Dr. Knocked Up

We don't actually get snow down here in Texas. But nothing stops us from taking care of our patients! ❄️

We have a responsibility as providers to never fall into a siloed mentality of health care. It's not just about fertility. Women's health and basic access to female necessities is vital, as is recognizing when these needs are not met within our local communities. In partnership with Dallas IVF is hosting a Period Product Drive! You can drop-off products at each clinic from February 1-28th.

We are always looking for ways to give back to our local community, which is why my is the absolute best, period. Learn more about the incredible work SheSupply is doing in the North Texas communities over at https://bit.ly/3kHW8GZ

At times, fertility treatment can feel like such a narrow path to success, like if you lean a bit one way or the other, you’ll fall off the path. It’s actually to the contrary – there are many ways to build a family, pretty much no matter what obstacles you come up against in your own journey.

Let your provider guide you and continue to open doors for you, even when you feel like they are clamping shut. If your eggs aren’t in the condition we had hoped they were, think about using donor eggs. If Clomid on its own hasn’t led to pregnancy, maybe it’s time to consider . If you or your partner’s biology isn’t compatible with pregnancy, look into surrogacy. These days, with so many technological and medical advances in fertility treatment, the pathways to solutions – and ultimately to parenthood – are just short of unlimited. Stay strong, we got this!

Let's dish about treatment burnout. Infertility is hard and it can have an impact on various facets of your life. Having experienced a fertility diagnosis and the treatment process alongside my wife, no one is immune to the mental, physical, and financial wear and tear that it can have on a couple. However, there are ways to work through it. Here's my RX for burnout:

✔️Find support-like stat. Whether it is through a support group or a mental health professional, they are there to help you work through the spectrum of complicated feelings.

✔️Don't lose yourself in this process. Take a break. Invoke the self-care is mandatory rule.

✔️ Do date nights-and don't talk about Bruno (AKA fertility/family building)

✔️ Talk to your RE. Let them know where your head is and how you are feeling. Ask about your options, all of them. IVF is not guaranteed. Knowing your limits and communicating these thoughtfully with your fertility doctor can make all the difference.

A top focus for many as we enter into 2023 is to improve overall . When we talk , the topic of having treatment in tandem with holistic care doesn't always come up... but it can help with both your and overall wellness. I know my team at Dallas IVF recognizes that your mind and body are interconnected and equally important. If you are interested in learning how read on here: https://dallasivf.com/fertility-treatments/treatments/holistic/

Today, we honor Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy of hope and dreams.

Let’s be honest: Googling infertility is a lot simpler than going to the doctor. There is no time off work, no drive to a clinic, no forms to fill out. But of course, Google isn’t looking at your medical chart either. If you *must* research about your fertility online, let me direct you to some reputable sites of organizations that us doctors rely on and support American Society for Reproductive Medicine, RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, and the CDC all have detailed and reliable information about every aspect of infertility you might ever want to know.

Whether you are thinking about pursuing fertility treatment, or you are diving back in 2023, there's many lifestyle changes you can take to prepare for treatment in the new year. You don’t have to turn yourself upside down and inside out here, just one thing at a time. The first thing is to follow the crowd this January. What do I mean? All the lifestyle changes everyone talks about in their New Year’s resolutions should be going on with you too: quit smoking (to***co and otherwise), reduce/eliminate alcohol, and start eating healthy foods. All of those things really matter in the pregnancy realm, they just do. And did you know that being underweight can affect fertility as much as being overweight can? So start nudging yourself toward a healthier weight. And once you are serious about making those changes, it’s time to see a fertility specialist.

IVF success rates – what does it mean? I measure success not only in scientific numbers but in healthy pregnancies, happy families and the babies my patients take home. People considering what fertility practice to work with often use published success rates as an important evaluation tool. I am proud to say that I often take on difficult situations that may have lower chances of success – I have many patients who have failed or been denied treatments at other facilities. Everyone deserves a fair shot at creating the family they dream of!

Fertility Telemedicine Appointments | Dallas IVF | Frisco, TX

Let's talk...telemedicine

Whether it is a first-time appointment, or you are seeking a second opinion, you can reduce the overwhelm by using telemedicine. We're continuing to utilize telemedicine consultations for both new and existing patients! You can use your phone, tablet or computer to connect with me for your virtual visit!

Click here to learn more:

Fertility Telemedicine Appointments | Dallas IVF | Frisco, TX Fertility telemedicine (telehealth) appointments available for new and existing patients. Keep your fertility family plan on track, get started today.

What is ? Glad you asked! Intracytoplasmic S***m Injection, became a game changer in male factor fertility treatment.
ICSI evens the playing field in for couples with severe male factor infertility. ICSI successfully achieves fertilization in 50-80% of eggs, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine

ICSI injects one s***m into one egg, instead of placing the egg in a petri dish with 50,000 s***m, as in traditional IVF. If the s***m are low quality or don’t move well, they may not reach the egg in the petri dish. ICSI allows the embryologist to select one healthy-appearing s***m to use, so that the chances of success increase dramatically.

Who likes bingo?... Anyone? 👋

The holidays can be difficult for those dealing with . Checking in to make sure you're taking care of YOU! Here's a "Holiday Bingo Card" for you to challenge yourself with... from Ku to you!

Even after office hours I sometimes where a mask 😷

We had our team holiday party last weekend. I looked around and got temporarily lost in the moment reflecting on seeing our team all together and thought how lucky I was to have such great people who give so much to our patients. I couldn’t do what I do without them!

Fertility Telemedicine Appointments | Dallas IVF | Frisco, TX

Looking to make an appointment or seeking a second opinion? We're continuing to utilize telemedicine consultations for both new and existing patients! You can use your phone, tablet or computer to connect with me for your virtual visit!

