Speaking of Infertility Awareness: The Question of Age + Pregnancy = Never-Ending Confusion?

Advanced maternal age and how it gets in the way of pregnancy is in the news again. This time, the focus is on how so many women have the misunderstanding that assisted reproductive technology can defeat age as a barrier to conception.

How many times have I heard, "Dr. Kristiansen -- I hate that term! Can't we use something different to refer to my age?" Sorry -- it's a rather tacky-sounding medical terminology shortcut that means "chronologically older than average for optimal fertility".

Here's a message that needs to be heard during this National Infertility Awareness Week:

The fact: Without intervention, most women in their 40's (and many in their 30's) would not get pregnant.

Another fact: Yes, IVF is incredible technology worth marveling at, and one of the reasons is its ability to facilitate conception in women who otherwise would not get pregnant.

The Big Myth: IVF is so effective, you can wait until you're of "advanced maternal age" to try and get pregnant -- and have a high likelihood of succeeding by way of fertility treatment.

That myth IS a fact for some women. But only for some women. Are you one of them? There's a good chance that a thorough diagnostic workup by a reproductive endocrinologist can provide clues to answer that question. Can we guarantee it? No.

I don't think either the media or fertility experts intend to confuse women about the question of age and pregnancy. But the confusion among women is apparently prevalent and ongoing.

Just as it would be overkill to suggest that all women in their teens or early 20's run out and get fertility testing to prepare for the future, it is unreasonable to recommend women put all their eggs into that future basket by expecting ART to be their surefire answer to pregnancy. (There is the option of freezing your eggs, a different but related story...)

So, the simple truth: If you're delaying conception until your late 30's or older with the intention of simply walking into any fertility center and getting pregnant easily on the first try, you're automatically decreasing your odds.

If you're like many of my patients and have delayed pregnancy for lifestyle reasons like not finding Mr. Right, wanting to give your all to your career before parenthood, or because your finances aren't in order yet, you can take heart in knowing that virtually any safe and effective technique will be made available to you here at Houston Fertility Center. Not only that, but the treatment will be delivered by a team of experienced, compassionate women.

We know how much you want a baby. We applaud your courage and tenacity in the pursuit of parenthood. We'll educate you about every treatment option. We'll be your cheerleaders in the journey. And we'll be honest with you, too.

~ Dr. Sonja Kristiansen M.D.




[Image: photostock | FreeDigitalPhotos.net]

Yes, Of Course, I'm On Facebook

Please come and say hello!

And Twitter, too. Here's where to find Dr. Sonja Kristiansen of Houston Fertility Center on the Internet.

If you're trying to find Houston Fertility Center's Facebook page, here it is:
https://www.facebook.com/HoustonFertilityCenter

And our Twitter account?

It's at http://twitter.com/drsonjak (That's for Sonja Kristiansen MD)


And Houston Fertility Center's had a website for years -- http://calldrk.com

Dragon Babies In the Making!

Surely, you've seen this recently? The Chinese New Year has arrived, and this year, deemed The Year of The Dragon by Chinese astrologers, is supposed to be especially auspicious for having babies.

The Wall Street Journal says that "dragon babies" -- those born from now until February 9, 2013 -- are supposed to be strong, smart, and lucky. Quite a combination! What parent wouldn't want those things for their child? Even if you think astrology is nothing more than silly fun...

But here's the modern twist on an ancient tale: Couples are actually taking advantage of assisted reproductive technology to boost their chances of getting pregnant with a Dragon Baby. In the article, one egg donation agency reports they've increased the number of donors with Chinese ancestry to prepare for an expected rise in intended parents.

What we're talking about here is a new kind of family planning, people taking full advantage of the availability and increasing reliability of fertility treatment success, even if there are no fertility problems. "But Dr. Kristiansen," you're wondering, "isn't IVF for fertile people going to extremes?" IVF is the most direct means of assisted conception for many people, but artificial insemination can work as well for some.

So if you want to have a Dragon Baby, you need to institute a plan and aim for conceiving by mid-May of this year. My staff at Houston Fertility Center will be happy to assist -- even if you think astrology is just for fun.

~ Dr. Sonja Kristiansen M.D.

Image: Naypong / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

IVF Works for Hispanic Women, Too

Many of my patients may be relieved to hear this piece of research news from a colleague in San Antonio: Hispanic women are just as successful with IVF as are non-Hispanic anglo women.

There's no particular reason to believe otherwise, but a previous nationwide study that compared IVF success rates among women of multiple ethnicities showed that Hispanics were 13 percent less likely to have a baby following the procedure. They were, however, just as likely to get pregnant via IVF as anglo women.

The newer study is smaller and included only patients at one clinic. Also, nearly all the Hispanic study subjects were Mexican-American, unlike the larger, national study. It also showed that while getting pregnant is comparable in terms of percentages, Hispanic women were more likely to miscarry, although the researcher, Dr. Robert Brzyski, says that's likely a chance occurrence.

Of particular interest is the clear difference in cause of infertility between whites and Hispanics. White women had more endometriosis and Hispanic women were more often diagnosed with tubal factor infertility.

Tubal blockages and resulting infertility were the original reason for IVF being invented. As long as other factors aren't impacting a woman's chances for pregnancy success, using IVF to work around tubal factor infertility is very effective.

Like Dr. Brzyski's practice, Houston Fertility Center is in the middle of a richly diverse metropolitan area. With Spanish-speaking staff and educational efforts within the Hispanic community, we provide every opportunity possible to bring home the message to women that infertility is treatable. I'm happy to be able to add this piece of good news to our message.

~Sonja Kristiansen, M.D.