A woman’s age is the most important factor affecting her fertility and chance of having a baby. As men and women age, their potential to have children naturally decreases, though the exact time this starts to happen varies.

All about fertility in your 20s

Whether you’re ready to start thinking about a family or not, there are some important things you should know about fertility while you’re in your 20s. This information could affect how you view your fertility and the idea of getting pregnant in the future. Here’s what you need to know:

• Fertility
  Fertility declines at a different rate for every single woman and can happen as early as her late 20s.
• Lifestyle Choices
  The lifestyle choices you make now could heavily affect your fertility in your thirties. If you love white rice, white sugar, smoking and/or adult beverages, it could make it more difficult to conceive down the road.

All about fertility in your 30s

A woman is born with all the eggs she will ever have. As she ages, so do her eggs—and their number and quality reduce over time. Here’s what you need to know about fertility on your 30s:

• Fertility
  Between the ages of 33 and 42 (with an average age of 38), the loss of immature eggs accelerates. This marks the beginning of decline in a woman’s fertility, which eventually leads to menopause.
• Preservation
  If you are a woman in your 30s and aren’t quite ready to start a family, it might be time to consider egg freezing (cryopreservation). Egg freezing allows women to use their young, healthy eggs to help them achieve pregnancy later in life, when they are ready. Frozen eggs are viable and may be used to achieve pregnancy for more than 10 years.

All about fertility in your 40s

Your chances of conceiving naturally in any given month lower significantly once you reach 40 years of age. In fact, the average 40-year-old woman has only a 8 percent chance of getting pregnant each month..

• Fertility
  Women in their 40s are less likely to become pregnant naturally due to poor egg quality. As women age, more and more of their eggs have either too many or too few chromosomes, which can significantly lower the chance of pregnancy and increase the chance for miscarriage or birth defects.
• Assisted Reproductive Technologies
  Whether you froze your eggs in your 20s or 30s or have decided to use an egg donor, assisted reproductive technologies (like in vitro fertilization) can help you achieve pregnancy in your 40s.

If you are a woman in your 20s or 30s and would like to learn more about preserving your fertility with egg freezing (Cryopreservation) in Columbus, Akron, Canton & Youngstown, Ohio, contact the skilled physicians at Reproductive Gynecology & Infertility.

Approximately one in every 50 pregnancies in the United States is ectopic. Ectopic pregnancies, also known as tubal pregnancies, occur when a fertilized egg grows in the wrong place (e.g., ovary, fallopian tube, cervix or abdominal cavity). Most ectopic pregnancies—nearly 98 percent—occur in the fallopian tube.

Unfortunately, ectopic pregnancies cannot move or be moved to the uterus, so they always require treatment. They cannot result in a baby and can be life threatening for the woman. There are two main treatment options for ectopic pregnancies which depend on your unique signs and symptoms: medication or surgery.

Signs and symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy

Light vaginal bleeding and pelvic pain are the usually the first symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy. The following symptoms may indicate a serious medical emergency:

• Sharp waves of pain in the abdomen, pelvis, shoulder or neck
• Severe pain on one side of the abdomen
• Light to heavy vaginal bleeding
• Dizziness or fainting
• Rectal pressure

Ectopic pregnancy and fertility

If you’ve suffered an ectopic pregnancy you have a slightly higher risk for another, however as many as 65% of women are healthily pregnant within 18 months of an ectopic pregnancy.

The chance of subsequent pregnancies after an ectopic pregnancy depends on the health of your ovaries and fallopian tubes. Some women who experience ectopic pregnancy require medical intervention to remove the fertilized egg and, in some cases, the ovary or fallopian tube.

Am I at risk for ectopic pregnancy?

You have an increased risk for ectopic pregnancy if you have a history of or currently use the following:

• Previous ectopic pregnancy
• Salpingitis (pelvic infection)
• Damaged fallopian tube
• Infertility
• IVF
• Tubal ligation
• Intrauterine device (IUD)
• Progesterone-only oral contraceptive

To learn more about ectopic pregnancies and fertility, contact the skilled specialists at Reproductive Gynecology & Infertility. We can help you achieve a healthy pregnancy, whether you’ve experienced a previous ectopic pregnancy or are struggling with unexplained infertility. Call 866-537-2461 so your dreams of growing your family can come true.

Infertile families who choose IVF and achieve a healthy pregnancy may have additional embryos once they’ve finished growing their family. Many of these couples choose to donate their unused embryos to another person or couple for implantation. This helps other infertile families grow and supports the life of the embryo.

Today, there are an estimated one million frozen embryos in the United States and approximately 6.1 million infertile American women.

Embryo donation success rates

The average pregnancy success rate using embryo donation is high. The embryo donation success rate for pregnancy is slightly higher than standard IVF implantation success rates. This is likely because the donated or adopted embryos have undergone preimplantation genetic testing. Preimplantation genetic testing is a procedure used prior to implantation to help identify genetic defects within the embryo.

