by Corey Whelan For any woman hoping to conceive, the diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy can be  devastating.  An ectopic is a non-viable type of pregnancy which  refers to the implantation of an embryo outside of the uterus and never results  in a live birth. Ectopic pregnancies ...

By Megan Davidson, Ph.D. To be empowered is to have the knowledge needed to make choices, the power and authority to have those choices respected, and the confidence in your own capacities to realize your desires. Having an empowered pregnancy is a perfect example of this.  Women can bring ...

by Patricia Mendell, LCSW, AFA Mental Health Advisory Council How could I now be “too pregnant”? My husband and I had discussed our IVF plan ahead of time. We would not transfer back more than two embryos, maybe even just one. Reduction was never going to be a decision that we would ...

Current statistics show that around 60,000 babies are born as a result of assisted reproductive technology every year in the United States alone. We know that most of The AFA's readership is comprised of the men and women who are currently knee deep in their infertility treatment, and so hope that ...

By Fred Licciardi, M.D. Spotting. Really frustrating. Where does it come from? We first look for an anatomical reason (a problem due to some sort of growth that we can see usually with the ultrasound). The most common reason is that there is a polyp inside the uterus. A polyp is a benign ...

by Jackie Lombardo Moms, and moms-to-be, take note - another new study shows the chemicals you retain in your body get passed to your fetus. The good news? You can minimize your exposure to harmful chemicals like pesticides, mercury and BPA, and you can reduce the amount of chemicals in your ...

by Fred Licciardi, M.D. So a little story about a couple I saw recently. She was a poor responder with borderline FSH levels, normal tubes and a favorable age. He had low sperm counts. They had been through IVF. I suggested that he see a urologist because maybe there was something that ...

The AFA's dear friend Andrea, who wrote about her fledgling pregnancy on this blog page just last month, shared her sad news with us - she lost the pregnancy.  Andrea wished to share her heart and feelings with all of you during this difficult time.  We are so sad for Andrea and her ...

by Corey Whelan For many pregnant women, particularly those who struggled to get there, pregnancy can be a period of unexpected stress.  Having undergone the trauma of infertility, many women are afraid to trust that their pregnancy will last, or that their dream of becoming a mommy might ...

by Daniel Shapiro, M.D.   Infertility patients know this better than anyone- emotions go haywire during a fertility treatment odyssey.  Pregnancy and the post-partum period can be just as bad, with extreme cases of post-partum psychosis making it into the news ever year with horrific ...