Sept. 15 -2010 All About Women's Health - Pregnancy Articles

Which Fertility Treatments Are From Reproductive Science?
By Justin DiMateo

Recommended Reading
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Reproductive science makes possible many fertility treatments that help couples conceive. If you're suffering from infertility or are having trouble conceiving, exploring the possibilities made possible by reproductive science and the various fertility treatments and procedures available can be extremely worthwhile. As a general rule, infertility is defined as an inability to get pregnant after one year of unprotected sex. For women over 35, this may be changed to six months. If this situation applies to you, determining the cause of the problem is recommended.
Once the diagnosis has been made, couples may begin exploring the various fertility treatments available. Thanks to reproductive science, doctors are able to insert sperm directly into the uterus, where they will hopefully swim into the fallopian tubes to fertilize the egg. This is a procedure called intrauterine insemination (IUI) and is a relatively inexpensive option. Fertility drugs may be recommended to stimulate ovulation before performing the procedure, while the woman's cycle will be monitored in other cases.
If intrauterine insemination is unsuccessful, couples may turn to in vitro fertilization (IVF). This is another procedure made possible through studies and research in reproductive science. In this procedure, fertility drugs are also used to produce more eggs, which are extracted. They are then combined with sperm in a dish in a laboratory to create embryos. A few embryos are then transferred to the uterus, where they may implant in the uterine wall and develop. Embryo grading procedures may be used to determine which embryos may have the best chance of developing to help couples improve their odds. However, only a few embryos are transferred to reduce the chance of multiple births.
Male infertility factor may affect many men and may even reduce the success rate of IVF. To combat this, intracytoplasmic sperm injection may be used. This is a procedure in which sperm is directly injected into a mature egg to create an embryo.
Other advancements in the field of reproductive science have also made other fertility treatments and procedures possible. Zygote intrafallopian transfer (ZIFT) is similar to IVF in that eggs are extracted and fertilized with sperm to create embryos in a laboratory, but instead of being placed in the uterus, they are transferred to the fallopian tubes. Gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) is similar to ZIFT in that embryos are placed in the fallopian tubes, but in GIFT, fertilization actually occurs in the fallopian tubes instead of in a lab.
Click on the following to find out more on Reproductive Science and the related procedures in becoming pregnant, as well as question regarding Successful IVF Treatments along with others effective methods.

Recommended Reading
The Pregnancy Secrets
Explore The Bible Of Pregnancy, Getting Pregnant,
Being Pregnant And Deliver A Healthy, Happy Child.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Justin_DiMateo

Sept. 11 -2010 All About Women's Health - Pregnancy Articles

IUI Symptoms - Am I Pregnant?
By Diana Farrell

Recommended Reading
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Deciding to undergo IUI is a big step in your journey to fertility, and you'll probably start wondering the day of insemination whether or not you'll get pregnant. As with most fertility-related things, though, it's important to keep in mind that these things do take time. Even if the egg was successfully fertilized, it still has to travel to your womb and implant there, which could take almost a week. Learning about IUI symptoms of pregnancy is important, but it's also important to be as un-obsessive as possible so that you don't drive yourself crazy with stress. But, if you really must know, here are some of the early pregnancy symptoms you might be on the lookout for.

Earliest Conception Signs after IUI

Symptoms of pregnancy can vary widely from one woman to the next. Some women get terrible morning sickness within a week of conception, and there are actually some women who still have light spotting throughout their pregnancies who may not find out they are pregnant until they're several months along. In general, though, these are some of the most common symptoms of a very early pregnancy:

*Missed Period: This is the most obvious symptom, although you can also miss a period because of rapid weight loss or gain and because of other causes, such as extreme stress. This isn't the only important symptom, but it's the one that we normally look at first.

*Light Spotting: Sometimes when the egg actually implants into your uterus, you might experience light bleeding and cramping. Some women mistake this for their periods, but it can actually be a sign of pregnancy. If you've recently undergone IUI and these symptoms keep happening at odd intervals, you might want to see a doctor.

*Breast Tenderness: Many early pregnancy symptoms, like this one, can also come across as PMS symptoms for some women. However, breast tenderness can be an early pregnancy sign.

*Fatigue: Most women don't feel overly tired for an entire pregnancy, but it's not unusual to feel exhausted within the first few weeks of conception. If you're really dragging after IUI, this could be a symptom of pregnancy.

*Backaches and Headaches: For many women, the hormonal and physical changes caused by early pregnancy can cause lower backaches and headaches.

*Nausea/Morning Sickness: Morning sickness is really a misnomer, since some women are sick all the time and others actually get sicker in the evenings. However, if you're feeling sick some of the time, it might be a pregnancy symptom.

