For many people, diving into the world of infertility or fertility preservation comes with a lot of realizations about their own bodies and health — things they never even knew were possibilities. For example: Maybe you’re undergoing fertility testing to take control of your reproductive future…and you learn that you have a thing called diminished ovarian reserve. Terms like this — which sound like a foreign language to someone who hasn’t stepped into the world of reproductive medicine, but quickly become a part of your vocabulary as you navigate this world — can be frightening...

It probably goes without saying that having anything “blocked” in your reproductive organs doesn’t bode well for your fertility. For instance, your fallopian tubes play a major role in your ability to conceive, and if one or both are blocked it can lead to potential fertility issues.  The fallopian tubes are two thin tubes that connect the ovaries to the uterus. In a typical menstrual cycle, during ovulation one of the ovaries releases an egg into one of the fallopian tubes, where it awaits fertilization from a sperm. The fertilized egg, or embryo, then moves...

Many of us are familiar with abdominal ultrasounds: the cold gel, the wand being rubbed around on our torso, and the blurry images projected on the screen. While these are the more common ultrasounds typically performed, sometimes physicians need to order transvaginal ultrasounds for more detailed pictures — especially when it comes to our reproductive health and fertility.  Rather than capturing images topically, transvaginal ultrasounds gather imaging using a probe inserted into the vaginal canal. Also known as endovaginal ultrasounds, this procedure uses an ultrasound probe inserted about 2 to 3 inches into your vaginal canal....

Sponsored by Organon. Visit FertilityJourney.com to learn more.  Photo of author and real-life IVF patient, Jennifer Palumbo. Jennifer Jay Palumbo is a writer, public speaker, infertility advocate, author of the blog “The 2 Week Wait,” and a proud IVF (in vitro fertilization) mom of 2 boys. This article is based on her own fertility journey. As someone who has personally struggled with infertility, I know firsthand just how stressful it can be. No one is ever fully prepared to manage the feelings and emotions that may come with the inability to conceive. My husband and...

According to Fertility and Sterility, endometriosis affects 1 in 10 women. In addition, 25% to 50% of women who deal specifically with an infertility diagnosis have endometriosis. Unfortunately, symptoms are often missed or misdiagnosed completely.  Making matters more complicated, endometriosis is sometimes mistaken for other conditions, such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) or ovarian cysts. It may also be confused with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which causes diarrhea, constipation, and abdominal cramping. In other cases, 20–25% of endometriosis patients are completely asymptomatic, also known as “silent endometriosis.” In recent years, several female celebrities such as Lena...

My husband and I met in our late twenties. We are both the oldest children of big families and neither of us was particularly fixated on having kids. Instead, we spent an amazing ten years working and traveling. One of our first big experiences together was moving to London, and from there, we also lived and worked in Barcelona.  In our late thirties, while we were living in New Zealand, we both felt the pressure of the biological clock's countdown but still remained ambivalent about having children. We talked about it a lot and always...

Most women and AFAB (assigned female at birth) people can relate to feeling the pressure to be pregnant. A layer of worry may be added when you're single, in a same-sex relationship, or experiencing reproductive health challenges. There’s power in tuning in and listening to what you’re truly desiring with regard to parenthood.  Depending on your age, financial circumstances, and relationship stability, the idea of having a child can seem exciting, confusing, or panic-inducing. However, through peaceful preparation, the idea of motherhood and pregnancy could feel a lot calmer. Whatever barriers you may feel are...

If you’ve ever tried to complete a high-intensity workout while fighting menstrual cramps, you’ve probably noticed that your body simply feels different — and performs differently — based on where you are in your cycle. So consider this: Instead of working against those differences, why not try working with your cycle?  You may have heard of cycle syncing (more on that below!), which is the whole premise here. Your menstrual cycle is composed of four distinct phases, and understanding what’s happening in your body during each of these phases is key if you want to approach...

"Am I feeling more tired than usual?" "Are my breasts more tender than they normally are?" When trying to conceive, you may begin questioning every possible pregnancy symptom. While your first instinct may be to take a home pregnancy test, you might be wary about doing so if you're concerned that the results won't be accurate. It's a valid fear – there's nothing worse than taking a pregnancy test only to get hit with a big fat negative because you took it too soon.    Whether you're in the two-week wait after an embryo transfer or...

Trying to conceive can take time. First, there’s the time you invest in learning what “trying to conceive” actually means. After that, there’s the time you have to keep trying until a doctor confirms that you’re struggling with infertility. Then, there’s the window between your first fertility health test and when you get your fertility hormone results. According to Devon Klauck, WHNP, Director, Clinical Product at Tia, it is never too early to get curious about your fertility health.  “If you have any questions at all about your fertility, it’s a great time to have...