If you are having trouble conceiving, you are not alone. While it may feel as if you are surrounded by people that can get pregnant as quickly as they want, the fact is that an increasing number of people are experiencing fertility problems and seeking the help of infertility doctors and in vitro fertilization clinics.

When is the right Time to Seek the Help of In Vitro Fertilization Clinics?
The decision to seek the help of in vitro fertilization clinics is a very personal one. While there is no “right” time to seek help, in fertility, timing is a very crucial part of getting pregnant. Anyone who has been actively trying to get pregnant for some time without results knows the anxiousness that is associated with whether or not to seek help. There are many factors that may help in the decision of whether the time is right to seek medical intervention and investigate IVF resources.

Recommendations from the American Association of Reproductive Medicine
According to the American Association of Reproductive Medicine, if pregnancy has not achieved after one year of actively trying to conceive, they should seek professional help getting pregnant. However, if the woman is above the age of 35, the recommended wait time is much shorter. In this case, it’s recommended that she seek help getting pregnant after just six months of unprotected sex.

Making the Decision to Seek help
In addition to age, any numbers may play a role in when a person or couple seeks the help of an in vitro fertilization clinic. One factor may be the recommendation of the clinic, which varies according to the clinic’s treatment philosophy. Another factor may be having family members that have experienced fertility problems which might encourage a person to seek help sooner rather than later. Different levels of comfort with medical intervention may also play a role.

Preliminary Evaluations
Even if you are not ready to seek the help of in vitro fertilization clinics, it may be worthwhile to get some preliminary evaluations done to help guide future decisions. Doing this may allow you to plan your finances accordingly, knowing that there is a fertility issue that must be overcome. Preliminary evaluations can also help rule out conditions, or alert you to a problem that is best corrected early. Fertility problems may also be a symptom of an underlying medical issue that should be resolved.

Although the decision to seek help is very personal, gaining wisdom from others who have experienced infertility can be very helpful in deciding when to seek the help of fertility doctors.

It is estimated that one in six couples in the United States is infertile and many of them will seek fertility information and IVF resources. Since most people do not expect to experience fertility problems, most will have very limited prior knowledge about IVF fertility treatment or where to get reputable fertility information.

Beginning the Journey
While it may feel like a diagnosis of infertility has thrown you into an alternate universe with a completely different language, you will find that you will quickly become educated. Understanding your diagnosis, treatments, and insurance issues are vital to assuring that you receive the best treatment and keep as many options open as possible.

Local Support Groups
Support groups are a valuable resource for fertility information. Your local fertility treatment centers are likely to run their own or have a list of ones available throughout the community. Participating in local support a group is not only a resource to find out first hand fertility information, it can also provide the opportunity to learn where to find the best providers, or problems others have encountered.

Online Support Groups
Not everyone likes the intensity of face-to-face support groups, or has the time to attend them. Online support groups can provide important information by joining forums and chats anytime that is convenient to you while letting you retain some privacy. There is even support groups catered to particular diagnosis or for men or women only. Online support groups allow you to create an anonymous profile and still become part of a very close-knit and informative group.

Online Websites
Websites can be one of the most valuable places to find fertility information. It is important to stick with well-known and respected sites, however, and use great discernment in the recommendations. While there are many websites touting incredible cures and ready to take advantage of those who deeply desire to have children, reputable information is also available. Here are a few additional online resources:

•    Society for Assisted Reproductive technology  is an organization dedicated to the practice of assisted reproductive technologies. The website provides information on where to find fertility treatment clinics and their success rates.
•    American Fertility Association provides reproductive information, advocacy and support.
•    The Endometriosis Association is dedicated to providing information and resources concerning endometriosis.
•    Society for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility is primarily dedicated to medical professionals but contains very valuable information for the layperson.

While it may seem like sorting through infertility information is an insurmountable task, with the right resources, you can become informed quite quickly.  Across the country, there are resources and clinics including Houston Fertility Doctors and Colorado IVF Doctors as well as other cities in the US.

Infertility is a very emotional journey, and one that is rarely anticipated. Even if a couple has been trying for years to have a child, once diagnosed with infertility it throws them into a an entirely different world. Although it is impossible to become informed overnight, if you are considering IVF treatments, the most beneficial thing you can do is find resources that will provide information and support on every level. Here is a quick reference guide on what sort of IVF resources and support you will need and where it might be found.