Five reasons to choose embryo donation

The skilled doctors at Reproductive Gynecology & Infertility want to ensure you understand all aspects of embryo donation and how it can help you grow your family. Here are our top five reasons to choose embryo donation:

• Most agencies and fertility clinics have embryos readily available.
• It allows the intended mother to enjoy the experience of pregnancy and childbirth.
• It can be less expensive than egg donation.
• The embryo is already created, reducing a step in the IVF process.
• Embryo donation maintains neutrality regarding the genetic connection to the child, which is important to some couples.

If you are a women aged 25-40 and have gone through unsuccessful IVF treatment, you are not alone. The skilled physicians at Reproductive Gynecology & Infertility want to help you achieve your dream of growing a family with help from embryo donation—the success rates speak for themselves. Call us at 866-537-2461.

Like our patients, Reproductive Gynecology & Infertility is expanding its family with a new Cleveland area location now open in Independence, OH joining our family of clinics already located in Columbus, Akron, Canton and Youngstown. RGI is known for offering the most advanced fertility therapy and in vitro fertilization with a 100% IVF guarantee. If you’ve been trying to conceive for more than 12 consecutive months (six consecutive months for women over the age of 35) your doctor may recommend fertility treatments.

In vitro fertilization is a way to achieve pregnancy outside the body. The process involves monitoring and stimulating a woman’s ovulatory process, removing an ovum or ova (unfertilized egg) from the woman’s ovaries and letting sperm fertilize them in a laboratory setting.

Specializing in advanced IVF techniques

Standard IVF is a powerful fertility therapy that has helped thousands of men and women achieve pregnancy. However, if you’ve tried IVF unsuccessfully or suffer from certain conditions that make IVF less effective, the board-certified endocrinologists at Reproductive Gynecology & Infertility are specialized in the following advanced techniques and more:

• Preimplantation genetic screening & diagnosis (PGS/PGD)
  This test helps identify the healthiest embryos and improves your chance of implantation. PGS is a general screening of embryos that looks for genetic abnormalities and PGD is used to test for genetic disease.
• Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)
  If your fertility issues are related to impaired sperm motility, the ICSI technique facilitates fertilization by injecting an individual sperm directly into the egg.
• Freezing and storing of eggs and embryos (cryopreservation)
  Cryopreservation can preserve your fertility for over 10 years. It’s a great solution for women who have extra eggs or embryos following IVF. It can also help preserve fertility if you need to delay starting your family due to personal or medical reasons.

If you live in Ohio and have been searching for safe, effective ‘IVF near me,’ visit Reproductive Gynecology & Infertility and learn how we can help you overcome your unique fertility issues and achieve pregnancy. Call 866-537-2461 to schedule an initial consultation.

Reproductive Gynecology & Infertility in Cleveland helps you maximize your chances of having a child with leading-edge fertility services. We’ll provide you with the exact fertility treatment and preservation technique you need to optimize your fertility.

Whether you want to preserve your fertility before starting cancer treatments, delay starting a family until your career is on track or you’ve found your life partner, we can help.

Five fertility treatments and services that can change your life

Here are five ways Cleveland reproductive medicine can change your life forever:

1. In vitro fertilization (IVF)
   Imagine your home full of joy and love only a child can bring. IVF is a treatment in which a woman’s egg is fertilized with sperm in a laboratory setting. It can help your dreams of having a baby come true.
2. Fertility surgery
   Fertility surgery can help you overcome many sources of infertility like endometriosis, uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, PCOS or blocked fallopian tubes. The board-certified physicians at Reproductive Gynecology & Infertility are highly skilled in minimally invasive surgical techniques that may, in some cases, allow you to conceive naturally.
3. Egg donor program
   Whether you’re interested in becoming an egg donor or exploring fertility treatments using donor eggs, our skilled physicians are dedicated to safe, effective fertility care you can trust.
4. Embryo donation
   if you’ve gone through the IVF process and have additional embryos, you may choose to freeze them for later use or donate them to help another couple conceive.
5. Egg Cryopreservation
   There are many reasons women choose to store their eggs. Reproductive Gynecology & Infertility is proud to have achieved successes where others have not. We provide individual infertility solutions with the utmost compassion, convenience and commitment.

If you’re looking for the best in Cleveland reproductive medicine, look no further than the experienced, compassionate professionals at Reproductive Gynecology & Infertility. Take the next step in your fertility journey by giving us a call at 866-537-2461 to schedule an initial consultation.

At Reproductive Gynecology & Infertility we offer advanced fertility services like embryo adoption. Some parents have healthy, viable embryos remaining after in vitro fertilization. While many choose to cryopreserve their eggs for future use, some opt to donate their embryos to give them a chance for life. This provides other women the opportunity to experience the joys and challenges of pregnancy, labor and delivery.

