Category: Testing Offered

Meet Dr. D

Have you met Dr. Davenport, or as we call him, Dr. D?

Dr. D moved to Huntsville in 2014 with his wife Kelly and four children. A native of Memphis, Tennessee, he received his undergraduate degree from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, and attended medical school at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis. He then successfully completed a residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Tennessee, followed by a fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the University of Vermont in Burlington, Vermont.

Dr. Davenport is a skilled surgeon, excelling in robotic surgery, laparoscopic surgery, and hysteroscopic surgery. He is the only reproductive endocrinologist in North Alabama who performs robotic tubal reanastomosis, and also the only REI in the region to perform testicular sperm aspiration/extraction for vasectomized/obstructed males prior to in vitro fertilization (IVF).

He has been actively involved in clinical research and has also authored several publications. Dr. Davenport has a love for teaching and lecturing.?

But the most special thing about Dr. D?

He is passionate about providing excellent patient care, and is committed to providing the most state-of-the-art solutions in all aspects of infertility and reproductive endocrinology.

Dr. D understands that infertility and hormonal imbalances are some of the most emotionally, spiritually, and mentally consuming issues that an individual or couple may face, and most patients appreciate his compassionate yet candid approach to problem solving.❤️

#meetDrD #FINA #HelpingFamiliesBuildFamilies

The Emotional Plight of Infertility: We Have to Help Each Other

***W E ▪ H A V E ▪ T O ▪ H E L P ▪ E A C H▪ O T H E R!***

Welcome back to Day 5! Today we are going to give you some practical tips that can help you stay mentally strong.

1️⃣ Know that it is normal to have sad and disappointed feelings. This is not something to feel guilty about, but rather a normal response to a real problem. Allow yourself to express your emotions.

2️⃣ Getting mentally connected and understood is a huge step toward healthy coping. Find a friend to confide in. If you have not yet told anybody but your partner about your struggle, you need to! Even if that person has not undergone infertility, they are now on the journey with you.

3️⃣ Find a support group. Whether online or locally, this will allow you to hear of what other couples are going through or went through and will validate your emotions. It will make you feel less isolated and will empower you with knowledge.

4️⃣ Journaling. This has been shown to provide clarity of thought as to what you are feeling. It will allow you to understand yourself even more.

5️⃣ Exercise. If you do not already have one, pick up a regular exercise routine. You will find that your hyper-focus on fertility can be re-directed toward a workout, and your stress greatly reduced as a byproduct.

Technology has come a long way to help couples reach their pregnancy goals so that there is much hope for those struggling. The above are just a few tips that may help couples feel less lonely and endure the emotional roller coaster of infertility. Our infertility clinic is also designed to personally assist you through this tough time. Don’t hesitate to call us at 256-217-9613 if we can help! You can also visit our website at www.fertilityalabama.com .

Thank you for joining us this week! We hope you learned a lot and that you were able to share with a friend who may be going through these struggles.

The Emotional Plight of Infertility: The Strains on Intimacy

***T H E ▪ S T R A I N S ▪ O N ▪ I N T I M A C Y***

Welcome back! We hope you are learning a lot this week and we hope you are starting to realize that You Are Not Alone.?

In the magazine “Inside Medicine,” Dr. D writes about the strains on intimacy that can come as a result of a couple’s plight with infertility…

“During a couple’s struggle with infertility, it is very common to see sex become a chore rather than a show of intimacy. The mental association that a woman may develop between sex and failure may make it to where she is only interested in sex around the time of ovulation.

Conversely, misconceptions about the optimal frequency and timing of intercourse in order to conceive often results in couples having intercourse much more frequently than is even enjoyable for either of them.”

So there you have it. If you’ve been feeling this way, know that you are not alone. It is very common to have these struggles and there are so many other couples who are going through the exact same thing.

In fact, tomorrow we will discuss how common it really is, how many other couples are going through this, and what realistic expectations truly are when a couple is determining how soon they should conceive.

?Join us here tomorrow to learn more about *Misdirected Expectations.

How Affordable Is This Really?

Oftentimes, couples are hesitant to proceed with looking into fertility testing and treatment because of the worry about cost. However, you may be surprised at all the options that are actually available to you financially.  

Let’s take a look at some of the different categories of services and which financial options are available for each.

