If you have irregular periods, you’re not alone. Between 14-25% of women experience some kind of irregular periods, according to the National Institutes of Health. For some women, irregular periods are nothing more than an inconvenience. But in some cases, they can be a sign of a gynecological problem that...
If you’re having trouble getting pregnant, you’re not alone. Infertility affects about 1 in 8 couples, according to Resolve, the National Infertility Association. You receive a diagnosis of infertility when you can’t get pregnant after 12 months of regular, unprotected sex, (or six months if you’re over 35), or if...
If you experience pain or discomfort in your pelvic area on a regular basis, you may have a condition known as recurrent, or chronic, pelvic pain. Recurrent pelvic pain is a common problem that can affect women of any age. Chronic pelvic pain can interfere with your everyday life, making...
Creating a family isn’t just a biological process. It’s a God-given gift and vocation. Lauren Rubal MD, our fellowship-trained reproductive endocrinology and infertility specialist, respects couples who wish to let their religious faith guide them as they make choices about medical treatment for fertility. Dr. Rubal fully supports faith-based fertility,...
You can get pregnant if you have sex during ovulation, which is when one of your ovaries releases an egg into your fallopian tube. However, ovulation lasts for only 12-24 hours, which means that as with so many other things in life, when it comes to getting pregnant, timing is...
Pregnancy can occur only when many different conditions are in alignment. For example, unless timing is right, conception won’t occur, even if every other factor is in place. Likewise, even when your timing is right, conception won’t happen if structural problems prevent the egg and sperm from meeting. Hormone levels...
You may think of weight as mainly a cosmetic issue, something that affects how you look. But if you’re having trouble getting pregnant, you may not realize that weight can have an impact on your fertility as well as your appearance. In fact, being overweight or underweight could prevent you...
If you have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) you probably know that dealing with it can be a challenge. But the good news is that even with PCOS, you can still live a full, enjoyable life. The secret to living with PCOS is understanding the lifestyle choices and treatment opportunities that...
If you’re having trouble getting pregnant, you should be aware of endometriosis, a condition in which tissue from inside the uterus grows in places where it doesn’t belong. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, nearly 40% of women with infertility have endometriosis. Lauren Rubal MD, a fellowship-trained...
If you’re having trouble getting pregnant, you should know about polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), because it’s one of the most common causes of infertility in women. Unfortunately, many women with PCOS don’t know they have it. PCOS is a condition in which imbalanced hormone levels can contribute to a variety...
Normal menstrual periods last up to about a week and require a new tampon or pad every few hours or so. But heavy periods can continue for more than seven days and can cause so much bleeding that you sometimes have to replace your tampon or pad as often as...
Miscarriage is a devastating though common occurrence. About 15-20% of all clinically recognized pregnancies end in involuntary pregnancy loss before 20 weeks. Unfortunately, about 1% of all women go on to experience recurrent pregnancy loss, which is when you have two or more clinical miscarriages or three of any type...
Thankfully, when you’re struggling with infertility, advances in medical research and science offer many solutions to achieving and maintaining a healthy pregnancy. Unfortunately, this often includes a series of sometimes confusing medical tests and complex procedures that can greatly increase the stress surrounding infertility. Lauren Rubal, MD, is a top-rated,...
