Our Grapevine and Fort Worth ObGyn teams may recommend diagnostic fertility testing.

You may suspect that anatomical or hormonal issues are preventing you from starting or adding to your family. If you have tried for one year to get pregnant, or six months if you are over 35, it is wise to begin fertility testing to determine the cause.

Basic female fertility testing usually takes one menstrual cycle. Some of the procedures and evaluations our Grapevine and Fort Worth ObGyn teams employs include:

• Ovarian reserve testing to measure your level of FSH (follicle stimulating hormone). Additional blood tests may be conducted to measure other hormone levels, such as progesterone and estrogen, or to help diagnose polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) if periods are irregular or absent.
• A hysterosalpingogram (HSG) to determine if your uterus is shaped normally and your fallopian tubes are open.
• An outpatient surgical procedure called a laparoscopy if endometriosis is suspected.

To rule out male infertility, our ObGyns may schedule a semen analysis and if abnormal may refer you to a reproductive endocrinologist or urologist who has specialty training in male infertility.

Our Grapevine and Fort Worth ObGyn teams expertly manages ovulation induction

According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), approximately 25 percent of women experiencing infertility have issues with ovulation. Ovulation induction is the use of fertility drugs to stimulate the follicles to release multiple eggs in a cycle.

Clomid (clomiphene citrate) is a commonly prescribed oral medication used for ovulation induction. According to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the use of Clomid allows about 40 percent of women to become pregnant within six menstrual cycles. If Clomid is unsuccessful, shots containing synthetic gonadotropins may be added to the cycle.

The next step? Intrauterine insemination (IUI)

Intrauterine insemination is a timed procedure in which healthy sperm is collected and placed inside the uterine cavity at the time of ovulation. Because IUI is often conducted in conjunction with ovulation induction, there is a higher risk for multiple births. Therefore, the development of egg follicles is closely monitored and sometimes insemination is abandoned for that particular cycle.

Your ObGyn will refer you to a fertility specialist when it is time to move on to IUI.

Acknowledging that you have an infertility problem is a difficult but important first step toward having a baby. Getting help from our Grapevine and Fort Worth ObGyn teams are a critical next step to finding a solution and making pregnancy happen.

Despite the frustration or pain you might be feeling now, remember: Most infertility cases – even those that are unexplained – can be resolved with non-invasive fertility treatments.

Contact our Grapevine and Fort Worth ObGyn teams at Women’s Integrated Healthcare today to set up an appointment.