Getting Pregnant for Dummies

Description

The hands-on guide that addresses the common barriers to achieving pregnancy and offers tips to maximize your potential for fertility For millions of people, starting a family is a lifelong dream. However, many face challenges in welcoming children into the world. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 12% of women in the US from ages 15 to 44 have difficulty getting pregnant or staying pregnant. A variety of factors exist that can contribute to infertility, such as ovulation disorders, uterine abnormalities, congenital defects, and a host of environmental and lifestyle considerations. But infertility is not just a female problem. For approximately 35% of couples with infertility, a male factor is identified along with a female factor, while in 8% of couples, a male factor is the only identifiable cause. Fortunately, there are many treatment options that offer hope. Getting Pregnant For Dummies discusses the difficulties related to infertility and offers up-to-date advice on the current methods and treatments to assist in conception. This easy-to-read guide will help you understand why infertility occurs, its contributing risk factors, and the steps to take to increase the chances of giving birth. From in vitro fertilization (IVF) to third party reproduction (donor sperm or eggs and gestational surrogacy) to lifestyle changes to understanding genetic information to insurance, legal and medication considerations, this bookcovers all the information you need to navigate your way to the best possible results. Packed with the latest information and new developments in medical technology, this book: Helps readers find real-life solutions to getting pregnant Covers the latest information on treatments for infertility for both women and men Offers advice on choosing the option best suited for an individual's unique situation Explains the different types and possible causes of infertility issues Provides insight to genetic testing information Provides suggestions for lifestyle changes that help prepare for conception Getting Pregnant For Dummies is an indispensable guide for every woman trying to conceive and for men experiencing infertility issues. Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents Introduction About This Book Foolish Assumptions Icons Used in This Book Beyond the Book Where to Go from Here Part 1 Are We There Yet? Wondering Why You’re Not Pregnant Chapter 1 Where, Oh Where, Can My Baby Be? Defining Infertility Looking at Infertility Statistics Making babies: An inefficient process at best Age and infertility Race and infertility High-tech treatments and infertility Shaking Down the Family Tree Putting together a family birth history Finding out important information Checking the stats of your race Seeing What Causes Infertility Diagnosing Infertility Recognizing Why Getting Pregnant Seems Harder Today Calculating the Cost of Infertility Preparing for the emotional toll Recognizing how infertility affects your partnership Adding up the financial cost Chapter 2 What Does Anatomy Have to Do with It? Reviewing the Female Anatomy The vagina The cervix The uterus The ovaries The eggs The fallopian tubes The breasts Controlling your hormones In Sync: How Female Reproductive Parts Work Together Taking a spin on the menstrual cycle Recognizing the importance of regular periods Understanding the causes of malfunctioning menstrual cycles Hanging Out with the Guys The penis The testicles Sperm — 200 million of them! Putting Male and Female Parts Together Recognizing signs of ovulation Timing and fertility Conceiving a Baby: How Sex Should Work Figuring Out How Often to Have Sex Chapter 3 Blame It on My Genes! The Role of Genetics and Family History Grasping Genetics Basics What are genes and chromosomes? What do genes do? Inheriting Infertility — Really? Inheriting Diseases that May Impact Fertility — Different Story! Shaking the Family Tree for Information Finding Out What’s in Your Genes Karyotyping Spotting single gene defects Looking for other anomalies Looking at What’s on the Horizon Chapter 4 Before the Baby: Exploring Lifestyle and Behavioral Factors Making Healthy Lifestyle Changes Giving up smoking I’ll drink to that! Give me my coffee! Saying no to drugs Understanding Common Infections That Can Cause Uncommon Results HPV: The most common STI Chlamydia: The most reported STI Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Gonorrhea Syphilis Genital herpes HIV Trichomoniasis Ureaplasma and mycoplasma A new kid on the block: Zika STIs May Cause PID: More Than Just a “Pain in the Derriere” Exploring Specific Lifestyle Choices and Busting Some Common Myths Gauging the truth about hot tubs — and other “short” stories Balancing the yin and yang of exercise Dumping the douche Avoiding toxins at home and away Making the connection between stress and fertility Getting Checked Out from Top to Bottom Having a full physical Checking your blood levels Checking your medications Deciding if you need a mammogram Seeking other prepregnancy medical counseling: Do you need it? Chapter 5 It Worked the First Time! Tackling Secondary Infertility Facing Secondary Infertility Wanting an Heir and