Tag: ovulation

Fertility Clock Headlines, Fertility Headlines

Study Explains Link Between Hyperprolactinaemia And Infertility

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Hyperprolactinaemia is a major cause of anovulation. Anovulation means no ovulation occurs in a woman’s menstrual cycle. Hyperprolactinaemia is where abnormally high levels of the hormone prolactin are in the blood. Prolactin is a hormone that is found in both men and women, that’s secreted by the pituitary gland and is released at various times during the day. This hormone enlarges a woman’s mammary gland preparing her for breastfeeding.

New research has been discovered, until now not much was known in detail of what increases prolactin in women. All that was known was that an increase of prolactin in women had disturbed one of the most important hormones affecting fertility, GnRH(Gonadotropin releasing hormone), which is responsible for the production of sex hormones, and the stimulation of the luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone (LH and FSH). Read full article. 

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Infertility: How Can the Ovulation Function Be Restored?

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One of the most frequent is the existence of tumours that induce an over-secretion of this hormone. These women present with chronic infertility due to anovulation. Thanks to the work of the Inserm researchers from unit 693 “Steroid receptors: endocrinian and metabolic physiopathology”, the intimate mechanism of the hyperprolactinaemia alterations affecting reproduction in mice has been discovered.

This work has been published in the journal JCI.

Hyperprolactinaemia is a major cause of anovulation and is responsible for menstruation disorders and infertility. However, not much was know in detail of the mechanisms that cause this pathology. All that was known was that an increase in prolactin in women disturbed one of the most important hormones affecting reproduction and fertility: GnRH .

Up until now, we had been unable to understand this inhibition of prolactin in the GnRH neurons, because most of these neurons did not express the prolactin receptor.

So the researchers put forward another hypothesis: what if it was due to the indirect action of other molecules? Read full article.

Fertility Clock Headlines, Fertility Headlines

Semen’s Secret Ingredient Induces Ovulation

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If you’re trying to avoid getting pregnant, here’s another reason to mistrust the rhythm method of birth control: New research confirms that the fluid in semen, long dismissed as primarily a vehicle for sperm, contains a substance that can trigger ovulation and other pregnancy-supporting hormonal responses in female mammals. The find could lead to new fertility treatments in humans.

Like most female animals, women are spontaneous ovulators, meaning they release eggs on a fairly regular basis regardless of their sexual activity. A few animal species, however, such as camels and rabbits, release viable eggs only in response to sex. These animals are called “induced ovulators.” For decades, scientific dogma has held that in induced ovulators, the physical stimulation of sex triggers hormonal responses within the female that lead to the production and release of eggs. In 1985, however, a group of Chinese researchers challenged this idea by suggesting that there might be an ovulation-inducing factor (OIF) in semen itself. According to veterinarian and reproductive biologist Gregg Adams of the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Canada, the hypothesis ran so counter to common wisdom that “people just ignored it. Me included.”

When Adams and his colleagues finally tested the idea decades later, they were taken aback by their results. In 2005, the team injected the seminal fluid of male llamas — closely related to camels — into the hind legs of female llamas to see if the llamas would ovulate without genital stimulation. To their surprise, he says, injecting seminal fluid into the female llamas’ bloodstream had “a very potent ovulatory effect.” Read full article.

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Are you an impatient woman? A Woman’s Guide to Getting Pregnant

Lorie A. Parch

ConceiveOnline.com: You wrote this book to correct misinformation you found about fertility — information that was largely scaring women about their poor chances of conception. Can you share a few pieces of misinformation you were able to correct or clarify in your own research?

Jean Twenge: I often saw the statistic that one-third of women over 35 would not become pregnant after a year of trying – this was often stated as fact with no source. It turns out the source is a medical journal article that analyzed – not kidding – birth records from 1600s rural France! Modern studies find higher pregnancy rates…maybe because we have soap now.

