Category: reproductive doctor

How do I know if I have Diminished Ovarian Reserve?

How does a woman know if she has Diminished Ovarian Reserve❓
Dr. D says that if a woman who is less than 35 years old has regular menstrual cycles, she has no reason to be concerned about her ovarian reserve since it is more than likely adequate. However, around age 35 a woman’s level of concern about diminished ovarian reserve should certainly increase. Even though menstrual cycles remain normal, ovarian reserve is reaching its limits in these women. Several tests exist that will hint at how many and/or the quality of the eggs remaining. … Finally, an ultrasound can be performed to check the ‘antral follicle count’. This is a snapshot in time of the follicles that are next in the cue to grow and mature, but also hints at how many eggs remain.
What if I do have Diminished Ovarian Reserve❓
▪️You are already on your way to the most important step which is gaining an awareness that time is of the essence. If you are in a life position to have children, do it while you can!
▪️If you are 35 or over and have been trying to conceive unsuccessfully for 6 months or greater, it is prudent to allow for an infertility specialist to perform a thorough infertility work-up.
▪️An infertility specialist can also help you stimulate multiple eggs each cycle, which will act to increase your overall chances to conceive each cycle.
▪️IVF (in vitro fertilization) may be recommended to you in certain situations. This will give you the highest chances for pregnancy in the shortest amount of time and can also allow you to freeze embryos for future use while you still have eggs left.
▪️Your infertility specialist may recommend antioxidants and/or other supplements that have been shown to be possibly beneficial in certain patients with DOR.
Tomorrow we will be wrapping up this discussion. You’ll learn if anything can be done to slow or prevent the aging process of your eggs. We will also address the concern that some women have who are not ready to have children quite yet but may want them in the future.

Why is aging so important to the ovaries?

This week we’re covering an article about Diminished Ovarian Reserve that Dr. D wrote for Inside Medicine Magazine.
Today we’re addressing the topic: Why is aging so important to the ovaries❓
Let’s see what Dr. D has to say: “Age is an important factor when talking about fertility because it inversely correlates with a woman’s chances of conception and live birth. Even though the average woman’s reproductive window is quite broad, the overall chances of conceiving begins declining much more rapidly around age 34. In other words, the hill down towards infertility becomes steeper. But it’s important to recognize that it is indeed a hill, not a cliff. So what does that mean?
Most of the declining live birth rates as a woman ages are due to the aging of her eggs. Aging has several effects on the eggs, including a steadily diminishing number of eggs, decreasing egg health, and an overall increase in the number of eggs that are genetically abnormal when ovulated. This all translates into a decreased ability to get pregnant (decreased pregnancy rate), stay pregnant (increased miscarriage rate), and deliver a baby (decreased live birth rate).”
EGG QUANTITY
It may be a sobering fact that a woman who is of reproductive age loses a group of 15-20 eggs each day on average. In fact, by the time a woman is 30 years old, only 12% of her egg population that she had at birth remains. By the time she is 40, she has only 3% of this population remaining. As a result of declining egg quantity, many women will begin to have more frequent periods as their ovarian reserve begins to deplete. This can sometimes mean that an egg will ovulate prior to it being fully mature. It is also not uncommon to skip ovulation cycles as egg reserve becomes very depleted.
EGG QUALITY
Just as the rest of our organs suffer from ‘wear and tear’ as we age, the ovaries are no exception. In an ovary, each egg depends on a cluster of cells around it called the cumulus complex for nourishment. These cumulus cells allow the essential nutrients and hormones from a woman’s bloodstream to reach an egg. As a woman ages, this group of nourishing cells begins to become smaller and smaller, causing each remaining egg to be less healthy than in younger eggs.
Join us back here tomorrow to learn *How does a woman know if she has diminished ovarian reserve? and
*What if I do have diminished ovarian reserve?

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

“The biological clock. Every woman feels it to some degree.
For some women it is a soft whispering reminder that can be drowned out by life’s boisterous pace. Others may hit the ‘snooze’ button in hopes that the reminder doesn’t resurface too soon. Still for others it is like a deafening smoke alarm that may trigger panic. Regardless, it is a call that should be heard and understood in order for a woman to make a good decision regarding her plans for a family.”
~Dr. Brett Davenport, Inside Medicine Magazine.
Join us all this week right here on the #FINA blog as we hear from our very own Dr. D as he discusses everything you need to know about Diminished Ovarian Reserve. Invite a friend who may be interested in this info. This is certainly going to be valuable information for every woman to know!