a Spare? Facing Secondary Infertility Wondering whether it will feel as bad as it did the first time? Dealing with disbelief: But it worked before . . . Looking for What’s Different This Time Around Changes in age Changes in health Changes in partners Dealing with the Emotional Pain Longing for another child Losing support the second time Planning Treatment for the Second Time Around Part 2 Taking the Initiative Chapter 6 DIY Methods to Increase Your Chances Reading Your Body’s Signals and Signs — An Incomplete Story Checking for signs that really matter: Your menses Did I ovulate or not? That is the question Recording your basal body temperature (BBT) Observing cervical mucus Feeling your cervix Keeping a Fertility Chart Predicting Ovulation: Kits, Sticks, and Software Using an ovulation predictor kit Adding computer power with a fertility monitor Just spit here — the saliva test Sperm testing at home Getting through the Two-Week Wait Looking for a Positive with Home Pregnancy Tests (HPTs) Getting to know HPTs Using HPTs Understanding false positives Understanding false negatives Chapter 7 Considering Special Circumstances Calculating Your Fertility Odds as an “Older” Mom Checking out the statistics Understanding how much age matters What’s “older” these days? But I don’t look my age! Putting age in its (proper) place Modern ways to fight an “age”-old problem Calculating Your Fertility Odds as an “Older” Dad Living with Diseases That Affect Fertility Polycystic ovaries Endometriosis Diabetes: More than a “sugar” problem Lupus and other immune disorders Cancer and Fertility: The News Is Cautiously Optimistic The cancer-fertility connections for women The cancer-fertility connection for men Considering cryobiology Chapter 8 Harnessing the Power of Modern Medicine: Finding a Doctor and More Exploring Your “Doctor” Options When not to wait — even a few months Choosing between a family doctor and an OB/GYN Bringing your partner along: Four ears are better than two Making a list of questions for your first visit Filling out forms and answering questions Moving Up to Dr. Specialist Getting Help from National Organizations Going Online for More Resources and Information Chat rooms and bulletin boards Doctors’ websites: Separating the glitter from the goods Discussing Dollars with the Doctor Understanding What Your Doctor Says Knowing When to Switch Doctors Keeping Your Own (Hit) Records Facing the Stranger in Your Sex Life — Treatment and Your Loss of Privacy Talking sex with clinic staff Figuring out who gets to know what Chapter 9 Improving Your Odds with Diet, Supplements, and Exercise Eating for Fertility Considering BMI So, what should I put on my plate? The Controversy over Estrogen Considering Supplements — Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs, and More Taking vitamins Herbs Folic acid Wheatgrass L-arginine Vitamin D: Is all the hype justified? Myoinositol and PCOS Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) Supplements for better sperm production Exploring Alternative Medicine from China and Beyond Traditional Chinese medicine Help from herbal formulas On pins and needles — acupuncture for infertility Chanting Your Way to Conception: Meditation and Yoga Seeking Help from On High Putting Your Body in Motion: The Benefits of Exercise Chapter 10 Are We Having Fun Yet? Managing Your Emotions and Relationships Holding Your Relationship Together during Treatment Easy does it when conceiving gets harder Avoiding the blame game, round one: It’s not my fault Avoiding the blame game, round two: We should have started sooner Same game, more blame: Why one of you just isn’t into it Healing Your Relationship: Band-Aids and Longer-Term Solutions Remembering the joy Coming together as a team Dealing with Buttinskies (a.k.a. Friends and Relatives) Bringing friends and family onboard Surviving the holidays Declining invitations Forecast: Baby showers likely Getting Professional Help for Very Personal Hurts Being in the club you didn’t ask to join Consulting a professional therapist Seeking social support from your world and the rest of the universe Taking a Break from Your Fertility “Job” — You Deserve It Part 3 Seeking Answers, Identifying Causes, and Dealing with Disappointments Chapter 11 Ladies First: Female Testing Basics Understanding the Limits of Testing Testing Your Blood for Clues Baseline blood tests Progesterone Prolactin Thyroid tests Testosterone (Yes! For women, too.) DHEA-S Fasting insulin Testing for immune disorders Vitamin D Infectious diseases Addressing Female Structural Problems Picturing a healthy uterus Clearing out the fallopian tubes Addressing scar tissue Reversing a Tubal Ligation Testing to Diagnose Structural Problems Transvaginal ultrasound HSG (Don’t even try to spell out the word) Saline infused hysterosonogram (SIS) Hysteroscopy (HSC) Laparoscopy (LSC) Checking for Endometriosis Considering Ovulation Disorders: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Prognosis Metrorrhagia — Irregular periods Amenorrhea — No periods Anovulation — Failing to ovulate Chapter 12 Your Turn, Honey! Back to the Boys What is Male Factor Infertility? Sizing Up the Semen Obtaining a high-quality specimen Development