Infertility Specialist

What is infertility?

For women, infertility is when you’re unable to get pregnant after a year of trying, or six months for women 35 and older. Women who’ve suffered frequent miscarriages are included in the infertility category.

Infertility is a common problem. It affects about 10% of women of childbearing age. Infertility also affects men. When a couple struggles with infertility, both partners should have an infertility workup.

What causes infertility in women?

Women struggle with infertility for any number of reasons. Common causes include:

Problems with ovulation

When an egg is released from an ovary, it's called ovulation. This is part of your normal menstrual cycle.  

If you experience irregular menstrual cycles, you might not ovulate every month. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) causes an irregular menstrual cycle and is a common cause of infertility.

Structural problems with the reproductive organs

Problems in the structure of your reproductive organs can also make it harder for you to get and/or stay pregnant. Endometriosis causes scar tissue on the fallopian tubes, which blocks the egg from meeting with sperm for fertilization.

Uterine fibroids and polyps can also make it harder for you to get pregnant.

Egg quantity or quality

You’re born with all the eggs you’ll ever have, so if your supply is small, it’s possible to run out of eggs early. Or your eggs might not be viable because they don’t have the correct number of chromosomes.

Not having enough eggs or high-quality eggs is a common cause of infertility in women as they get older.

What happens during an infertility workup?

Collaborative Women’s Care does complete physical and pelvic exams when you come in for an infertility workup. They review your gynecological, sexual, and medical histories.

They complete physical and pelvic exams, run tests to check your hormone levels, and do genetic screening. They also use their in-house ultrasound system to look for structural abnormalities that can explain your infertility.

How is infertility treated?

Treating your infertility focuses on the cause. If problems with ovulation affect your ability to get pregnant, your provider at Collaborative Women’s Care prescribes medication to increase ovulation.

When you’re ovulating, they could recommend artificial insemination to improve your chances of pregnancy. During artificial insemination, they use specially prepared sperm from your partner, placing it directly into your uterus.

For structural abnormalities, your provider can use minimally invasive gynecological surgery to fix the problem.

Collaborative Women’s Care also provides prenatal counseling.

To schedule your infertility consultation today, call Collaborative Women’s Care or click the online booking button.