Age is often brought up in conversations around female fertility. The number “35” will get thrown around, and while it is a crucial age, it’s also important to understand why 35 has become the benchmark for discussions around fertility (and infertility).   According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, there is a sharp decline in fertility throughout a woman's 30s.  “For healthy couples in their 20s and early 30s, around 1 in 4 women will get pregnant in any single menstrual cycle,” explains the ACOG. “By age 40, around 1 in 10 will get pregnant...

Bacterial Vaginosis, or "BV", is a common vaginal infection caused by an overgrowth of bacteria. While it is usually not a serious condition, it can lead to a range of uncomfortable symptoms including itching, burning, and discharge. BV can also have an impact on fertility. Recent research has shown that BV can disrupt the delicate balance of bacteria in the reproductive tract, leading to a range of complications that can make it more difficult to become pregnant. But don't panic just yet — in this article, we'll explore the link between Bacterial Vaginosis and fertility and...

If you're considering surrogacy as a way to grow your family, then you know you have a lot of big decisions ahead. One of the toughest decisions you'll face is whether to work with a surrogacy agency or embark on an independent journey. Both options — using an agency or exploring an independent journey — have their pros and cons; ultimately, the choice comes down to what's best for you and your situation. Knowing the differences between using a surrogacy agency and pursuing surrogacy on your own will help you make a choice that best fits...

If you’re at all familiar with the world of fertility treatments, chances are good that you’ve heard of IUI and IVF. While they are both treatment options to help increase a patient’s chance of getting pregnant, they are quite different in the procedures involved to costs and success rates.  So, what are the differences between IUI and IVF? To help us break it all down, we spoke with reproductive endocrinologist and geneticist Dr. Jonah Bardos, medical director and founding physician at CCRM Fertility in Miami. Keep reading to learn more about IUI and IVF and which option...

If you’re considering undergoing IVF or egg freezing, you’re likely nervous about so many aspects of the process. The financial toll, the time commitment, the injections, the hormonal shifts, the emotional upheaval…and that’s not an even exhaustive list. But there’s one complication people may incur when undergoing fertility treatments, and it’s something not many people discuss. The good news? Thanks to advances in the field of reproductive endocrinology, this complication in question is rare. We’re talking about ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), which, according to Mayo Clinic, is an exaggerated response to excess hormones. “It is a...

Infertility brings anyone struggling to become a parent into a single club. We’re all different, with different stories and circumstances, but somehow, also all the same.  I am certainly no different. I wanted to be a parent for as long as I can remember. We struggled for years through multiple rounds of timed intercourse, IUIs, and IVF, until I had run out of options. None of the 14 embryos my husband and I created made it to blastocyst. None made it past day three, indicating the problem in development was with my eggs.  It was devastating....