Fertility Treatment

Depending on the fertility issue in question, there are a number of treatment options for infertility.

 

Fertility monitors and fertility calendars that track a woman’s ovulation cycle, assorted fertility drugs and many alternative fertility treatments can help women conceive children in spite of fertility problems.

 

Remaining healthy by maintaining a normal weight and BMI, eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise can also help fertility in women. A healthy lifestyle is also beneficial for women with existing conditions, like Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), and can help prevent symptoms from worsening over time.

 

Taking charge of your own fertility by relaxing, taking care of yourself and getting an accurate diagnosis from a medical professional are also great ways to deal with fertility issues. Knowledge about fertility problems and having a plan to deal with them may make fertility issues seem less scary and more manageable.

PCOS is one of the most common causes of infertility, but many of its symptoms are not recognized immediately for what they are. Doctors may try to treat individual symptoms without realizing that PCOS is to blame. Tracking all symptoms and getting a pelvic exam and blood tests done can help to determine whether PCOS is present.

 

Treating the individual symptoms of PCOS may help with infertility, especially the regulation of insulin levels and hormone levels. Medications may be given to treat symptoms, and a new diet and exercise plan may be necessary to fight weight gain and obesity.

 

Surgery may also be an option for PCOS patients, but is not used in most cases because long-term effects are not known, and surgery is only successful about half the time.

Millions of women start with fertility pills as the first step in correcting a number of fertility problems. Clomiphene and gonadotropins are the most commonly prescribed fertility drugs.

 

Most fertility drugs work to promote ovulation by stimulating either the brain or the ovaries directly. The only negative factor associated with fertility drugs is the increased risk for multiple births. Multiple births raise the risk of miscarriage in many women.

 

Other drugs, such as metformin, may be prescribed to treat infertility in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) patients. Metoformin increases insulin sensitivity, which can counteract the insulin resistance that is associated with PCOS.

In vitro fertilization or artificial insemination may be options for some women experiencing infertility.

 

Many drug stores also sell fertility monitors that can identify fertility levels in women, and doctors can also provide information on monitoring the ovulation cycle to identify the days of most likely conception.

 

Surgery may also be an option for women who have endometriosis, fibroids or other fertility problems.

Other treatments can be effective against infertility for some people.

 

When women are having trouble conceiving, their emotional and stress levels often rise, making conception even more difficult.

 

Meditation, yoga, nutrition, exercise, acupuncture, diary or journal writing, seeing a psychologist, art therapy and fertility herbs are all possible treatments in this case.

 

Mind/body spiritual retreats are recommended by some professionals, and may combine many different alternative fertility treatments to relax the mind and body. Vacations can work as well, but mind/body retreats address the problem of infertility directly.

 

Stress management and feeling a sense of control can go a long way when dealing with fertility issues.

 

Fertility herbs are most effective in women who have irregular periods or hormonal imbalances. Herbal remedies can include multiple ingredients, and can come in the form of pills, teas, tablets or granules.

 

Yoga, pilates, exercise and meditation classes also help some women to deal with the stress and emotional imbalance that often comes with trying to conceive by providing a physical outlet for frustration and excess energy and negative feelings.

 

Diary and journal writing or art therapy can have the same relaxing and stress-relieving effect as different forms of exercise, but are a form of mental outlet instead of physical outlet.

 

 

Baby Center (2007). Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). Retrieved June 29, 2007, from the Baby Center Web site: http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/preconception/
fertilityproblems/7432.html#3.

Pregnancy Info Net (2005). Alternative Treatments. Retrieved June 29, 2007, from the Pregnancy Info Net Web site: http://www.pregnancy-info.net/alternative_treatments_intro.html.