CO.com: As you know, the readers of ConceiveOnline.com are having trouble conceiving, some of them for a very long time – so they’re definitely impatient! Any advice from your research and writing this book for this group of women (vs. people who haven’t started trying yet or have been trying for a short time)?

JT: My first piece of advice is to have your partner get a semen analysis. Almost half of fertility problems are “male factor” (which sounds like a really bad men’s cologne). Because men always have it easier, tests for sperm issues are quick and inexpensive – between $50 and $100 at a doctor’s office (there are home kits too, but they are both less accurate and more expensive).

If the semen analysis is normal, buy a fertility monitor. Charting is great – I’ve done it myself for 8 years – but for getting pregnant may not be precise enough. There are so many days of egg white, and how many differs from one cycle to the next. I got pregnant faster at 39 than at 34, probably because of the monitor. (Although, as I note below, you have to adjust your timing when using the monitor because the day of ovulation isn’t actually the most fertile).

If you’ve been trying for six months using the monitor – especially if you’ve had sex on both high and peak days — I think it’s time to see a doctor. The advice of waiting a year is based on random timing. It also ignores how stressful trying is when you don’t know why it’s not working.

CO.com: In your new book, you explain three ways to monitor ovulation in every cycle (not just when a woman typically ovulates). What are common mistakes in tracking ovulation that you’d like to correct?

JT: I think the most common mistake is waiting too long in the cycle to have sex. For some women, ovulation has already passed or is within a few hours of occurring once an OPK or fertility monitor detects LH (luteinizing hormone). If you have sex that evening, it might already be too late, because the egg doesn’t live very long (about 6 to 12 hours). So just relying on OPKs might not be the best – better to combine it with charting or the fertility monitor so you can get more warning.

We’ll have the second and last part of our interview with Jean on April 23, so please check back!

Jean M. Twenge, Professor of Psychology at San Diego State University, is the author of the brand-new book, The Impatient Woman’s Guide to Getting Pregnant. She has also written more than 90 scientific publications and two books based on her research, Generation Me and The Narcissism Epidemic. Her research has been covered in Time, Newsweek, the New York Times, USA Today, and The Washington Post, and she has been featured on Today, NBC Nightly News, Fox and Friends, Dateline, and National Public Radio. She received a B.A. and M.A. from the University of Chicago and a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. She lives in San Diego, California, with her husband and daughters.

Author:
Lorie A. Parch
Fertility Clock Blog, My Future Baby Blog

What Is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

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Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a common hormonal disorder that affects millions of women in the U.S. The underlying cause of this condition is not known.
 
Like most medical problems that are referred to as “syndromes”, PCOS is made up of a cluster of signs and symptoms. Women with polycystic ovary syndrome may have some or all of the following features:
 
  • Irregular or skipped menstrual periods
  • Obesity and difficulty controlling weight gain
  • Male pattern hair growth
  • Acne and other chronic skin conditions
  • Dark brown or black patches on the skin
 
Various hidden health problems such as diabetes or uterine cancer may be discovered with medical tests. Diagnosis is made by evaluating the presence of multiple symptoms and ruling out other conditions.
 
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Infertility
PCOS is the most common hormonal abnormality causing infertility in women. It affects fertility by suppressing ovulation. Egg follicles may begin to mature but do not ovulate or release the egg into the fallopian tube. These follicles remain as cysts in the ovaries. In women with PCOS, the ovaries also produce excessive amounts of testosterone (male hormone) that can lead to acne and hair growth. In the fat cells, testosterone is converted to estrogen, leading to excessive buildup of the uterine lining which may contribute to heavy or irregular bleeding.
 
