility care, we were only able to guess why some people weren’t able to achieve pregnancy. When running IVF, we would grade embryos, a technique that is presumed to… Read more »
What does embryo grading really mean for my chances of having a baby?
First, let me make it clear that embryo grading doesn’t look at genetics. If you want to know more about pre-implantation genetic screening (PGS), visit www.chromosome-screening.org. Embryo grading means we look at embryos under a microscope and estimate whether they have the potential to continue to grow into a healthy, ongoing pregnancy. Grading is done… Read more »
What are my chances of success with IVF?
The easiest and most obvious answer is to ask your fertility doctor. If you live in a major city in Canada, you’ll have access to a quality fertility clinic to provide you with an answer. Unfortunately, in many cities, there’s only one fertility clinic. Seeking a second opinion can be stressful and difficult. Here’s one… Read more »
I’m having faint spotting after my frozen embryo transfer (FET). Am I OK?
If you call your clinic, they might say a little spotting could be an “implantation bleed”. In all honesty, we have no idea why some women spot a little bit; but if it only lasts a day or two, and is barely noticeable (pink or brown), it doesn’t seem to matter or affect your prognosis…. Read more »
I have mycoplasma/ureaplasma. Should I be worried?
Unfortunately, many fertility doctors disagree about the impact of mycoplasma on fertility. Mycoplasma and ureaplasma are often found in fertile couples — not just those struggling with infertility. Some researchers think these bacteria play a role in infertility and miscarriage, but it remains unclear how or why it may impact some people but not others…. Read more »
When should you do IVF?
Nobody wants to do IVF. Whenever a couple or individual comes to a fertility clinic, the goal is to work as naturally as possible to maximize the chances for pregnancy. So IVF can feel like a scary direction, both financially and emotionally. But if it’s been more than six months of trying naturally together, there… Read more »
“Why did my semen analysis numbers suddenly drop this month?”
Sperm counts actually do change dramatically from month to month, and most of the time we don’t know why. You can ask your reproductive endocrinologist if there are significant white blood cells—this can be associated with a subclinical prostate infection, easily treated with antibiotics and can account for sudden drops. More commonly, however, we assess… Read more »
“My sperm morphology results say 75% are abnormal. Help!”
25% normal morphology is low. But depending on how your clinic processes samples, morphology can often come out low-normal or low. Something to try: Ask to have the test repeated, along with a DNA fragmentation assay. Consider taking antioxidant vitamins. Speak to a urologist – they’re the final word in sperm. In the end, 25%… Read more »
“What’s my ovarian reserve and what do all those tests mean – FSH, AFC, AMH?”
Your number of eggs is your ovarian reserve. That’s a measure of quantity, not quality, and of course quality matters too. But when you have a good ovarian reserve, you most likely will have some good quality eggs in there. The basics You were born with millions of immature eggs. Most of the immature eggs are snuggled… Read more »