Intrauterine insemination (IUI) doesn’t have the greatest reputation in the fertility community, mainly because of its low success rates. But that doesn’t mean people trying to conceive should dismiss this procedure out of hand. IUI remains a good option for a number of reasons, such as if you’re using donor sperm or experiencing unexplained infertility. In addition, IUI is a minimally invasive, lower-cost alternative to in-vitro fertilization (IVF), making it a more appealing choice for those who may not be ready to invest in more expensive fertility treatments.  After years of unexplained infertility, I finally got...

Sarene Leeds • Aug 1, 2023

Our hardships are meant to be shared so others don’t have to suffer as much. This isn’t a story I thought I’d ever tell my friends or family, let alone strangers on the internet. Even writing it right now still makes me want to crap my pants to a degree.   But one of my favorite sentiments to remind myself of is that our experiences happen to us because we’re meant to share them — to learn from them, to use them as a catalyst to prevent others from going through the same pain we did, and to...

Caroline McMorrow • Aug 1, 2023

Antioxidants and polyphenols? Sounds like a bunch of health and wellness buzzwords, we know.  Fortunately, these are the real deal and not just another supplement or product you have to buy. They’re actually found in whole foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, tea, coffee, dark chocolate, olive oil, and more.  Antioxidants and polyphenols have a whole host of health benefits, including anti-inflammatory effects, improved cognitive and immune function, enhanced blood flow and blood pressure, greater gut microbiome diversity, and more — all of which have downstream positive implications for your overall hormone production and...

Caroline McMorrow • Jul 31, 2023

Polycystic ovarian syndrome — commonly known as PCOS — is an increasingly common condition affecting women, and it can have major effects on the body. You’ve probably heard that PCOS can increase a person’s risk of infertility and miscarriage, but what you may not know is that it can also come with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, type two diabetes, and mood disorders. In light of how seriously the condition can affect a person’s body and life, it’s obviously crucial that people secure diagnoses so they can work to address the issues related to PCOS....

Zara Hanawalt • Jul 30, 2023

They say the best workout is the one you’ll actually do, which we couldn't agree more with. Our society has convinced us that exercise is meant to be painful and miserable, which is far from the truth.  Exercise is meant to feel like self-care. And if you’re hating your current routine or it’s draining you of energy, you may be doing the wrong type of exercise for your body, mind, and active needs.  If you’re dealing with hormonal imbalances or infertility in particular, there’s a strategic way to blend in movement types that serve your current...

Caroline McMorrow • Jul 29, 2023

Possibly now, more than ever, surrogacy seems to be in the spotlight thanks to some high-profile celebrities. With this increased focus comes a lot of conversation about what surrogacy is, what it isn’t, who has access to it, and what it means for you and your family.  To state it plainly, surrogacy is a method of assisted reproduction during which intended parents work with a gestational surrogate who carries their baby until birth. Intended parents who may consider surrogacy include heterosexual couples who have struggled with infertility, independent parents unable to carry a child, intended parents...

Brighid Flynn • Jul 28, 2023

When I was fifteen, I began having stabbing pains in my lower abdomen — sometimes on my right side, sometimes on my left, and sometimes right in the middle. They were so intense that I would break into a cold sweat. If I were walking, I would double over like I was punched in the gut. My mom, who had her appendix removed as a young girl, had me perform all the old wives’ “tricks” to test for appendicitis: Hop on one leg, draw my knees in, and, eventually, wait it out. As time passed, the...

Kristin Diversi • Jul 27, 2023

We’ve all heard old sayings like, “Do you have butterflies in your stomach?” when walking into an exciting or anxiety-inducing moment. It turns out that there’s more truth behind that statement than you may have expected.  A new study by Seed found that there’s a deep connection between your gut health and your mental health. This holistic approach to wellbeing can help shed light on how you can better support your mental and gut health, especially as you navigate your fertility journey.  Since, according to the MGH Center for Women’s Mental Health, many people who are...

The Rescripted Team • Jul 25, 2023

Most people going through IVF will have their embryos frozen, so just how long can embryos be frozen for? Put simply: 27 years at least, but probably longer. Freezing embryos is an essential part of IVF, and not only prevents the waste of excess embryos, but can help to reduce the risk of the potentially life-threatening ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, or OHSS.  Before we get into how long embryos can be frozen, let’s first talk a bit about how embryos are frozen. Embryos are frozen almost exclusively by a process called vitrification. What is vitrification? Vitrification involves...

Sean Lauber • Jul 24, 2023

We get it. It’s starting to feel like all of our belongings — from personal care products to home goods — are “out to kill us” these days. It can feel pretty exhausting and defeating when it seems like every single day we’re learning about something new that we have to get rid of because it’s supposedly “toxic.”  We feel that pressure ourselves at Rescripted, which is why we’ve put together a starting point for swapping out your conventional goods for more body-safe options. It’s not about being perfect but doing the next best thing for us. ...

Caroline McMorrow • Jul 23, 2023