Categories: Nutrition Help

Female Fertility Tests

Contents[show]

1 Hormone Assessment
2 Tubal and Uterine Assessment
- 2.1 Immunological Screening

Hormone Assessment

Blood tests on days 1-3 of your cycle check on your egg potential, estradiol, prolactin, and thyroid levels.
Day 21 +/- blood tests check on progesterone levels and determine if you have ovulated.

FSH

This hormone stimulates the growth of ovarian follicles. Checking these levels on day 1-3 establishes ovarian reserve and quality of eggs. Perimenopausal and menopausal women have elevated FSH.

Estradiol (E2)

The main estrogen secreted by the ovarian follicles. This hormone causes the endometrium to thicken and keeps FSH levels from getting too high. These levels drop in perimenopausal women, this is why the FSH rises. Both FSH and E2 should be low, high levels may indicate an ovarian cyst.

A surge of Luteinizing hormone mid cycle is released to stimulate ovulation, form the corpus luteum, and synthesize progesterone in the ovaries. High levels on day 1-3 may indicate Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.

Prolactin

This controls milk production after childbirth, and the production of progesterone. This is tested if PCOS is a possibility. High prolactin can interfere with ovulation, or result in reduced progesterone which makes it hard to maintain a pregnancy.

Thyroid hormones

Thyroid stimulating hormone controls the thyroid and therefore regulates metabolic functions of all the body’s systems. Low levels of T4 with high levels of TSH make the thyroid gland underactive which can cause infertility. When TSH is at good levels and T4 is below what is should be, the pituitary could be the problem.

Androgens

High levels of male hormones might mean PCOS. The pituitary may be secreting excess LH which prevents ovulation and causes the ovaries to secrete higher amounts of male hormones.

Progesterone

The corpus luteum secretes progesterone. Checking levels around day 21 determine if you have ovulated. It is also used to detect a Luteal Phase Defect. If there is not enought progesterone in the luteal phase, the endometrium will not be ready for implantation.

Tubal and Uterine Assessment

Blocked tubes account for 20% of female infertility. It can be caused by an infection from an STD, Pelvic Inflamatory disease (caused by STD’s, IUD’s) or adhesions caused by surgery.

Hysterosalpingogram (HSG)

A small tube is inserted into the cervix and dye is released into the uterus. Via X-ray, this dye allows the doctor to see any structural abnormalities.

Laparoscopy

This requires general anesthetic and a short hospital stay. A small incision is made near the belly button and carbon dioxide is pumped into the abdomen. The laparoscope (small camera) is inserted into the abdomen so the doctor can see with more detail where a blockage may be, if it is a fibroid, endometriosis, lesions, or anything else unusual.

Hysteroscopy

Very similar to a laparoscope except that the device is inserted vaginally into the uterus and only local anesthetic is used. This is only used to look into the uterus with great presicion.

Immunological Screening

this should be done if there have been repeat miscarriages, or the cause of infertility is still a mystery. These tests determine if your immune system is attacking your partners sperm, or the fertilized egg. Repeat testing through early pregnancy is necessary to pinpoint some of these immunological reactions that may be compromising full gestation.

If you have had 2 or more miscarriages, have unexplained infertility, or have good embryos that fail to implant via IVF, immunological screening is the next option for you.

Thickened blood as a result of antibodies present increases the risk of miscarriage. Antiphospholipid, anticardiolipin are the most common antibodies that will cause this.

Antinuclear antibodies cause inflamation in the uterus.

Maternal blocking antibodies or natural killer cells cause embryo rejection.

