Female Infertility

So, your medical diagnosis says that you are infertile. We understand it is devastating. But it is not the end of the road.

Most likely, your cause is due to endometriosis, ovulatory disorders, fallopian tube damage, cervical factor or even age. Sometimes, infertility is a result of unexplained factors. It is important to know and understand your fertilization cycle and its implications on conception, so that you feel secure and at ease at the time of treatment.

YOU COULD BE AT A RISK OF INFERTILITY IF YOU:

• Have multiple sex partners
• Have a sexually transmitted disease
• Excessive drinking, smoking and drug use of marijuana, cocaine, heroin and crack
• Have a past history of PID (pelvic inflammatory disease)
• Have eating disorders
• Anovulatory menstrual cycles
• Have a chronic disease like diabetes
• At BabiesandUs, we can diagnose and treat your cause of infertility, so that you can be parents.

WHAT CAN GO WRONG?

Any fault in the maturation of the egg (follicle), ovulation, quality of the egg, fertilization of the egg, implantation of the egg can lead to infertility.

Fallopian Tube Damage:

The damage to the tubes can occur due to infections, endometriosis or adhesions. These block the fallopian tubes thereby inhibiting the egg to travel towards the sperm and vice versa. (info)

Cervical Factors:

The cervix produces a substance (mucous) that becomes thin at the time of ovulation, so that the sperm can easily pass through to meet the egg. Abnormality in the cervix results in poor quality of the mucous, usually a poor viscous mass that prevents the sperm journey through the cervix.

WHEN WILL FERTILIZATION TAKE PLACE?

The menstrual cycle of a woman represents the fertilization phenomenon. The various stages that your body goes through every month, are the essential processes that determine fertility or infertility. Any flaw or malfunction of the organs can disrupt the cycle and can result in infertility.

You have a pair of ovaries, one of which produces an egg every twenty-eight days to thirty-six days. Each of these twenty-eight days represents the menstrual cycle. The female reproductive system must undergo the following processes for fertilization to take place.

• The ovary houses many follicles, each of which produces a single egg.
• The follicles must mature satisfactorily under the influence of the FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) and LH (Luteinzing Hormone) produced by the pituitary gland.
• While maturing, the follicles must produce another hormone called estrogen, which prepares the uterus lining (womb) for receiving the fertilized egg. (implantation)
• The most mature and dominant follicle should release an egg in the middle of the cycle. In other words, you must ovulate without any disorders.
• The mature egg must travel through the fallopian tube where it migh
t get fertilized with a sperm.
• The sperm must pass through the cervical mucus to fertilize the egg
• The fertilized egg must get implanted into the uterus.

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