Meet Alexa!

Meet Alexa, one of the nurses at FINA who is also the IVF Coordinator! For patients going through IVF, Alexa coordinates all their care, including appointments, labs, medications, and more. We are so thankful for the important work that she does to keep things running smoothly around here.
Alexa loves to read📚, and she really enjoys family movie night with her husband and two kids🎬🍿. Her favorite thing to eat is chips and dip, and her favorite places to shop are TJ Maxx, Trader Joe’s and the thrift store.
Next time you’re at the office, make sure to say hello to Alexa!

Can I do anything to slow or prevent the aging of my eggs?

Today we are wrapping up this discussion on Diminished Ovarian Reserve. We hope you’ve learned a lot this week and that you are feeling more equipped to make some big decisions.
Can I do anything to slow or prevent the aging of my eggs?
Dr. D says, “In short, ovarian aging cannot be prevented, and the most powerful determinant in ovarian reserve and aging are your genetics. However, as with the rest of the organs in our body, the ovaries age slower when they are subjected to less stress. Healthy eating and exercise are the best place to start. Avoiding stressors, excessive alcohol, and environmental toxins, and minimizing lifestyle stressors are all good ways to maximize the potential of your ovaries. Antioxidants can also help slow this process and can be found in many dietary sources or supplemented in pill form. (e.g. CoQ10)
What if I’m not ready to have children until it is too late❓
For a woman who is planning to have children later in life, it might be wise to consider the freezing of some of her eggs while she is in her 20s or early 30s. …Cryopreservation of her eggs allows for better pregnancy that are consistent with the age of when the eggs were frozen rather than a patient’s current age.
▪️CONCLUSION▪️
No need to panic, but also don’t wait until it’s too late to listen to your biological clock. Several ways exist to test your ovarian reserve, and several interventions are available that may help if your reserve is diminished. Anticipate when you might plan for a family and consider freezing your eggs or embryos if you think you may be older and still desiring to have kids.
Lastly, don’t hesitate to call an infertility specialist to help you assess your situation! We are here to help!”
To schedule a consultation with Dr. Davenport, call us at 256-217-9613. You can also schedule an appointment on our website.
Thank you for joining us this week!💕
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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!

National Nurses Week

Nurses serve as the first point of contact for most patients. They are the medical professionals who perform some of the most essential healthcare tasks.
National Nurses Week is celebrated annually from May 6 (also known as National Nurses Day) through May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. This week honors their sacrifices and contributions and reminds us to thank those who keep us healthy.
Here at #FINA, we are so very thankful for our incredible nurse, Kendra!

Medical Lab Professionals Week

Not only is it National Infertility Awareness Week, but it’s also Medical Lab Professionals Week!⭐️ Medical Laboratory Professionals Week, April 23-29, 2023 is an annual celebration of medical laboratory professionals and pathologists who play a vital role in health care and patient advocacy!
 
This week, make sure to thank all of your Lab Pros for their hard work and dedication to achieving timely and precise results! They do such an important work that so many of us depend on.
 
And to all of our Lab Pros at #FINA, we appreciate you!❤️ #LabProsWeek

National Infertility Awareness Week

RAISING AWARENESS DURING NATIONAL INFERTILITY AWARENESS WEEK APRIL 23-29, 2023✨
 
It comes natural for most to dream of a future with children. Because conception is a natural expectation, it becomes quite frustrating and disappointing when plans do not become reality on demand. Many couples will uniquely relay the heartaches of a lonely struggle. For most couples, attempting to conceive a child is a very intimate process that is clothed in privacy. But because of the quiet nature of this process, those who are unable to voluntarily conceive often suffer in private as well. Infertility is spoken of far too seldom in our society.
 
HOWEVER, INFERTILITY IS NOT UNCOMMON.
IN FACT, IT OCCURS IN 15% OF ALL COUPLES.
 
And infertility doesn’t discriminate. While it impacts people across gender, race and socio-economic class, access to treatment is even more difficult for those who lack insurance coverage or the economic means to pay for care out-of-pocket.
 
HOW CAN YOU HELP RAISE AWARENESS?
 
+ Share your story. Not only can this help you cope with your feelings, but this may also help others who are experiencing the same struggles.
 
+ 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 can help you feel less isolated and will empower you with knowledge.
 
+ Offer your ear (and a hug) to a friend in need. Even if you aren’t on an infertility journey of your own, chances are someone close to you is.
 
+ Advocate with your employer. While more and more employers are discovering the value of adding infertility benefits to their offerings, many don’t. Plan a time to talk with leaders within your organization about the importance and value of adding these types of benefits.
 
+ Support the work of an infertility advocacy group you trust. Advocacy groups help raise awareness, organize and advocate all year long. If you find that work valuable, lend your support by donating yourself or hosting a fundraiser.
 
For more information about scheduling an appointment with Dr. Davenport, please visit fertilityalabama.com or call us at 256-217-9613. We are here for you!
 
#FINA #HelpingFamiliesBuildFamilies #InfertilityAwareness

“We had heard of FINA through a friend that had success…”

“We had been trying to get pregnant with no success. We had heard of FINA through a friend that had success getting pregnant. We quickly got an appointment and met with Dr. Davenport who looked at our medical history and started testing. We were diagnosed with unexplained infertility, and Dr. Davenport and Kendra were so optimistic and kind the entire journey!
We were blessed to have our first transfer with IVF be a success and just welcomed our miracle baby boy! We have embryos frozen and will definitely return to FINA to expand our family!!”
Thank you so much for sharing your FINA story!❤