When a woman experiences absent or intermittent ovulation, a fertility specialist can help regulate her cycle. Ovarian stimulation is often considered the first line of defense in treating infertility. According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, nearly 80 percent of women on an ovarian stimulation regimen will respond as planned to the medication. It’s highly effective and minimally invasive.
A fertility workup in our New Jersey fertility center assesses a woman’s ovulatory function. Blood work tests thyroid function and hormone levels; sonograms show the progression of developing follicles and ultrasounds and minimally invasive dye tests evaluate the entire reproductive system—uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries.
When we rule out male factor infertility and conclude that you will benefit from ovarian stimulation, Dr. Jane Miller will discuss your options for moving forward with fertility treatment.
Dr. Miller shares your goal for ovarian stimulation–producing a singleton pregnancy.
Controlled Ovarian Stimulation in a Natural Cycle
By the time you partner with a fertility specialist like Dr. Miller, you will likely have already tried to get pregnant with the help of Clomid or Serophene and timed intercourse. We can discuss the pros and cons of this type of fertility treatment cycle, but Dr. Miller favors a more proactive approach.
Controlled Ovarian Stimulation with Low Dose Injectable Fertility Medications and Intrauterine Insemination
The injectable medications, Gonal- F and Follistim have been proven to be effective with few associated side effects. Dr. Miller prescribes one of these fertility medications in the early stages of a menstrual cycle. Injectable fertility medications may increase the risk of developing multiple follicles (and subsequent multiple births). Dr. Miller closely monitors follicular development to help couples manage this risk.
Certain diagnoses will prompt Dr. Miller to recommend ovarian stimulation with injectable fertility medications.
Controlled Ovarian Stimulation with Injectable Fertility Medications and In Vitro Fertilization
If after several cycles of ovarian stimulation and IUI you are not pregnant, Dr. Miller will talk with you about IVF. Also referred to as super ovulation, this elevated regimen of ovarian stimulation will need to yield multiple eggs during an IVF cycle. Dr. Miller prescribes injectable fertility medications, called gonadotropins, to coax the ovaries to release more than one ovulatory follicle. IVF success rates depend on availability of quality eggs to combine with sperm for fertilization.
Super ovulation cycles may also include injectable fertility medications to help suppress the natural cycle; instruct the body to ovulate; and build the uterine lining (with progesterone) to sustain a pregnancy.
The New Jersey fertility clinic of Dr. Jane Miller has performed successful ovarian stimulation cycles for nearly 2 decades. Contact us to schedule a new patient consultation in our Englewood Cliffs location.