Sticky Infertility

In episode 7, Katie & Abby go into part 2 of the factors with Male Infertility. They describe what issues could arise from the male side of infertility and ways that you can fix the issue or procedures that can still help you reach your goal of having a healthy baby. As always, Katie & Abby do not claim to be medical physicians. They are only speaking from experience and their own research.

*Male Factor- when the cause of infertility comes from the male, it is considered male infertility.

*Sperm Motility- the movement of sperm

*Semen Analysis- where sperm is evaluated under a microscope to see motility, shape and amount.

*Hormone Testing- bloodwork to determine your level of testosterone and other male hormones.

*Testosterone- a steroid hormone that stimulates development of male secondary sexual characteristics, produced mainly in the testes. Testosterone is needed to produce sperm.

*Genetic Testing- bloodwork to determine genetic abnormalities.

*Surgical Sperm Retrieval- a procedure where sperm is retrieved from the testicles.

*Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH)- a hormone your pituitary gland makes and releases that plays a role in sexual development and reproduction.

*Luteinizing Hormone (LH)- a hormone that stimulates the testes to make testosterone.

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On episode 6 Part 1, Katie & Abby discuss Female Factor Infertility. They dive into all of the different female factors that could contribute to why a woman is not getting pregnant and what questions you should ask your O.B./R.E. when it's time to start testing. As stated in the episode, Katie & Abby are NOT doctors. They are only speaking from experience and what they wish they had known before they started their infertility journey. They gathered their research from Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group's website, the MAYO clinic and Cleveland Clinic.

*ART (assisted reproductive technology): any treatment where eggs or embryos are handled.

*Female Factor: when the cause of infertility comes from the female, it is considered female infertility.

*Endometriosis- tissue that is similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside of the uterus causing inflammation. Some women experience severe pain and hinders pregnancy.

*Auto Immune Disease- a type of disease that attacks healthy cells.

*Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)- an infection of the female reproductive system.

*Hypothalamus- a portion of the brain that aids in regulating the nervous system and pituitary gland.

*Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)- a problem with hormones that happens during the reproductive years. With PCOS, many small sacs of fluid (also known as cysts) develop along the outer edge of the ovary.

*Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH)- levels found in blood work to get an indication of a female's egg count.

*Poor Egg Quality- caused by diminished ovarian reserve and is one of the most common causes of infertility, especially in women over 35.

*Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI)- also called primary ovarian failure, is a rare condition where your ovaries stop working before age 40.

*Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH)- a hormone your pituitary gland makes and releases that plays a role in sexual development and reproduction.

*Reproductive Endocrinologist (R.E.)- doctors that specialize in diagnosing and treating infertility.

*PREGMATE Ovulation Test Strips

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In episode 5, Katie & Abby share comments, "advice" and stories that were told them them while they were *TTC. While they understand that, most of the time, people were trying to help, some things were either triggering or just not helpful for them. They want to help those that do not understand the infertility struggle, what they can do to help those that are. Katie & Abby also share comments (funny and not-so-nice) from listeners that were told to them. They hope this episode can help those that want to better serve their friends struggling with infertility and also get a laugh out of those who understand.

*TTC- trying to conceive

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In episode 4, Katie & Abby get really real about what an infertility diagnosis can do to your marriage. In this episode, they dive into how each spouse processed & dealt with the grief individually and as a whole. They also discuss what they needed to do for their marriage so they were on the same page again. By no means are they licensed therapists, but they do have some tips and tricks to help get your marriage in a healthier state so you can better serve your spouse, and vise versa.

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NOT our most positive episode but please bare with us! For this episode, Katie & Abby discuss how each processed their infertility diagnosis and what strategies helped them best cope with every day life.

In this week's episode, Katie & Abby go into detail on each treatment plan they did and how they navigated each hurdle. Below, you will find definitions to fertility treatments and phrases used in this episode.

*IUI (Intrauterine Insemination)- a procedure where sperm is inserted into your cervix through a small catheter device.

*IVF (In Vitro Fertilization)- a procedure where eggs are removed from a female and sperm from a male that will create an embryo that will then be placed inside your cervix.

*Trigger Shot- a shot inserted into the abdomen that helps developing follicles to mature for upcoming procedure.

*Transvaginal Ultrasound- an ultrasound wand that is inserted vaginally to inspect ovaries, cervix, follicles, etc.

*Uterine Cavity Evaluation- requires a transvaginal ultrasound to inspect female reproductive organs to help generate best plan of action for conceiving.

*Semen Analysis- when semen is evaluated under a microscope for sperm motility, quantity & quality.

*Egg Retrieval- a procedure that removes mature eggs from inside each ovary.

*Endometriosis- tissue that is similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside of the uterus causing inflammation. Some women experience severe pain and hinders pregnancy.

*Embryologist- a scientist that specializes in the care and creation of embryos in their lab.

*Embryo- the life created when an egg is fertilized by sperm.

*Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT)- a small sample of cells are removed from an embryo to check for abnormalities.

*Embryo Transfer- a procedure where your embryo is inserted into your cervix through a small catheter device.

*Estradiol- estrogen in the form of a tablet that can be inserted by mouth or vaginally.

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In their official first episode, Katie & Abby talk about the hard blow of being diagnosed with infertility and how they each handled the news.