“When do you want to tell people?” My husband asked me as he laid in bed and watched me evaluate my reflection in the mirror while touching my 14 week pregnant belly. My clothes had become tight around the waist, to the point where I could no longer hide my second pregnancy under baggy blouses […]
Building A Transgender Family
There are so many options today for people who are transgender to create the family of their dreams- including genetically related children. Most reputable reproductive clinics have the resources necessary to help you on your journey to parenthood. Many adoption clinics are also open to working with transgender individuals and foster-to-adopt programs can be a […]
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 […]
Our Surrogacy Story
After many years of wondering if I would ever have a child, my husband Daniel and I decided to embark upon a long journey and pursue gestational surrogacy. Although I could not carry a child myself, I produced healthy viable eggs that could be fertilized with my husband’s sperm and placed in a gestational carrier […]
Why Do I Need an HSG or SIS Test?
If you’re having trouble conceiving, your doctor might suggest you take some tests to evaluate your fallopian tubes and uterus. The fallopian tubes are critical for pregnancy to occur since this is where fertilization takes place. The test used to evaluate the fallopian tubes is called a hysterosalpingogram (HSG), which is an x-ray test. 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 […]
Understanding Your Ovulation and Ovarian Reserve
When you start thinking about trying to conceive, one of the first things you need to learn about is “ovulation”. Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Tamara Tobias explains everything you need to know about ovulation and ovarian reserve: The menstrual cycle consists of a pre-ovulation (follicular) phase and post-ovulation (luteal) phase. Follicular refers to when 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 […]
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 […]
Suffering In Silence: Why Your Partner Also Needs Support
So much emphasis is placed on how to help women get through the physical, emotional, and psychological aspects of infertility treatments and testing that you would think that their husbands (or partners) have no particular needs for support through these stressful procedures. True, it’s not their bodies that are undergoing these pokes and prods, invasive […]
