Trying to have a baby but unsuccessful? What’s your next step should be?

By Dr. Shweta Goswami 

I have seen many cases in my career as an IVF Expert where over 10% of reproductive-age couples are unable to conceive even after a year of trying. There are many possible reasons for this, including issues with the male’s sperm, the woman’s ovulation, hormonal issues; from being very underweight or very overweight, or from thyroid, cervical or uterine problems, or blocked fallopian tubes. 

What to do if unsuccessful.? 

The first step to identify possible issues contributing to a couple’s inability to conceive. Both man and her woman should undergo a physical exam depending on the risks identified, further testing is done to specifically identify the limiting conditions. This may include testing to examine the male’s sperm (amount, motility, etc.), evaluation of the female’s anatomy (for example a hysterosalpingogram, ultrasound, and/or other tests) and evaluation of the women’s ability to ovulate (possibly including hormonal testing and/or other tests). 

In fact out of 100% nearly 30% of all infertility cases, the cause is attributed to a problem in the male, 30% of cases, the cause is attributed in female and 30% to both male and female factors and rest 10% is unknown. 

The main cause of infertility is the 

• abnormalities in sperm of males which includes low sperm production or immobile sperm. 
• tubal issues in the woman account for another third, ovulation issues for about 15 percent, and
• other issues or no explanation identified in the rest. 

What treatment to go for when the cause is identified? 

Once a cause is identified, a specific care plan can be developed. This may include treatment for the male partner (or even consideration of using sperm donation), medical treatment of the woman to help increase ovulation (including weight

5 things that can affect your fertility

By Dr. Shweta Goswami 

Many a times we didn’t realize that there are very basic things that causes hindrance in getting pregnant. Let’s get to know what are all these factors that can affect one’s fertility 

1.     Being obese   

Women who are overweight or obese have less chance overall of getting pregnant than women of a healthy weight (with ‘healthy’ defined as having a body mass index – or BMI – of between 20 and 25). Overweight and obese women are also more likely to take longer than a year to conceive. Being obese (BMI of more than 30) can cause pregnancy and birth complications, such as hypertension and pre-eclampsia. 

Overweight and obese men have worse sperm quality than men of healthy weight. Being overweight or obese can also cause hormonal changes that reduce fertility and make men less interested in sex. Men who are very overweight are also more likely to have problems getting an erection. 

Being overweight or obese in pregnancy also has implications for your baby’s health later on, as children born to overweight or obese mothers are more likely to become obese children and adults – with associated health problems (including fertility issues). 

The good news is that if you’re overweight or obese and planning to try for a baby, losing even a few kilos can increase your chances of getting pregnant. 

2.     Drinking too much caffeine  

Although there is not absolute evidence to suggest caffeine having a negative effect on your fertility, studies are constantly indicating that it can disrupt ovulation and hormone levels, as well as the efficiency of the fallopian tubes. 

3.     Alcohol and Smoking  

Everybody knows that smoking and drink alcohol are big NOs when pregnant but did you also know that excessive alcohol consumption over long periods of time and constant inhalation of cigarette fumes can affect your future fertility; Smoking can affect your hormone production and the environment in the uterus. It can also

Every woman should know these 4 things

By Dr. Shweta Goswami 

Being a Gynecologist and IVF specialist it is my duty to inform all the women I know about few things. No matter what if you are a student, a housewife, a working professional, a mother or a grandmother, you should get informed about these below mentioned things. 

1. PCOS and PCOD: 

Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome and Poly Cystic Ovarian Disease are the disease both associated with ovaries; ovaries are the very important part of women’s reproductive body. PCOS is an endocrine system disorder in which woman’s levels of sex hormones estrogen and progesterone gets out of balance. This leads to growth of ovarian cysts. PCOD is a condition developed by the hormonal imbalance, which lead to collection of mature eggs in the ovary, as they cannot be discharged. These also become cysts and some of the cysts lead to more cysts and this cycle goes on. One of the causes would be insulin diet; hormonal disturbances or stress that leads to PCOD. 

Symptoms:    

• you  have irregular menstrual cycle or prolonged cycles (beyond 35 days or so)   
• increased growth of hair on the face, chest, stomach, back, thumbs, or toes   
• your skin is breaking out or you get acne, oily skin, or you are getting dandruff   
• you have gained extra weight around your tummy   
• darkening of skin around your neck  

  

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2. POF: 

Premature ovarian failure refers to a loss of normal function of your ovaries before the age of 40. If your ovaries fail, they don't produce normal amounts of the hormone estrogen or release eggs regularly. In simple words, you get menopause before the age of 40. 

Symptoms:          

• Vaginal dryness 
• Hot flashes 
• Mood swings 
• Lack of sleep 
• Reduced sex drive 

3. Thyroid: 

Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid gland doesn't produce enough of certain important hormones. For women, there is

Your Lifestyle may be the cause of your infertility

By Dr. Shweta Goswami 

There is an old saying that “Good practices reap good results and bad practices reap bad results”. Here in the process of your parenthood your lifestyle choices plays a pivotal role which decides your fertility levels. If you have opted whole life the good choices then results will be good and vice versa. Modern day habits like easy reach to junk food, no physical activity, and sedentary lifestyle can reduce your chances of conceiving children. This is especially true in this time and age, where couples prefer to have babies late (in their mid 30s). In such a scenario, lifestyle choices become even more important. 

