Despite the world’s burgeoning population, infertility is surprisingly a common problem in many countries. In the United States, up to 15 percent of couples struggle with infertility.
If you have been trying to get pregnant for over a year but without success, know that while fertility is an emotionally taxing ordeal, you have hope – especially in the hands of a highly skilled fertility specialist, such as one of our board-certified OB/GYNs here at Levin’s Women’s Health & Wellness Center.
There are various types of treatment options available. Our providers work closely with couples to find the option that best suits their needs. Which one we will recommend depends on what’s hindering you from conceiving. If less complex and less expensive options have already been exhausted (e.g., fertility drugs) but without success, we may recommend any of the following options.
Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)
IUI involves your doctor attaching a catheter, along with a speculum, into your vagina through your cervical opening and into your uterus to place sperm around the time of your ovulation. The goal of the procedure is to allow the sperm to swim into your fallopian tube and fertilize your waiting egg.
Depending on the underlying cause of your infertility, your doctor may carry out IUI with your normal cycle or in conjunction with the use of fertility medications.
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
IVF, which means outside the body, is one of the widely known types of assistive reproductive technology (ART). IVF involves your doctor retrieving eggs from your ovaries, fertilizing them in a lab, and then transferring the fertilized eggs/embryos back into your uterus.
Doctors often use IVF when other fertility treatments, such as IUI and fertility drugs, have not been successful. IVF also helps when there are blockages in the reproductive organs or when the man has a low sperm count.
The IVF process usually takes place over several weeks and involves the following steps:
- Ovulation induction – You will take fertility drugs to stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs.
- Egg retrieval – Your fertility specialist will use a needle to retrieve eggs from the ovaries while you are under anesthesia.
- Fertilization – Your doctor will combine the retrieved eggs with sperm in a lab to create embryos.
- Embryo transfer – Your doctor will implant the fertilized eggs into the uterus through a catheter.
Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)
ICSI is a type of IVF that involves your doctor injecting a single live sperm into the center of your egg. The procedure is performed as part of IVF, in a lab, using a microscope and a tiny needle called a micropipette.
ICSI is recommended if your partner has a low sperm count or when the sperm have poor motility or movement.
Infertility Treatment in North Miami, FL
If you’re in search of a fertility specialist in the North Miami, Florida area, choose one of our OB/GYNs here at Levin’s Women’s Health & Wellness Center. Our providers have helped countless couples safely and successfully overcome infertility. We’d love to be part of your success story as well!
You may call our friendly staff at (305) 981-0231 to learn more about our services or to arrange a consultation with one of our providers. You may also use our appointment request form.