Infertility & Your Relationship: 5 Ways to Stay Strong Together

Relationships During Fertility Treatment

You met the person you want to spend forever with. Then, you decided to start a family. Unfortunately, you were unable to conceive on your own. You two decided to pursue fertility treatment, but did not know exactly what to expect or how it would impact your relationship. Fertility issues can be stressful for both partners. There are physical, mental an emotional impacts due to fertility issues, which can take their toll on a relationship. It is possible to keep your relationship strong during fertility treatment, with the five tips below.

Stay Focused on “Us”

The goal of fertility is to become parents and to grow your family together. However, the tests, treatment and medication often associated with fertility treatment can easily become a couple’s focus. The key is to remember that the foundation of this treatment is the bond between both partners, a relationship which will need to continue to thrive after treatment.

Spend Fertility Free Time Together

Take time out to continue to enjoy your partner. Do the activities you’ve always loved to do together. Watch a movie, go for a walk and laugh together. Allow yourselves time to not talk about fertility treatment. Fertility can quickly become the dominate topic of conversation. Give yourself space and time to focus elsewhere for a while.

Take Care of Each Other

Continue doing the small things that matter. Ask your partner about their day and really listen. Ask your partner how they are doing and if there are any things you can do to make the process easier on them. Then, follow through with those things.

Communicate

The biggest threat to a healthy relationship is a lack of communication. Communicate your needs and listen to the needs of your partner. For tough conversations, each partner should be able to communicate their needs and opinion uninterrupted before the other partner speaks. Keeping the lines of communication open and feeling comfortable talking to one another is key.

Say Thank You

Feeling unappreciated or unnoticed is a relationship killer. Remember to take time to thank your partner for the little things.

Please click the link below to enter your information and New Hope will contact you, or simply call 212-517-7676. Thank You.

Planning Ahead – Prescriptions for Fertility Drugs While Traveling

Fertility Drugs While Traveling

Fertility medication is often a big part of fertility care. Medication can be used to delay the start of a cycle, spur the growth of egg and to trigger ovulation. In order for a cycle to have the best chance at success, it is important that all prescribed fertility medication be taking at the time and dose indicated by the fertility care team. Failing to do so can result in the cycle being unsuccessful. Finding time and space to take fertility medication can take some maneuvering. This task can be made more difficulty while traveling. If you have to travel during your fertility cycle and are taking medication, there are a few things you can do to make the process easier.

Plan Ahead  

The single most important thing you can do while traveling during fertility care is to plan ahead. Start by informing your fertility care team about your travel needs. They can help you to coordinate what medications you will need during your travels. Depending on where you are in your cycle, they may also be able to coordinate getting monitored elsewhere so that your cycle does not have to stop due to your travel plans.

Planning ahead also means getting everything you need together before you travel. This means obtaining medication from the pharmacy and all the corresponding supplies you’ll need. If you are flying, pay special attention to requirements for flying with medication and syringes. You do not want to be caught off guard while going through security.

Set a Calendar

Timing is everything while administering fertility medications. Setting reminders for yourself in your phone or email can help to remind you that is time to administer medication. Staying on track is key for your cycle to continue progressing on the original schedule. Taking medication and the designated time may require that you step away to do so. If you believe this will be an issue, think of ways to excuse yourself prior to being in the company of others.

For additional tips on taking fertility medication while travelling, contact New Hope Fertility Center today. Please click the link below to enter your information and New Hope will contact you, or simply call 212-517-7676. Thank You.

Essential Oils Great For Pregnancy

Essential oils have been used for thousands of years in a variety of holistic treatment methods. The oils are obtained by steam distilling or cold pressing plants. The resulting oils may then be used in a variety of ways including placed on the skin, inhaled, consumed, used as aroma therapy or as a massage oil. Different essential oils work in different ways, with each providing a different benefit for the mind or body. When incorporated into a holistic treatment plan, essential oils can help a person to become both physically and emotionally balanced.  

While pregnant, there are a few things to keep in mind about the use of essential oils:

• Because there are only a few studies on the use of essential oils during pregnancy and their effect on both mother and child, essential oils should not be consumed during the pregnancy or if a woman is nursing. Diffusing the oils or using the oils topically is recommended.
• The use of essential oils should be completely avoided during a woman’s first trimester.
• Using just a small amount of essential oils can be powerful and is recommended during pregnancy. Diluting the oils with water is ideal.
• Women’s bodies often react differently to scents and oils while pregnant. If your favorite essential oil does not seem to be agreeing with you, listen to your body.

