Getting to Baby
1 in 8 American women will struggle when she decides to try to conceive. She will require additional assistance, often after pursuing pregnancy on her own without success for some time. We know how arduous, heart-wrenching, & difficult this process is. We know it takes a toll on everything in that woman's life: her relationship, her work, her sense of self-worth, her overall well-being, her mental health, her family. We know that, by the time you see us, you have been through the wringer. We also know that women cannot conceive on their own because they do not have sperm available to them, either because they are unpartnered, because their partners do not make sperm or because something has happened to damage available sperm. We know it is an inherent hardship to have no choice but to involve another person in your journey to conceive.
Your comfort, privacy & emotional security are of utmost concern. We pay particular attention to minimizing discomfort & maximizing privacy during all procedures, & we tailor our approach to evaluating & addressing your fertility concern to your particular situation. We will walk beside you every step of the way. In our setting, you will have a known & familiar team to partner in your care with a unique interest in not just whether you conceive but also the health of your body & your baby along the way.
INFERTILITY EVALUATION & TREATMENT
We offer the following assessments in the office in order to serve you best.
LET'S TAKE A PEEK, SHALL WE?
Following a comprehensive physical exam & evaluation of history, we will determine the appropriate labwork to be conducted to assess & address any hormonal or other medical concerns that may be affecting your ability to conceive. If you are partnered to a man, this initial workup will include an order for a semen analysis to ensure immediate evaluation of both partners. We will assess ovarian reserve & ovulatory function to determine what measures might be necessary. Once an underlying cause of infertility is identified, we will discuss the next steps to achieve pregnancy. Sometimes, infertility for women means that they have lost many babies; in this case, we carefully assess for the underlying cause of their losses & we treat this before they try again to conceive.
IS THE PATH CLEAR? Occasionally, women can have a condition in which the fallopian tubes, through which the eggs travel to become fertilized, have become blocked, either by scar tissue or by other debris that has collected inside the tube. Dr. Chinn uses the FemVue device, which does not introduce any chemical contrast medium into your body, to attempt to open your tubes in order to ensure the path is clear to make a baby.
Ovulation Induction
FREE THE EGGS! If we determine that your infertility is caused by ineffective ovulation, we will offer options for inducing ovulation, which are varied. All options will be discussed thoroughly & the course you decide to take will be your own
Intracervical Insemination
GETTING THE SPERM INSIDE At times, women require assistance with the instillation of sperm, either because they are unpartnered, their partners do not make sperm, or their partners have defective sperm. We can use donor sperm to perform intracervical inseminations, which do not involve penetration into the uterus, & we will accept shipment of your sperm directly to the clinic to ensure safekeeping.
Ultrasonography
MORE IN-DEPTH EXPLORATION If there are concerns based on your history regarding the status of your ovaries, your uterus or the lining in your uterus, we may perform an ultrasound, either transvaginally, transabdominally, or both, to assess your anatomy. When you achieve pregnancy, we will offer to monitor your early pregnancy frequently with ultrasound assessment to ensure progress. We prefer to follow all of our infertility patients through their successful first trimesters. Sometimes, infertility for women means that they have lost many babies; in this case, we carefully ensure that the source of their miscarriages has been addressed, & we treat the source to prevent repeated loss.
Intrauterine Insemination
GETTING THE SPERM ALL THE WAY INSIDE. At times, women require assistance with the instillation of sperm, either because they are unpartnered, their partners do not make sperm, or their partners have defective sperm. We can use donor sperm or your partner's appropriately washed & prepared sperm specimen to inseminate directly into the uterus, which is a more invasive but also more effective manner of insemination. We will accept shipment of your sperm samples directly to the clinic to ensure safekeeping.
Your intensive package includes all visits, all variety of frequent check-ins, the development of a comprehensive plan, a consistent program for accountability, frequent tailoring with revision as necessary, tangible resources and tools given to you for home use, and the use of any recommended ancillary services.