A Quick Guide To Fertility Treatment Options

Feeling left out when you’re trying to conceive and are having difficulty getting pregnant can make it difficult. If you are struggling with fertility, it can be distressing to see women with baby bumps and cars with “Baby On Board”, as well as pregnancy announcements.

You’re not the only one. The CDC estimates that as high as 12% of couples suffer from infertility, which prevents them from becoming pregnant.

You and your partner may have concerns about infertility. Schedule an appointment with your OB/GYN and share your concerns. If you are concerned about infertility, your OB/GYN may recommend that you use infertility treatment.

There are many options for infertility treatment, from oral medication to hormone injections to increase your chances of ovulation to IVF (in vitro fertilization). To help you choose the best treatment for you, your NJ obgyn may refer you to a fertility specialist.

7 Common Fertility Treatment Options

This is a list of seven common fertility treatments.

1. Fertility medications

Most fertility drugs are meant to increase your body’s natural ability to produce mature eggs. This will usually mean that you can release more than one egg. This increases your chances of having multiple children. You may be referred by a fertility specialist if they don’t work.

2. Artificial Insemination and Intrauterine Insemination

This is also known as “artificial fertilization” and involves injecting sperm directly into the female uterus. IUI is often performed in conjunction with fertility drugs.

3. In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

After taking fertility medication, eggs are removed and fertilized by your partner or donor sperm to produce viable embryos. To increase your chances of the embryo is implanted and to result in pregnancy, the viable embryos are placed into your uterus at a particular time in your menstrual cycle.

4. Natural Cycle IVF

In vitro fertilization (natural cycle IVF) is in vitro fertilization that does not require hormone injections. Once you are ready to ovulate, your natural cycle will be monitored. A single egg is then retrieved, fertilized, and transferred to your uterus. This option is worth considering if you want to avoid hormones, and eliminate the possibility of multiple births.

5. Donor eggs

Donor eggs are great for women with low to very low ovarian reserves or older women who have less chance of success with IVF. You will have the same success rate if you use eggs from a younger woman than you do if you are 35 or older.

6. Egg Freezing

Egg freezing refers to the process of freezing 10-20 eggs from a woman using an IVF-like procedure. The eggs are then frozen for future use. Once you are ready for pregnancy, the eggs can be frozen and fertilized. If you don’t want to wait until you are ready to have a baby, or have other health problems such as an ovarian cyst, early menopause, endometriosis, or a family history of it, this option may be beneficial.

7. Surrogate and Gestational Carriers

You may choose to use a surrogate, or gestational carrier if you have exhausted all options or have a medical condition that prevents you from having a baby. Surrogate carriers are usually used by women who don’t have eggs or can’t bear a baby for any reason. The surrogate acts as an egg donor and is then fertilized via IUI/IVF. After that, she will carry the baby. Gestational carriers agree that they will donate their wombs via IVF using separate sperm.