More and more people who desire to be parents turn to IVF in hopes of achieving a successful pregnancy and a healthy baby. Simply put, in vitro fertilization is the process of assisting with fertility and the conception of a child. North Houston IVF is typically recommended for women of advanced maternal age (40 years old and above). However, there could be a number of reasons why someone would consider getting the help of a North Houston fertility clinic.
Problems With the Female Reproductive System
Candidates for Kingwood IVF and The Woodlands IVF are usually women with uterine and ovarian problems. Endometriosis is a common cause of infertility, characterized by abnormal tissue growth outside of the uterus that affects the entire reproductive system. Infertility is also associated with ovulation disorders. These lead to less eggs being available for ovulation. Benign tumors in the uterus are common among women in their 40s, while fallopian tube blockage makes successful ovulation difficult.
Weak Sperm Production
It can be difficult for a sperm to fertilize the egg if there is below-average sperm production. Abnormal sperm may have a different shape and size or may have poor mobility. In other cases, sperm may die before it even reaches the egg. Male infertility can be caused by injuries or genetics. A fertility specialist may recommend North Houston IVF when the sperm quality is not strong enough for fertilization.
Genetic Disorders
Some couples are at risk of passing on a genetic disorder to their child. In such cases, they choose to undergo North Houston IVF to increase their chances of giving birth to a healthy baby. During IVF, eggs are harvested from the woman and fertilized on a petri dish using viable sperm. Fertilized eggs are then screened for genetic disorders and abnormal chromosome count. Healthy eggs that don’t show any genetic problems can then be implanted into the uterus to start the pregnancy.
Fertility Preservation
Some women choose to have their eggs harvested and frozen for later use. They may also choose to have their eggs fertilized first, then the embryos can be frozen. The reason for this is that some women may undergo medical treatments that could harm their fertility. Cancer patients about to start chemotherapy or radiation are candidates for fertility preservation. If a woman getting pregnant poses a serious risk to their health and safety, they may also opt to have a surrogate carry their eggs fertilized through IVF.
Contact Us for North Houston IVF
Starting your fertility treatment may seem overwhelming, which is why HART Fertility is here to guide you in every step of the way. We utilize the most advanced technologies and personalized treatment plans to help you on your IVF journey. Our center is committed to the satisfaction of our clients when it comes to therapeutic and diagnostic fertility services. We will do a complete assessment of your medical history during your initial consultation with us. Contact our North Houston fertility clinic today to get started.
For couples going through the IVF process, diet is an essential factor for a successful cycle. Just like any healthy lifestyle choice, such as smoking cessation, exercise habits, and avoiding stress, diet plays an important role. The food you eat dictates the nutritional state your body rests on for proper organ function. So, which food should you eat and which to avoid when undergoing IVF and North Houston IVF?
How Diet Impacts North Houston IVF
The food you eat affects the hormones your body produces. For females, diet contributes to their egg count, egg quality, and uterine lining. The same can be said for males; diet assists in semen production and sperm viability. Our fertility specialist will tell you to maintain a healthy diet even months before starting on your The Woodlands IVF journey. You would want to do everything you can to increase your chances of getting pregnant.
What to Eat During North Houston IVF Treatment
To increase your success rate at a North Houston fertility clinic, maintain a healthy, balanced diet focusing on whole foods and vegetables. Whole grains, such as oatmeal, brown rice, and barley are good sources of energy. Clean proteins, such as lean chicken and fresh fish improve muscle function. Do not forget to get your dose of healthy fats, like omega 3 acid, avocado, nuts, and soy butter. For dessert, go for fruit rich in antioxidants, like blueberries, pineapple, grapes, and kiwi.
Food to Avoid During IVF Treatment
As a general rule of thumb, avoid processed foods, junk food, and fast food if you’re trying to get the best results at an IVF clinic. These types of food create a hormonal imbalance that could make the uterine lining less favorable for conception. If you’re thinking about The Woodlands IVF process, consider cutting down on trans and saturated fats. Fried food and red meat could cause your cholesterol to spike, making it more difficult to get pregnant. Sugar found in baked goods may also cause high glucose levels in the blood.