Fertility Treatment for PCOS
High levels of insulin associated with obesity interfere with ovulation and also worsen PCOS symptoms. Minimizing insulin resistance via a healthy, safe weight loss regimen is a common first step for patients with PCOS who want to make conception more likely. Insulin regulating medications may also be prescribed. Some women are able to begin ovulating more normally at this point and may be able to conceive naturally.
Fertility enhancing drugs such as Clomid, Metformin and gonadotropins may be used to stimulate ovulation. This approach is tried after other potential causes of infertility have been ruled out. In-Vitro-Fertilization can also be used for some women with PCOS.
 
by: Dr. John Jain
Fertility Clock Blog, My Future Baby Blog

Infertility Terms You Should Know

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If you are seeking fertility treatment, you will hear many new words you may not be familiar with. The following are infertility terms you may need to know to fully understand your treatment options:
 
 

Aneuploidy – An abnormal chromosome count. This is an indication of serious defects in a fertilized egg that usually lead to early miscarriage.

Artificial Insemination – Introduction of sperm into a female patient’s reproductive tract through means other than intercourse.

Basal Body Temperature – The low body temperature reached after a night of sleep before a person gets up and begins moving around. A slight increase in this temperature usually occurs upon ovulation.

Basal Body Temperature Charting – Recording each daily temperature, plotted onto a graph in order to ultimately recognize a pattern. Your body temperature can rise gradually, suddenly or in steps. These patterns can differ from cycle to cycle.

Clomiphene Citrate (Clomid) – Clomid is a drug that stimulates ovulation by increasing production of gonadotropins (pituitary gland hormones). This is a commonly prescribed medication for infertility that involves menstrual cycle irregularities.

Egg Donation – Young women who wish to assist an infertile couple in achieving a pregnancy may undergo a course of hormone injections to stimulate a large number of eggs to mature at once. These donated eggs are retrieved and may be used immediately or frozen.

Egg Retrieval – Eggs are removed from a patient’s ovaries for use in vitro fertilization. This outpatient procedure involves the use of a long needle inserted through the vaginal wall to suction the eggs from the ovaries.

Embryo – A fertilized egg is referred to as an embryo until about week 8 of gestational development. After this, the term fetus is used instead of embryo.

Embryo Biopsy – A diagnostic test used to identify chromosomal abnormalities. This procedure is done by removing a single cell from an embryo that is developing in an IVF dish. The biopsy does not interfere with normal development.

Embryo Cryopreservation – Freezing of fertilized eggs for future use. This step sometimes allows multiple IVF attempts to be carried out from a single follicle stimulation/egg retrieval cycle.

Embryo Transfer – Introducing embryos that have developed for several days in an IVF dish into a woman’s uterus. The embryos are transferred via a flexible tube inserted through the cervix.

Endometriosis – A painful medical condition that causes abnormal growth of endometrial tissue (the type of tissue that lines the uterus). Endometriosis can cause fallopian scarring and other issues that lead to infertility

Fibroid – A non-cancerous tumor that grows on the wall of the uterus. Fibroids can occasionally interfere with fertility.

FSH Injections (Gonadotropins) – Follicle Stimulating Hormones trigger the maturation of eggs in the ovaries and make them ready for retrieval. These hormones are injected just under the skin.

Gender Selection – Selection of the desired gender either through sperm sorting or the much more accurate method of inspecting a developing embryo prior to transfer into the uterus.

Hydrosalpinx – Blockage of the fallopian tube with a clear liquid that prevents the passage of an egg and results in infertility. This medical condition is typically caused by infection with an STD that damages the fallopian tube at the end nearest the ovary.

Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection – Injection of a single sperm directly through the protective outer shell of an egg into the cytoplasm. The fertilized egg is kept in the IVF dish and observed to ensure fertilization and normal development before transfer.

Intrauterine Insemination – Sperm is collected from the male partner and processed to remove the semen components and concentrate the sperm. This sample is introduced into the female partner’s uterus. From there, the sperm travels to the fallopian tubes to fertilize an egg.

In-Vitro Fertilization – Sperm are introduced into an IVF dish that contains an egg so that fertilization occurs outside the patient’s body. The term In-Vitro Fertilization is often used to refer to the whole cycle of follicle stimulation, egg retrieval, fertilization, and transfer into the uterus.

