I’ve written about Vitamin D before: http://draimee.org/vitamin-d-ms-and-pregnancy/ It’s in the news again: http://www.acog.org/from_home/publications/press_releases/nr06-20-11-2.cfm The American College of ObGyn has recently submitted a statement that routine screening for Vitamin D is not recommended. I pasted the link above. The Harvard newsletter (December 2010) recommends 1,000-2,000 IU of vitamin D per day, while the Vitamin D Council [...]

Over a year ago, I summarized what I think is one of the best studies looking at the relationship between caffeine and fertility: http://draimee.org/tag/caffeine/. There is new research that may lead me to change how I talk to my patients about caffeine. According to a study published recently in the British Journal of Pharmacology, caffeine [...]

IVF isn’t the way the media and Hollywood portray it to be. You don’t just walk into an IVF clinic at the age 43 to walk out one month later with twins that end up looking just like you. It’s just not that easy. As you think about doing an IVF cycle, know what could [...]

Cancer survival rates have increased vastly in the past twenty years. The increased cancer survival rates has led to an increased emphasis on quality of life issues. At the same time, advances in reproductive technologies are occurring all the time, providing options that simply did not exist for patients, even a few years ago. Patients [...]

A recent study published in the June 2011 issue of  The Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM) found that higher levels of perfluorocarbons (PFCs) in the body are associated with increased odds of having experienced menopause.   PFCs are man-made chemicals used in a varity of household products including  food containers, clothing, [...]

Coping with miscarriage is a very personal experience that every woman will do differently.  Some women form a bond with their unborn child immediately upon the news that they are pregnant, while others only do when signs and symptoms  of pregnancy begin.  If you’ve suffered a miscarriage you may have heard one of the following [...]

If you’re my patient, you may have heard me talk about the three words that I think may help you cope with the stress of fertility treatment. Here they are: 1. HOPE: Let yourself hope that you will get pregnant this cycle. It’s okay – let go and hope that you will and can get pregnant. [...]

Carolyn and Sean Savage’s joy turns to disbelief when they learn that a rare mistake at a fertility clinic left Carolyn pregnant with someone else’s child. This is an inspiring story of love and courage. You can visit their website here: http://inconceivablebook.com/ You may have missed Friday’s episode of Dateline.  The story isn’t new but many of us [...]

In a study of 219 women undergoing IVF, Israeli researchers found the odds of success were greater among women who were entertained by a professional “medical clown” right after they had the embryos implanted in the womb. This study was recently published in Fertility and Sterility online January 6, 2011: bit.ly/hY769f We usually talk to patients about [...]

Children born at shorter intervals between pregnancies are at increased risk of developing autism, according to new research published online January 10 in Pediatrics. I want all my patients to be aware of this study for a couple reasons:  1. After baby #1 is conceived via IVF or other fertility treatments, many patients want to [...]