Smoking Vs Infertility

Infertility arises because of many reasons such as problems in the ovaries and uterus and fluctuations in hormone levels which reduce the chances of conceiving. In addition there are external factors that could contribute to infertility. Smoking is one of them.

The link between Smoking and Infertility

Latest studies show that a considerable amount of infertility cases are the after effect of smoking. Smoking can cause severe side effects both in men and women. Women smokers have higher risk of affecting their reproductive ability and further increasing the chances of cancer in their offspring because of alterations in the genes and chromosomes.

Women who have tried to get pregnant with In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and those who have been smokers in the past produce fewer eggs with IVF than non smokers. In addition, smokers also experience reduced capacity of fertilization of the eggs and increased chances of miscarriages with IVF. The reason might be nicotine, found in cigarettes, which have adverse effects on the follicles that are necessary for the induction of IVF.

Smoking during Pregnancy

The pregnancy rates of women smokers are greatly affected by nicotine. Moreover, smoking negatively influences not just the mother, but the baby as well. Even before delivery, smoking can harm a fetus exposed to nicotine while in the womb causing low birth weight, poor lung function and several other problems. The nicotine in cigarettes obstructs the flow of oxygen needed for healthy growth to the baby's blood. Needless to say the chances of a healthy pregnancy can be improved by keeping the body smoke free.

Effects of Smoking on Female and Male Fertility

Some of the negative consequences of smoking on the female reproduction ability include:

• Damage to the fallopian tubes that produce healthy eggs


• Lower rates of fertilization of the eggs with IVF


• Chances of reaching menopause early by 1 to 4 years


• Increased risk of unprompted abortion and ectopic pregnancy


• Alterations in ovum


• Likelihood of occurrence of cancer in the babies of smoking parents

Significant consequences of smoking contributing to male infertility include:

• Decreased sperm count in men


• lterations in the sperm morphology, sperm strength and quantity of ejaculated semen


• Infertility caused by changes in the series of DNA in sperm cells

Infertility itself can be cured with the help of treatments and medications and IVF success rates are higher in women that have quit smoking. Fertility improves considerably in women who have quit smoking. Couples planning on starting a family and particularly those experiencing problems while conceiving should make a maximum effort towards cessation of smoking..

East Bay Fertility Center, Dublin, California (www.ebfertility.com) offers personalized medical counseling and treatments for infertile couples. The clinic’s experienced medical staff is headed by Dr. Ellen U. Snowden, Medical Director and physician who is Board Certified in Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Endocrinology. East Bay Fertility Center provides comprehensive infertility services and motivates infertile patients throughout their course of infertility treatment. East Bay specializes in providing infertility treatments such as in-vitro fertilization, insemination, Intracytoplasmic sperm injection, egg donation and gestational surrogacy.

Visit our website http://ebfertility.com/ to know more about different treatment options that we provide.

How Fibroids Can be a Cause of Infertility

One of the commonly occurring medical conditions generally overlooked as a cause of infertility is the presence of uterine fibroids. It is possible for a woman with a fibroid to conceive and carry the baby to term. If left untreated, it is likely that the fibroid will continue to grow. When the woman decides she wants to add to her family, the increased size of the fibroid may be a factor in her inability to conceive.

Fibroids are non-cancerous tumors that develop in and around the uterus. Fibroids are a common occurrence and it is estimated that around 25 percent of women in their childbearing years have signs of fibroids. A woman may have a single fibroid or multiple fibroids which may be located on the exterior or interior uterine surfaces or within the wall of the uterus. Fibroids are generally detected by a pelvic examination or an ultrasound.

The exact cause of fibroids is still unknown but it seems to be related to a gene that controls cell growth. When this gene is not functioning properly, cells grow and divide at an accelerated rate leading to a mass of cells or fibroid. Other causes for development of fibroids are the abnormalities in the blood vessels around the uterus and changes in chemicals in the body that cause tissue to grow.

Fibroids sometimes interfere with fertility and create complications while trying to conceive because of the growths. The symptoms of fibroids include heavy menstrual flow, pelvic pressure and bladder or bowel problems.

