Success Story

After a difficult journey, Danielle and Greg are happily expecting.

Danielle Czegan is looking forward to the early morning feedings, the dirty diapers and the mountains of laundry. In other words, she is ready for a little calm in her life.

In the last eight years, Danielle was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, underwent surgery and radiation therapy, graduated from college and graduate school, married Greg, worked full time and tried to start a family with the help of seven intrauterine insemination (IUI) and three in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments.

Now four months pregnant, Danielle and Greg recently returned from Walt Disney World, their first vacation since their Disney honeymoon without fertility monitoring and physician phone calls. When asked how she coped with two years of infertility, Danielle answered, "I always trusted that my RHS doctors were looking out for me, recommending the least invasive procedures first and then making adjustments all along the way. I always felt we were making progress."

Future plans? A trip to the Magic Kingdom to celebrate the baby's first birthday.

News & Events

IVF Giveaway: RHS is excited to be donating another free IVF cycle to a lucky person this summer. Visit our website for details and to enter the giveaway.

Dr. Kubik Named "Top Doc": Dr. Carolyn Kubik, Medical Director and co-founder of RHS, has been named as a "Top Doctor" by Pittsburgh Magazine for the fifth time. Read more about this honor.

RHS Celebrates Birthdays: RHS held its annual birthday party on May 3, 2009. Parents, children and staff joined together at the Pittsburgh Zoo to celebrate the birth of over 700 children!

Ask the Doctors

Prior to trying to conceive, I took birth control pills for 10 years. Could this be causing my infertility?

There is no evidence that birth control pills have an effect on fertility after you stop taking them — your chance of pregnancy is the same, no matter how long you were on birth control. This is because women are born with all of the eggs that they will ever have. During three stages of a woman's life — childhood, pregnancy and when on birth control — a low level of stimulation from the pituitary gland caused by a lack of the proper hormones prevents eggs from growing and developing. However, this has no effect on a woman's eggs at any other time, and therefore does not hinder her fertility when she stops taking birth control pills.

Myth of the Season

A hot environment kills sperm.

The effect of heat on sperm depends on the source of the heat.

Recent studies show that sperm factors (count, mobility and morphology) and production levels in fertile men remain normal under high environmental heat. This is due to natural body acclamation as the male body adapts to an atypical environment. However, any illness marked by a sudden fever does affect sperm factors. A fever increases a man's internal body temperature, reducing all sperm factors for up to 58 days.

The American Society for Reproductive Medicine states that behaviors aimed at decreasing the exposure of the testicles to sources of heat are unjustified.

Going Green to Conceive

Could switching shampoos be a remedy for infertility? Not likely, but newly published research suggests that PFCs, perfluorinated chemicals found in everyday items including cookware, carpets and cosmetics, may inhibit conception. BPA, a chemical that is widely used in the production of household plastics, is also suspected of contributing to infertility. No cause for panic — the studies demonstrate a link, not a causal relationship, between these chemicals and infertility. Still, limiting exposure is probably a good idea; going green to conceive — an even better idea.

Avoid personal care products containing fluoro- or perfluoro- prefixed ingredients.

Of the women studied by UCLA researchers, those with higher levels of PFCs in their blood took longer to become pregnant. Scientists believe that the chemicals interfere with both male and female reproductive hormones. Suggestions to reduce exposure:

• Limit greasy foods like French fries, pizza, microwave popcorn and other foods packaged with grease-resistant linings.
• Opt for furniture, carpets and clothing without stain- or water-resisting treatments.
• When using non-stick cookware, take care to avoid overheating/burning; discard pans with peeling surfaces.
• Read labels carefully; when possible, avoid personal care products containing fluoro- or perfluoro- prefixed ingredients.
• Minimize use of PFC-containing pesticides — good gardening practices may obviate the need to spray, and your local agricultural extension or nursery expert can often suggest non-chemical alternatives.

BPA, a building block of plastics used in water bottles and food storage containers, has an observed estrogen-like effect on uterine cells and may interfere with the implantation of a fertilized egg. Additional data suggests an association between high levels of BPA and infertility in both men and women. Heat, acid, detergents and microwaves can significantly increase the BPA leached into food and beverages.

As evidence of other health-related risks mounts, government and industry alike have been working to eliminate BPA in consumer products. In May, Chicago became the first major city to ban BPA from baby bottles and sippy cups. Here are some steps you can take to reduce your exposure to BPA:

• Substitute glass for plastic when storing food, and limit metal cans (linings contain BPA) containing acidic products like tomatoes and soft drinks.
• Filter water — especially drinking water.
• Choose unlined steel water bottles when possible.
• Opt for wooden, metal or glass kitchen utensils and bakeware.
• Avoid using plastic in the microwave; allow foods and beverages to cool before storing in plastic.
• Discard old, damaged plastic containers.
• Avoid #7 plastics; when possible, choose #2 and #5 recyclables.

A quick kitchen inventory will no doubt reveal drawers and cabinets chock full of PFCs and BPA — relax...take a cleansing breath. The study on PFCs is preliminary; it's the first to explore the relationship between perfluorinated chemicals and pregnancy. Both studies warrant additional testing before any drastic measures need to be taken. However, the existing research may inspire you to consider a bit of house greening.

Online Fertility Support

Although more than 10% of the population struggles with infertility, feelings of isolation and "no one understands" are common side effects. When phoning a fertile friend isn't what the doctor ordered, support may be a mouse click away. The Web offers a variety of opportunities to connect with others riding the same waves of emotion and uncertainty. With complete anonymity, you can discuss shared experiences, follow couples at similar stages in fertility treatment or link to a wealth of cyberspace resources.

Blogs: The majority of fertility-related blogs are written either by health care professionals or the female partner of infertile couples. They can be informative, uplifting and often cathartic for the writer. If you want to utilize blogs, it's a good idea to search reputable health and wellness sites for blogs of interest or to follow a blogger you enjoy on Twitter (a micro-blog). Also, when exploring a new blog, remember to always consider its source — bloggers and site sponsors may have concealed agendas.

Facebook: This online social network provides many connection opportunities. As a member, you can keep well-meaning friends updated with a short sentence or two. Facebook also offers a discussion board called "A Community for Infertility," links to informational resources (you can "become a fan" of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine) and networked blogs — a community of like-minded bloggers and their followers.

Message Boards: Perhaps the best way to meet someone online that you can relate to — someone of the same age, with the same marital status and reproductive history, in the same trimester or stage of an IVF series, etc. — is on a message board. Each board contains a variety of topics, making it easier to find the subjects you wish to discuss. Recommendations: WebMD, HealthBoards.com and iVillage's Infertility Support, which offers more than 200,000 postings and live online discussion groups.

	To get started utilizing the online community that is available for infertility support, check out Seedlings, the fertility news blog from Reproductive Health Specialists, and post your comments. Or, volunteer to be a guest blogger at info@ivfpittsburgh.com.