*Office Visits

At FINA, we will submit the charges for office visits, labs, ultrasounds, and procedures to your insurance company. However, 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 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. These packages are specific to the types of office visits, lab work, or procedures you may undergo. Our financial counselor will be happy to go over these costs with you.

*Medications

Fertility medications are sometimes paid for by insurance, but every policy is different. Our financial counselor will go over your coverage, if any, at the time you need medications.

Some local pharmacies carry fertility medications. However, these pharmacies may not offer the same discount as a mail-order pharmacy, but can oftentimes send your medications directly to your address overnight.

*Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)

Some insurances will offer partial or full coverage for IUI’s. If your insurance offers no coverage, we do have a cash package that will allow this option to become more cost efficient.

*In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) / INVOcell

As the need for more advanced therapies arises, we encourage you to double check with your insurance carrier to see which services are covered. In Alabama, only a limited number of insurance plans offer coverage for IVF or INVOcell. However, we do offer several packages along with financing resources for those patients without insurance coverage in order to make these options more affordable for you. Prior to proceeding with these services you will meet with our office manager to ensure your understanding of your options and costs.

Insurances Accepted at FINA:

+Blue Cross Blue Shield

+Cigna

+United Healthcare

+Aetna

+Humana

+Tricare

Fertility 101

Have you ever wondered?…

  • What is infertility?
  • How many couples does this affect?
  • Does this affect females as well as males?
  • What are the odds of having a successful pregnancy if you’ve had recurrent miscarriages?
  • How do you know if it’s time to consult a doctor?

**Female Infertility**

You may be surprised at how many couples deal with these same struggles. In fact, infertility occurs in 15% of all couples.

So what exactly is infertility, and how do you know if this is something to take a further look into?

✔️If you are younger than 35 years old and have been trying for 1 year with no success of pregnancy

✔️If you are older than 35 and no pregnancy after 6 months of trying

The most common cause of female infertility is irregular or lack of ovulation. Therefore, the first step will be to ensure that you are ovulating predictably. If it is determined that you are not, your ovulation can be induced via medicine. If ovulation is confirmed, a thorough history and examination can be used to search for other causes.

Some of these issues could be:
+ Hypothalamic/Pituitary disorders
+ Tubal disease or dysfunction
+ Uterine defects (polyps or fibroids)
+ Uterine malformations
+ Endometriosis
+ Metabolic disorders

However, females aren’t the only ones who deal with infertility.

**Male Infertility**

In fact, 40-50% of all infertile couples will have some form of male factor infertility, with male factor being the sole cause in 30% of cases.

As a matter of fact, more cases of infertility are due to a male factor than any other single cause.

There are several different male issues that can be tested for.
+ Low sperm counts
+ Low motility
+ Poor morphology
+ DNA fragmentation
+ Immune-related
+ Metabolic disorders

If it is determined that any of these factors are an issue that you or your partner are struggling with, there is help available. Technology has come such a long way to help couples reach their pregnancy goals.

**Recurrent Miscarriages**
The definition of recurrent miscarriage, (aka recurrent pregnancy loss), is the loss of 2 or more clinically-recognized pregnancies involuntarily before 20 weeks.
A little known fact is that 15% of all clinically recognized pregnancies end in miscarriage. However, it is only 1-2% of all women who experience recurrent miscarriages. If you are in this small percentage of women, don’t lose hope! Even after 4 consecutive miscarriages, the chances that your next conception will be a live birth are at least 70%.✨
The various causes of recurrent miscarriages can be:

+ Hormonal abnormalities
+ Immune-related causes
+ Environmental factors
+ Uterine abnormalities
+ Female genetic abnormalities
+ Male genetic abnormalities
+ Infection or inflammation

Frustratingly, 50% of women never figure out the cause of their recurrent miscarriages. However, greater than 80% of these women will go on to have a live-born baby if they are appropriately counseled and receive psychological support.

There is so much hope for those struggling. In addition to the advances in technology that help couples reach their pregnancy goals, our infertility clinic is designed to personally assist you through this tough time. You do not have to take this journey alone.? Don’t hesitate to call us at 256-217-9613 if you are ready to talk with someone to see how we can help!

#FINA #HelpingFamiliesBuildFamilies