When should ovulation be induced?

Tessa, a patient with a very low ovarian reserve, came to New Hope Fertility Center on the 10^th day of her menstrual cycle wanting to have her ovulation induced. However, she was unable to stay in New York City for a long period of time. Thank goodness cutting edge Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) – through Natural Cycle IVF – has made it possible to induce a woman’s ovulation during the early stages of her menstrual cycle.

Ovulation Induced During Follicular Phase

The egg follicular phase can be divided into 3 stages:

• Early
• Middle
• Late

As recently as 2009, a woman’s ovulation could only be medically induced 2 to 3 days after her menstrual cycle – the follicular phase – this is the stage where eggs are developed and the hormone estrogen is produced. Ovulation induction during the follicular phase was introduced in the 1950s. Since then, doctors were only accustomed to inducing ovulation during the early stages of a woman’s follicular phase. If we merely had the ability to induce Tessa’s ovulation during the follicular phase today, she would have had to remain in New York City for 20 more days.

Induced Ovulation FSOS

It was standard practice of care to induce a woman’s ovulation is during the early stages of the follicular phase – however – today, ovulation can be induced during the middle and late stages of the follicular phase. Tessa’s ovulation can successfully be induced during the late stage – 10^th day – of her menstrual cycle through New Hope Fertility Center’s Customized Fertility Care.

Ovulation Induced During Luteal Phase

Thankfully for today’s ART, we can meet Tessa’s request and successfully induce her ovulation on the 10^th day of her menstrual cycle. In 2012, we began the pioneering practice of inducing ovulations during a woman’s luteal phase – the mid- to late-follicular stage. The luteal phase is the development of woman’s egg follicle into corpus luteum. The corpus luteum is a woman’s hormone-secreting structure known as progesterone developed in an ovary after an egg has been ovulated. The discharge of progesterone is reduced after a few days unless a woman conceives.

It is possible to widen Tessa’s window of ovulation into her luteal phase – the 10^th day of her menstrual cycle – her mid- to late follicular stage.

The year 2014 may be the most important to date for doctors of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART). This is the year that endocrinology doctors and researchers:

• Proved that a woman’s follicular phase can be blocked by using progesterone – Provera Primed Ovarian Stimulation, PPOS, and
• Discovered the ART procedure known as down-regulation with GnRH antagonists to block ovulation during the early follicular phase

Down-Regulation Using PPOS and GnRH Antagonists

Down-regulation and GnRH antagonists act at the level of the pituitary glands. GnRH antagonists are receptors secreted by the pituitary gland functioning as a blocking agent to prevent ovulation in the early follicular stage. The methodology of down-regulation with GnRH antagonists and PPOS are essentially the same. PPOS act at the level of the hypothalamus, which secretes progesterone receptors and does not affect the GnRH antagonists secreted by the pituitary glands. Therefore, PPOS has no direct effect on the GnRH antagonists. Through PPOS, and the progesterone secreted during the luteal phase, ovulation can occur at any time during the menstrual cycle.

Pioneering Flexible Started Ovarian Stimulation Provider (FSOS)

No longer being merely a theory, in 2014 the fertility specialists at New Hope Fertility Center had the skills and experience required to put down-regulation using PPOS and GnRH antagonists successfully into practice. The revolutionary procedure known as Flexible Started Ovarian Stimulation (FSOS) allows ovulation induction during the follicular phase.

• FSOS is recommended for cancer patients who do not have the naturally allotted time to ovulate before cancer treatment begins
• FSOS allows cancer patients to ovulate at a designated time
• FSOS lessens a patient’s costs for transportation, accommodations, and other non-medical expenses incurred during treatment for infertility
• FSOS increases a patient’s convenience and flexibility
• FSOS reduces a patient’s stress caused by the fear of missing her ovulation window

To discover more about FSOS and how you can increase your ovulation window, please click the link below and enter your information, or simply call 212-517-7676. A fertility specialist from New Hope Fertility Center will be in touch with you shortly. Thank you for visiting my blog!