There are many essential oils that are deemed to be safe to use while pregnant or nursing. The following list includes some of these and indicates how they may be used as a holistic treatment method:

• Morning sickness and other stomach issues may be treated with peppermint, ginger and spearmint.
• Coughs may be treated with eucalyptus.
• Muscle pains are common during pregnancy and may be treated with sweet marjoram and chamomile.
• Lavender has been proven to help alleviate stress and restore calm.

As with any holistic treatment method, it is important to speak with your physician about use of essential oils during your pregnancy.

Please click the link below to enter your information and New Hope will contact you, or simply call 212-517-7676. Thank You.

Childhood Cancers While Planning For Future Infertility

A diagnosis of childhood cancer will send any family through a range of emotions.  Many families are surprised to learn that in addition to dealing with cancer, treatment of the disease can pose a real threat to a girl’s future fertility.  Fertility preservation through ovarian tissue freezing provides a means to preserve a girl’s fertility without the use of fertility medication or delaying cancer treatment.

Ovarian Tissue Freezing

Every girl is born with all of the eggs she will ever have.  Those eggs remain immature until a girl enters puberty and her ovaries begin to mature an egg for ovulation.  A number of factors can impact the health of the eggs, including cancer treatment.  Some treatments can damage the eggs to the point that becoming pregnant with natural eggs can become difficult, if not impossible.  Ovarian tissue freezing directly addresses this risk.

Before they are matured, the eggs are located on the outer layer of the ovaries.  During ovarian tissue freezing, sections of the outer layer – or an entire ovary – are removed.  The harvested ovarian tissue will house hundreds of eggs.  The tissue is then divided into smaller sections, frozen, and stored until the girl completes treatment, grows up, and enters puberty.  At this point, the harvested ovarian tissue may be transplanted back into the girl’s body.  The transplanted ovarian tissue will then behave as normal.  She will ovulate once per month and will have the ability to become pregnant naturally.  Another option is to mature the eggs in a laboratory setting for use during in vitro fertilization.

Choosing Fertility Preservation

The process of fertility preservation via ovarian tissue freezing can be done relatively quickly.  There is no need to wait for fertility medication and a girl does not need to have entered puberty.  This means that girls who must start treatment quickly have an option to preserve their fertility so that they can have their own biological children in the future.

For additional information on fertility preservation options during cancer treatment, contact a member of the New Hope Fertility Center team. Please click the link below to enter your information and New Hope will contact you, or simply call 212-517-7676.  Thank you.

What are the Main Benefits of Folic Acid?

Women are strongly advised to take folic acid during their pregnancy and while trying to conceive.  Folic acid is important for many bodily functions and is a key way to avoid the risk of several birth defects.  Additionally, getting adequate amounts of folic acid has a number of other, less commonly known, health benefits. 

What is folic acid?

Folic acid is a B vitamin that is also known by the name folate.  Naturally, the vitamin can be found in leafy green vegetables, beans, peas, and fruit.  Cereals and breads are often fortified with the vitamin.  This is due to a US government requirement.  It may be difficult to get your recommended dose from food alone.  Therefore, physicians suggest taking a supplement that contains the important vitamin.  In the body, folic acid helps to produce and repair cells.  Specifically, the body will have difficulty making red blood cells without enough folic acid, which can result in anemia.

What are the benefits of folic acid?

Folic acid has been shown to be beneficial in treating a number of health issues, including:

• Neural tube birth defects – These birth defects occur early in pregnancy.  Taking folic acid can substantially reduce the likelihood of having a child with a neural tube defect.  Because the defect occurs so early in pregnancy, it is important to take folic acid while trying to conceive.
• Kidney disease – Individuals with kidney disease often have high levels of hypocestine, which is associated with a high risk of stroke.  Taking folic acid can decrease hypocestine levels by as much as 30 percent.
• Cancer treatment side effects – Methotrexate is a medication that is commonly used in the treatment of cancer.  Unfortunately, the medication has a number of side effects including nausea and vomiting.  Taking folic acid helps to reduce these side effects.
• Depression – Research has shown that taking folic acid with an antidepressant can reduce the symptoms of the disease.

If you have questions about folic acid and its use to improve overall health, speak with a medical expert today.

Please click the link below to enter your information and New Hope will contact you, or simply call 212-517-7676.  Thank you.

