Top 7 Reasons to consider IVF
As technology continues to advance and more men and women are talking about their struggles with infertility, couples are becoming more proactive about their reproductive health and seeking the expertise of a fertility specialist. On average, it will take a couple of 5-7 months to conceive, so there’s no need to become concerned if it’s taking you more than a few months to get pregnant. But as more time passes without success, how do you know when it’s time to seek help?
Physicians often suggest seeking a complete fertility evaluation after 12 months of trying to conceive with no success when the female partner is under the age of 35, after 6 months when she is older than 35, and after 3 months if 40 and over. Beyond age, it is important to be aware of several medical conditions that indicate seeing a fertility specialist sooner
IVF is usually considered if:
You have absent or blocked fallopian tubes.
Your partner has severe male infertility – This includes if a man’s sperm count is very low, sperm motility (swimming ability) is poor, or if sperm needs to be extracted surgically from his testicles.
Age – A woman’s fertility reduces significantly as she ages, both egg count and quality are diminished. So, if you’re over 35 and you haven’t fallen pregnant naturally or using other fertility methods after trying for 12months, IVF is an option.
You have another type of infertility (e.g. endometriosis, ovulation disorders, unexplained infertility), and other fertility methods haven’t worked.
You have a chromosomal abnormality or inherited genetic disease that you want to avoid passing on to your child. If so, IVF is combined with a pre-implantation genetic diagnosis. This means that the embryos (or in some cases, just the eggs) are tested for the disease, and only those without the disease are transferred to your uterus.
Your ovaries have failed prematurely so your body isn’t producing any eggs. Donor eggs are required in this case.
You’re about to have cancer chemotherapy and you want to preserve eggs or embryos.
If any of the following conditions apply to you, it is probably time to make an appointment with a fertility specialist
