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Regarding drinking Robitussin - I know several people who tried it (including myself) but if you have issues that are way beyond what thinning out mucous can do, it's pointless. They also tell us to eat pineapple to aid in the implantation of embryos. Neither worked for me.
Egg-counting probably refers to having your ovarian reserved checked through blood work - FSH test. The higher the FSH, the harder it could be to conceive. But, that's not always accurate either. I continue to have a very low FSH ("hormone levels of a teen") but even with IVF, had terrible difficulty getting pregnant.
Not all OB/GYN's are well-versed in IF so she should go to one that might be more specialized.
I hope that if your friend does decide to pursue this, she is doing so for all the right reasons.
She should go to a specialist. And also do the "temperature method" of tracking her ovulation. That way she and the doctors wil know what is going on. There are books that show you how to take your "basal" or resting temps. And I am sure there is something online.
That should be the first step so she can get a handle on what is actually happening to her body. BTW: Most infertility doctors will not even begin treatments until you try to conceive for one full year.
Also, before the female undergoes treatments, they also need to test the male, just in case he has problems too.
I had fertility issues with all of the accompanying tests and treatments. To be brief: she should check with her state. Some states have mandates that require someone with no insurance to be able to have fertility treatments (Illinois is one). An egg check would reveal whether she has many, weak eggs, or few great ones for example. Age 30 is still youngish in my opinion. I had in vitro successfully, lost the baby, then had in vitro again. Gave birth to my only child, a healthy baby boy, a few weeks shy of my 40th birthday. One trick I learned through all of this: (she needs to check with her doctor first), take doses of cough syrup. It will thin ALL of your secretions. Sometimes this is a barrier to the sperm getting to their destination. I drank bottles of Robitussin. Most importantly, she needs a new boyfriend/stable relationship before she does anything.
Congratulations to you. Besides my friend, I also have a sister-in-law with some fertility issues. I will ask her if she has heard of the Robitussin thing. Apparently, her fertilility specialist told her she had "hostile mucus" which was definitely creating a barrier for the sperm. Her and my brother are taking the shots plus doing some kind of procedure where they shoot the sperm up past the hostile mucus. They have done the shots and the other thing twice now, with no luck. Their insurance will only pay for the doctor's visits and not the other stuff. I hope it works out for them.
Regarding my friend, I appreciate everyone's feedback. I have talked to her recently and apparently the collapsed ovary was something I misunderstood. She only has one working ovary. She still doesn't have the blood work back yet from the egg count. I am still unclear on whether she is going to a specialist or just her regular gyno. I don't know what options she will take if she gets bad news regarding the count. But thanks again, everyone.
The Robitussin thing will not help with the hostile mucous. Women's cervical mucous can be too thick to allow sperm to pass through it easily. This is a cheap easy way to help thin it out. I used it when trying to conceive. Another thing as mentioned is taking your basal temp. Get a basal thermometer at your local pharmacy. it is specifically a basal thermometer, not just any kind. Make sure you take your temp. as soon as you wake up, befroe getting up, talking anything. You then chart it and can tell when/if you ovulate. It can be a big help. Also when ovulating and trying to conceive, prop your bottom up on pillows for 1/2 hr. after intercourse. No drinking, take folic acid when trying to conceive (to help prevent spina bifida in baby), no hot tubs or jacuzzis (and that is especially for the man). The man should also wear more loose clothing including underware.
I'm glad someone brought up this subject as I think perhaps I may be challenged in the fertility area. My life is good either way but I know hubby wants at least one. I've been off the Pill for almost a year now and my period is no where near "normal". I seriously went 6 months w/o my period after getting off the Pill and I've had my period now for probably 4 months but totally irregular. Just recently, for example, I had my period for 2 wks, off for a week and then it came back again for another 2 wks!
Anyway, just to get someone's perspective, typically speaking what DO insurance companies pay for (I know it various from company to company, state to state)? I mean, what if this is "more serious" than infertility? My MD (who I just met this past year for a yearly - we moved to a new state - doesn't seem to be worried about anything. I don't want to sound like a crazy hypochondriac but in the same respect, it would be nice to have a little more perspective on things. I'm 29, BTW.
Also, my hemotacrit (sp?) is a little high, like by a decimal point or two - is that cause for concern in terms of fertility? Thanx!
A friend of mine is in reproductive medicine at UCLA and I've talked about this with him a lot.
