Early pregnancy is often accompanied with a host of symptoms, including nausea, fatigue and sore breasts. These are often the indicators that pregnancy has occurred, prompting women to make an appointment with their gynecologist or family...
Soon after conception, a woman's body begins to produce the hormone HCG or human chorionic gonadotropin. A positive pregnancy test indicates that this hormone has been detected. While urine pregnancy tests look only for the presence or absence of...
Every woman is born with a set supply of eggs. Each egg is contained within a structure called a follicle, which is comprised of layers of ovarian cells surrounding fluid which provides nutrients for the egg. Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FHS) is...
Hormones are substances produced by the body that have chemical effects on other parts of the body. Women produce hormones, such as estradiol, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and progesterone. Certain hormones rise at...
When trying to get pregnant, timing is important. Knowing when ovulation occurs can help you plan the best time to conceive. An ovulation test, available at any drug or department store, can help pinpointing the moment of ovulation. These tests...
Many couples experiencing infertility and who want to get pregnant can undergo various treatments to help them conceive. Scientists and physicians have designed treatment methods that give couples the best chance of success. One technique of...
The American Pregnancy Association says that ovulation predictor tests and fertility monitors help determine expected ovulation by identifying luteinizing hormone (LH) in the urine. Other monitors test for an increase in electrolytes in saliva,...
Getting pregnant after age 40 is possible, but some women may face more challenges in conceiving than they would at an earlier age. Fertility declines significantly for several years before menopause. The She Knows website classifies ages 38 to 42...
Purchasing a pregnancy test can be a daunting task for a first-time user. Pregnancy tests work by detecting a hormone produced by the body called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), as soon as the embryo implants in the uterus. As early as ten...
During pregnancy your placenta produces the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG. The placenta begins producing this hormone immediately after fertilization and it can be detected by a urine test approximately 12 to 14 days after...
False positive results are uncommon on pregnancy tests; false negatives are much more common. Certain medications can cause a false positive result on blood test or home pregnancy tests. Pregnancy tests measure levels of human chorionic...
FSH, shorthand for follicle-stimulating hormone, is a substance that is released by the pituitary gland. FSH is required for normal fertility; the hormone stimulates a man's sperm production and the release of eggs in a woman. According to the...
Male fertility depends on producing sufficient number of sperm which must be healthy and mobile enough to travel to the woman's egg and penetrate it. This doesn't mean that if a man is fertile his partner will immediately become pregnant;...
Health insurance is designed to help people cover the cost of part or all of their medical expenses. Though the specifics of coverage vary from plan to plan--and you should always check with your insurance provider if you're not sure whether your...
Whether a woman has missed her menstrual period or simply "feels pregnant," home pregnancy tests offer the convenience of testing without having to make a doctor appointment. Home tests sense the hormone hCG, which is produced by the chorion (part...
You can't tell if a man's infertile just by looking at him, but it happens more frequently than you might think. Male infertility accounts for about half of the total infertility cases, reports the American Pregnancy Association, and yet people...
A surrogate mother is a woman who carries a child to term for a couple that cannot have a child on their own. Surrogacy is an option for women who cannot bear children due to infertility or other health issues and may otherwise remain childless....
Whether a woman is trying to conceive or would rather not, one of the concerns foremost on her mind around the time of her expected period is whether she's pregnant. While determining pregnancy used to require a trip to the doctor's office and a...
One of the first and easiest tests your doctor will do when determining problems with fertility is blood work. Both men and women will have their hormone levels checked to determine if they are abnormal. The reproductive system works with a...
Brahmi is a low, creeping vine that is also known by its Latin name Centella asiatica and the more common name gotu kola, according to Medicinal Herb Info. The University of Maryland Medical Center reports that gotu kola has been used medicinally...
Family planning agencies play a critical role in ensuring people have access to a variety of preventative and healthcare services. Because they lower the risk of unplanned pregnancy, federally funded family planning clinics lower public-sector...
The basal body temperature is your body temperature at rest, usually taken as soon as you wake up in the morning. Women trying to get pregnant often take their basal body temperature, or BBT, every morning to watch for the drop in temperature that...
Skin bleaching is a popular treatment among people who have skin discoloration due to inflammation, sun damage, melasma or genetics. Bleahing products, which typically contain hydroquinone, are applied to dark and discolored patches to achieve an...
Both urine and blood pregnancy tests work by detecting human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCGm, levels. Blood tests can detect hCG earlier in pregnancy than urine tests. Blood tests can typically do this around the time of implantation, seven to...
Getting pregnant is not always easy; in fact, it can be quite difficult. For ovulation to occur, hormone levels must be balanced properly. If not, anovulation may occur. There are ways to track progestrone levels and ovulation. By keeping track of...
Parenthood is a lifelong dream for many couples, which can easily be prevented by the constant stress, anxiety and pressure brought on when trying to conceive. If conventional methods have yet to aid in conception, a holistic approach may be your...
Signs and symptoms of pregnancy can be baffling for some women. Home pregnancy tests are not always reliable, and their timing is tricky. Most women believe that once they are pregnant, they do not bleed until birth, but that is not always the...
Your first step in finding a fertility doctor, or reproductive endocrinologist, is probably through your gynecologist. He will give you names of doctors he's worked with in the past, and once you have made your decision, he will forward your...
The endocrine system is a network of hormone-producing glands. Though estrogens and androgens are vital to the development of distinct female or male characteristics, both types of hormone are present in both sexes. It is the concentration of the...