Information of Fertility Clinic Success Rates
Before choosing a fertility treatment center or fertility specialist, you will want to find out their success rates. One option is simply asking the clinic for that information, which they should be happy to provide. If you are considering more than one clinic or doctor, or clinics in various cities or states, another option is to find the information online. Most of the most recent information is provided through  two sources:

• Society of Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) website. This website provides information on reporting clinics, which accounts for 85% of all clinics. The information is localized, making finding information simple and fast.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website. The CDC provides a very comprehensive report on IVF treatment providers in the United States. The report is much more comprehensive than SART’s but comes out less frequently.

Financial Advisors
IVF treatments can be quite costly and more than one set of treatments might be necessary. A financial advisor can help lay out a financial plan so that available finances can be wisely allocated.

Local Support Groups
Local support groups are a great resource for couples going through IVF treatments. Connecting to a group of people that are going through different stages of the same or similar experiences can give a window into the issues that may lay ahead. A support group can also provide information on other IVF resources and treatment alternatives available locally. Additionally, a support group can provide an understanding that others who have not been through infertility cannot. Those who have experienced infertility can give practical advice on how to manage all of the difficult emotions and uncomfortable social situations which may arise. Support groups can be found online, at many hospitals and fertility treatment centers.

Counselors
A counselor can be a wonderful source of support during the IVF treatment process. Infertility is a stressor compared only in magnitude to the death of a loved one. A counselor can help fortify a relationship in a very trying time.

Once a diagnosis of infertility has been given, the most important thing you can do is get proactive. Knowing your options and getting support are things that will not be regretted in the IVF process.

What is In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)?

In Vitro Fertilization, or IVF, is the most common of all assisted reproductive technology (ART). The technique, which was first developed in the United Kingdom by Doctors Patrick Steptoe and Robert Edwards and resulted in the first pregnancy in 1978. Fertility treatment centers in the United States began to adopt the process which resulted in the first IVF pregnancy in the US in 1981, and over 45,000 since that time.

The IVF process involves removing the eggs, or ova, from a woman’s body and placing them in a lab dish with the sperm. After fertilization occurs, the eggs are transferred to the woman’s uterus where they continue to develop.

Before the IFV Process begins, the patient is evaluated by the reproductive endocrinologist to see if IFV is a possible solution to over come their infertility problems. Fertility specialists understand the patient’s desire to have a child but also balance that with the biologic understanding of the possibilities for each patient. Reputable fertility treatment centers will assure that the patient understands their choices and will help guide them to ones bet fit for situation.

Best candidates for IVF include:

• Those with blocked or damaged fallopian tubes
• Male factor infertility
• Those with Endometriosis
• Problems concerning the uterus
• Problems concerning the ovaries
• Unexplained infertility

The IFV Process is very involved and will include many visits to the fertility treatment center for  evaluation, treatments and monitoring. The process includes:

• Ovulation induction medication, such as Pergonal, are administered.
• Eggs are commonly retrieved using ultrasound guided needle which collects the follicular fluid which is placed in an incubator.
• Semen is collected and prepared.
• Sperm and egg are incubated together and fertilization should occur.
• Fertilized eggs are transferred to the woman’s body
• Woman returns to the fertility treatment center in two week for a pregnancy test
• If successful, she is monitored by the physician at the fertility treatment center for a short time then care is released to her regular OB/GYN. If unsuccessful, the woman will wait a month to recover, and then be reassessed for the next or further treatment.

IVF Concerns
The IVF process has involved some controversy over the years, and does evoke some serious considerations. The process has made headlines enabling women well beyond childbearing years to conceive and other to become pregnant with multiples well beyond what medicine deems safe. The medical standard is the placement of no more than two embryos into the womb at a time. Some consideration of IVF include:

• Cost
• How many children desired
• How many embryos remain after treatment
• What will be done with unused embryos

Not every fertility treatment center shares the same protocol, philosophies, or success rates. It is very important for any patient considering fertility treatments to check the physician’s standing with the board as well as the fertility treatment center’s results with the CDC.

What is ART (Assisted reproductive Technology)

As many couples are delaying having children until later in life, those experiencing difficulty in conceiving is also on the rise. To over come these difficulties, many see the help of reproductive specialists and fertility treatment centers, to diagnose the sources of problems. For many, conventional drug therapies are tried and are successful. Others find hope in Assisted Reproductive Technology, or ART.

