When a couple wants to have a baby, but cannot conceive on their own, they may require medical intervention to facilitate the process. Infertility specialists are the doctors who need to be consulted when an infertile couple truly wants to understand why they are having trouble getting pregnant.
There are many tests that are performed on both the woman and man in order to determine what the root of the issue is. Once a problem has been identified, infertility specialists have fertility drugs and surgical procedures as well as other treatments in order to assist in a successful pregnancy.
When To Consult With Infertility Specialists
A couple is considered eligible to see infertility specialists after one year of not being able to conceive a baby on their own. When women are over age 35, that time frame shortens to six months.
The first step to fertility treatment is to meet with an ob-gyn and primary care physician to rule out any other health concerns that may be causing the problem. Once an ob-gyn confirms that the couple is experiencing infertility, they are referred out to infertility specialists for infertility treatment. After successful treatment, a woman who has been pregnant past 12 weeks is considered out of the danger zone, and returns to her ob-gyn’s care.
Causes Of Infertility For Men
Infertility specialists treat both men and women in their practice. Men can have a variety of issues that would cause infertility.
Varicocele affects sperm production due to an increased temperature in the testes. Doctors also look for blockages that would stop sperm. Sperm itself is tested for count, motility and abnormal shape.
Causes Of Infertility For Women
Women have a slightly higher rate of being responsible for infertility than men do. Infertility specialists test women for a host of issues that make them unable to get pregnant on their own or carry a pregnancy successfully to term.
Endometriosis is a condition that, among other symptoms, affects the fertility of a woman. Some women who cannot conceive on their own have ovulation difficulties that are usually caused by hormones. Poor egg quality is another issue facing women who are infertile. This is usually do to a woman’s advanced age.
Treatments For Infertility
There are many treatments for infertility. For men, the resolution is usually surgical and can be highly successful. If the issue for men has to do with the quality of the sperm or the sperm count, intervention with IUI or fertility drugs given to the woman can usually help the couple conceive.
For women, there are several different options. Infertility specialists can prescribe fertility drugs to help ovulation problems with a very high success rate. Other types of treatment are ART procedures (surgical intervention), IUI and IVF.
If none of the fertility drugs or any of the various surgical procedures help the couple that is seeking treatment, 530 present other options. Couples can obtain donor eggs and sperm if that would resolve their individual issue.
Gestational surrogates are another wonderful option. These women can carry a couples’ baby to term with the couples’ genetic material. When all other interventions fail, adoption is a path that a couple can take if they still wish to be parents.
