Infertility and IVF in Geelong
With today’s busy lifestyles, many couples plan carefully to ensure the time is just right to achieve pregnancy and start a family. For the vast majority of couples, pregnancy occurs naturally within 12 months of trying to conceive.
Your first appointment to discuss fertility at our Geelong clinic
At the time of your initial consultation, Dr Sabary will review your medical history and any previous investigation results. Where no tests have been performed, infertility testing will likely include sending:
the female partner for an ultrasound and/or hysterosalpingogram to check the tubes.
the male partner for a semen analysis to check the quality, count and health of sperm
both partners for blood tests to check for hormone levels and other potential issues
Once test results have been received, Dr. Sabary will take the time to discuss with you potential treatment options. These will generally fall into one of three categories: Ovulation Induction, Intra-Uterine Insemination (IUI) and In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF).
What are the common causes of fertility issues?
Regardless of the circumstances, a diagnosis of infertility is an emotionally challenging life event that will come as a shock. Unlike many of life’s other challenges however, infertility may not be easily resolved, it may last a number of years and the chances of a successful outcome will be uncertain.
Causes of Female Infertility
Ovulatory disorders (like Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) or Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
Ageing
Endometriosis
Fallopian tube damage
Uterine fibroids
Autoimmune disorders
Lifestyle & Environmental factors (smoking, drinking, stress, obesity etc)
Causes of Male Infertility
Poor quality semen and sperm
Damaged testicles
Ejaculation disorders
Sterilisation
Hormonal issues
Medicines and drugs
Lifestyle factors (smoking, drinking, stress, obesity etc)
Fertility Treatments & IVF
Following referral to Dr Sabary and completion of the requisite testing and information gathering, you may be prescribed one of the following courses of fertility treatment:
Ovulation induction (OI) is often prescribed if the woman is either not ovulating or not ovulating regularly.
The process involves taking hormone medication, response monitoring via ultrasound and a final injection to trigger ovulation.
Timing intercourse to coincide with ovulation offers the chance of pregnancy.
Ovulation induction (OI)
Artificial insemination, or Intra-Uterine Insemination (IUI), involves insertion of sperm into the uterus at or just before the time of ovulation. IUI can be performed during a natural menstrual cycle, or in combination with ovulation induction (OI)
If a pregnancy is not achieved after a few IUI attempts, IVF or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) may be needed.
Artificial insemination or IUI
IVF treatment is a more complicated procedure requiring the woman to have several hormone injections to stimulate her ovaries and produce eggs. Mature eggs are retrieved in an ultrasound-guided procedure under light anaesthesia. The eggs and sperm are combined in a laboratory to allow for fertilisation and embryo development. Three to five days later, an embryo is placed into the uterus in a procedure called embryo transfer.
In-vitro fertilisation (IVF)
Which treatment option will be right for me?
The answer to this question can only be established once your medical history and preliminary testing has been completed. Only then will your fertility specialist be able to suggest why this is occurring and what treatment option will provide you with the greatest chance of success.
Frequently asked questions from infertility and IVF patients.
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Exercise and diet play very important roles in improving fertility. Research tells us that being underweight or overweight can negatively impact fertility so doing your best to live a healthy lifestyle is definitely something you can do to give yourselves the best chance of falling pregnant.
Exercise – an exercise routine of one hour or more a day of moderate to vigorous exercise
Diet-Do’s – Oily fish (like salmon or sardines for saturated fats), Essential proteins (avocado, chicken, fish, low-fat yogurt and milk, cottage cheese, tofu, eggs, beans) and Low GI foods (most fruits, pulses and root vegetables, leafy green vegetables, whole grains and nuts)
Diet Dont’s – Caffeinated or carbonated drinks, All alcohol or other drugs, Simple carbohydrates and artificial sugars, High GI foods (fast food, chocolate, sugary cereals, white bread and other processed foods).
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Outside of diet and exercise, the three suggestions we can offer that help improve fertility are:
No Booze – Alcohol negatively impacts sperm and egg production by limiting the way we absorb essential vitamins and minerals. Minimal intake can occur whilst trying to fall pregnant but should absolutely stop once pregnant to avoid fetal damage.
No Smoking – Smoking negatively impacts sperm and egg production, can limit the efficacy of fertility treatment and can damage your growing baby. In short, do whatever you can to stop smoking. Doing so will increase your fertility and in turn your chances of falling pregnant.
Less (or No) Stress – Stress is known to have hormonal impacts which in turn can affect conception and (in females) embryo implantation. Simply put the less stress the better. If elements of your life are stressful, try making changes in those areas or (if you have time) take on healthy activities that you help you wind down and relax.
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Women with PCOS often take longer to fall pregnant and are more likely to need treatment than women without PCOS. Despite this, studies show little difference between the number of children born to women with PCOS than to those without.
Women with endometriosis will experience difficulties getting pregnant 30 percent of the time. However, most women with endometriosis become pregnant without the need for treatment.
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It can take between 6 to 8 weeks from the point of initial consultation with your fertility specialist to commencement of IVF treatment. In addition, because the IVF process involves several steps and is primarily scheduled around the female’s ovulation cycle, each IVF cycle can take between 28-40 days (or even longer).
Book Your Appointment
To discuss your fertility journey, make an appointment today.
📞 Call now to schedule your consultation.