Several months before I started trying to get pregnant, someone gave me a copy of Toni Weschler’s Taking Charge of Your Fertility. I read it religiously and determined – rather obnoxiously – that people who had trouble getting pregnant just didn’t make the effort to chart their fertility. I did everything I thought I was […]
Meet Our Contributors
Medical Experts Dr. Lora Shahine, joined Pacific NW Fertility after completing her fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Stanford University. During her time at Stanford, Dr. Shahine served as a Clinical Instructor in the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, contributed several research publications in women’s health and infertility, and trained in one of the […]
When Is It Time To See A Doctor About Your Fertility?
The decision to start a family is a huge one. Then once you choose to stop birth control, it really gets exciting. You wonder, will it happen this month or next month? It’s all so much fun UNTIL… Aunt Flo keeps arriving. Month, after month, after month. If you’re like me you’re thinking, what the […]
Benefits of Acupuncture During IVF
The process of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is relatively straightforward: multiple eggs are stimulated with hormone medications, surgically retrieved from the woman’s body and then fertilized in a petri dish with sperm. Later, the “best” embryo(s) are transferred back into the woman’s uterus, where hopefully implantation and further embryonic cell division continues, producing a positive […]
Q&A With A Surrogacy Expert
Why use a gestational carrier? As you are likely familiar with, there are many paths to parenthood. Using a gestational carrier, also referred to as a surrogate, can be a beautiful choice for building a family. A gestational carrier’s relationship with you, the intended parent, should be collaborative, open and honest. The partnership and ongoing […]
Ask A Therapist: Do I Have To Attend My Sister’s Baby Shower?
Q: I have been battling infertility for over a year now and recently had a miscarriage. My sister is having a baby shower next month. Do I have to attend? While I am really happy for her and her husband, it might be too much for me to bear right now. Answer: Give yourself a […]
Why Men Should Get A Semen Analysis
The semen analysis is the gold standard for the male evaluation. This test can tell if sperm are present, how many and if they are moving. The semen analysis is important even if the male partner has previously fathered children. It can change during the reproductive years, but unlike eggs, sperm do not have a […]
What To Expect When You Visit A Fertility Doctor
Initial consultation Your initial visit will most likely include a consultation with your provider to review your medical history, prior evaluation, and treatments you may have already done. A review of your partner’s history (if applicable) will also be assessed. This initial appointment may take 1-2 hours, so allow enough time in your schedule so […]
Making Miracle Babies: My Own Story
That’s me with Kira and Jack, neither of whom would be here if I had listened to science and statistics. Confident Kira made her way through an ovary that had once been covered with 200 endometrial adhesions, and willful Jack traveled effortlessly two and a half years later through a fallopian tube that was determined […]
4 Ways Acupuncture Can Fight Infertility
In 2001 I opened the doors to my acupuncture practice and almost miraculously, I quickly began filling my schedule book with willing patients! It wasn’t that I was any better than my colleagues, or because I had an awesome marketing strategy in place that kept my phone ringing all the time. Rather, my schedule was […]
