Female Infertility Testing in Omaha, NE

Infertility is the inability to get pregnant. It is usually diagnosed when a couple has had unprotected intercourse for at least 1 full year with no success for pregnancy. All women are born with a fixed number of eggs for reproduction. As their age increases, the number and quality of eggs decreases. Statistically, the chances of becoming pregnant decrease by about 3% to 5% per year once they reach the age of 30. After age 40, the decrease in fertility is considerably greater.

There are many causes of female infertility and our specialists use the most up to date testing procedures to ensure an accurate diagnosis. Learn more about the causes of infertility and call our office in Omaha, NE to schedule your consultation today.

Call Us At (402) 697-7200

Forms for patients starting infertility treatments:

What Causes Female Infertility?

Besides the ongoing reduction in the number and quality of eggs a woman has after she reaches 30, other factors can negatively impact fertility such as:

  • Being under or overweight

  • Defects in the uterus (septum, fibroids, polyps, etc.)

  • Hormonal imbalance

  • Chronic uncontrolled diseases (Diabetes, thyroid disorders, etc.)

  • Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)

  • Pelvic Inflammatory Disease ( PID)

  • Semen/sperm abnormalities (low motility, low counts, previous traumas)

Diagnosing Female Infertility

Where the female is suspected of being infertile, physicians have several tests and procedures to confirm a diagnosis. These include:

  • Blood tests to check hormone levels

  • Pelvic ultrasound

  • Additional diagnostic tests to determine if scar tissue or fallopian tube obstruction are present include:

o Hysterosalpingography/Sonohystogram (SIS). A procedure that uses either ultrasound or X-ray images of the reproductive organs to determine if the fallopian tubes are blocked.
o Laparoscopy. A minimally invasive procedure where a laparoscope is inserted into the abdomen through a small incision near the belly button to view the outside of the uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes to detect abnormal growths, as in endometriosis.
o Ovarian Reserve Testing. Blood test to determine a woman’s ovarian reserve to predict whether she can produce an egg or eggs of good quality as well as and how her ovaries are responding to hormonal signals from her brain.

Are There Treatments for Infertility?

Many fertility drugs to treat female infertility can increase the potential of having twins, triplets, or other multiples. Women should be aware that pregnancies with multiple fetuses can have more problems during pregnancy. Additionally, multiple fetuses have a high risk of premature birth and are at an increased risk of problems associated with overall health and development.

Some of the more common oral and injectable medications used by gynecologists to treat female infertility include:

  • Clomid-Femara. An oral medication that is used to induce ovulation in women that do not develop and release an egg on their own.
  • Human chorionic gonadotropin or HCG (Pregnyl, Novarel). This injectable medication acts directly on the ovaries to stimulate ovulation.
  • Follicle-stimulating hormone or FSH (Gonal-F, Follistim). Given by injection, FSH works much like HCG in that it causes the ovaries to begin the ovulation process.
  • Metformin (Glucophage). Usually given orally, this medication is used with women who have insulin resistance or PCOS.
  • Intrauterine Insemination (IUI). For an IUI your partner will bring in a semen specimen that morning and the doctor will bypass the cervical mucus barrier and insert the specimen directly into the uterus to give the sperm a “head start” to the egg.