How Fibroids can lead to infertility

Fibroids can lead to fertility problems in a number of ways. Though uterine fibroids are considered harmless they sometimes affect fertility by blocking or distorting the fallopian tubes or by affecting the passage of sperm from the cervix to the fallopian tubes. Submucosal fibroids are the type most likely to cause fertility problems or miscarriages because of their location inside the uterine cavity. Sometimes they grow into the uterus, filling it and even growing out of the cervix. They project into the womb cavity and greatly disrupt its shape. These fibroids ultimately act as a foreign body and make the uterine environment hostile for an embryo to implant correctly. It may affect the proper growth and development of the embryo thus increasing the risk of an embryo to miscarry.

Treatment includes medications, which can help shrink the fibroids and surgery to remove the fibroids. There are two types of surgery options for the treatment of fibroids: Myomectomy in which fibroids are removed from the uterus and hysterectomy which involves removal of the uterus.

Myomectomy is the treatment of choice for women who want to have children, because it usually can preserve fertility, enabling her to retain her child-bearing ability. But this treatment is at the expense of increased risk of fibroid recurrence. Hysterectomy is commonly performed when large fibroids are the problem. By removing the uterus during hysterectomy, the possibility of fibroids returning is eliminated.

An entirely new approach to treating fibroids is by uterine artery embolisation (UAE). This involves a radiologist passing a very thin catheter into a blood vessel in the groin and guiding it toward one of the arteries that lead to the fibroid. The small artery is blocked off leading to shrinkage of the fibroid. This procedure, if proven effective, would be a welcome alternative to hysterectomy, which removes the uterus. However, because of newness of this procedure, long-term effects are still not known and it is not generally recommended for women wishing to preserve their fertility.

Doctors are working on less invasive measures and on drugs to treat fibroids. For those who face fertility issues, one of the initial tests that are recommended to be done is to test for fibroids.

East Bay fertility Center Dublin California, (www.ebfertility.com) specializes in the comprehensive evaluation and treatment of infertility, providing a complete mind-body experience for fertility couples. At East Bay Fertility Center, skilled fertility specialists treat fibroids and other obstructions before starting with fertility treatment, including IVF. East Bay’s experienced medical staff is headed by Dr. Ellen U. Snowden, Medical Director and physician. Dr Snowden is Board Certified in Obstetric, Gynecology, and Reproductive Endocrinology with advanced Fellowship training in the treatment of infertility, recurrent miscarriages and hormonal disorders in women.

Is the Recession Leading to Postponement of Parenthood Plans?

People are willing to spend whatever it takes to fulfill their dreams of having a family. But in these tough economic times, deciding to postpone having a child or adding to the family is a natural consequence as women struggle to hold on to their jobs and job prospects are uncertain. With the economy putting strain on finances, employers cutting benefits, savings dwindling and the cost of raising and educating children at an all time high, prospective parents are now filled with doubts about their ability to provide for children.

A fall out of the economic situation is that many people are losing their health insurance. The financial crisis is taking a personal toll on couples who have no option but to consciously decide to postpone parenthood till the economic downturn improves.

But there are many who advocate that parenthood decisions should not be tied to finances or economic cycles. There are optimists who suggest that in fact women who suddenly find themselves out of work without much chance of finding work in the near future might well decide that now is the time to have a baby.

Link between Recession and Birth Rates

Historically, the birth rate declines when there is a national crisis or recession. In the USA, during the Great Depression, the total fertility rate (TFR) reduced to 2.1 children per woman in 1936 and during the inflationary oil crisis decade of the 1970s the TFR set an all-time low record of 1.7. Obstetricians expect to see a drop in pregnancies in the coming months, especially among middle-class families with shrinking incomes.

Impact of Recession on Infertility Patients

But for most couples seeking infertility treatment, time is not on their side with those opting for treatment mostly in their 30’s. Most of them cannot wait for an economic recovery to happen, or for credit to free up as it could mean they may never have children, due to age-related declines in fertility. The economic recession may persist a few years, but for most couples with infertility issues, the biological clock does not stop tickling down.

How has the recession affected fertility clinics?

So far fertility clinics seem to have been untouched by the economic slide with consults for new IVF patients holding steady. It seems that people still hold family to be most important in their priority list in spite of the financial difficulties they have to deal with. Reproductive medicine is thriving despite the troubled economy, and most couples are ready to take on the physical, financial and emotional challenges that treatments bring about.