Advantages of embryo adoption

If you are unable to conceive naturally and have experienced fertility issues using your own eggs, it may be time to explore embryo adoption. Here are a few unique advantages of embryo adoption:

1. Embryo adoption allows women to experience pregnancy and childbirth
   For some, the ability to experience the joys and challenges of pregnancy, labor and delivery are important steps toward becoming a mother.
2. Embryo adoption allows parents to begin bonding with their child immediately
   The opportunity to begin the bonding process in utero can be a precious gift for adopting couples.
3. Embryo adoption gives parents the ability to control the prenatal experience

This option allows the intended parents to choose a doctor to oversee the pregnancy and prenatal care. It will also ensure their baby is receiving a healthy diet and lifestyle.

4. Embryo adoption is less expensive and faster than other types of adoption
   The cost of adopting an embryo is about 50 percent less than adopting an infant. In fact, it is often less expensive than one IVF cycle.
5. Embryo adoption gives embryos a chance to have a life

Is embryo adoption right for me?

If you’ve experienced one or more unsuccessful IVF treatments and your doctor does not believe additional fresh cycles will be successful, embryo adoption might be right for you. Embryo adoption may also be right if you (or your partner) carry a genetic disease you do not want to pass on to your child.

If you’d like to learn more about embryo adoption, IVF or other leading-edge fertility treatments call the skilled physicians at Reproductive Gynecology & Infertility at 866-537-2461.

Important Notice About COVID-19 and the Coronavirus Vaccine

To Our Patients:

As your healthcare provider, we value—and are committed to—your health and the health of your family. We also understand that you have concerns about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, which has now been designated a global pandemic.

At all times, we prioritize optimal health, safety and infection control During this outbreak we are continuing to do so with special vigilance and focus.

We are closely monitoring the evolving situation and carefully following the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. In addition, we are taking specific measures to protect you, your family, our employees and the communities we serve.

As things change, we will adjust our policies and practices to respond appropriately to new developments. At the same time, we will keep you informed about best infection-control practices and what you need to know to keep yourself and your loved ones safe.

How can you limit your exposure to the virus?

The best way to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is to avoid being exposed to the virus, which at this time is thought to spread mainly person-to-person. How do you do that?

• Wash your hands with soap and water – frequently and for at least 20 seconds each time
• If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol
• Avoid touching your face
• Maintain “social distancing” between others (about six feet apart)
• Avoid contact with people who are sick
• Cover your mouth and nose if you cough or sneeze (and immediately wash or sanitize your hands)

What should you do if you’re sick?

• Stay home except to get medical care when moderately ill – avoid public areas, transportation, events, etc.
• If you’re around other ill persons or caring for others, wear a facemask (N95)
• Cover coughs and sneezes, wash/sanitize hands and clean and disinfect all high-touch surfaces daily
• Monitor symptoms – seek prompt medical care if symptoms worsen
• Call your doctor before seeking care, including for appointments scheduled for other reasons
• Call 911 if you have a medical emergency

COVID-19 Vaccination for Pregnant Women and Women Contemplating Pregnancy

The doctors at RGI are following guidelines set forth from the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), and the Society of Maternal Fetal Medicine (SMFM) regarding COVID-19 vaccination.

For women who are planning to conceive:

• The COVID-19 vaccination is encouraged for all women who are planning to conceive or who are undergoing infertility treatment.
• Since the COVID-19 vaccine does not contain a live virus, there is no reason to delay pregnancy because of vaccine administration.
• A pregnancy test is not required prior to vaccine administration.
• There is no evidence to suggest that COVID-19 vaccine induces infertility.

For women who are pregnant:

• ACOG recommends that the COVID-19 vaccine should not be withheld from pregnant women
• Pregnancy is a strong risk factor for the development of serious complications of COVID-19 infection and increases the risk of ICU admissions, intubation, and death. Additional risk factors such as obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure may further increase the chance of developing severe disease from COVID-19 infection.
• We respect and support the decision of our pregnant patients to receive or not receive the vaccine. Pregnant women should consider the level of activity of the pandemic in their community, the potential efficacy of the vaccine, the potential risk and severity of maternal and fetal effects of COVID-19 infection, and the safety of the vaccine.
• Since the vaccine trials did not include pregnant women, we are unable to evaluate the safety data for pregnant women. However, existing safety data suggests that the risk of fetal harm from mRNA vaccines is very low.

All patients regardless of vaccine status must continue to wear masks and practice social distancing.

For more information:

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) – Vaccinating Pregnant and Lactating Patients Against COVID-19

American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) Coronavirus/COVID-19 Task Force

Rest assured that we at Reproductive Gynecology & Infertility are taking this outbreak, and our responsibility as your trusted provide, seriously. We will continue evaluating developments and taking appropriate actions to reduce exposure and keep you up-to-date.

To Request an Appointment Call 866-537-2461 Or Use Our Easy Online Contact Form