Summer in Texas Means Heat -- & Babies

I've noticed in my years of practicing reproductive medicine that given every other factor, there does seem to be a calendar-based trend to conception. So I'm happy to find out about studies that point to what we've seen in our practice here in sub-tropical Houston. It appears that summer is a great time to try and conceive with IVF.

In this study, published in Human Fertility (Vol 9, No 4, 2006), the researchers looking at more than 2,700 IVF/ICSI cycles saw "significant improvement in assisted conception outcomes performed" in summer months.

They're not exactly sure of what causes the boost but they propose it may be related to production of melatonin, a light-inhibited hormone that regulates sleeping and waking cycles.

This bit of information turns out to be in many patients' favor, since summer is the traditional season to take time off from work for vacation.

We've always encouraged our patients with seasonal jobs, like teaching, to take advantage of those stretches on the calendar when they're likely to be less stressed and busy on a daily basis. IVF treatment is carefully timed, so fitting it into a more relaxed schedule is beneficial -- lessened stress has also been linked to better fertility treatment outcomes.

Not only do I consult with patients to determine best times to schedule fertility treatment, I've started offering discounts timed specifically so they can take advantage of summer months.

"iPhone Baby" Not So New; More Fertility 101 Needed

Here's an eye-catching piece: an article about a young woman who finally conceived after years of infertility -- all because of an iPhone app.

Essentially all that happened here was good (and successful -- congratulations!) use of an old TTC standard done up in new technology. The app she downloaded was one of apparently several that counts a woman's cycle days and flags her when she should be at her most fertile.

Keyword here is "should"...

One of the most common reasons that some women don't get pregnant easily is ovulatory disorder. There are plenty of ways that a woman's ovulation can become disrupted, out of sync, or cease altogether. The important thing to know is that very often, the woman has no symptoms to clue her in to her body's fertility problem. Simply having a period, even regularly, doesn't necessary mean ovulation is occurring on target.

So, yes, timing is crucial in trying to get pregnant. But for a 30-year-old to have tried unsuccessfully for *four years* and still only then resort to counting the days in her cycle... that tells me our fertility educational efforts aren't getting out there like we hope, whether or not the technology is a calendar on the wall or an iPhone app.