Infertility is common. One in 20 Victorian children is born through some form of artificial reproductive technique. Yet, before moving to advanced treatments, helping women and couples optimise their natural fertility is a true passion of mine.
Understanding Your Fertile Window
Ovulation is the key element that must occur to conceive. Some women, even with regular cycles, struggle to identify their fertile window, which can cause unnecessary anxiety. Sperm can last up to 4 to 5 days in the female reproductive tract, but an egg only survives for about 24 hours.
Methods for Tracking Ovulation
There are a few ways to identify your fertile window and focus on improving natural fertility:
- Calendar Method & Apps: Great for women with incredibly regular cycles, but less accurate if your cycle varies by more than two days.
- Ovulation Predictor Kits: These detect the LH hormone peak in your urine. The day after your first positive test is your ovulation day.
- Cycle Tracking with Ultrasound: If you need a confidence boost, I can perform an ultrasound scan to pinpoint the precise time of ovulation, sometimes using an ovulation trigger to help things along.
Taking the First Step When Infertility is Common
When you come to see me, my first goal is to make you feel comfortable in a warm, trusting atmosphere. We will take a thorough history focusing on potential causes of sub-fertility, such as PCOS or Endometriosis.
Personalised Treatment Plans
Together, we work out the best path for you. This might involve simple lifestyle advice, ovulation induction, surgery to remove fibroids, or IVF. If IVF is necessary, it is done to the highest standard, with all ultrasound scans carried out by myself in collaboration with the Melbourne IVF lab.
Going through fertility treatments can sometimes feel like riding a merry-go-round spinning out of control. My team and I are here to give you back that control. Request an appointment to start your journey today.