It's important to keep in mind that the symptoms for an IUI pregnancy are about the same as the symptoms for a natural pregnancy and that all of these symptoms could be tied to other things. While you should definitely note changes in your body and mind during this waiting period, you shouldn't obsess over these changes. Some of them, such as headaches, nausea, and tiredness, can even be induced by stress, so you don't want to bring them upon yourself!

When to Take the Pregnancy Test after IUI

Choosing when to take a pregnancy test is vital when you've undergone IUI. Whether you're showing signs of early pregnancy or not, it's important that you take the test about two weeks after you were inseminated. You need to wait this long because, like we said, it can take the fertilized egg almost a week to implant. After that, the body starts producing new hormones, which is what a pregnancy test looks at. While a professional lab test would be able to confirm an implantation within a couple of days of pregnancy, a home test needs for you to be pregnant for a few days before it will work.

Even this fourteen day period can vary, though. Take the test on the morning of day fourteen, but don't lose it if the test is negative. Wait two days, and then test one more time. If this test is also negative, you should wait a few more days to see if you get your period. If you don't, then schedule an appointment with your doctor to find out what the issue might be.

Diana Farrell is the author of the trademarked Full Embrace series of books on overcoming infertility that have helped many couples get pregnant. If you would like to know more about IUI symptoms and lots more information about getting pregnant, visit http://www.PregnancySuccessProgram.com.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Diana_Farrell

Sept. 09 -2010 All About Women's Health - Pregnancy Articles

Pregnancy - Embryo Transfer
By Shirley M. Duran


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Embryo transfer usually takes place two days after egg collection. This results in the embryos arriving in the womb several days earlier than they would after natural conception. It is thought that this may be one cause of the low success rate of IVF, and is the reason for the development of some of the other treatment major programmes.
Under British law, a maximum of three embryos can be replaced into the woman's womb. This limit was set for reasons of safety, to reduce the risk of very high-order multiple births. Although the birth of quads or quintuplets is frequently attributed to fertility treatment, in the UK it is not nowadays the result of IVF. It was previously argued that the transfer into the woman of a larger number of embryos increased the prospects of one of them implanting, on the basis that they supported each other in the implantation process. However, this theory has largely been discounted and the trend is towards further reducing the number of embryos transferred into a woman.
Some specialists now argue that with the advances in medical science and improving success rates in IVF, women should give careful thought to having more than two embryos replaced, to avoid the risks involved in having triplets. Brian lieberman, Consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Regional IVF Unit at St no Mary's Hospital in Manchester, routinely replaces only two embryos, and at some other centres three embyros are replaced only if the woman's chances of pregnancy are low.
Shirley M. Duran is a mother of two and an author of a variety of related lifestyle issues and topics with which has helped hundreds of mothers become pregnant. If you have any pregnancy questions for which you need answers, it is recommended to visit: http://mypregnancyquestions.info/
Copyright © Shirley M. Duran, All Rights Reserved. If you are interested in using this article make all the urls (links) active. Thank you!


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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shirley_M._Duran

Sept. 07 -2010 All About Women's Health - Pregnancy Articles

IUI Pregnancy Success Tips
By Diana Farrell

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Getting pregnant through IUI might seem like a very difficult task, but if things work out properly, it's almost like getting pregnant naturally. If you're shooting for an IUI pregnancy within the next few months, there are a few things that you can do to prepare your body to undergo the treatment better and to increase your chances of success with IUI. These five tips are pretty easy and natural, so get started on them as soon as you can.

1. Acupuncture Therapy to Help You Conceive with IUI
This might not be the first option your mind jumps to when you think of enhancing your IUI success, but it has been shown to help in many studies and anecdotal cases. Basically, this ancient Chinese medicine regulates the hormones in a way that scientists haven't quite pinned down yet. Women who undergo acupuncture end up with less stress and even with more and higher quality eggs, which makes IUI more likely to be successful.

2. Visualization Techniques of IUI Conception
Many infertility clinics are actually using this type of therapy for their clients now. Basically, when you are going through IUI, you simply visualize what is going to happen with the sperm and the egg in your body. As with acupuncture, scientists haven't pinned down the way that visualization works, but there is evidence to show that the mind has great power over the body.

3. Watch Your Food and Drink for Pregnancy Success
One of the main ways to prepare your body for conception is to eat a healthy diet. This holds true no matter whether you're trying to conceive naturally, through IUI, or through any other ART techniques. The documentation of the link between diet and fertility just keeps building up. You don't have to obsess over every single thing you put in your mouth, but here are a few tips that will keep your body in good shape before IUI:

* Focus on getting enough whole foods, including vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
* Get one or two servings a day of full-fat dairy products through milk, yogurt, or cheese, since this has been linked to increased fertility.
* Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and toxin-free.
* Get a lot of protein from vegetable sources and nuts, but don't be afraid to work lean proteins from meat into your diet, either.
* Take a daily multivitamin that contains folic acid.
* Avoid alcohol, which can reduce overall fertility and increase your risk of miscarriage.