In the current scenario, there is an urgent need to devise solutions to make treatment more affordable and accessible for infertility patients. Some private clinics are offering money-back guarantees, where patients will receive a refund if they fail to conceive within three cycles of infertility treatment. Most health insurance does not cover fertility treatment and there is an urgent need to ease the financial burden of those who are opting for IVF and other infertility treatment towards their pursuit of having a baby.

Dublin, California based East Bay Fertility Center (www.ebfertiltity.com) has always empathized with couples struggling to find ways to finance their infertility treatment. East Bay Fertility Center offers in-house financing in order to make the cost of treatment affordable. East Bay Fertility Center also has arrangements with financial institutions that provide financing to their patients. Diagnostic testing and IUI (artificial insemination) may be covered by insurance depending on the diagnosis. Corporate discounts are also available and the cost for testing and treatment will be reviewed with each patient at the time of the free initial consultation.

The Risk of Multiple Pregnancies as an Outcome of IVF Treatment

Today many multiple pregnancies are the result of fertility treatment. For couples who have been childless for long, the prospect of twins or triplets may seem ideal at first after the long wait to be parents. But the complications of multiple pregnancies are likely to affect both mother and babies in the form of maternal and fetal complications in addition to financial strains, physical exhaustion and emotional upheavals.

In-Vitro fertilization and Multiple Pregnancies

In-Vitro fertilization (IVF) itself is an overwhelming experience; add to that is the risk of multiple pregnancies. In the course of IVF, multiple pregnancy rates can be as high as 20% as compared to 2-3% multiple pregnancy risk among the general population. Out of this, approximately 2-3% results in triplets and even quadruplets. Twins are the most common outcome of a multiple pregnancy.

Data from the USA (SART 2002) regarding multiple pregnancies showed that 32% of deliveries after in-vitro fertilization were twins and 7% were triplets or more. In the United Kingdom (HFEA patient's guide 2002), 25% of deliveries after IVF were twins and 1.7% were triplets.

Why does fertility treatment increase the likelihood of having twins?

During IVF treatment usually more than one embryo is implanted to maximize the chances of a successful pregnancy. Thus multiple embryos increase the chance of a multiple pregnancy. As the frequency of multiple pregnancies radically increased, the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority (HFEA) decided to impose a limit on how many embryos could be transferred at one go, during IVF treatment. Now the maximum embryos that could be transferred is two for women under the age of 40 and a maximum of three for women aged 40 or over who are using their own eggs.

Different countries have different rules and restrictions with regard to the number of embryos to be transferred. In the United Kingdom, in order to reduce the risk of multiple pregnancies, the HFEA (August 2001) has decided to reduce the number of embryos to be transferred from three to two. A three embryo transfer may be performed in exceptional circumstances.

The Risks of Multiple Pregnancies

While IVF is a highly effective option for couples desiring children, when considering this line of treatment, couples should have a clear understanding of the possibility of multiple pregnancies and what steps would be taken if such an event would occur. The most common complication associated with multiple births is premature birth. Twins, triplets, and other multiple-birth children are at much higher risk of premature or low birth weight apart from a host of other health challenges. There is also a greater risk of birth related complications or even miscarriage. The other medical conditions that are likely to occur during a multiple pregnancy include gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and fetal growth problems.

Because of these concerns, couples considering infertility treatment need to not just evaluate the overall ‘success’ rate of a fertility clinic when deciding where to go for treatment but also take into account the clinic’s rate of twin and triplet births into consideration. It’s also pertinent to locate the most suitable health care professionals who have experience with multiple births. As multiple pregnancies are regarded as high-risk, the need for specialized health care becomes vital to ensure the well-being of mother and babies.

How East Bay Fertility Center can Help

East Bay fertility clinic specializes in the comprehensive evaluation and treatment of infertility, providing a complete mind-body experience for fertility couples. We encourage couples to undergo intensive counseling on the possibilities and risks associated with multiple births.

Our experienced medical staff is headed by Dr. Ellen U. Snowden, Medical Director and physician. Dr Snowden is Board Certified in Obstetric, Gynecology, and Reproductive Endocrinology with advanced Fellowship training in the treatment of infertility, recurrent miscarriages and hormonal disorders in women. A former infertility patient herself, Dr. Snowden brings to her patients a rare and valuable firsthand empathy for the personal pain and emotional stress of dealing with infertility.

