Tubal Factor Infertility: Diagnosis, Symptoms, Causes & Alternative Options in Surrogacy To Help You Start a Family
Hello Intended Parents and potential surrogates!
Today we want to unpack more about infertility—some of the causes and help you understand more about how surrogacy can help your situation.
We hope this blog is informative and provides you hope that if you struggle with these conditions, you can find a surrogate today with our surrogacy agency in Sacramento.
Many women are diagnosed as being unable to become pregnant due to one cause or several. Tubal factor infertility is considered by reproductive healthcare experts to be one of the leading causes of infertility in women.
Healthcare professionals and researchers estimate that fallopian tubal disease directly causes upwards of 36% in all known cases of a female factor related infertility in developed countries and over 85% of cases in poorer developing countries according to several long-term studies.
Some Common Tubal Diseases that Impact Female Fertility
There are a number of common tubal diseases estimated to play a huge role in the numbers of females who are unable to conceive statistical rates all around the globe.
These diseases affect a woman’s fallopian tubes which are responsible for carrying released eggs from the ovaries to the uterus in a healthy female reproductive system.
Some tubal disorders related to being infertile include:
- Acute & chronic pelvic inflammatory disease
- Endometriosis
- Congenital anomalies – birth defects
- Other pathological conditions that cause total or partial blockage of the fallopian tubes
- Following abdominal organ & structure inflammation due to a variety of causes
- As a result of STDs & infections
- Resulting from the damage of some sort to the fallopian tubes
- Can be related to certain drugs especially taken during pregnancy like DES or before puberty
- Could be related to toxins in our environment
- From abdominal/pelvic adhesions that can develop following reproductive surgeries and procedures
- Complication from previous pregnancy issues, abortions or miscarriages
Tubal Factor Infertility Related to Fallopian Tube Disorders Link to Malignant Ovarian Cancers
There is evidence of a possible link between women who are infertile due to tubal factors and development of life-threatening and aggressive ovarian cancers and other reproductive system structure involved cancer development.
At this time, it is unclear on the exact reasons for primary peritoneal cancers like ovarian cancer to cause problems related to a woman’s fallopian tubes and her inability to become pregnant. Some possible risk factors or warning signs doctors use to diagnose these dangerous cancers include the following:
- Family history of ovarian and/or primary peritoneal cancer
- Genetics
- Weight & height concerns
- Hormone replacement therapy
Other possible reproductive cancer risk factors:
- Alcohol use
- Diet
- Aspirin or non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs
- Talc applied to the genital area as an infant or older – a common ingredient in baby powder
- Smoking
- Fertility treatments
Treatments Used to Increase Fertility in Women Unable to Conceive
The good news is that advances in medicine have resulted in many more effective fertility treatments like IVF therapy. This treatment is formally called in-vitro fertilization and women seeking to become pregnant can get these innovative treatments at a nearby fertility clinic in Northern California and elsewhere all across the country.
Benefits of IVF Treatments available at a Fertility Clinic
These often complex in-vitro fertilization treatments are used to help boost fertility and are often used to prevent some genetic disorders that may hinder a woman’s ability to become pregnant.
Usually, a series of procedures are performed to assist with the conception of a baby.
IVF is a cutting edge assisted reproductive technology considered by fertility specialists to be the most effective treatment available today.
During this procedure, a woman’s mature eggs are retrieved from her ovaries then fertilized by sperm in a lab setting. Afterward, the fertilized egg or eggs, termed embryo or embryos respectively, are then transferred to a woman’s uterus.
What If a Woman Doesn’t Have Ovaries or Healthy Eggs?
It is not uncommon for women that suffer from some form of infertile disorder to not have healthy working ovaries or the eggs retrieved are deemed unhealthy in some way.
Some women have had hysterectomies with one or both ovaries and fallopian tubes removed due to serious pelvic/abdominal cavity infections, extensive scar tissue adhesions, trauma to the area or other health reasons.