On average fertility starts declining starting at around 27 but begins to decline more aggresively each year after 30 and precipitously after 35.
Age 35 is considered "advanced maternal age" in doctor terminology. Later first pregnancy is also more of a toll on the body and has increased chances of complications including miscarriage although I would say this is a concern once you reach 35.
It is important to realize the risks *ACCURATELY* and not get carried away by feminist media BS that says everything is fine and dandy and people 50 yrs old are getting pregnant.
However, I think one's decision to get pregnant should not be based on ticking of the biological clock but rather if you can provide a stable and loving environment for the child. Just my $0.02.
Anyway, just to get someone's perspective, typically speaking what DO insurance companies pay for (I know it various from company to company, state to state)? I mean, what if this is "more serious" than infertility? My MD (who I just met this past year for a yearly - we moved to a new state - doesn't seem to be worried about anything. I don't want to sound like a crazy hypochondriac but in the same respect, it would be nice to have a little more perspective on things. I'm 29, BTW.
It really does depend on your insurance coverage and state. I believe MA & IL are states that mandate "hard" insurance coverage by companies. Here is some more information from healthline:
Quote:
I am often asked which insurance company has the most favorable coverage for infertility treatment. Unfortunately, the answer is not that simple. The package of insurance coverage for infertility treatment is not up to the insurance company, per se. It is typically up to an employer to determine the scope of coverage that is offered by its insurance company, and whether that package includes compensation simply for diagnosis of infertility, or whether it also covers treatment.
Moreover, one cannot assume that coverage will be the same from one employer to another even if that company uses the same insurer. For instance, an employee of Bank of America with Kaiser coverage might have a completely different insurance package for infertility as compared to an employee of Wells Fargo who also has Kaiser insurance. Through negotiation, an employer may choose an insurance plan with more or less infertility coverage than the average plan.
Another caveat has to do with state regulations. [b]A total of 12 states in the United States have passed laws mandating infertility insurance coverage.However much of this regulation is considered a "soft mandate" meaning the insurers only have to offer it to employers who can choose to take it or leave it. California (where I practice) has a soft mandate so companies here are not legally obligated to purchase coverage for its employees. A more forceful "hard mandate" requires a company to actually provide it, not just offer it. Massachusetts and Illinois are two states that have this hard mandate. An exception to this is when a company is self-insured and is not legally required to follow state mandates. Because the majority of people with employer-sponsored health insurance policies are "self-insured", the mandates do not apply to the majority of people, even in states with mandates.
Obviously, people who are self-employed and therefore pay for their own insurance might have a greater motivation to research those insurance companies that might have more comprehensive infertility coverage.
As you can tell, the nature of infertility treatment and insurance coverage is a complicated issue. We encourage patients to research infertility coverage with their insurance company and employer.
I had Blue Cross which covered absolutely nothing IVF-related except for a couple of meds that aren't exclusively used for infertility treatments.
My new coverage (switched AFTER I got pregnant and spent 70k+ out-of-pocket!!!) with United Healthcare covers 10k/year of infertility treatments as well as meds.
I hope that you will not need any IF treatment and wish you the best of luck!
Her symptoms sound like my cousin, who was eventually diagnosed with PCOS and conceived using Clomid. Something that really helped my cousin and she could start right now is cutting all the sugar and "white" carbs out of her diet. After following a strict low-carb diet and losing some weight, my cousin's periods came much more frequently.
The reproductive endocrinologist recommended the diet and starting the Clomid. It took a few months, but my cousin got pregnant and had a healthy girl.
The first step should be charting her basal body temperatures and fertility signs. It's non-invasive and only involves the cost of a basal body thermometer (under $10). She can go to fertilityfriend.com or read Toni Weschler's book, Taking Charge of Your Fertility for information and directions. This will help her pinpoint her "fertile" times (if she is in fact ovulating). It will also give the reproductive endocrinologist something to work with... is she ovulating? Is she producing egg-white cervical mucus (indicating good estrogen levels)? Is she having a normal-length luteal (progesterone) phase? Any of those things can be fairly easily remedied.
Charting will also help her to time intercourse for maximum efficiency in baby making.
After that, more invasive procedures might need to be done, but she should really know hwat's going on with her cycle before jumping into anything invasive and/or expensive. Yes, having irregular periods can make it harder to become pregnant (she'd only have the chance to get pg once every 3 or 4 months, instead of every month), but if she can time intercourse well, and that's the only problem, it's still doable without much intervention.
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