4. De-stress However You Can to Optimize Fertility
There is a lot of evidence that extreme stress - like the kind that comes from trying unsuccessfully to get pregnant - can reduce your chances of getting pregnant and increase your chances of miscarriage. Besides this, the stress that comes with IUI can make your life a nightmare. Instead of simply living with it, find ways to reduce stress before, during, and after IUI. Taking long walks, doing yoga regularly, and joining a support group are all good options.

5. Take an Expectorant to Help You Get Pregnant with IUI
Cough syrup for IUI? That's right. This is a good step to take, especially if you're taking Clomid during an IUI cycle. Clomid - and some natural conditions - can cause cervical mucus to become thick and too hostile to allow sperm to survive. Cough syrup like Robitussin doesn't just thin out mucus in the lungs, but it can also thin out cervical mucus.

The dosage that you should take varies, but you will want to take a little bit of cough syrup with the active ingredient guaifenesin for a couple of days before your insemination is going to occur. Many women with hostile cervical mucus have had excellent luck with this simple fertility-enhancing step.

Diana Farrell is the author of the trademarked Full Embrace series of books on overcoming infertility that have helped many couples get pregnant. If you would like to know more about IUI pregnancy success tips and lots more information about conceiving, visit http://www.PregnancySuccessProgram.com.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Diana_Farrell

Sept. 05 -2010 All About Women's Health - Pregnancy Articles

IVF Vs Other Fertility Treatments
By Justin DiMateo


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In vitro fertilization is perhaps the most well-known of all of the available fertility treatments. Because of this, many incorrectly consider it a surefire way to get pregnant when they are unable to do so naturally. They're quickly brought to reality upon speaking with a fertility doctor, however, as they realize that the chance of success with "in vitro fertilization" depends on several factors and dips below 50% in many situations.

For instance, women who are above the age of 35 are considered to have a lower chance of success than women who are younger than 35, although other factors will also come into play in determining the woman's chances. There are certain things you can do to help improve your chances of success such as choosing embryo selection in which the embryos considered to have the best chance of developing are implanted in the uterus. If severe male infertility exists, intracytoplasmic sperm injection, which involves the direct injection of a sperm into a mature egg, may help improve a couple's chances. Massage and other non-traditional methods may also be helpful in improving chances.

So how does IVF compare to other fertility procedures? Well, whereas IVF involves the combination of sperm and eggs in a dish to achieve fertilization, intrauterine insemination involves the transfer of sperm to the uterus, where the sperm may swim into the fallopian tubes for fertilization. The procedure is also much cheaper than IVF, making it a popular first choice for many couples. The success rate, however, is often lower than IVF, often hovering around 10% and rising to about 15% or 20% if fertility drugs are used.

As far as gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) is concerned, the eggs are placed in a catheter with the sperm. The eggs and sperm are then moved to the fallopian tubes through a procedure called laparoscopy will hopefully occur. The success rate for GIFT is often around 45% for women under 35 years old and is lower for women above 35.

Zygote intrafallopian transfer (ZIFT) is different from GIFT in that the fertilization is performed in the lab, like in IVF, instead of in the fallopian tubes, like in GIFT. Similarly to GIFT, however, a laparoscopic transfer to the fallopian tubes instead of the uterus, which is the case in IVF. In a way, ZIFT is caught in the middle of IVF and GIFT in terms of how the procedure is performed. The success rate is similar to that of GIFT procedures.

Visit a IVF Clinic in your area, including Alabama, on fertility procedures and questions on giving birth, becoming a parent, and Infertility Treatment in Mobile, AL also with offices in Pensacola and Tallahassee, FL.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Justin_DiMateo

Sept. 03 -2010 All About Women's Health - Pregnancy Articles

Zygote Intrafallopian Transfer (ZIFT) And Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer (GIFT)
By Sandra B Wilson