MESA – Micro Epididymal Sperm Aspiration is a surgical procedure performed to retrieve sperm from the duct that stores sperm as it matures. It involves making a very small incision in the scrotum.

Oocyte Cryopreservation – Retrieval, freezing, and storage of a woman’s eggs for use in future fertility treatment.

Ovarian Reserve – The number of viable eggs a woman has remaining.

Ovulation – Release of a mature egg from the ovary into the fallopian tube where it can be fertilized. This normally happens once every 28 days about halfway through each menstrual cycle.

Ovulation Monitor – A device that measures hormones in the urine, sweat or other body fluids to determine when an egg is about to be released and can be used to pinpoint the best days for intercourse to achieve pregnancy.

Polyp – Excessive growth of endometrial tissue on stalks protruding from the lining of the uterus into the uterine cavity. These may cause miscarriage.

Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis – Genetic screening of embryos for abnormal chromosome counts or mutations while they are developing in an IVF dish. PGD increases the success rate of IVF by detecting and screening out any embryos that cannot survive.

Semen Analysis – Evaluation of a semen sample to determine if the number, movement, and shape of a male partner’s sperm are normal.

TESE – Testicular Sperm Extraction is a surgical biopsy technique used to retrieve viable sperm from the testicles of men who cannot give a sperm sample by other methods.

Varicocele – A varicose vein occurring in the scrotum. When the valve in the vein fails, blood accumulates causing the vein to swell – potentially affecting fertility.

Vasectomy Reversal – Surgical reconnection of the vas deferens (ducts that carry sperm from the testicles to the point where the sperm is mixed with semen). This procedure may be used to restore normal fertility to a male partner.

Zygote Intrafallopian Transfer – Placement of a newly fertilized egg (zygote) directly into the fallopian tube. Returning the egg to its natural environment increases the chances of successful development and implantation.

Fertility Clock Blog, Fertility Headlines

What is the Process for Fertility Testing?

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Nine out of ten couples with a female partner under the age of 35 who are actively trying to get pregnant succeed within one year. The chance of a pregnancy is about 25% per month. For couples who fail to achieve pregnancy after one year (and for women over the age of 35 after 6 months) fertility testing is recommended to identify any obstacles that could prevent pregnancy.

A full medical history and physical examination can reveal problems related to pelvic surgery, cancer treatment, or menstrual disturbances that cause infertility.

Fertility testing is done to rule out specific problems in four areas:

Sperm Testing

For approximately one out of four couples, the quality or quantity of the male partner’s sperm is the underlying cause of infertility. Semenalysis can reveal issues with the sperm count, the motility of sperm (its ability to swim), and the morphology (shape) of the sperm.

Ovulation

For women with a history of irregular menses who do not ovulate regularly, underlying medical conditions may be the cause of low fertility. Common problems include thyroid imbalances, high levels of a hormone called prolactin, or polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Blood tests and ultrasound exams are used to diagnose these conditions.

Uterus and Fallopian Tubes

Fallopian tubes that are closed can interfere with fertility by making it impossible for an embryo to reach the uterus. Causes of blockage may include previous pelvic surgery or complications from STDs. The uterus may also contain fibroids or polyps that limit the chances of pregnancy. An exam called a hysterosalpingogram (HSG) is used to detect structural problems with the fallopian tubes and uterus. It involves the injection of a contrast dye into the cervix to make the patient’s internal reproductive organs visible in x-rays.

Eggs

The quality and quantity of a woman’s eggs plays a vital role in fertility. Egg quality cannot be determined with fertility testing, but it is strongly correlated with age. The quantity of eggs can be estimated using blood tests such as the FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) and AMH (anti-mullerian hormone). AFC (antral follicle count) is an ultrasound test that can also assist in estimating the number of eggs available.

by: Dr. John Jain