Having Trouble Conceiving But Not Ready For IVF? 2 Alternative Methods An Infertility Doctor Can Use To Help You Conceive

If you have been struggling to conceive a child with your partner, yet you are not yet ready to "call it quits" on trying to conceive naturally or just aren't ready to try IVF, then you may not realize that there are other ways infertility doctors can help you conceive a child. While IVF, or in-vitro fertilization, is a popular procedure used by women suffering from infertility to finally be able to conceive a child, there are many other methods of increasing your chances of conception your doctor can have you try first. Read on to learn about two ways an infertility doctor can help you conceive a child when you are not quite ready to try IVF. 

1. Ovulation Induction 

While some women who are not ovulating also do not menstruate, some women continue menstruating even when their ovaries are not releasing eggs. So if you think that you must be ovulating every month just because you still menstruate every month, you could be having trouble conceiving due to lack of monthly ovulation. 

Once you visit an infertility doctor, they can determine if you are ovulating by having you come into their office about one week before the day of the month you typically begin menstruating; they can then test the amount of progesterone in your blood and, if it is under 3 ng/ml, then that means you are likely not ovulating at all and experiencing a condition called anovulation.

The good news is that if your infertility doctor determines that you are not ovulating, they can prescribe you a medication to induce ovulation that could lead to you then conceiving within months. Clomiphene citrate is a medication commonly prescribed by infertility doctors to help women begin ovulating, but there are others on the market; your doctor will help you decide which is right for you, so you can begin taking it and move closer to your goal of conceiving a child. 

2. Superovulation Treatment

If your doctor determines that you are already ovulating on your own, then they can still help you increase your chances of becoming pregnant without IVF. One method of increasing a woman's chances of conception is called superovulation treatment. This process takes several steps but is non-invasive. The process triggers your ovaries to release more than one egg during your monthly cycle, so you have more than one chance each month at conceiving a child. 

The process begins several days after you begin menstruating for the month. On the first day, your doctor will have you begin taking a medication that stimulates your ovaries to release more than one egg when you later ovulate. After a couple of weeks (the exact timing varies from woman to woman and cycle to cycle), your doctor will have you return to the office to obtain an hCG trigger injection. That night, you will be instructed to attempt to conceive with your partner. Your doctor may advise you to attempt to conceive more than one time during the days following this injection. 

Your doctor may then have you begin taking a progesterone supplement to further increase your fertility. Finally, your doctor will test you for pregnancy, and you may finally receive the good news you have been waiting to hear. 

If you and your partner have been struggling to conceive a child, then don't think that an infertility doctor cannot help you if you feel you are not yet ready for IVF. There are numerous other ways an infertility doctor can help you increase your chances of conceiving a child, including these two popular methods. For more information, check out a clinic like Women's Care Inc.