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Frequently Asked Questions |
If your question pertains to one of the ones listed below, simply click on that question to take you to the answer. 1. My partner and I want to have a baby. What should I do before we try to get pregnant? 2. When should I stop taking my birth control pills if I want to get pregnant? 4. How soon will a home pregnancy test become positive? 5. What sort of fertility treatments are available at Kingsdale? 6. Are fertility treatments covered by my insurance company? 8. How can I tell when and if I am ovulating each month? 9. My doctor has prescribed Clomid. When should I take the medicine? 10. What are the causes of reduced fertility?
We recommend a healthy diet and moderate exercise, coupled with cessation of smoking and decreasing caffeine intake. If you are not taking vitamins, we encourage you to take a daily multivitamin with at least 400 micrograms (0.4 milligrams) of folic acid. If you are taking medication from a doctor, herbal supplements, or using any dermatological products, we encourage you to speak with your doctor to ensure these medications are safe to continue to use. If you or your partner has a family history of any genetic disorders (such as Down's syndrome, sickle cell anemia, or cystic fibrosis), or a history of any birth defects (such as spina bifida) in the extended family, we recommend a consultation appointment with your doctor to discuss these issues.
In general, women should not stop taking your birth control pills until the month that it is all right for you to get pregnant. While it can take up to six months for some women to begin ovulating regularly after stopping their pills, some women become pregnant the very first month. If your cycles are still irregular after six months, or if you do not have a period after two moths without a positive pregnancy test, we recommend you see your doctor for a consultation.
In general, it can take up to one year of trying with regular cycles before we begin to test couples for decreased fertility. Eighty-five percent of couples will conceive within one year of trying, and the vast majority of those who do not are not "infertile", but rather have reduced pregnancy rates that can often be easily corrected. If, however, you are having irregular or no cycles, painful intercourse, or are beginning to become worried, you should make a consultation appointment with your Kingsdale physician. Most of the time, simple measures can be taken to improve your chances of conception with very little intervention.
The store-bought regency tests have become very sensitive and accurate over the past few years. Some tests can detect HCG (the pregnancy hormone) in your urine even before your period is late. We recommend home testing no earlier than 2 days after your missed cycle. If your home test has borderline results or if you get conflicting information from multiple tests, you can always speak to our nurses to set up an in-office urine or blood pregnancy test for confirmation. Once your test is positive, please call to set up an appointment with your doctor within a few weeks of your missed period.
We offer a wide variety of fertility testing and treatments, ranging from blood work, to ultrasound monitoring, to clomid therapy, to Profasi ovulation stimulation and artificial insemination. If more invasive technology is needed (in vitro fertilization for example), you doctor may recommend a consultation with a Reproductive Endocrinologist in the area. For the most part, however, the majority of the testing and intervention can be done by your doctor at either our Lane Ave. or Sawmill Road offices.
Different insurance companies have different rules regarding coverage for fertility testing and intervention. However, most patients find that at least some (if not all) testing and procedures done in our office may be covered depending on your plan. We recommend calling your insurance company to find out what coverage your plan offers.
As women age, their natural fertility rates do decrease a little bit each year. However, this does not mean that women over the age of 35 should be discouraged from starting or adding to their family if they want to have a baby. While it is true that the risk of some chromosomal abnormalities (such as Down's syndrome) increase with age, you and your doctor can discuss these concerns before you become pregnant, and you can decide what, if any, testing you may want. If you are over 35 and are having difficulty getting pregnant, you may want to consult with your doctor before you reach one year of trying, so you can determine if you may need to "speed up" the process or wait for conception to occur on its own.
In general, women will ovulate two weeks prior to the start of their cycle. For women with 28 day cycles, ovulation usually occurs on day 14 (with day 1 being the start of a period). For women with 35 day cycles, ovulation may occur later. If your cycles are regular, you may be able to determine an approximate day of ovulation based on your past cycles. If your cycles are irregular, or if you want to know specifically what day you will ovulate, we recommend either daily basal body temperature readings or an ovulation predictor kit. If you have charted your temperature and have not seen a mid-cycle rise, or if your predictor kit does not signify a surge, you should follow up with your doctor to see if any further testing is needed.
Usually, Clomid is taken for five days in the early part of your cycle. If cycle day 1 is the first day of your period, most doctors will recommend starting the medication on day 3 or day 5 (based on the personal preference of your doctor) and continuing it daily for five days. Most women will ovulate about 6-7 days after completing the course of Clomid.
Decreased fertility is a complex problem with
a variety of causes that are almost evenly spilt between male and
female factors. Causes range from hormone imbalances that interfere
with ovulation, to uterine fibroids, to endometriosis, to low sperm
counts, and even high stress lifestyles. If you and your partner
are becoming frustrated or concerned, our physicians are more than
willing to sit down with both of you to discuss your medical history
and formulate a plan of care that will hopefully identify and correct
any problems. It is important to keep in mind, however, that most
couples are not "infertile", but rather are experiencing
a relative decrease in their conception rates, and that this decrease
is most often correctable.
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