In these cases, the eggs can be retrieved from another known or anonymous egg donor.
If healthy sperm from a male spouse or partner is also unavailable, the sperm can be donated from the same known or anonymous sperm donor routes. Often donor embryos can be transferred to the woman’s uterus through in-vitro fertilization or by way of a surrogate mother.
Are There Other Causes of Unhealthy Eggs that Impact Fertility?
Yes, other things known to affect a woman’s fertility include genetics and age.
A woman’s ovaries typically reduce the number and quality of the eggs as she becomes older. There are also more risks associated with older eggs that women trying to conceive should be aware of.
These include higher risks of different birth defects and related conditions especially if there is a family history for any of those issues.
Severe trauma to the pelvic or internal abdominal structures may also play a role in a woman’s ability to conceive or sustain a healthy pregnancy.
Additional health concerns known to lower fertility include endocrine and hormonal disorders such as diabetes, ovarian cysts, and polycystic ovary syndrome also abbreviated as PCOS.
How PCOS Can Impact a Woman’s Ability to Conceive or Carry a Baby
PCOS affects approximately 1 in every 10 women of childbearing age.
This condition involves both hormonal imbalances and different metabolism issues that often alter a woman’s body appearance and general overall health as well.
This syndrome is a leading cause of fertility problems, and it is often associated with ovarian cysts, missed or irregular monthly periods, and many other symptoms.
The specific cause of PCOS is currently unknown, but the syndrome is thought to be partly due to genetics. Some key symptoms that doctors look for are the common higher levels of male hormones, or androgens, and increased levels of insulin.
Left untreated, PCOS symptoms may indirectly cause other problematic health concerns like high blood pressure, breathing problems, higher levels of unhealthy cholesterol and increases the risk for endometrial cancer.
Sleep apnea, emotional mood swings, anxiety, and depression are often present in PCOS patients, and more than half of these patients do develop diabetes as time goes on. All of these symptoms then can increase chances for heart-related disorders, circulation problems, lung diseases, and stroke.
Is There a Cure for PCOS?
While there is no cure for PCOS, there are a number of proven effective treatments to manage the symptoms and prevent progression to more serious health concerns.
This involves losing weight, increasing exercise, eating healthier and more nutritious meals and other better lifestyle changes.
Microscopic surgery to open up blocked fallopian tubes is also sometimes recommended for women desiring to have children. Treating the hormonal imbalances and diabetic symptoms with medications and other treatments may also be indicated.
The male hormone can cause embarrassing symptoms such as increased facial hair growth, loss of breast volume among many others.
Obesity or significant weight gain often occurs as a woman develops insulin resistance to the increased levels in her blood. This can cause Type II diabetes especially if diabetes is present in the family genes.
A Review of First Line Fertility Treatment Options for Women
When a woman’s fallopian tubes are thought to be a major cause of fertility problems, there are some first-line fertility treatment options that women should discuss with her doctor before moving forward with more invasive, often expensive and more time-consuming fertility procedures and treatments.
Speaking with your doctor about all of your fertility treatment options can help couples find a personalized fertility treatment plan that will best meet their unique needs and situation.
This can include treating underlying health conditions linked to decreased fertility such as thyroid disorders. Getting your thyroid back to a more normal function can indirectly increase the chances for successful fertility treatments possibly bypassing the need for more intensive fertility treatments.
Finding a reproductive surgeon with experience in performing highly delicate surgical procedures on a blocked, scarred or otherwise compromised tiny fallopian tube is often effective in restoring the normal reproductive function of this small tube.
Often, this type of surgery is combined with others related to a woman’s inability to conceive a baby or carry a pregnancy to term. These can include IVF treatments, various medications or hormonal treatments and natural remedies that increase overall good health and well-being.
Natural Fertility Remedies Many Women Wonder About
The causes of a woman being unable to conceive or bear a child are often hard to find.