Click here ➡️

Fertility Telemedicine Appointments | Dallas IVF | Frisco, TX Fertility telemedicine (telehealth) appointments available for new and existing patients. Keep your fertility family plan on track, get started today.

Holiday gatherings can be complicated. They also can bring nosey people poking into your personal business, by asking things like when you plan to have kids. You should only share what you are comfortable sharing, with any given person- remember you don't owe anyone an explanation.

When my wife and I were on our own fertility journey, we answered these types of questions from people countless times. You’ll find a response that works for you and remind yourself of it ahead of each event so that you’re prepared.

Tis the season for the flu, COVID (ongoing), common cold, norovirus---the list goes on.

Did you know this is the start of ? Hopefully, this week will promote handwashing year-round (as opposed to just THIS week). As we've learned during the pandemic, one of the best first lines of defense to staying healthy is WASHING YOUR HANDS! Grab that soap and water and get to cleaning!

Fertility testing and treatment can look like an alphabet soup of acronyms and abbreviations, but each of those letter combos can tell us something notable about your treatment journey. You might see AMH, or Anti-Mullerian Hormone, testing as one of the blood tests we will perform. AMH testing provides doctors with important information about a woman’s fertility potential. An test can be done at any time during your menstrual cycle. Low levels of AMH suggest you may have a diminished egg supply. High levels of AMH can signify other problems. Neither of these is what I would call a dealbreaker – they just tell us which direction to head with your .

medications are designed to stimulate ovaries in women, and there’s no getting around the fact that they cause some side effects. For obvious reasons, many of the side effects are similar to early symptoms, and that can be confusing. How do you know whether it’s just the meds affecting you, or if you’re pregnant?

Overwhelmingly, the odds are that it’s just the side effects. How can you know *for sure for sure*? Talk to your provider. They may tell you to wait it out. We know you’re eager for to be effective and for you to become pregnant. Believe me, we are too! Just bear in mind that those meds are doing what they are designed to do, even when they make you suspect that you’re pregnant.

Doctors for Fertility

Today is , a global day of giving. An organization that is near and dear to me is Doctors For Fertility Their mission is to:

✔️Help keep and fertility care safe and open to all
✔️Restore reproductive rights and autonomy
✔️Lessen the financial burden of IVF and fertility care

All things that are both personal to me and that impact my patients. Learn more about Doctors for Fertility and how to support them here⬇️

Doctors for Fertility Creating a world in which every person who wants a family has access to fertility and reproductive care.

For fertility doctors, a moral question: Will they help protect IVF from abortion bans?

“I hope we are not too late,” he told before Roe was overturned. After the Supreme Court’s decision, Ku wrote in an email that the “news has awoken a sleeping dragon … WE are all fired up.”

I mean what I said in this The 19th News article, we are all fired up and here to rally and plan.

Read the full article here ⬇️

For fertility doctors, a moral question: Will they help protect IVF from abortion bans? Reproductive endocrinologists are joining the abortion rights movement to protect IVF and fertility care. But would they help write laws to ban abortions if it meant saving IVF?

How Male Fertility Changes With Age

“I hope we are not too late,” he told the 19th before Roe was overturned. After the Supreme Court’s decision, Ku wrote in an email that the “news has awoken a sleeping dragon … WE are all fired up.”

I mean what I said to The 19th News, we are all fired up. Read the full article here ⬇️

How Male Fertility Changes With Age How Male Fertility Changes With Age

From our family to yours! Wishing you a safe, happy, healthy, and gourdous Thanksgiving. May we all have more to look forward to in the coming year!

When you’re struggling with infertility, the holidays can all be complicated. Not to mention, it can put you in some awkward situations where people say well-intentioned but hurtful things.

When my wife and I were addressing our own , these scenarios happened to us too. The best advice I can give you is to talk gently to yourself, and remind yourself that it’s OK to have the sad or negative feelings that you’re having – even during the . Have some boundaries for yourself too; if you know that certain gatherings or events will add to the sting you’re already feeling, then skip them, or just stay for a short time like an hour. Then go home and put on your pj’s and maybe write in your journal about what is on your mind. Take it from me, it won’t always feel this raw or be this tough, so when it is, take good care of yourself.

That time I was at American Society for Reproductive Medicine

Treating is no joke. Reproductive endocrinologists work hard and take our patients’ health seriously. But there has to be room for the occasional giggle. So, here I am riding a s***m bike at

Seattle S***m Bank

...what is it?

is when tissues that are like the lining of the uterus expand outside the uterus and begin to attach to the , tubes and other tissue in that area. Because they are outside the uterus, these tissues don’t shed every month, so they begin to cause problems, including potentially severe pelvic pain and .

There is not a cure for endometriosis, but there are many treatments available for the endometriosis itself and for infertility caused by endometriosis. Your provider will screen and examine you for endometriosis as part of your infertility treatment, and we will address it head on if it turns out to be the reason for your infertility.

infertility plays a statistically equal role in , believe it or not. About 10% of all men in the U.S. who are trying to conceive may experience infertility, according to the .

Causes can include:
• Testicles that are unable to produce any s***m
• S***m of low quantity or poor quality
• Abnormally shaped or formed s***m that don’t move well enough
• S***m with genetic complications

Testing and screening can lead us to what we need to know.

On , we want to highlight these organizations that actively work year-round to increase coverage for our veterans RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association American Society for Reproductive Medicine Doctors For Fertility Military Family Building Coalition

H.R. 1957, if passed by the Senate, would require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to furnish infertility treatments, standard fertility preservation services, or both to a covered veteran or partner of a covered veteran if the individuals jointly apply for such treatments or services. To communicate with your members of Congress directly about , use the check out the action alert https://resolve.org/legislation/veterans-infertility-treatment-act-of-2021-hr-1957/