How to Cope with Infertility Related Stress

The psychological stress of dealing with infertility is extremely overwhelming. Added to the stress is the well-meant but unwanted advice from family and friends and the financial havoc that fertility treatment wrecks on your budget. Missing out on the experience of having a biological child leads to intense frustration, putting tremendous stress on marital relationships. Feelings of anger and jealousy persist, on the unfairness of parenthood coming so easily to others.

Infertility treatment itself is a very precarious process intercepted with dramatic emotional swings knowing that there is nothing that can be done to guarantee that treatments will work. Since infertility is defined as a condition that sets in after trying to conceive for 12 months or more, those confronting it may already be drained emotionally. A devastating sense of sadness coupled with shock sets in when recurrent pregnancy checks turn in negative. The anguish of putting up with continual cycle failures creates great aggravation.

It is far from easy to cope with infertility when the world around you is filled with expectant parents. However it is important to ensure that infertility does not take over your life. Here are a few tips on how to cope with and manage the rollercoaster of emotions that infertility brings about:

Give a voice to your feelings: It actually takes more mental energy to hold your feelings back than to express them. Allow yourself to feel the sadness, anger and frustration by letting out your pent-up emotions. If a friend’s pregnancy affects you, go ahead and wail out your despair rather than try to quell what you truly feel. You have the right to distance yourself a little from their excitement if it's too painful for you. Likewise it is perfectly normal to opt out of attending baby showers and children's birthday parties if you anticipate that they will be painful experiences. Prioritize invitations to reduce stress.

Look for support: Professional counseling groups, online forums and even friends prove to be of great support and help in coping with infertility. Sometimes just knowing other people are in related situations helps.

Read up on the subject: Widen your knowledge about the latest infertility treatment options and also about alternatives like adoption and surrogacy. This will help you feel more in control of the situation.

Take a break: Leave the pressures of infertility behind and go on a vacation. Many couples get a chance to rediscover and strengthen their fragile relationship when they get away from it all.

Consider professional help: get reliable, professional advice and help from a reputable source. Due to the emotional stress of infertility, some fertility clinics insist that their patients seek counseling before and during treatment. Fertility clinics have in-house therapists who teach coping skills and strategies to alleviate some of the depression and anxiety faced by couples.

Physical Ways to Reduce Infertility Stress

• Maintain a good diet and an exercise routine in consultation with your gynecologist.
• Limit your intake of caffeine found in foods like coffee, tea, and chocolate.
• Get adequate sleep.
• Learn relaxation techniques such as yoga, medication and breathing exercises.
• Continue doing the activities you enjoy.

Going in for Infertility Treatment

The good news is that well over half of couples that seek infertility treatment conceive. Medical advances in fertility treatment options today are leaps and bounds ahead of what was available a generation ago. Seek an infertility specialist who will make you feel comfortable and who will give you the best options keeping your interest in mind. Choosing the right fertility clinic will make the entire process a bit easier to bear and hopefully increase success rate of treatment.

East Bay Fertility Center located in Dublin, California is well equipped with the latest technology and offers the most comprehensive consultation available in the field of Reproductive Endocrinology. The Center is headed by Dr. Ellen U. Snowden a Board Certified Reproductive Endocrinologist and offers a complete mind-body experience for couples with fertility issues. A former infertility patient herself, Dr. Snowden brings to her patients a rare and valuable firsthand empathy for the personal pain and emotional stress of dealing with infertility.

Being Positive but Practical

It is important to ensure that your self-esteem and outlook towards life remains positive while dealing with the emotional ups and downs of infertility treatment. But remain realistic about the situation. Don’t get pushed to a corner while facing the uncertainty about treatment outcomes and learn to say 'enough is enough’ when you may find yourselves having to accept that conception is not going to happen. It is then necessary if you so desire, to choose another option, such as adoption or opt for child-free living.

For all your fertility related queries and concerns log on to http://www.ebfertility.com/.

Fertility and Sterility

Human fertility and sterility depends on several factors including nutrition, endocrinology, sexual behavior, culture, quality of life and emotional, physical and mental health. The modern trend is for both men and women to postpone having children, busy as they are in establishing their careers and ensuring financial security and stability in their lives. However, fertility tends to decrease with increasing age in both men and women due to biological, physical and mental and emotional factors adversely impacting the child-bearing process.