of the semen analysis and what the numbers mean Interpreting the SA Test Results Making too few sperm When there’s no sperm in sight Considering the sperm’s shape and movement Checking for Structural Problems Correcting Varicoceles Looking for Clues in Your Blood Testosterone Other strategic hormones Considering Potential Functional Issues Help for erectile dysfunction Intervention for retrograde ejaculation Undoing a Vasectomy: Is it Worth It? Analyzing the Effects of Age and Lifestyle Chapter 13 Riding the Roller Coaster of Early Pregnancy Loss Defining What Being Pregnant Really Means Taking a home pregnancy test Getting a blood test Scanning the uterus Being “A Little Bit” Pregnant: Chemical Pregnancies Understanding chemical pregnancies Testing for possible fixes Suffering a Miscarriage Understanding the language of loss Knowing if you need a D&C Recognizing possible causes Evaluating chromosomes Testing products of conception Chromosome testing of the parents Navigating an Ectopic Pregnancy Recognizing the signs of an ectopic pregnancy Other origins of ectopic pregnancies Experiencing Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Exploring common causes Answering the question, “Why me?” Suffering insensitive remarks Knowing what to do next How is Recurrent Implantation Failure Different? Picking Yourself Up after a Loss What to do while you’re waiting What not to do Part 4 Moving from No-Tech to High-Tech Conception Chapter 14 First: The Lower-Tech Options Seeking Personalized Fertility Treatment Discussing options with your fertility specialist Deciding what’s more likely to work for you Jump-Starting Your Ovaries “Take two Clomid and call me in three months” Comparing Clomid and letrozole Side effects of oral stimulation meds Will oral meds work? Deciding whether to monitor Getting a “trigger” shot Considering Artificial Insemination Comparing your options Collecting and prepping the sperm Getting the timing right Considering a few risks of IUI Checking out the Controlled Ovarian Hyperstimulation Option Understanding the need for injections Defining gonadotropins Injecting hCG to Mature Your Eggs Ensuring Proper Monitoring throughout Your Cycle Deciding When to Pursue Higher-Tech Options Growing sick of getting stuck Being sensitive to your partner’s feelings Chapter 15 Going High-Tech: Welcome to the In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Club What IVF Means for You Getting real about what it costs and the chances for success Looking at the risks of IVF Switching Doctors: Will a Change Really Matter? Choosing the Best Clinic for You Surfing IVF websites Sorting through SART statistics Looking for a clinic Evaluating a clinic’s personality Addressing the High Costs of IVF Figuring out what your insurance plan really covers Changing jobs or changing insurance to get infertility coverage It’s the Law! States That Mandate Fertility Coverage Fighting City Hall: Insurance Appeals When Having Insurance Doesn’t Help Getting Creative When You’re Out of Other Options Donating eggs to reduce costs Joining a drug study Getting Your Medications for Less Shopping at mail-order pharmacies Making a quick trip over the border Scoring freebies from the drug companies Shopping for “sales” Going overseas for IVF Chapter 16 Ready, Steady, Go! Starting Your IVF Cycle Preparing for a Roller Coaster Ride of Emotions Experiencing the emotional ride Looking at your protocol and dealing with schedules Dealing with a disappearing doctor Taking your medications without having a nervous breakdown Monitoring your progress (more poking and prodding) Is hyperstimulation avoidable? Getting your next-step marching orders Dealing with the loss of control, or not being the best in the room Why feeling blue is normal Taking a Shot in the Dark: Time for hCG Understanding the purpose of hCG Setting the alarm: Timing is everything with hCG! Heading to the Big Dance: The Egg Retrieval Looking at retrieval schedules Signing here . . . and here . . . and here . . . Meeting the retrieval team Previewing what happens in an egg retrieval Sleeping on the job: Anesthesia’s role in egg retrieval Your Partner Is Busy Too After the Dance: Do’s and Don’ts for a Happy Recovery Answering Common Post-IVF Questions Post-Retrieval Pills and Potions The Waiting Game: Knowing What’s Next Chapter 17 The Care and Feeding of an Embryo: Amazing Teamwork in the Lab Recognizing a Good Egg When You See One Prepping Sperm to Meet the Egg Conventional sperm insemination High-tech sperm injection Looking at What Can Go Wrong When Egg Meets Sperm The High-Tech Meet-and-Greet: Doing ICSI Answering the Call About the Embryos What “day” is it for the embryo? Understanding when embryos are checked Grading an embryo Why are there fewer embryos than eggs? Testing That Embryo: Checking Genetics Before the Transfer Considering your preimplantation testing options How is PGT (any kind) done? Does PGT improve my pregnancy chances? Choosing an embryo to transfer Hatching Embryos — Come on Out of There! Looking at the Embryos’ Next Home: Your Uterine Lining Undergoing the Embryo Transfer Knowing what to expect: How many embryos to transfer? What’s a good transfer day? Day 3? Day 5? Any