Must Read: Sperm Quality – Toxins – Miscarriage

Dr Spence Pentland

Dr. Pentland is founder of The IVF Acupuncture Group of Greater Vancouver, available 7 days a week for on site embryo transfer and acupuncture treatments at the Pacific Centre for Reproductive Medicine (PCRM) and Genesis Fertility Centre. “The integrated relationship I have established with these clinics is something that I value very much as it expands my knowledge, gives me the opportunity to reach more people, and helps me better understand how to support women on their journey toward family.” says Dr. Pentland. Dr. Pentland, along with Dr. Jeffrey Roberts of The Pacific Centre for Reproductive Medicine (PCRM), and Dr. Christine Sutton of the University of British Columbia, authored research published in Fertility & Sterility on the stress reducing effects of acupuncture when administered in the weeks leading up to an IVF embryo transfer. In 2015 Spence published BEING FERTILE - 10 Steps to Help You Overcome the Struggles of Infertility, Get Pregnant, and Create a Happy, Healthy Family. A book written to provide hope, tools and resources for women and couples experiencing difficulty starting or expanding their families. Dr. Pentland is founder of The IVF Acupuncture Group of Greater Vancouver, available 7 days a week for on site embryo transfer and acupuncture treatments at the Pacific Centre for Reproductive Medicine (PCRM) and Genesis Fertility Centre. “The integrated relationship I have established with these clinics is something that I value very much as it expands my knowledge, gives me the opportunity to reach more people, and helps me better understand how to support women on their journey toward family.” says Dr. Pentland. Dr. Pentland, along with Dr. Jeffrey Roberts of The Pacific Centre for Reproductive Medicine (PCRM), and Dr. Christine Sutton of the University of British Columbia, authored research published in Fertility & Sterility on the stress reducing effects of acupuncture when administered in the weeks leading up to an IVF embryo transfer. In 2015 Spence published BEING FERTILE - 10 Steps to Help You Overcome the Struggles of Infertility, Get Pregnant, and Create a Happy, Healthy Family. A book written to provide hope, tools and resources for women and couples experiencing difficulty starting or expanding their families. Further demonstrating his commitment to reproductive health, he is a devoted member of IAAC (Infertility Awareness Association), CFAS (Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society), and ASRM (American Society for Reproductive Medicine). As the former president of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Association of British Columbia and the provincial BC TCM quality assurance committee, Dr. Pentland is well respected by peers and patients alike. He remains actively involved in educating healthcare colleagues and the public on the powerful benefits of Chinese medicine & acupuncture, working steadily on the integration of ancient Daoist wisdom into modern western life as a way to build awareness about reproductive health. This compassionate expertise is reflected in patient testimonials. When not helping others start their families, Spence can be found spending time with his own--his adoring wife Chantal and their two beautiful sons. “I am very proud to be part of the team of professionals at Yinstill. We are all dedicated to raising the bar in the field of complimentary and alternative reproductive medicine. Nothing is more important than family,” he says. Professional Development Certifications Combining TCM and IVF to Improve Clinical Outcomes - Jane Lyttleton Treating Complex Gynecological Conditions with Evidence-based Acupuncture - Elisabet Stener-Victorin High-Performance Summit - Darren Hardy Acupuncture during Pregnancy: safe and ethical practice - Claudia Citkovitz Treating Irregular Menstrual Bleeding - Sharon Weizenbaum Management of High Risk Pregnancy Conditions - David Bray Physiology & Pathology of Gynecology - Giovanni Maciocia Treatment protocols for Menopause and Endometriosis - Kiiko Matsumoto Chinese medicine approach to the treatment of Poor Ovarian Reserve - Brandon Horn Clinical problems and solutions in Oriental Reproductive medicine - Dr. Daoshing Ni Treatment strategies for PCOS, Weight Loss, & type 2 Diabetes - Sharon Weizenbaum Allergic and Autoimmune diseases - Mazin Al-Khafaji Acupuncture in Pregnancy & Childbirth - Debra Betts Treating Infertility with Chinese medicine - Bob Flaws Masters class in Diagnosis - Bob Flaws East meets West in Reproductive medicine - Mike Berkley The Infertility Cure - Chinese wellness program - Randine Lewis Men’s Health and Fertility - Peter Deadman Integrating acupuncture and IVF - Diane Cridennda and Dr. Paul Magarelli Treatment of Infertility with Chinese medicine - Jane Lyttleton Yang School lecture series Part 1 - Dr. Liu Fang Advanced acupuncture in pregnancy - Jean Levesque Certified Western herbalist - Packard School of Nutrition Courageous conversations - Justice Institute Biology of Empowerment - Dr. Lee Pulos Secrets of Chinese Pulse Diagnosis - Bob Flaws and Honora Lee Wolfe View Articles and Blog Posts by Dr. Pentland Read Dr. Pentland's Success Stories Become Spence's friend on facebook