Trying to Conceive – Heterosexual Couples and Infertility Causes
Helping You Find Answers: Uncovering Infertility Causes
The uncertainty and frustration faced by couples trying to conceive usually can be summed up in one word: “Why?” At Northeastern Reproductive Medicine, our Vermont fertility specialists will work with you to discover infertility causes.
When you and your spouse or partner are growing frustrated when trying to conceive, fertility testing of both male and female partners is an important first step. An initial consultation allows us to better understand your reproductive health and provides a wealth of information about factors that might influence your ability to conceive. The data gathered from fertility tests will guide the development of a customized plan in hopes of making your family-building dreams a reality.
Fertility testing for women
For a woman, fertility testing will provide important baseline information about hormone levels and anatomy. This can aid in revealing infertility causes. An initial evaluation generally includes the following:
- Blood tests to evaluate your hormone levels. The results of bloodwork can reveal imbalances in hormone levels. This information also can be used as a guide in understanding how well the brain’s hormones are “communicating” with the ovaries – letting them know it’s time to start the reproductive process.
- A painless ultrasound can reveal clues about the structure of your uterus and possible abnormalities that could affect embryo implantation. This test also can also provide valuable information about the number of eggs maturing during a woman’s menstrual cycle.
- Another diagnostic test performed is a sonohysterogram (SHG), a procedure in which saline is instilled into the uterus via a small catheter to evaluate the uterine cavity and fallopian tubes.
Fertility testing for men
Male fertility tests are an important part of the equation when couples are trying to conceive. Semen analysis can provide the following information about the sperm’s ability to fertilize an egg:
- Quantity of sperm
- Shape of sperm
- Movement of sperm
If men have previously fathered children, semen analysis is still recommended to provide updated information and possibly reveal infertility causes.
Providing answers and a path forward
Our NRM Vermont fertility specialists have considerable experience diagnosing couples’ underlying fertility issues. Our three board certified reproductive endocrinologists and infertility (REI) physicians, along with our nurse practitioners, nurses, embryologists, ultrasonographers and staff, work as a team to serve couples in need of fertility services from across Vermont, the northeast United States and Canada.
We can offer many effective options to treat infertility, including the use of medications, intrauterine insemination (IUI) and more advanced options, such as in vitro fertilization (IVF). Sometimes couples need extra help when trying to conceive, and we can connect you to sperm or egg donors or a gestational carrier.
We know exploring infertility causes can be stressful. But in understanding your individual situation, we work to empower you by understanding infertility causes and devise a customized path forward to help you and your spouse or partner become parents.
To learn more about fertility testing for couples, contact us to schedule a consultation.