Often, it is a mix of several reasons. Many women are wary of strong medications that may harm a developing baby wonder about some of the more natural-based fertility remedies easily found with a quick computer search.
More women today prefer to use natural remedies for treating some of their health ailments like colds, flu symptoms, weight problems, anxiety, and insomnia. Some opt to visit only doctors that are not opposed to trying some of these natural methods if they are safe enough and known to be truly effective.
Holistic medicine is a booming field, and many healthcare practitioners utilize time-honored traditional therapies like herbs, supplements, and natural-based therapies. These therapies can include biofeedback, meditation, and calming aromatherapy to treat anxiety, daytime fatigue, tension headaches, and sleep disturbances.
Chinese medical practitioners have used these treatments for centuries with great success. Some prefer holistic Asian therapies like acupuncture, deep massage, herbal concoctions and energy imbalance methods to treat everything from pain, stress, physical ailments, and chronic health conditions.
When overseen by a reputable healthcare provider who understands the dangers that some of these natural treatments pose, many find relief from a variety of issues.
There are some age-old remedies using natural herbs, vitamins, coping strategies and stress reduction methods that seem to help women with common female issues including painful periods, vaginal yeast infections and even some appropriate fertility-boosting options.
The Importance of Revealing All Taken Natural Drugs & Supplements to Your Doctor
Before taking any type of herbal remedy or other natural-based treatments, always clear it with all of your doctors beforehand.
Most herbs, vitamins and natural supplements are not regulated by the FDA, and serious harm and even death can occur if great caution is not taken to ensure that everything is safe to use.
Many herbs and other natural products can cause harmful drug interactions when taken with other prescribed medications. Always provide an up-to-date list of all medicines including natural products that you are taking to each of your doctors and healthcare providers.
Make sure to update your pharmacist with this information as well.
This can help to prevent dangerous drug interactions that could be harmful or even fatal to the person taking them.
Common Signs that Could Indicate a Fallopian Tube Problem
There are many different problems with a woman’s fallopian tubes that can interfere with her natural fertility process.
Some women are not even aware that their fallopian tubes are blocked, pinched off or are stuck onto nearby organs as a result of severe scarring and adhesions.
Again, this can be caused by a number of things that include:
- Untreated infections in that body area
- A hidden STD
- Previous injuries to the site that resulted in scars and adhesions
- Hormonal imbalances
- Ectopic pregnancies
- Damage caused by an abdominal or pelvic surgery that was missed
- Complications from viral illnesses including tick-borne diseases, childhood illnesses & possibly a fungal or bacterial infection that backed up from the kidneys, uterus or vagina
- Drug complications or organ failure
Immediately contact your doctor if these signs are present:
- Pelvic and/or abdominal pain
- Increased pain with periods or cessation of menses
- Foul vaginal area odor
- Abnormal vaginal discharge
- Unexplained abdominal swelling or bloating
- Increased abdominal weight gain with concurrent pelvic pain or related issues
- Possible miscarriages that were not known
- Signs of hormone imbalance – facial hair growth, breast tissue loss, nipple discharge, skin rashes among others
- Inability to conceive despite recommended efforts to maximize success for more than a year of unprotected sexual intercourse
How Missed Pelvic Infections Can Lead to Ectopic Pregnancies
One of the leading causes of a tubal factor infertility-related problem is an ectopic pregnancy. This scenario happens when a fertilized embryo implants itself somewhere outside of the uterus.
Usually, the embryo implants in one of the fallopian tubes. This often occurs due to pelvic region infection complication that leaves a woman’s fallopian tubes scarred or obstructed unknown to the woman.
A woman might simply assume that she is finally pregnant. If left to progress, an ectopic pregnancy results in a burst tube that leaks the contents into the abdominal and pelvic cavities leading to a dangerous infection that can quickly invade the bloodstream. This can be fatal if not promptly treated.
