Causes

"Who's infertile, you or your spouse?"  When I get this question… oh, wait.  Actually, I don't usually get this question, as this would presume a certain level of knowledge on the topic (as in that it takes two to tango). Actually, whenever our infertility is revealed for the first time to a new person, it is automatically assumed that the condition lies with my body, and the commentary and advice that follow is based on this assumption. But let's just say, for the sake of argument, that someone would ask this question.  What is the appropriate way to answer it? First of all, infertility is a unique condition in that while it often lies physically in the body of only one individual, the effect is equally spread between both partners.  Therefore, it is… [more]

Writing about the creation of life is about beginning again. There is so much information available today for most people who are trying to conceive. Websites, blogs, advertisements, all leading to potential answers and antidotes which will certainly help you become pregnant. After having gone through so many infertility treatments, experiments on my body, mind and soul, it would inevitable lead to the "Begin Again". And, every time, the begin again was so excruciating and so painful, and yet there was the promise of next time. This is where the mind is so powerful over being influenced by those involved in this multi-million dollar industry. Your goal is to be a parent and you will go through things so incredible to have a… [more]

Welcome to the new series of Fertility Blogs! As a Mom and a woman who had some of the most excruciating experiences with my infertility treatments, I can empathize and sympathize with every woman, man and family during these emotional times. A friend once asked me to describe myself, using one word, starting with the letter of the alphabet. This gave me 26 ways to describe myself and I felt compelled to accept the challenge; knowing it would be simple, right? I began to ask other friends, family and colleagues to use a word that best described me in their eyes. Some were hilarious, others poignant, and still some even stung. As a columnist, I began a series on life from A-Z and it… [more]

When asked about the worst medication that I had to take when undergoing IVF, my surprising answer is - birth control pills. Of course, I didn’t love the shots, or hot flashes caused by other medicines, but the hormonal surges, caused by “the pill,” were by far the hardest to endure. I took birth control pills prior to trying to conceive (obviously before I knew that was unnecessary) and never found one without overwhelming side-effects. The pill made me moody and anxious, sad or irritable, gave me headaches, and just generally did not contribute to a good quality of life. The difference when I was taking them and when I wasn’t was so pronounced that it… [more]

It seems to me like I meet more people who are experiencing infertility all the time. This may be that I'm drawn to these men and women because I feel a connection with them or maybe it is something else. A lot of people feel that some couples are experiencing infertility at a higher rate because they are waiting until they are older to start having a family. But I've come across one person who has a different opinion on the matter. This person feels that more people are experiencing infertility because there are simply less spirits ready to come to Earth. This person believes that a finite amount of souls were made before/during the creation of the Earth. Then one by one… [more]

I have a friend who is in her late thirties and is just now engaged. She is extremely happy that after many years of looking she has found her "other half". She was excited about everything she was going to finally be able to do, including starting a family. She went in to her doctor for her yearly exam and came out of the clinic on the verge of depressed. Doctor Killjoy (Not his real name, but it seems to fit.) decided that while he was examining my friend's sensitive area that he would inform her of the struggle she will face while trying to conceive. Then to add insult to injury, he told her that if she does become pregnant she… [more]

Tonight I turned on the internet and when my homepage (www.msn.com) uploaded I was shocked to see the headline- 10 Surprising Factors Killing Your Sperm. I was honestly taken back by the fact that the creators of MSN would choose this for a top headline of the day. Forget the volcano in Iceland; we have male reproductive issues to discuss! Most of what the article suggested as being a potential sperm killer were all things we've been told before by our doctor. The main issues that the article addresses are increased heat to the scrotum and how it can decrease sperm count and/or have a negative affect on sperm mobility. Although we've dealt with these issues several times over, I did… [more]

I have come to the realization that I like to find holistic treatments to infertility. After looking back at the majority of my posts it seems to be the trend, so don't be surprised at the message of this one! My sister-in-law and I have a lot in common-- we married James brothers, we are obsessed with changing our hair (cut, color, bring it on!), we laugh at the weirdest things, and we both have infertility issues. My sister-in-law deals with PCOS and has struggled throughout her life with womanly issues. She often jokes with me about the fact that she's had as many periods in her lifetime as a normal woman has in a year. One day last fall we were… [more]

In college it was the cool thing to wear those yellow wrist bands for testicular cancer. I would see people with several of them on each arm at times! One night at work I was talking with a coworker about them. He told me he thought they were dumb and how he didn't think wearing a bracelet showed "true support". When I inquired further on the matter he explained that he had testicular cancer. At this point I was shocked! I'm not naive but for some reason I always envision cancer patients as the elderly or those children on the television commercials. There standing next to me was an early 20s man who played water polo and was studying to be an… [more]

That is an exact quote from my husband when he was told what he could have done to help correct his male factor infertility. Let me start by saying my husband and had been very patient and understanding when I asked him if he would join me in getting tested, and treated, for infertility. He dealt with everything like a champ, although most of the time we probably wished we were the type of people who could have been happy living childless. My husband has large enough varicolceles that the doctor was able to detect them from sight and palpation. The two of them had a good laugh at how lucky he was that they found the issue right off. I didn't think it was as funny, but at… [more]