Infertility is not rare – in fact, it impacts 1 in 8 couples. Whether or not you’re aware of it, there’s a good chance you know someone dealing with this serious illness. Learning that having a child and building the family you’ve always dreamed of may be difficult can be devastating – physically, financially, and emotionally. For many of these men and women struggling with infertility, finding support in their community is invaluable.
Unfortunately, infertility is a topic that is rarely talked about, leaving many to suffer in silence. To raise awareness and shift the way others view infertility, we celebrate National Infertility Awareness Month each April. Here, the fertility experts of IVF FLORIDA explain how you can show your support and help raise infertility awareness in your community.
Walk of Hope
Each year, RESOLVE hosts their Walk of Hope, where individuals spend one morning walking one mile to unite one community. Held in several locations across the country, Walk of Hope represents the infertility journey that millions of couples begin each year and gives voice to the various ways in which families are built. The funds raised by the walk help fund local infertility support services and programs for the 7.3 million people affected by infertility while raising public awareness of its impact on families around the country.
Want to participate? Find a Walk of Hope near you, or host one yourself! Come together with friends and family to show that those who walk the infertility journey don’t have to do it alone. #HAVEAHEART and start your DIY Walk of Hope
Spread the Word
Social media has made sharing information easier than ever, making it a great way to get the word out about the disease of infertility. Use your social platforms to help raise awareness, provide facts on reproductive health, share your own infertility story, and spread the word about alternative options for building the family of your dreams.
Learn the Facts
There are a lot of myths and misconceptions surrounding infertility – who it impacts, what causes it, and when to seek fertility help. To help battle the misinformation surrounding this illness, learn all you can about infertility and then put that knowledge to use. Talk to those you know about what you’ve learned and encourage those around you to educate themselves about their own reproductive health.
Get Active
In most states, healthcare coverage for fertility care isn’t required, meaning tens of thousands of couples face high costs when they seek infertility help. Learn if your state mandates fertility coverage and how state legislation impacts those struggling with infertility in your community. Then, speak out and make your voice heard - your involvement can make a difference in making sure that people struggling with infertility can access necessary medical treatments and affordable family-building options.
Host an Event
RESOLVE’s Walk of Hope is a wonderful option for many, but if a walk isn’t your thing there are plenty of other events to help raise awareness. All types of NIAW awareness events – from yoga classes to wine tastings to poker tournaments – are happening across the nation from April 22-28. Contact the fertility experts of IVF FLORIDA in south Florida at 866.770.2168 for information on what’s happening locally or to learn how to host your own event.
This month, show the world you #HAVEAHEART and join us at IVF FLORIDA in being part of the national movement to raise awareness for infertility.
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The Fertility Experts of IVF FLORIDA at 10 Apr 2018
Most women are no stranger to discomfort during menstruation. Dealing with mood swings, bloating, and mild cramps are all normal during your cycle. But for 1 in 10 women in the U.S., that time of the month can be particularly painful due to endometriosis. For many, it can even impact their ability to complete their daily routine. But what is endometriosis? And how can it impact your health? The fertility experts of IVF FLORIDA are here to discuss endometriosis and its impact on fertility.
What is Endometriosis?
Endometriosis occurs when endometrium, the tissue that lines the uterus, is found in places it shouldn’t be – namely, outside the uterus. While endometrial cells are most commonly found in the abdomen and pelvic cavity, endometrial cells can wander as far as the arms, thighs, lungs, and other areas
What are the symptoms of Endometriosis?
Mild discomfort during parts of your menstrual cycle is perfectly normal, but women with endometriosis often experience pain that can interfere with everyday activities. Some symptoms include:
- Very Painful Periods: Many women suffering from endometriosis experience severe and at times incapacitating menstrual pain.
- Gastrointestinal Distress: Cramping, bloating, diarrhea, abdominal pain and constipation, especially around your period, can indicate that endometrial cells are in the GI tract.