Here in my post, let’s throw some light on the various factors that can negatively affect your fertility levels. 

First and foremost your Age: 

Age is one such issue which tops the list because you can’t do anything about it. There’s no medicine, no cure for old age and the disabilities that come with it. The only thing you can do is plan your future well and make the best of today. The ideal age for pregnancy is the mid-to-late 20s. If you want to wait, then you can push that limit to 35. After 35, the chances of a successful pregnancy starts declining. 

Smoking, a lifestyle choice: 

Smoking has been associated with infertility in both male and female partners. It’s also known to cause many other problems in women, such as increased rate of

Your journey from fat to fertile

By Dr. Shweta Goswami 

As we all know that fat is no fun. Being overweight or obese has its own plethora of problems. Being overweight affects everything.  Yet another growing problem in today’s time among the population is infertility caused due to Obesity. Weight problem cases are on increase everywhere, and so are infertility clinics. Almost 10% of couples in the country get affected by infertility and are hesitant to take medical advice. The obesity rates in India have been rising at an extensive rate, out of which quarter of the women’s population is defined as medically obese. 

People in cities follow a sedentary lifestyle. Little or no physical activity, easily jumping up to junk food, sitting for prolonged hours, night shifts, wrong eating patterns etc are to be blamed for being obese and there by infertile. 

Obesity also leads to low stamina, which reduces the urge of having sex. Obesity in women is known to contribute to anovulation, a reduced conception rate and at greater risk of pregnancy complications like having a C-section, giving birth to a large baby or even developing gestational diabetes and hypertension. On the other hand men who are

How old is too old to have a baby.?

By Dr. Shweta Goswami 

We all witnessed the recent news of an Indian couple where the woman of 72 years of age and her husband 79 years of age gave birth to a baby boy but at the same time we know that age factor is directly associated with decreasing fertility in women; their eggs grow old. But age does affect the fertility level in men too. 

Yes, you heard it right. Age is not a difficulty in women but after the age of 30, there is a drop in testosterone of 1% per year in men too. Testosterone is the energy, the hormone that you need to make good-quality sperm. It’s not just women who have to worry about their ticking reproductive clock. Men's sperm quality seems to decline after the age of 35. The older a man is the more his sperm cells are dived, and the more divisions present, the more there is a chance for an abnormality to occur. 

In males, sperm motility changed with age. Sperm motility is how well the sperm swim. Sperm motility is usually the best before age 25 and lowest after age 55. In fact, when comparing the number of “good swimming” sperm in men between the ages 30 to 35 with men over age 55, sperm motility decreased by 54 percent. 

In fact many studies have claimed that pregnancy rates decrease between 23% to 38% in comparisons between men under 30 and men over 50. Increased paternal age

Time to seriously think of PCOS

By Dr. Shweta Goswami    

PCOS which is called Poly cystic ovarian syndrome is a hormonal imbalance disorder in which woman’s levels of sex hormones estrogen and progesterone gets out of balance. This leads to growth of ovarian cysts. To elaborate what actually cysts is that in girls with PCOS, the ovaries produce higher levels of androgen than normal, and this interferes with egg development and release. Some of the eggs develop into cysts which are little sacs filled with liquid and instead of being released during ovulation, these cysts build up in the ovaries and even get enlarged , hence the name poly cystic ovaries or Poly-Cystic Ovarian Syndrome. Thus a girl or woman with PCOS does not actually have cysts in her ovaries, she has lots of egg follicles in various stages of maturation which on an ultrasound give the appearance of numerous fluid filled cysts in both ovaries  

Mostly more than half of women with poly cystic ovary syndrome don't even realize they have PCOS; mainly hormonal imbalances and genetics play a pivotal role in developing PCOS.   

Women with infrequent menstrual periods or irregular bleeding are likely to have PCOS. Moreover if you notice these symptoms in your body then please do consult a good IVF specialist as PCOS could give you infertility as well which means that you are unable to get pregnant on your own.  

One should consider getting evaluated for PCOS if:   

• you  have irregular menstrual cycle or prolonged cycles (beyond 35 days or so)
• increased growth of hair on the face, chest, stomach, back, thumbs, or toes 
• your skin is breaking out or you get acne, oily skin, or you are getting dandruff  
• you have gained extra weight around your tummy   
• darkening of skin around your neck    

If PCOS is not diagnosed early and treated properly it can lead to problems as well like type 2 diabetes , high cholesterol, high blood pressure, abnormal bleeding from the uterus, and very occasionally cancer too. The most important step is screening the condition and PCOS can be easily diagnosed through Blood tests and Ultrasound and therefore the chances of having serious side effects are reduced. The important thing is to diagnose