Our Nashville IVF and IUI services are preceded by fertility testing
Having a baby is a dream that many couples still hope to realize. But for approximately 1 in 8 couples, the reality is that getting pregnant or maintaining a pregnancy is difficult. For these couples, discovering what’s causing their infertility is a main priority. A Nashville IVF and IUI specialist performs comprehensive fertility testing to determine the causes of infertility in both men and women.
Based on the results, our highly skilled reproductive endocrinologists will employ the latest technologies to safely and effectively devise a treatment plan to help you successfully build the family you’ve always wanted.
Your Nashville IVF and IUI physician reinforces the 6/12 rule
The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) recommends a fertility evaluation for women who haven’t become pregnant after 12 months of trying, or after six months for women over the age 35. Women are also urged to get tested if they suffer from troubling symptoms.
- A history of irregular menstrual cycles (or no periods at all)
- A family history of premature ovarian failure
- A known or suspected problem with the uterus, and fallopian tubes
- Problems in the abdominal cavity like endometriosis or adhesions
- Pain during intercourse
- Previous pelvic surgeries
What to expect with fertility testing
As part of your female fertility evaluation, your Nashville IVF and IUI specialist may perform the following tests:
- Hysterosalpingogram (HSG). This is an X-ray procedure to determine whether or not the fallopian tubes are open and if the shape of the uterine cavity is normal.
- Sonohysterography. After filling the uterus with saline, we can use a transvaginal ultrasound to detect intrauterine problems such as endometrial polyps and fibroids.
- Transvaginal ultrasonography. An ultrasound probe placed in the vagina allows your physician to check the uterus and ovaries for abnormalities such as fibroids and ovarian cysts. The number of tiny follicles seen on the ovaries indicate a woman’s ovarian reserve.
- Ovarian reserve testing. Blood tests help assess a woman’s fertility by evaluating her FSH, estradiol and AMH hormone levels and the growth of egg-containing follicles in a typical menstrual cycle. A blood progesterone level test can help determine whether ovulation has occurred.
- Hormone testing. Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and prolactin levels are useful to identify endocrine disorders.
- Hysteroscopy. This is an outpatient surgical procedure in which a lighted telescope and surgical instruments are passed through the cervix to view the endometrial cavity and treat problems noted during the procedure.
Types of infertility testing for men
Men can expect to have orders for a semen analysis at our partner IVF lab, Ovation Fertility™. Within one hour of collection, sperm and semen are analyzed for volume (how much semen a man produces), count (total number of sperm in the semen sample), concentration (number of sperm in each milliliter of semen), motility (percentage of sperm that are moving) and morphology (sperm shape).
We may also take a blood sample to check hormone levels. Two important hormones for human reproduction are follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and testosterone. Your Nashville IVF fertility specialist may recommend checking other hormone levels, including luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol and prolactin. If the semen analysis results aren’t normal, we will discuss the possibility of IVF with sperm injection (ICSI). For sperm retrieval issues, you may need to have more tests performed by a urologist.
If you’re having trouble conceiving, don’t delay in finding the cause. Contact us for further information about fertility testing.