Additional Diet Tips From a Fertility Specialist
Centering your meals around natural, whole foods is a key step you should take when you’re ready for North Houston IVF. Also, remember that adequate hydration is a must for general well-being and pregnancy aid. Drink more water and avoid caffeine. Studies have shown that drinking coffee could reduce the chances of getting pregnant. Don’t forget to take your multivitamins so you get the essential prenatal nutrients and minerals. Finally, don’t give in to miracle pregnancy diets, as they are not backed by enough scientific data.
Book a Consultation for North Houston IVF at Our Fertility Clinic in The Woodlands
At HART Fertility, we offer a range of fertility services, including diagnostics and therapeutic options for infertility treatment. Our IVF programs are tailored to each client’s needs, and we utilize the most advanced technology and equipped facilities. You can trust our experienced and skilled doctors to recommend the best treatment plan for your fertility journey. Call us today for more information or to schedule an appointment. We look forward to hearing from you!
There are many paths to parenthood, and our North Houston IVF clinic offers a variety of fertility treatments for hopeful parents struggling to get pregnant. North Houston IVF is typically the first treatment that comes to mind, but there is a less invasive and less expensive option known as Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) that may be beneficial for you. But what is North Houston IUI? And how does it compare to IVF? Keep reading to learn more about these two treatments, both of which are available at our Kingwood fertility clinic and The Woodlands fertility clinic.
North Houston IVF Explained
During In-vitro Fertilization, or IVF, a woman’s egg is fertilized by sperm outside of the body. If you undergo Kingwood IVF or The Woodlands IVF, you’ll be prescribed medication to stimulate the ovaries so they produce more eggs. Those eggs are retrieved during a surgical procedure and introduced to the sperm in a lab. Upon successful fertilization, the resulting embryo is then placed back inside the uterus with the hope it will implant and result in a successful pregnancy.
North Houston IUI Explained
Intrauterine Insemination, or IUI, is a simpler procedure than North Houston IVF. It begins by collecting sperm and removing the seminal fluid and selecting the motile, or moving, sperm. This “washed” sperm is then inserted high into the uterine cavity at the time of ovulation, which shortens the distance the sperm need to travel to reach the egg and increases the chances of success. Like North Houston IVF, IUI is completed in either our Kingwood fertility clinic or The Woodlands fertility clinic, but does not require sedation.
Which Treatment is Right For Me?
Our North Houston fertility clinic offers both IVF and IUI, but which one is best for you depends upon a number of factors. Here are the pros and cons of each:
North Houston IUI pros:
- More affordable procedure
- Less invasive, non-surgical procedure
North Houston IUI cons:
- Not as effective as North Houston IVF
- Requires working ovaries and fallopian tubes, as well as viable eggs
North Houston IVF pros:
- Higher success rate
- Addresses more causes of fertility
North Houston IVF cons:
- More expensive, making it cost-prohibitive for some patients, especially if additional cycles are needed
- More invasive, as it requires sedation and a surgical procedure
Both procedures include a regimen of fertility-boosting drugs to stimulate ovulation and increase the chances of conception. Many of our patients choose to undergo IUI before IVF, but that is not always the case, as some causes of infertility prevent North Houston IUI from being a viable option. Those who are not good candidates for IUI will need to consider North Houston IVF instead.
Our North Houston Fertility Specialists Are Here To Guide You
If you’d like more information about North Houston IVF and North Houston IUI, call us today to schedule an appointment at our Kingwood fertility clinic or The Woodlands fertility clinic. Our team of compassionate and knowledgeable fertility specialists can help you decide which treatment option is right for your needs and circumstances. We’d be honored to guide you along your fertility journey.
There are many options available for those hoping to become parents but struggling with infertility. Our North Houston fertility clinic, with both Kingwood and The Woodlands locations, offers a variety of fertility treatments, two of which are egg freezing and embryo freezing. But is one of these treatments more effective than the other? Here, our fertility specialists discuss whether North Houston IVF with frozen embryos is more effective than North Houston IVF with eggs.
Embryo and Egg Freezing At Our North Houston Fertility Clinic
Freezing your eggs or embryos at our North Houston IVF clinic allows you to postpone the IVF cycle for a time that works best for you. The process begins with hormonal injections to stimulate your ovaries to produce multiple eggs at ovulation. Then, our North Houston fertility specialists retrieve your eggs during a minor surgical procedure.