- Frequent Urination: The frequent need to urinate during your period can indicate endometrial lesions on the bladder.
- Pain with Increased Bleeding: Intense pain during menstruation and very heavy periods, sometimes with clots, can be a result of the endometrial growths reacting to hormones your ovaries produce during menses.
- Breathing Discomfort: Endometrial cells can move to a woman’s diaphragm, causing painful breathing and intense discomfort when trying to move the upper body or upper arms during menstruation.
While women with endometriosis often experience one (or all) of these symptoms, others may show no outward symptoms of the disease.
How does endometriosis impact fertility?
Depending on the location and severity of the endometriosis, the disease can negatively impact a woman’s fertility. If endometrial lesions are located in the fallopian tubes, it can make it difficult for a man’s sperm to connect with a woman’s egg. Even in cases where there is little or no scarring in the fallopian tubes, endometriosis can make conception challenging. A woman typically has a 20% chance of conceiving each month, endometriosis may make that chance drop as low as 10%.
What to do if you think you have endometriosis
Unless your endometriosis has formed a cyst called an endometrioma (which can be seen on a sonogram), the only way for your doctor to diagnose you with the disease would be through laproscopy. This is a minor procedure in which a scope is inserted into your abdomen to look for endometrial cells growing outside the uterus. During the laproscopy, your physician can treat any endometriosis by removing the lesions.
For women concerned about the impact of endometriosis on their fertility, it is important to catch and treat it early on. If you experience any of the symptoms mentioned each month during your period, we encourage you to contact the fertility experts of IVF FLORIDA at 866.770.2168 or request an appointment to be tested for endometriosis.
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The Fertility Experts of IVF FLORIDA at 6 Mar 2018
The decision to start a family is one that fills most couples with joy and excitement. The hope and possibility that comes with growing their family often brings couples closer together as they plan their future. But for some couples, the path to parenthood is fraught with difficulty.
If your path to parenthood is one that has encountered unexpected twists, you’re not alone. Difficulty achieving or maintaining a pregnancy is a common problem in the U.S., with one in eight couples struggling with infertility. So when should you seek fertility help? And what can you do now to increase your chances of success? Below, the experts of IVF FLORIDA go over four reasons why you should not put off seeking fertility help.
1. Age is a factor
When it comes to fertility, age plays a role for both women and men. For couples, infertility is defined as being unable to conceive after a year of trying – unless the woman is 35 or older. In those cases, couples should seek treatment after six months of trying without success. For couples where the woman is 40 or over, help should be sought once the couple decides to start a family. This is due to both the quantity and quality of eggs women have, which decrease with age.
But age isn’t only a factor for women. While the impact on male fertility is less pronounced than with women, male fertility begins to decline around 40 years old when sperm quality decreases. This means that it will take them longer to impregnate a partner, and any resulting pregnancies are more likely to result in miscarriage.
Want to get started? Schedule an appointment with one of our specialists.
2. Costs can be lower
For many women who are older, more invasive procedures like IVF may be tried right off the bat to increase chances of conception. Women who seek fertility help sooner, however, may be able to decrease their costs for conception.
Younger women are more likely to have a better reserve of quality eggs, meaning they are more likely to be successful with less invasive methods like fertility medications or intrauterine insemination (IUI). Not only are these treatments less invasive – they are also significantly less expensive than more involved procedures.
If you have questions about the financial options available to you through IVF FLORIDA, contact our financial team today.
3. Insight into your overall health
The full workup patients receive when they start treatment can provide a wealth of general health information to patients. For many men and women, their infertility is caused by an underlying health issue they weren’t aware they had. These issues (such as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome or thyroid diseases) can cause a variety of health problems now and in the future, ranging from hypertension to depression. Learning that you have an underlying disease is the first step to treating it and taking charge of your health.