ART Defined
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Assisted Reproductive Technology includes all fertility treatments in which both the egg and sperm are handled. Performed under the care of specialists at fertility treatment centers, Art procedures generally include the removal of eggs from a woman’s ovaries, combining them with sperm in a laboratory and then placing them back in the woman’s body.

Typical ART Cycle

1. Documentation of cycle and ovulation
2. Beginning of GnRH agonist therapy
3. A baseline ultrasound of the pelvis
4. Gonadotropins are used to stimulate ovaries
5. Serum hormone levels monitored
6. Follicle development is closely monitored by ultrasound
7. The administration of Human chorionic gonadotropin, hCG, given as intramuscular injection
8. Transvaginal oocyte retrieval
9. Embryo is transferred
10. Progesterone supplementation begins
11. Pregnancy test administered and  patient undergoes hormonal studies
12. Patient follows up with physician for several weeks at the fertility treatment center to monitor pregnancy, or further consultation.

The ART process requires careful timing and patients are closely monitored by physicians who specialize in reproductive technologies. Medications are used to stimulate the ovaries, after which the development of the follicles, or eggs, is closely monitored through blood tests and ultrasound. These tests determine the timing of the administration of the hCG, which is critical to the proper maturation of the oocytes. Typically, oocyte retrieval is performed 34 hours after this time. The procedure is performed under the care of your physician and an anesthesiologist in the fertility treatment center. Once the oocytes are collected and semen prepared, the woman is inseminated. Once the embryo is transferred, the patient will receive progesterone supplements daily. A pregnancy test is administered around 12 days after the transfer.

ART Treatments
IVF, the process of combining the egg and sperm in a lab and fertilized eggs are transferred to the woman, is the most frequently used form of ART. Many fertility treatment centers offer other ART treatments which include:

•Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) where a single sperm is injected into an egg which is then placed in the patient’s uterus or fallopian tubes.
•Gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) where collected eggs are placed with sperm in a tube then injected into the fallopian tubes for fertilization.
•Zygote intrafallopian transfer (ZIFT) which combines the IVF and GIFT processes.

Treatments Not Considered ART
Not all reproductive therapies received at fertility treatment centers are considered ART. Treatments such as intrauterine insemination (IUI), also called artificial insemination (AI), in which only the sperm is handled or therapies in which only medication is used to stimulate the production of eggs to achieve a pregnancy is not considered to be in this category.

Choosing a Fertility Treatment Center
All ART treatments are performed by endocrinologists in fertility treatment centers, specially equipped to meet the needs of reproductive medicine. Centers and physicians may differ in treatment plans and philosophies, and fertility treatment centers may vary in their success rates. Patients should consider these things in choosing a fertility treatment center.

ART is the common broad term for reproductive treatments that include a combination of medications and handling of eggs or embryos.

• IVF (In vitro fertilization)-Eggs are combined with sperm in a laboratory. After fertalization, eggs are placed in the uterus.
• ICSI (Intracytoplasmic sperm injection)- Sperm is injected directly into the egg and embryo is placed into the uterus.
• GIFT (Gamete intrafallopian transfer) Eggs and sperm are placed in a lab dish and inserted into the fallopian tubes. Fertilization and implantation happens naturally.
• ZIFT (Zygote intrafallopian transfer) eggs and sperm are placed in lab dish and after fertilization, doctor places the embryo in the uterus.

The process of dealing with infertility is likely to include many trips to the fertility treatment center while specialists identify the problem and once the problem has been found, develop a treatment plan. Fortunately, most problems can be solved with the use of medications or corrective surgery. Some patients require more invasive treatments in assisted reproductive technologies, such as IVF. The treatment approach and philosophy of each fertility treatment center may vary and patients should find one that best meets their needs.

The most successful fertility treatment centers combine compassion and expertise of reproductive endocrinologists in developing a treatment plan. The success rates of fertility treatment centers varies by clinic and state, and a patient has the right to view information regarding the success rates, broken down by treatments, for each fertility treatment center at CDC.GOV. Because many treatments are either not or only partially covered by insurance, a patient should always carefully review the fertility treatment center’s protocol, philosophy and rates of success while choosing.