Should you choose to freeze your eggs, we will dehydrate them first in order to prevent ice crystals from forming and preserve them for future use. Embryo freezing, however, involves fertilizing your eggs with sperm at our Kingwood IVF or The Woodlands IVF clinic immediately following retrieval in order for an embryo to develop. Once this occurs, we’ll freeze the embryos for you to use at a later date.
Which Method Is More Effective?
North Houston IVF with frozen embryos is slightly more effective than eggs. This is also true for the success rate of IVF with frozen embryos over fresh embryos. That said, egg freezing does offer a bit more flexibility and can be more desirable for single women who have not met the right partner.
What Are the Limitations of Embryo Freezing?
Sometimes embryo freezing at our North Houston IVF clinic may not be the most suitable choice for you. Whether you have a partner or choose a sperm donor, you must have your preferred sperm source available before embryo freezing because the egg must be fertilized immediately upon retrieval. Also, consider that sometimes frozen embryos must be discarded, which may go against your moral, spiritual, or religious beliefs.
Discuss Your Options with Our Kingwood and The Woodlands Fertility Clinic Specialists
The most effective way to determine which method may be best for your IVF journey is to schedule a consultation at one of our North Houston IVF clinics. We recognize that your choice is highly personal and we will guide you to make the best decision for your needs and your life. Infertility can be difficult, but you don’t need to face it alone. Let our North Houston fertility specialists help by providing you the compassionate, informed care you deserve.
The sorrow that accompanies a negative pregnancy test after trying to get pregnant is almost impossible to put into words. This is even more profound when it occurs after completing a North Houston IVF cycle. Unfortunately, this can sometimes be the case, especially if there are underlying issues that could be preventing hopeful parents from getting pregnant. Thankfully, our Kingwood fertility clinic and The Woodlands fertility clinic both offer fertility testing, which is intended to identify potential barriers to a successful pregnancy and find ways to address them so that you can grow your family.
Fertility Testing Available at Our North Houston IVF Clinic
Whether you’re just beginning your fertility journey or you’ve already experienced an unsuccessful IVF cycle, our North Houston fertility clinic encourages you to gain a better understanding of you and/or your partner’s reproductive health through fertility testing. Fertility testing refers to a range of evaluations that are intended to identify possible causes of infertility. Before deciding which tests might yield the right information for your specific circumstance, our North Houston fertility specialist will consult with you and your partner to gain a better understanding of your medical history and reproductive history. After this consultation, one or more of these fertility testing procedures may be recommended:
Fertility Testing for Women
- Ovulation testing: this tracks your ovulation cycle and hormone levels at different points throughout
- Ovarian reserve testing: this test helps to determine how many eggs are available for ovulation, as women produce fewer eggs as they age.
- Imaging tests: these may include ultrasound, sonogram, or x ray imaging to examine the condition and structure of the uterus and fallopian tubes
Fertility Testing for Men
- Semen analysis: this allows our North Houston fertility specialist to evaluate the quantity and motility of sperm in a given sample.
- Hormone evaluation: this tests for testosterone and other hormone imbalances that may interfere with healthy sperm production.
- Imaging tests: these tests may use ultrasound or vasography imaging to evaluate the condition and structure of the scrotum and vas deferens.
North Houston IVF After Fertility Testing
Once you and/or your partner have undergone fertility testing and either our Kingwood fertility clinic or The Woodlands fertility clinic, our IVF doctor will offer recommendations for your next steps. The results of your fertility testing may reveal the need to make other interventions during the North Houston IVF process in order to increase your chances at a successful pregnancy. These may include the use of donor eggs or donor sperm, a third-party gestational carrier, certain medications, or surgery. Our North Houston fertility specialists can guide you through your options and explain them clearly and compassionately.
Trust HART Fertility During Your North Houston IVF Journey
Fertility testing and treatment is a highly personal process that requires patience, compassion, and access to experts in reproductive medicine. At our Kingwood IVF clinic and The Woodlands IVF clinic, we strive to cultivate relationships with our patients, ensuring a warm and caring environment. We would be honored to be a part of your North Houston IVF journey, which can begin by scheduling an appointment to meet with our fertility specialists and determining the right path for you and your reproductive goals.