Where Are the Best NYC Fertility Yoga Studios?

Fertility treatment should have a combined approach, taking parts from holistic and western medicine.  Our center has found that combining both techniques reduces stress, is a great way to get exercise, and can address the emotional aspects of fertility care.  Yoga for fertility is increasingly being offered by yoga studios to meet this need.  There are a number of great places in NYC to find yoga for fertility classes.

Yoga for Fertility

Yoga for fertility provides a valued service for a number of reasons.  First, yoga helps to calm the body, mind, and spirit.  For those who are undergoing fertility treatment, it is easy to become stressed physically and emotionally.  Unfortunately, high levels of stress may also contribute to fertility issues.  Yoga helps to relieve this stress.  Second, many women with fertility concerns feel isolated or as if they’re the only people with this issue.  Yoga for fertility classes allow women to form a support group and to connect with other women who are experiencing similar issues.

Finding Yoga for Fertility in NYC

There are a number of studios in NYC that offer yoga for fertility classes.  Selecting a center that offers classes that fit your schedule and which is easily accessible can help you to narrow down your options.

• Sonic Yoga – Located at 9th Ave and 51 Street, Sonic Yoga offers yoga for fertility.  The class is focused on healing, balance, and being in a receptive state to allow for the conception of life.  The class is led by a woman who had her own fertility journey, which she freely shares about during classes.
• Lila Yoga, Dharma and Wellness – Located on Bowery, between Bleecker & Houston, Lila Yoga, Dharma and Wellness offers yoga for fertility designed to meet the physical, mental, and emotional needs of women undergoing fertility treatment.  After fertility treatment, women can continue their practice through prenatal yoga.
• Receptive Yoga – Offering workshops in Manhattan, Park Slope, and other locations throughout NYC, Receptive Yoga was founded on the idea that yoga could increase fertility.  Their goal is to support reproductive health and to aid in conception through calming the central nervous systems.

Please click the link below to enter your information and New Hope will contact you, or simply call 212-517-7676.  Thank you.

How Do I Know if I am Infertile?

If you’ve been trying to conceive for a long time, you may be wondering if you are infertile.  Unfortunately, there is no way to know without diagnostic tests if there is an issue.  However, your body can provide several clues to help you to understand if you have a problem.

Infertility Explained 

A couple is defined as having fertility issues after they’ve been trying to get pregnant for one year without success.  If a woman is over age 35, that period shortens to six months.  Unfortunately, there are often no signs or symptoms of a fertility issue.  In fact, the only way some couples know that they have fertility issues is due to their inability to get pregnant.

Symptoms of Infertility

For men, it is virtually impossible to know if there is a fertility issue without a semen analysis.  Having this test performed is the only way to truly know if a man is fertile.  While women often have no symptoms, there can be some indications of a fertility concern, including:

• Skipped or irregular periods
• Long menstrual cycles
• Painful cramping
• Extremely heavy or light periods
• A history of sexually transmitted diseases

All of the symptoms above can be indicative of a larger issue that can impact fertility.  Women who suffer these symptoms should proactively speak with their doctor.  This way, if a serious condition exists it can be addressed and treated as to proactively protect a woman’s fertility.

Diagnosing Infertility

The only way to know if you have an issue with fertility is to have diagnostic tests done.  For women, these tests look at hormone levels, a woman’s reproductive system and her egg quality.  In men, a semen analysis is necessary.

The first step to understanding the root cause of your difficulty conceiving is to meet with a fertility expert.  The team at New Hope Fertility Center provides expert fertility care with a focus on patient individuality.  They can diagnose your concerns and create a personalized treatment plan to address your needs.  Please click the link below to enter your information and New Hope will contact you, or simply call 212-517-7676.  Thank you.

Pick of the Month: Fertility Treatment Options for Women With Ovarian Cancer

Cancer and Fertility

Cancer treatment can affect a woman’s fertility in several ways.  First, the cancer itself can drastically reduce a woman’s ability to produce eggs.  Second, treatment for cancer often impacts a woman’s egg reserves in addition to the cancer cells. Therefore, eggs after treatment are often of a poor quality and unable to be fertilized.