One patient’s FINA story 💕

Here is one patient’s #FINA story…💕
 
“We came to FINA one year after trying to conceive with no luck. Dr. Davenport devised a plan for us and we started our journey. We had 3 failed IUIs and we moved on to IVF. Our first transfer ended up being a chemical pregnancy which was heartbreaking for us but we decided to immediately do another one.
 
The next transfer cycle we got pregnant with our beautiful baby girl who is 4 months old now. Dr. Davenport, Kendra, Abby, and Tarryn were so great during the whole process! Kendra also explained things so well and was so supportive.”
 
Thank you to this patient for sharing her story! We are so honored to have been part of this family’s journey.
 
#myFINAstory #HelpingFamiliesBuildFamilies

Endometriosis Awareness

Did you know that endometriosis affects about 176 million women (or 10%) worldwide? 24 to 50% of women who experience infertility have endometriosis.
 
This fertility health issue happens when cells or tissues similar to the tissues that form the uterine lining relocate and begin to grow outside the uterus. Endometriosis can grow in and on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, bowel, and other organs of the pelvic cavity.
 
It takes on average 7.5 years from when #endometriosis symptoms start to get a proper diagnosis.
 
This is why awareness is so important.💕
 
#EndometriosisAwareness #FINA #HelpingFamiliesBuildFamilies

A patient’s FINA story…

“Our FINA miracle is almost 3 months old! Dr. Davenport is seriously heaven sent! I never felt like a patient number and Kendra was always quick and willing to answer my million emails with so much kindness. Thank you FINA staff and Dr. D for all you do!”
Thank you so much to our patient for sharing her FINA story!

Getting Started on your Fertility Journey

If you’ve been thinking about taking that first step, we encourage you to go ahead and reach out! You can either call us at 256-217-9613 or visit our website to set up your first consultation.

A couple’s first visit will consist of a consultation with Dr. Davenport. It is at this time that Dr. Davenport will gain a full understanding of your history, and you and Dr. Davenport will decide upon the best treatment plan for you. We encourage both spouses to be present at this visit, although we understand that this is not always possible.

At FINA, we will submit the charges for office visits, labs, ultrasounds, and procedures to your insurance company. Our staff will confirm what services are covered by your insurance, but we encourage all of our patients to verify their coverage as well.

If you do not have insurance or prefer that we do not file your fertility treatment with your insurance company, we offer cash pay packages for your visits. For those services that are not covered by insurance, we try to make them as affordable to you as possible. In these cases, we bundle services together in order to discount the overall cost to you.

Our fertility clinic is designed to personally assist you through this journey. Though you may feel anxious, we are here to walk this journey with you. ❤️

#FINA #HelpingFamiliesBuildFamilies

Nurse Practitioner Week

Every year during the month of November, all over the nation we recognize our wonderful nurse practitioners and the vital role they play in ensuring health and well-being.
 
Here at FINA, we are so incredibly thankful for Kendra. She goes the extra mile and works so hard each and every day.
 
Kendra, thank you for all you do! We appreciate you so very much!
 
#NursePractitionerWeek #FINA #HelpingFamiliesBuildFamilies

Another precious miracle ♥

It is always such a highlight for us when a patient brings in their sweet baby to meet Dr. Davenport and the staff. These precious miracles are exactly why we do what we do! ❤

“I’m glad we chose FINA…”

“Starting fertility treatments is overwhelming and scary, which is why I’m glad we chose FINA to begin our journey towards parenthood. Everyone in this clinic makes you feel like family.
Dr. D is an amazing and educated doctor and we always trusted him when he pointed us towards a new step in this journey. Our nurse Kendra is the best nurse I’ve ever met. She always made me feel at ease and she was always upbeat.
We were honestly sad to leave everyone once we graduated, but we’re so thankful for everything they did to get us to this pregnancy and we can’t wait to come back and show off our little boy this fall.”
Experiences like this make us so grateful to do what we do. ❤️