4. Preserve your fertility for the future
For women looking to delay parenthood, time is still of the essence! Women can now preserve their future fertility through egg freezing, enabling them to build a family when the time is right. However, women considering this option should move forward as soon as possible to increase their chances of success. As egg quality and quantity decline as women age, women who choose to freeze their eggs earlier have a higher likelihood of freezing enough high quality eggs to give them the best chance of conceiving in the future.
Considering freezing your eggs? Contact our team to learn more.
When it comes to your fertility, the sooner you can get help for any issues you may have, the more likely you are to be able to eventually bring home a baby. If you and your partner would like to learn more about your treatment options, contact the fertility experts at IVF FLORIDA at 866.770.2168 or request an appointment today.
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The Fertility Experts of IVF FLORIDA at 19 Feb 2018
Struggling with infertility can take a toll on even the strongest relationships. The stress, treatments, and frustrations couples face on their path to parenthood make it difficult for couples to keep the romance alive. But taking a break from focusing on your fertility issues to reconnect with your partner can help reduce infertility-induced stress and strengthen your relationship.
This Valentine’s Day, spend some quality time with the one you love with some of IVF FLORIDA’s fertility friendly Valentine’s Day ideas and tips.
1. Put the Fertility Talk on Hold
If you’re struggling with infertility, it can feel like your life revolves around it. Between the appointments, frequent tests, and injections, it may seem like fertility is all you talk about. This Valentine’s Day the team at IVF FLORIDA suggests putting the fertility talk on hold. Instead, take the time to catch up with your partner and reconnect on a deeper level.
2. Share the Love
Practicing gratitude can help couples cope with the stress that comes with struggling with infertility. One of the best ways to show your gratitude? Giving back. Take some time on Valentine’s Day to share the love with those in need by volunteering at a nursing home, animal shelter, or other local non-profit.
3. Try Something New
Have you and your partner been dying to check out a new art exhibit? Or maybe you’ve both always wanted to try rock climbing. Try something new this month with your partner to strengthen your connection and reinvigorate your bond.
4. Enjoy a Mini-Vacation
You don’t have to go far to take a mini-vacation. Pick a town an hour or two away that neither of you have been to before and spend a day exploring. Enjoy exploring street fairs and trying new restaurants while talking about anything but fertility! Use this time discovering a new place to broaden your horizons and give you and your partner something new to talk about.
5. “Days Off” Sex
For many couples struggling to conceive, sex can start to feel like a chore. Always on a schedule with the focus on the results rather than enjoying your partner. This Valentine’s Day, break out the lingerie and candles – it will help breathe some fresh air and spontaneity back into the bedroom.
6. Get Active
The couple that exercises together, stays together! Take some time this Valentine’s day to work up a sweat with your partner. Go hiking, do some couple’s yoga, or go on a long bike ride together. By exercising together, you’ll you reap the benefits of an active lifestyle while deepening your emotional bond.
7. Take a Break
Dealing with infertility can be draining, but taking a break and relaxing together could be just what the doctor ordered. Whether it’s enjoying a couples massage or just lounging on the couch watching Netflix, doing something you both find relaxing can help you reconnect and appreciate just being able to be together.
When struggling with infertility, it’s important for couples to find ways to stay connected. For more information on infertility treatments for you and your partner, contact IVF FLORIDA at 866.770.2168 to request an appointment.
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The Fertility Experts of IVF FLORIDA at 12 Feb 2018
If you've been trying to conceive for over a year without success (or six months if you're over 35), one of the first diagnostic tests a fertility specialist will request is a Hysetrosalpingogram (HSG). But what is an HSG, and what can you expect? In this infographic, the fertility experts of IVF FLORIDA explain the procedure, its purpose, and why the HSGs performed at IVF FLORIDA are unique.
The experts at IVF FLORIDA have decades of experience diagnosing and treating fertility issues. For more information or to schedule a consultation with one of our top fertility specialists at any of our South Florida infertility clinics, please call 866.770.2168.
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The Fertility Experts of IVF FLORIDA at 24 Jan 2018