If you’re about to begin undergoing fertility treatments, there’s a chance you’ve asked yourself “does IUI even work?”. Maybe you’ve heard multiple success stories from IVF patients, but few from those who have conceived via IUI — or maybe you’re simply discouraged by the relatively low success rates (we’ll get into those below, but spoiler alert: IUI is unsuccessful more often than not). But IUI can work — it worked for me in 2018, when I conceived my twins. Though I had a lot of doubts going into the procedure, it ended up being the right choice...
I’m currently in the two-week wait following my fourth frozen embryo transfer, and honestly, it feels like the stakes couldn’t be any higher for us than they are right now. On one hand, I’m hopeful: we did a whole slew of testing following our last failed transfer, and my doctor changed up my protocol due to the results of my ERA (Endometrial Receptivity Analysis). On the other hand, I’m terrified. In the past year, I have had an early miscarriage, moved forward with PGT-A testing, and grieved two failed transfers with euploid (normal) embryos. Since I’ve...
I was 28 when I began trying (and trying and trying) to conceive. As a journalist covering fertility and prenatal health, I had all this information right at my fingertips, but nothing could prepare me for the frustrating, isolating reality of facing fertility challenges before age 30. At the time, my friends all fell squarely into one of two camps: Either they’d gotten pregnant immediately — often before even transitioning from “not not trying” to trying in earnest — or, they were actively avoiding pregnancy. None of them had drawers devoted to ovulation trackers in their...
Sponsored by Organon Kristyn Hodgdon is an IVF mom, current fertility patient, Co-founder and Chief Community Officer of Rescripted. This article is the opinion of the author and reflects the author's views. The author is not a healthcare professional. Let’s set the stage: You may have been trying to conceive (TTC) for a while now. You may think you’re doing everything right, however, month after month you’re hit with that single pink line or the negative symbol on a pregnancy test. With each passing month, you may feel a little bit more helpless and in search of answers. You...
Entering the world of fertility treatments for the first time can be an overwhelming process, to say the least. In my case, dual-factor infertility led my husband and I to pursue IVF to grow our family. However, everyone’s journey is different. With so many varying paths to consider when it comes to taking care of your reproductive health, what’s important to remember is that you’re certainly not walking alone. If you’re considering your own options, here are a few tips I wish I had known before beginning IVF: 1. Realistically, how much time I would need...
If you have recently been diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), it’s completely normal to be worried about your future fertility. You might be asking yourself, “Will I need fertility treatments to get pregnant?” Unfortunately, like so many things with fertility, the answer to that question is not so straightforward. However, the good news is that if you have PCOS, there’s no need to panic. There is definitely hope for conception, either naturally or through Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) like IUI or IVF. In this article, we’ll walk you through some of the different treatment options...
When I was going through fertility treatments for the first time, I was 27 years young. I was newly married, recently diagnosed with PCOS, and had barely even started trying to conceive when I was thrust into the complicated world of fertility acronyms before my brain had time to catch up. TTC, IUI, WTF? I knew I had Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). I was aware that my menstrual cycle had always been irregular. But I had no idea what all of that actually meant when it came to trying to conceive. I’m embarrassed to even admit...
We all know that what we put into our bodies affects our health in many ways. So if you are trying to conceive, it makes sense that you might be wondering how diet affects fertility. Evidence shows that diet can affect every aspect of trying to get pregnant, from ovulation to egg quality to embryo implantation. In fact, research shows that nutrition and ovulation are especially closely related. Let’s talk about ovulation first. What is it? Ovulation is when an egg is released from a mature follicle in the ovary. The egg lives for around 12...
A lot of people sense that they will have trouble conceiving, but I actually did not have that innate fear. Despite all of the signs that pointed toward a more difficult fertility journey (lack of regular periods, short luteal phase, etc.), I was quite honestly nothing but optimistic as my husband Bryce and I started trying to conceive. Maybe my optimism was blind, dumb, or naive; maybe it’s just my personality to see the silver lining, or maybe it was some weird (false) sense that an easy fertility journey was “owed” to me by the world...
After listening to countless podcasts, skimming through a boatload of articles, and scouring the internet for tips and tricks, experts and novices alike seem to have the same advice for navigating infertility: advocate for yourself. At first blush, this is wise and makes sense. We are the only ones in our own bodies, knowing what we’re feeling and experiencing. Therefore, we must convey this information to our healthcare team, so that we can receive the best possible care. However, when you’ve been beaten and bruised by infertility, it’s hard to muster the strength to get up...
