September is PCOS Awareness Month and an excellent opportunity to spread awareness about the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of this common female reproductive disorder. PCOS, which stands for polycystic ovary syndrome, affects five to ten percent of women from the beginning of menstruation through menopause. If left untreated, PCOS can have long-term health repercussions throughout a woman’s life, including increasing her risk of developing cardiovascular disease, reproductive cancers, diabetes, and depression. PCOS is a common, but misunderstood disease. Experts estimate that up to 50% of women are not diagnosed correctly with it. Many women do not learn they have PCOS...
Ovarian Cancer and Women Trying to Conceive
Important facts you should know Ovarian cancer is rare, especially in women trying to have a baby. Though a small number of young, reproductive-age women will receive this frightening diagnosis, it is important they learn about fertility preservation options, as well as alternatives for building their family. Ovarian cancer is rare Doctors diagnose approximately 22,000 American women each year, so it is a relatively rare cancer compared to the 266,000 women who will contract breast cancer in 2018. According to the American Cancer Society, the ovarian cancer lifetime risk for the women in the general population is less than 2%....
What is a Luteal Phase Defect?
A luteal phase defect is a disruption of the menstrual cycle when the lining of the uterus doesn’t develop properly, making it difficult to get pregnant or to sustain and grow a pregnancy. Most women don’t like to hear they have a ‘defect,’ and even some doctors don’t think a luteal phase defect or LPD is a real diagnosis but rather an indication of another reproductive problem. The luteal phase is the fourth phase of the menstrual cycle, usually lasting 12-14 days. The other three phases are menstruation, the follicular phase, and ovulation. Menstrual cycle overview The menstrual cycle is...
Emotions and Infertility
New research shows you don’t need to worry about worrying Talk to any of our female patients about the stress of infertility, and you will get similar responses. They will tell you how infertility is frightening and frustrating, and an overwhelming emotional roller coaster that affects their self-esteem and impacts every relationship, including with their partner, friends, and family members. In addition to not being able to conceive and fulfill their dreams of motherhood, many of our patients worry that their stress will affect the outcome of treatment. Well-meaning loved ones may tell them to ‘just relax,’ when they can...
Emotions and Infertility
New research shows you don’t need to worry about worrying Talk to any of our female patients about the stress of infertility, and you will get similar responses. They will tell you how infertility is frightening and frustrating, and an overwhelming emotional roller coaster that affects their self-esteem and impacts every relationship, including with their partner, friends, and family members. In addition to not being able to conceive and fulfill their dreams of motherhood, many of our patients worry that their stress will affect the outcome of treatment. Well-meaning loved ones may tell them to ‘just relax,’ when they can...
Why Would a Woman Need a Surrogate Mother?
Many women have dreamed of getting pregnant and having a baby since they were little girls. But some would-be mothers have medical conditions that make it very difficult if not impossible to get pregnant or sustain a pregnancy. They must turn to another woman to help them have a baby. Celebrities such as Nicole Kidman, Sarah Jessica Parker, and others have used gestational carriers to create their families. One of the most high-profile women to recently engage a surrogate mother is Kim Kardashian, who could not risk getting pregnant again due to complications from her second pregnancy. The vast majority...
Louise Brown and IVF Turn the Big Four 0
Louise Brown, the world’s first IVF baby, turns 40 on Wednesday, July 25. Infertility professionals from around the world will be celebrating this day and reminiscing about the advances that have been made in reproductive medicine during the last four decades since her milestone birth. Recently an international committee on assisted technologies monitoring announced that eight million babies had been born world worldwide as the result of IVF and other advanced reproductive treatments. We are proud that HRC Fertility has been part of this trend, having played an essential role in helping create families in southern California and beyond with...
We Love Surrogate Mothers
Surrogate mothers help make dreams come true. They are kind, compassionate women who want to build families for individuals who can not get pregnant on their own, including infertile heterosexual couples, gay men, and singles. People who have not been involved in surrogacy may not understand what motivates a woman to carry a baby for someone else. They also often have other misconceptions about the wonderful women who become surrogates. We want to set the record straight about why we love surrogate mothers. There are different types and terms for surrogacy You might have heard different terms used to describe...
We Love Surrogate Mothers
Surrogate mothers help make dreams come true. They are kind, compassionate women who want to build families for individuals who can not get pregnant on their own, including infertile heterosexual couples, gay men, and singles. People who have not been involved in surrogacy may not understand what motivates a woman to carry a baby for someone else. They also often have other misconceptions about the wonderful women who become surrogates. We want to set the record straight about why we love surrogate mothers. There are different types and terms for surrogacy You might have heard different terms used to describe...
PGS after Miscarriage
Your closet contains a row of unworn maternity clothes, and you walk by the empty nursery decorated for the baby you never got to hold. How could it be that the pregnancy you’ve been preparing for is suddenly not a reality? Our Los Angeles fertility center team is highly experienced in helping intended parents deal with life after miscarriage. And, they say your dreams of having a baby – after one miscarriage or even several – don’t have to go by the wayside. Preimplantation genetic screening (PGS) and other treatments can help. “But I Did Everything Right” It’s not unusual...