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Both Zygote Intrafallopian Transfer and Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer are ART procedures, which involve removing the woman's eggs, mixing them with the male's sperm, and implanting them in the woman's Fallopian tubes. One significant difference between the two procedures is that with the first fertilization takes place outside the body, and with the latter, fertilization takes place inside the body. Typically, in both cases, the woman takes a fertility drug to stimulate egg production in her ovaries.
Zygote Intrafallopian Transfer (ZIFT) is considered the most invasive of all ART fertility treatments, with less than 1% of people using ART, choosing this treatment.
During Zygote Intrafallopian Transfer, and once the eggs are mature, the woman is given an anesthetic by her doctor, and her eggs are removed from her ovaries. The doctor removes the eggs by inserting a needle through the vaginal wall, using an ultrasound to find the eggs. The removed eggs are fertilized with the male's sperm in a laboratory, in vitro. About a day later, each of your fertilized eggs will be a ball of cells - a developing embryo called a zygote.
The woman then undergoes minor surgery to have up to four zygotes inserted into her fallopian tubes. The doctor makes a small incision in her abdomen, using a fiber-thin tube called a laparoscope. Any extra zygotes may be frozen in case this cycle of Zygote Intrafallopian Transfer doesn't succeed.
If the treatment works, a zygote will travel through the fallopian tube and implant itself in the uterus, where it grows into a baby. In about 35% of ZIFT pregnancies, women give birth to multiples.
Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer (GIFT) is a semi-invasive procedure, which requires a laproscopy. It is used in cases where the fertility problem relates to sperm dysfunction, and where the case of infertility is unknown. With Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer, the woman's eggs are removed from her ovaries, and placed in one of the Fallopian tubes, along with the man's sperm.
The doctor monitors the growth of the ovarian follicles. When the woman's eggs are mature, she is injected with Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). The eggs are then harvested about 36 hours later, and mixed with the male's sperm. Then they are placed back into the woman's Fallopian tubes using a laparoscope. At this stage, fertilization has not yet taken place, which means it will occur inside the body. It usually takes 4 to 6 weeks to complete a cycle of GIFT. A woman must have at least one normal fallopian tube for this procedure to be appropriate. It is estimated that 25-30% of GIFT cycles result in pregnancy, with a significant number of them being multiple pregnancies.
Many infertility specialists consider this procedure as an outdated one. This is because pregnancy rates with IVF tend to be equal or better and a laparoscopy is not required. Some patients, however, prefer Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer over IVF, because it allows the fertilization to take place inside the body, which is not the case with IVF.
You can find helpful information about zygote intrafallopian transfer and everything you need to know about gamete intrafallopian transfer at Aha! Baby.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sandra_B_Wilson

SEpt. 01 -2010 All About Women's Health - Pregnancy Articles

IUI Pregnancy Rates
By Diana Farrell

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If you're thinking about getting IUI on your path to conception, you might be wondering what the IUI pregnancy rates are like. The truth is that these rates can be difficult to pin down because they depend on so many different factors; however, with advances in technology, these rates are higher than they used to be, and many couples have a decent chance of getting pregnant through IUI.
The Overall Rates of Success of IUI
Overall, most studies show that IUI is anywhere from 5% to 30% successful for couples. Couples who try natural IUI, where there is only one egg to fertilize, are on the low end of that scale, as are couples with a low sperm count problem. Couples who use fertility medications like Clomid fall somewhere in the middle to high end of the range, and couples who use injected medications like those used for IVF will normally fall on the high end of that range.
That said, there are also other factors that can go into determining a couple's potential success with IUI. For one thing, the younger the mother is, the more successful the procedure is likely to be, although it has worked with couples in which the female partner is over the age of thirty-five. Also, couples who undergo therapy to improve sperm count and motility often end up having success with a later round of IUI.
Why Multiple Rounds Increase the Odds of Getting Pregnant with IUI
One of the interesting things about IUI is that couples who undergo multiple rounds of the treatment are more likely to get pregnant with each round. One of the main reasons for this is that the doctor and the couple can work together to determine the best time to inseminate. With IUI, as with many other fertility procedures, timing is key. In order to have an egg to fertilize, the sperm really need to be injected right before ovulation. After a few months of working with the same woman, a doctor can tweak medications and dates to optimize the odds of a pregnancy.
Also, some doctors will recommend doing two back-to-back inseminations. You will basically be inseminated on one day and then go in again on the second day. Some studies have shown that this approach yields a higher success rate than a single insemination procedure. However, if you've carefully timed the first insemination, it should be enough to get your egg fertilized.
In general, IUI is most successful for couples who are generally healthy and whose fertility problems involve things like low sperm count and PCOS. However, there are lots of other couples who have had unexpected success with IUI. If you're wondering whether or not IUI would work for you, the best thing to do is to talk to your doctor about your specific fertility problems and needs. You may also want to simply give IUI a shot before moving on to more drastic invasive and expensive procedures, such as IVF, GIFT, or ZIFT.
Diana Farrell is the author of the trademarked Full Embrace series of books on overcoming infertility that have helped many couples get pregnant. If you would like to know more about IUI pregnancy rates and lots more information about conceiving, visit http://www.PregnancySuccessProgram.com.

Recommended Reading
Slim & Healthy Pregnancy.
How To Keep Excess Weight Off &
Maintain Good Health During And After Pregnancy.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Diana_Farrell