How Surrogacy Can Give Women Unable to Conceive a Chance at Parenthood
Dealing with the emotional stress and physical strains of undergoing multiple attempts with fertility treatments can be exhausting and stressful for any woman.
While other methods to achieve the goal of finally becoming a parent can work for many couples, some are left to wonder if they will ever realize their longing to bring a baby into their home.
Many women today are learning how surrogacy can give women like them unable to conceive their best chance at achieving their end goal of parenthood. This is a very sensitive and personal decision that should be carefully researched before moving forward with this plan.
A lot of couples in this situation have been helped with the aid of a caring and selfless surrogate mother. Some are lucky to have a close friend or family member act as their gestational carrier, but others decide on trying to find a surrogate that meets their criteria.
Can I Become a Surrogate if I Have Had Issues with My Fallopian Tubes?
The short answer to this question is that yes if you have fallopian tube issues, you can still become pregnant via the process of IVF.
The long answer is that if you are attempting to become a surrogate, you must first be able to provide proof through your medical records of a successful pregnancy.
With a successful and uncomplicated pregnancy, our surrogacy agency in Sacramento is able to determine that your body is able to become pregnant.
Some surrogate mothers have even become pregnant via IVF on their own, and have become a surrogate for other families to give them the joy they have received. The only issue with this positive news is that many fertility clinics in California and fertility clinics, in general, will be very suspicious of your ability to become a surrogate given that you have had tubal issues.
Looking from an outside view, yes, a surrogate mother does not need to have perfectly working fallopian tubes in order to become pregnant—because the process of IVF will directly circumvent the need for her tubes.
However, it is important to remember that your fertility clinic will be looking at the whole picture of your pregnancies in order to decide if you will be approved or denied as a surrogate mother for one of our intended parents.
Can I Become A Surrogate if I Have Had An Ectopic Pregnancy?
This is a good question for surrogate mothers as well. The short answer again is yes.
However, as answered above, your entire pregnancy history will be taken into account when looked at by the fertility clinic in order to make a proper determination.
As a whole, our surrogacy agency in Sacramento will not deny you outright if you have had an ectopic pregnancy.
Where Can Couples Get Advice on the Right Way to Find a Surrogate?
It can seem daunting trying to locate and contact that perfect candidate willing to carry the baby of the intended parents for nine months. This process can be complicated and filled with doubts over the legality of this fertility option.
Intended parents can benefit from professional advice and guidance on how to finally find a surrogate that can help bring their wildest dreams of parenthood to fruition at last.
The laws are finally catching up to this ancient practice that now includes many new cutting-edge medical technologies never imagined by women that struggled with fertility in past generations in many types of civilizations through history.
You are able to get advice and find a surrogate through using our surrogacy agency—Made in the USA Surrogacy.
In 2019 alone, we have helped many couples realize their dreams of parenthood by finding them a surrogate. We hope to do the same for you!
Advantages of Utilizing Our Friendly, Reliable & Proven Services
It is important to remember that not all states have the same surrogacy-friendly laws on the books that residents here in California currently enjoy.
Working with seasoned professionals who fully understand the entire process that surrogate births entail can help to make this time the best experience for everyone involved.
We do far more than just assist couples desiring to be parents to safely and carefully find a surrogate. Our agency is here to support those desiring to become someone’s long-awaited surrogate mother each and every step of the entire exciting journey.
We recruit many surrogate mothers in Sacramento, Roseville, Auburn, Lincoln, and many surrounding areas of California.
Having a California surrogate could mean the difference for our parents between having a positive experience and a very negative and hard experience.
Our dedicated team can also give valuable information and help in becoming or finding a suitable egg donor, sperm donor or answer questions regarding local fertility clinic options.
We stay abreast of the latest advances in in-vitro fertilization and many other fertility treatments, and we are happy to recommend clients to the right fertility clinic if desired.
Get the latest correct information on the topic of tubal factor infertility and more by contacting our office and filling out our inquiry form here.