In most cases, infertility is treatable. The first step towards increasing the chances of conception would be to bring about changes in lifestyle and nutrition. Drugs and environmental toxicants adversely impact fertility. Regulating the intake of alcohol and caffeine is also essential.

Recent medical research has resulted in several technological breakthroughs in reproductive techniques paving the way for older parents to successfully have healthy babies. Famous older dads of today include the likes of Anthony Quinn, Michael Douglas, David Letterman, Larry King, Woody Allen, Charlie Chaplin and Warren Beatty among others.

There are several methods which older parents can opt for to have healthy babies:

• Reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI)
• Artificial insemination
• In vitro fertilization (IVF or IV)
• Surrogacy
• Egg donation

Fertility or infertility clinics and centers abound where fertility specialists provide treatment for male and female infertility which can be age related or otherwise. Reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI) is a part of obstetrics and gynecology that trains doctor’s to treat reproductive and infertility issues. Physicians are trained to study and treat hormonal dysfunctions in females and males and surgeons operate to treat infertility.

Artificial insemination is a popular option for couples facing problems in conceiving. Here infertility specialists inject sperm into the female at the time she is ovulating to help her conceive. In vitro fertilization or IVF is another alternative for an infertile couple. In this process, fertility clinic(s) combine the sperm and the egg outside the uterus and the resulting embryos are then placed in the woman’s uterus.

However, if the female partner cannot carry a child in her uterus there is the option of surrogacy which transcends all international borders. A gestational surrogate agrees to carry a pregnancy in her uterus for the biological parents. This method has offered couples who are unable to carry the opportunity to have their own child.

If a male partner is unable to produce sperm, there are sperm banks from where one can select sperm after reading the profile of the donors. Egg banks have not yet been developed due to the difficulty of freezing and thawing eggs with good survival rates. Ongoing research will allow this to take place in the future. At this point in time, the most reliable method of obtaining eggs is through In Vitro Fertilization with an egg donor.

Before opting for any of these methods it is important that the concerned individuals go in for counseling provided by fertility experts.

For all your fertility related queries and concerns log on to www.ebfertility.com. We will be happy to guide you through the various diagnostic and treatment options available to help you build your family.

Aging Infertility in Men and Women

Fertility, the natural capability of creating life decreases as men and women age though it does not imply that men and women become absolutely sterile. There have been instances where a 90 year old man has been able to father a child by natural means and similarly women well past their middle ages are giving birth to healthy babies. Also with sophisticated medical treatment and a balanced diet older men and women have found it easier to conceive and deliver healthy babies.

Aging males and gene mutation

As men age, in general they experience erectile dysfunction, reduction in the volume, concentration, count and motility of the sperm. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine has suggested that the age limit for sperm donors should be under-40 as the quality of sperm decreases with age. However this age limit is not based on scientific evidence as the effect of aging on fertility in men is still not conclusively proved.

Men continue to produce sperm all their life. But the fact remains that aging does affect the quality of the sperm. A research done in 2006 found that low sperm motility was affected by DNA fragmentation which increased with age. Therefore older men were most likely to pass on any mutation in the genes to their progenies. The Aging Male Syndrome is characterized by a number of symptoms like loss of libido, decrease in the levels of the male hormone testosterone, erectile dysfunction, and other physical symptoms like bone loss, hair loss, weight gain, memory problems, muscle loss, low stamina and increased urination.

Older women and fertility

Infertility is more pronounced in women than in men. Fertility in women starts declining even years before menopause sets in. Research on the incidence of pregnancy in various age groups has shown that the rate of infertility is higher in older women. Women are born with all the eggs they will have in a lifetime. As women age, the eggs in the ovaries also age making it more difficult to conceive and increasing the risk of miscarriage and chromosomal abnormalities. Also older women are more likely to develop age related diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart conditions and gynecological problems like fibroids, endometriosis and menopause. These may result in poor quality of eggs, weight gain and disturbances in the estrogen metabolism. Although these conditions may affect a woman’s ability to conceive, current emerging technologies make it possible for older women to successfully deliver a healthy baby.

Staying healthy by remaining active and following a balanced diet, as well as reducing stress and negativity are still keys to increasing the likelihood of conception, for both men and women. It is important to seek medical advice and treatment for any conditions or problems to increase chances of conception.

For all your fertility related queries and concerns log on to www.ebfertility.com.