other? Describing the “oh-so-much-easier” procedure “Fresh” transfer prep Choosing the “frozen” path to a transfer Post Transfer Tips and Boosts Chapter 18 Keeping Your Head in the Game: Successfully Waiting after an IVF Cycle Not “Not Pregnant” — But Waiting for Proof Meds without monitoring and feeling a little left out by the clinic Keeping busy: do’s and don’ts Making your to-do or not-to-do list Sensing Every Little Twinge: The Truth about Pregnancy Symptoms Checking on Your Own: Home Pregnancy Test Traps Waiting for the News Deciding how and where you want the news Understanding what the test results really mean Responding to Good News: OMG! Cautiously pregnant and continuing tests Expect ongoing monitoring Graduating from your fertility clinic Knowing when high-risk monitoring may be necessary Taking the Next Step if IVF Doesn’t Work Grasping the importance of follow-up after bad news Figuring out what happened Questioning God and your doctor Grieving your loss Taking time out for you and your partner Keeping Embryos on Ice Regrouping and Future Planning Chapter 19 Staying Afloat When You’re Drowning in a Sea of Fertility Data Exploring the Link Between Information and the Care You Receive Knowing how medical decisions are made Sifting through medical studies: All data is not created equal Stacking the deck: why diagnosis matters Choosing What’s Best for You Figuring out your true conception goal Teaming up to decide what is best Knowing where to go for useful information Go one-on-one with your doctor Part 5 Exploring Alternative Routes to Conception Chapter 20 Considering Third-Party Reproduction Options Deciding to Use Donor Eggs, Sperm, or Embryos Why do I need to do this? Getting started down the third-party road Protecting Yourselves When Considering a Donor for Anything Asking key questions Researching companies that find donors Recruiting a family member or friend Getting the lawyer involved Heading to the Bank — the Sperm or Egg “Cryo” Bank, That Is Why fewer couples are using donor sperm Reviewing donor sperm requirements Testing donors and taking precautions Ordering sperm Shopping at an Egg Bank Selecting a Donor for a “Fresh” Donor Egg Cycle Matching with a “fresh” egg donor Keeping the facts in mind Finding donor eggs Funding the donor egg cycle Checking out your donor Signing the documents: Lawyering up, again Coordinating your Donor Oocyte Recipient “DOR” cycle Getting support Enlisting the Aid of a Surrogate Finding that special woman Using matching companies Looking for your own surrogate Traveling abroad for more options Sharing “your” pregnancy Medical clearance of your surrogate Legal issues to follow to make sure your baby is really yours Embryo Donation Telling your Pregnancy Story (or Not) Deciding whether family and friends really need to know Telling the child (or not): When and how to do this Using a registry Modern Families: Getting Pregnant When you’re single or LBGTQIA Transgender fertility issues Chapter 21 Moving On: Not Necessarily the End of The Road Letting Go of the Dream When medicine can no longer help Going through the grief process Knowing when to get help (and what kind of help) Opting to Adopt Considering traditional domestic adoption Looking into private domestic adoption Exploring international adoption Adopting a special-needs child Starting as a foster parent Deciding to be a “Family of Two” — Living Child-Free Chapter 22 The Future is Now! New Advances, New Concerns in Fertility Looking into the Future: Long-Term Health Effects of Fertility Medication Effects on the mother Effects on the baby Gathering Steam: The Genetics Tool Train Brushing up on the latest genetic capabilities Sex selection: When you absolutely, positively want a boy (or a girl) Transplanting Body Parts to Improve Fertility “New” ovaries? Permanently “borrowing” a uterus Putting Your Plans on Ice Giving hope to patients with diseases that threaten their fertility Social freezing: Stalling parenting until you are “ready” Deciding the future: Disposition documents are a must Getting Up to Speed on Reproductive Law Posthumous conception: When your family wants to have your baby Divvying up leftover embryos after the “Big D” Ethics and extra embryos Getting your baby home: Passports, parents, and government interference Saving Stem Cells for Research: Raising Ethical Concerns Cloning and Human Concerns Forcing Clinics to Decide Who’s Fit to Parent Realizing that Machines and People are Fallible Looking Beyond IVF Part 6 Part of Tens Chapter 23 Ten “Fake News” Stories about Fertility News for Rodents Reading about Medical Miracles Celebrity Fecundity (also known as Fertility) Cell Phones Decrease Male Fertility Increased Longevity Means a Larger Fertility Window Men Don’t Undergo Menopause Looking Good Means Your Fertility Is Good You Can Glue Your Embryos to Your Uterus Procreation Vacations Work Adopt and You’ll Get Pregnant Chapter 24 Ten Things to Know in Early Pregnancy Good Pregnancy or Not? Bleeding Is Bad, Right? What About Exercise? Can I Fly When I’m Pregnant? Should I Quit My Job? Should I Get a Flu Shot? When Should I See My Ob/Gyn? Do I Have to Stay on My Medication? Dealing with a UTI What Is Happening to My Skin? Index EULA