Fertility for Women with Ovarian Cancer

Women with ovarian cancer should consider preserving their fertility prior to starting treatment for cancer.  This can be accomplished in two different ways:

• Egg Freezing – An egg freezing cycle may be done prior to starting cancer treatment.  To accomplish this, a woman will take fertility drugs that will stimulate her ovaries to produce multiple eggs.  Once mature, those eggs can be retrieved and stored until a woman is ready to start a family.  Then, the eggs may be used in IVF.  This treatment option may not always be available as the process will take two to three weeks.  Also, there may be a concern regarding how the medication will affect the cancer.
• Ovarian Tissue Freezing – This method removes and stores ovarian tissue.  The outer layer of the ovaries house hundreds of immature eggs.  There is no waiting necessary and no need for fertility medication.  Once a woman is ready to start a family, the ovarian tissue may be returned to her body where it can function normally.  If this is not possible, the stored immature eggs can be matured in a laboratory setting and used during IVF or with a surrogate.

How Getting Better Sleep Can Aid in Fertility Chances

Fertility is directly tied to a number of other aspects of your health.  If your general health declines, your fertility will decline also.  Therefore, it is important to stay as healthy as possible while trying to conceive.  Many people do not realize how big a role sleep plays in their overall health.  In today’s busy society, it is common for people to be limited to five or less hours of sleep per night.  However, reducing sleep to those levels can have a drastic impact on your fertility.

What Happens While You’re Sleeping

While we’re sleeping, our bodies take time to make repairs to damaged cells.  Additionally, it is during sleep while hormones are regulated.  In fact, one key hormone, leptin, is directly tied to sleep and fertility.  When leptin is not produced at normal levels, ovulation can be interrupted, making fertility difficult or even impossible.  Additionally, sleep directly impacts other hormones that are vital to reproduction.  Hormone issues are one of the leading causes of fertility problems.  Getting adequate sleep also improves your mood and decreases stress levels, both of which are key to your overall health and being intimate with your partner.

Getting Adequate Rest

There are a number of steps you can take in order to increase the amount of sleep you receive daily:

• Turn off electronic devices an hour before bed.  Tablets, smart phones, computers, and other devices are often at arms length.  However, using them before bed can make falling asleep difficult.  Additionally, you’re more likely to stay up late if you’re working on an electronic device.
• If you nap during the day and find it difficult to sleep at night, try to stop taking naps.  Although they can provide needed rest, napping can interrupt your natural sleep cycle.
• Avoid the use of caffeine, particularly late at night.
• Create a routine to help you get in the mood for rest.  Following that routine nightly can get you into the habit of falling asleep.

For additional information on ways you can enhance your fertility naturally, speak with a member of the New Hope Fertility Center team today. Please click the link below to enter your information and New Hope will contact you, or simply call 212-517-7676.  Thank you.

What are Some of the Common Causes of Infertility in Women?

Infertility is a condition that impacts one out of every eight couples.  It is simply defined as the inability to become pregnant on your own after trying for one year.  For women over age 35, that time period is reduced to six months.  Infertility is a medical issue that has a number of common causes. Some women may be impacted by only one factor where other women may have a number of concerns.  Identifying and then addressing the root cause of the infertility is the best way to successfully treat the issue so that you may start a family. 

Common Causes of Infertility in Women

• Ovulation Issues – Once per cycle, a fertile woman releases a mature egg that is ready to be fertilized.  Issues with ovulation include not ovulating regularly and the complete absence of ovulation.  One way to know if ovulation issues are a problem for you is to monitor your monthly cycle.  If your cycles are irregular, you likely are not ovulating properly.
• Hormone Issues – Hormones are critical to a woman’s reproductive health.  Hormone levels indicate when eggs should be matured, when they should ovulate, and how a woman’s body prepares for pregnancy.  Hormone levels that are outside of normal ranges are indicative of a problem.  One of the most common hormonal issues in women is PCOS or polycystic ovary syndrome.
• Egg Supply Issues – Women are born with all of the eggs they will have.  As a woman ages, her supply naturally decreases as does the egg quality.  Women who have a low reserve of eggs or who have issues with egg quality will have difficulty conceiving.  Another issue that can cause egg supply concerns is premature menopause and premature ovarian sufficiency.  In both cases, a woman’s body has ceased reproductive performance at an early age.

Addressing Fertility

Thankfully, there are a number of ways infertility can be addressed.  The process begins with understanding the root cause of the concern.  Diagnostic tests can provide this insight and allow doctors to develop a treatment plan that addresses your specific needs.

For additional information on the causes of infertility or to discuss a treatment plan, contact our office today.  Please click the link below to enter your information and New Hope will contact you, or simply call 212-517-7676.  Thank you.