
Fertility doctors are like the finicky chefs of the medical world: They have the distinct ability to tinker with the recipe for the perfect baby. Even if you think you’re willing to do whatever it takes to get pregnant, your particular combination of genes, lifestyle, and medical history may prevent this goal from being attainable. In this article, we’ll help you sort through the options, better understand the reasoning behind the advice doctors give you, and talk about the proven methods of improving your chances of conceiving.
Common conditions that make fertility treatment difficult include:
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
The word “polycystic” means “many cysts.” And it is a good description of what happens inside your ovaries when you have PCOS: they become bloated with cysts that build up until they rupture, releasing clots of fluid that can clog the tubes that connect the ovaries to the fallopian tubes. Without the right medication to clear these clots, you may not be able to get pregnant.
PCOS is the most common cause of infertility, affecting 20 percent to 30 percent of all women in the United States.
fertility doctor Los Angeles If you are young (under 35) or have unexplained infertility, the chance that you have PCOS is about 10 percent. But if you have infertility that is a result of other problems, the chance that you have PCOS increases to 20 percent to 30 percent. You have PCOS if your doctor has found at least two of the following in your blood:
Very high levels of the hormone insulin (insulin resistance)
High levels of the hormone androgen (male hormones)
Very high levels of the hormone testosterone
Very high levels of the hormone dehydroepiandrosterone, or DHEA
Pregnancy with PCOS is harder than with other infertility problems. Although the clots that get inside your ovaries usually won’t cause problems during pregnancy, they could make your pregnancy more difficult. And because you can have children with the help of fertility treatment, even if you have PCOS you can still have a baby.
Fertility treatments for PCOS include:
Taking a course of medications called metformin to lower your insulin levels
Taking a course of fertility medications, including clomiphene citrate (CC), a drug that simulates the hormones that your ovaries would normally make
Using ovulation induction pills, which simulate the hormones that your ovaries make
Medications to help your ovaries remove the clots
Surgery to remove the cysts
Couples with PCOS have a better chance of getting pregnant with the use of fertility treatments than do couples with other causes of infertility, but it may take longer.
Besides the immediate concerns about getting pregnant with PCOS, the risk of this condition worsening during pregnancy is higher. It’s a good idea to get a good prenatal checkup with your doctor if you have PCOS.