The Best Ways to Conceive With Fertility Drugs

Every year, thousands of couples deal with the stress and crushing disappointment of not being able to get pregnant. Thankfully, there are several different treatment options available and many of those couples do eventually conceive. However, before starting infertility treatment, it is important to research what is involved.

Getting a Diagnosis and Seeing a Specialist

• The best way to start infertility treatment is to seek advice from a qualified reproductive endocrinologist (RE) or infertility specialist. Many OB/GYNs may prescribe a medication to help you ovulate, but seeing a specialist will dramatically increase your chances of conceiving. To find an RE near you, check out the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technologies (see Resources).

  Getting a diagnosis is the first step. Your doctor will need a detailed health history from you and complete a full physical exam. Blood testing, ultrasounds and a semen analysis on the male partner are commonly included. Once the testing is complete, your doctor will discuss her findings and recommended plan of action.

  It is important to know that pursuing infertility treatment can be a long, and arduous process. Most of the medications you will need to take are only given as injections and are usually on a nightly basis. You will need to visit the doctor for testing very frequently, sometimes everyday.

Ovulation Induction

• In most cases, ovulation induction is the first step. Clomid is an oral medication that you take for five days early in your cycle, around day three or day five. You may be monitored by your doctor through blood testing and ultrasound. When you have one or two mature egg follicles, your doctor will either instruct you on when to have intercourse or recommend that you have an intrauterine insemination instead.

  Injectable medications are another option. You will take a nightly injection, also beginning early in your cycle. The injection is either a follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) or a combination of FSH and lutenizing hormone (LH). FSH and LH are naturally produced by the body to stimulate the ovary to produce an egg each month. More frequent monitoring is required than with clomid, and this therapy can also be in conjunction with either intercourse or intrauterine insemination.

In Vitro Fertilization

• In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a more involved process then ovulation induction. You will need to take much higher doses of FSH and LH to encourage your body to produce many egg follicles. You will also take a medication that prevents ovulation from occurring. This is to keep the eggs in the ovary, so they can be removed surgically. The eggs are then combined with sperm in the laboratory to form embryos. After developing for a few days, a select number of embryos are placed back in the uterus, where implantation may occur. You will also need to take hormones like estrogen and progesterone to help the uterus maintain its lining.

Using Donated Eggs or Sperm

• In some cases, your doctor may recommend that you use donated eggs or sperm. This may be because of a deficiency or problem with the sperm, or advanced maternal age causing the ovary to produce an inadequate number of eggs. The donated cells can be either from an anonymous donor or from somebody you know.

  If you decide to use donated sperm, treatment will proceed in any of the previously discussed ways, simply substituting the donated sperm cells for the male partner's sperm. Intrauterine insemination will be used instead of having intercourse.

  Using donated eggs is a little bit more complicated. The egg donor will proceed through the process of IVF at the same time that the recipient is taking progesterone and estrogen to build up the lining of her uterus. The eggs are retrieved from the donor, fertilized with the sperm and then transferred back into the recipient.