fertility

British women may soon be taking their fertility into their own hands. A small handheld device that measures tiny changes in body temperature has been found to have the same pregnancy success rate as the much more costly IVF for couples with common infertility issues. The Cambridge scientists behind DuoFertility ($777), claim that the device has a 99.7 percent accuracy rate for detecting fertile days leading to a pregnancy success rate of 19.5 percent after six months, the same as the more traditional IVF.

DuoFertility is a two-part fertility monitor. A small button-sized sensor is worn under the arm to collect 20,000 temperature measurements throughout the day. A handheld reader collects data from the sensor to instantly alert the user to her most fertile days. When connected to a computer, the reader transfers more fertility information to provide users with a more detailed report. The system also allows women trying to conceive to enter additional physiological parameters, such as cervical mucus conditions and length of cycle. With the cost of IVF often exceeding $100,000, would you be willing to try the monitor?

Would you lay your hands on a fertility god in the hope of having a baby? Many women do. According to Ripley Entertainment, more than 2,000 women (including its own employees) claim that rubbing the company's two statues that were carved by an African tribe on the Ivory Coast has aided them in pregnancy. The latest person to come forward is Rachel Taylor of New Jersey. She and her husband were told they had no chance of naturally conceiving a child before she paid a visit to the statues and became pregnant. Her son is due in August.

The works of art are currently on tour, so other aspiring moms can touch them. While it's an interesting phenomenon, sex obviously plays the primary role in becoming biological parents. Do you think stories like these give challenged couples false hopes of having a family?

A positive pregnancy test is enough for a lot of mamas-to-be to spread the news, but do they also feel obligated to share their means of conception? Without ever asking, 37 percent of LilSugar readers admitted to assuming a woman used artificial means when they learn she is expecting multiples. In the July/August cover story of Pregnancy magazine, Catherine Bell said:

We were totally trying. I conceived pretty much naturally. We wanted this to happen quickly. We used Clomid, which helps you with a little boost and the second month we tried, we got pregnant.

Do you feel inclined to disclose how you got pregnant?

Women, and even our doctors, often shrug off an irregular period as no big deal. We go on birth control to regulate it and don't give it a second thought. But, warns gynecologist Lawrence Nelson, an irregular period could be indicative of a serious problem called primary ovarian insufficiency, or POI.

One in 100 women under the age of 40, says Nelson, may suffer from this disruption in hormones, which causes irregular cycles and negatively impacts fertility and bone health. Occasional interruptions in your cycle due to stress and other factors are totally normal, but with POI, hormone production will start and stop, throwing the ovaries out of whack.

I've known several women, including our own DrSugar, who have had a difficult time conceiving after going off birth control and experience irregular periods. According to Dr. Nelson, hormonal birth control doesn't cause POI, but birth control pills can mask the condition, since they make it appear that your body is ovulating regularly when it may not be. He says that 5 to 10 percent of women diagnosed with POI can ultimately conceive.

If you're experiencing an irregular period, especially over a long period of time, don't consider the absence of Aunt Flo a blessing. Visit your doctor and try to get to the bottom of the issue. Have any of you been diagnosed with POI?

Where do babies come from isn't a simple conversation anymore. It's not always about a mom and a dad or a man and a woman since conception happens everywhere — in bedrooms, in hospitals, and laboratories. In some situations there's a doctor, a donor, a surrogate, or even an attorney involved. The birds and the bees have become a bit more complicated, but the sex talk still happens, and children inquire earlier. Kids are sharp, if you give them the 1950s spiel about a man loving a woman, they'll likely have more questions.

How did their friend with two dads come to be — is it time to talk surrogacy? Or what about the classmate who was adopted by a single mother? Fertility treatments are mainstream, should parents dole out the basics of IVF (In vitro fertilization) and IUI (intra-uterine insemination)? As medical breakthroughs continue there's even the prospect of a three-parent conception method, so where should the conversation with our children end? What will (did) you tell your kids?

DrSugar is in the house! And she's answering your health-related questions.

DrSugar,
I just read your post about getting off of the pill and having irregular periods afterward. I am thankful for your article as I had experienced two to three months of no period! I am looking to conceive possibly in the next three to four years and wondering if you were able to do so after being on the pill for an extended period of time . . . I understand that irregular ovulation will certainly make conceiving more challenging but I'm interested to know your experience with this. Thanks!
— Baby on the Brain

I received this question from a reader after my recent post on what to expect when stopping oral birth control pills. I thought it was a great topic to discuss, and I will also share my personal, ongoing struggle with trying to conceive, so read more