Center for Reproductive Endocrinology

  If you’ve just been told that you’re best chance of having a baby is In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), there are many decisions you’ll need to make. Will you be able to juggle all of the tests, exams, medications, and monitoring visits? And how will you pay for treatment? This second question is one that most fertility patients struggle with as they realize what their insurance policies will actually cover. Despite how common infertility is, very few insurance plans cover the full cost of treatment. This often leaves couples scrambling to figure out how to pay out of pocket for a variety of procedures and medications. To help patients navigate how to afford the fertility treatments they need to build the families of their dreams, Dr. Walid Saleh of SIRM Dallas is here to go over a few options for patients struggling with how to cover their costs. Understand Your Insurance Plan Most insurance plans in Texas won’t cover the full cost of IVF or other fertility treatments. But whi...

  With so many fertility treatment options available to patients today, it can be difficult to decide which course to take – especially when taking cost-effectiveness into consideration. One treatment option that deserves particular consideration is Mini-IVF. What is Mini-IVF? And when should it be considered as a treatment option? Dr. Walid Saleh of SIRM Dallas fertility center in Dallas, Texas is here to answer all of your questions about Mini-IVF. What is Mini-IVF? Mini-IVF is a fertility treatment option that is similar to IVF, but utilizes minimal stimulation medications, sometimes combined with oral medications (like clomid) to minimize the cost of IVF.  In a Mini- IVF cycle, the ovaries are stimulated with a lower dosage of medication.  These cycles require less monitoring than traditional IVF.  The eggs are retrieved like any other IVF cycle, but to minimize cost, they are often fertilized naturally (i.e. without injecting the sperm directly into each egg th...

  Egg freezing  has been getting quite a bit of press lately. Chances are, you’ve heard about celebrities are coming out about their decision to freeze their eggs and clinics near you holding “Egg Freezing Parties.” The reason? Between increased awareness and the ever growing number of large companies offering egg freezing as part of their benefits package, more women than ever before are choosing to preserve their future fertility by freezing their eggs now. But deciding whether or not to freeze your eggs is a deeply personal decision – one that should be made only after informing yourself of all the facts. Here, the fertility experts of SIRM Dallas fertility center in Texas go over what you need to know before deciding whether or not to freeze your eggs.   1.  Why Would a Woman Choose to Freeze Her Eggs? There are a variety of reasons women choose to freeze their eggs. For some, medical issues that can cause infertility (such as an autoimmune disorder or cancer dia...

  When it comes to infertility, there are a lot of misconceptions and myths floating around. No matter what aspect of TTC you look at, there is at least one myth associated. These bits of misinformation can cause those with infertility feel isolated, frustrated, and can even discourage them from getting the help they need to conceive once they need it. As part of Infertility Awareness Month, we’re speaking out to raise awareness and dispel myths surrounding this disease that impacts 1 in 8 couples over the course of their life. Below, the team at SIRM Dallas fertility center in Dallas, Texas discuss five common fertility myths and the truth behind them. 1.   Infertility is a Woman’s Problem When a couple has been trying to conceive without success, it is often assumed that the woman is the cause of the issue. But infertility doesn’t discriminate – the cause of infertility often falls equally on men and women. In roughly 40% of cases, the cause is due to female factors, while i...

  When you’re trying to conceive, it can feel like nearly everything you do can have an impact on your chances of success. Whether it’s your diet, specific supplements, or special positions, it can seem like everyone has advice about what will help or hurt your chances. So what about exercise? Is regularly hitting the gym or heading to the yoga studio improving your chances of success? Or are they sabotaging all of your efforts? Here, the fertility experts at SIRM Dallas fertility center in Dallas, Texas tells you three things you need to know about the relationship between exercise and fertility. 1.   Exercise Can Help You Achieve a Healthy Weight For many women who are struggling to conceive, the main obstacle is their weight. Women who are overweight have a higher likelihood of developing ovulatory issues, which can lead to infertility. Certain lifestyle changes, like regular exercise, can help women who are overweight achieve and maintain a healthy weight, which can re...

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is a procedure first successfully utilized in 1978 in which a woman’s ovaries are stimulated with fertility drugs to produce multiple mature eggs, which are then removed from her body and are fertilized in the laboratory with her partner’s (or donor) sperm. The resulting embryos are cultured for three to five days, at which point the best 1 or 2 embryos are then transferred back into her uterus. IVF Procedures An IVF procedure at CRE involves the following steps: Preparing for Controlled Ovarian Hyperstimulation (COH) Undergoing Controlled Ovarian Hyperstimulation Egg Retrieval Sperm Processing Fertilization of Eggs in the Laboratory Selecting the Best Embryos for Transfer Embryo Transfer Cryopreservation (Freezing) of Remaining Embryos (This is dependent on having additional viable embryos left after embryo transfer. Embryos can be frozen for use at a later time and at a ...

  Texas Senate Bill 8 stands as a groundbreaking and polarizing piece of legislation, effectively prohibiting nearly all abortions in Texas. While supporters applaud its stringency, opponents decry its lack of exceptions, such as in cases of rape or fetal anomalies —  exceptions that are supported by a majority of Americans . Gov. Greg Abbott has quixotically remarked that the rape exception won’t be necessary if  Texas can “eliminate all rapists” ; more accomplishable is a reduction of pregnancies affected by anomalies. Terminations for fetal anomalies are common, with  1 in 8 abortions attributed to fetal health concerns . A familiar pregnancy refrain is “we don’t care if we’re having a boy or girl, as long as it’s healthy.” While  such a view can stigmatize disability , the fear and compassion underneath this desire is understandable, as the heartache of parenting a newborn through a painful, debilitating and terminal illness is daunting for the most resi...