Dr Paul Tseng

It may help in a variety of ways , depending on what herbs are used. It may improve the ovulation process, improve the quality of the oocyte and encourage the proper implantation of the embryo.

Consistent and regular mid-cycle bleeds may be as a result of Ovulation. Other irregular episodes of bleeding may be due to local cervical lesions like polyps or inflammation of the cervix of bacterial or viral origin. These need to be assessed by your Gynaecologist.

Basic fertility assessment includes a Sperm analysis and evidence of a growing follicle with the presence of an ovulation trigger. This is assessed by ultrasound at strategic times in the cycle.

It might in some case like in Polycystic ovaries. But in most cases no.

Stress affects the ovulatory process. If you do not achieve an ovulation, there is no way you can get pregnant in that cycle. That is why managing stress levels in life is very important for achieving fertilty.

Most IVF treatments require the use of drugs that need to be administered by injections. It is possible to use oral medication, but the results are not as good and may even be poor.

One has to be careful in interpreting the urine analysis. To be accurate it has to be a clean mid-stream urine specimen. This may be difficult to collect at times. What happens very often is the urine will pick up White blood cells which are part of a vaginal discharge and gives the false impression that it is a urinary tract infection. A specific test for vaginal infection must be done if there is an associated abnormal vaginal discharge. The Trichomoniasis comes from the vagina rather than from the bladder.

You need to do your own research I am afraid. With the internet now, it makes it very much easier to check on recommended Fertility doctors. Best to check on what patients say rather than the doctors website - it would be a more unbiased view.

You can get an STD even if there is no ejaculation. There must be no contact between vaginal skin and penile skin to minimise the chance of contracting an infection. The use of a condom is highly recommended to achieve this end.

Regular menstruation is an indicator of regular ovulation. This is the release of the egg for fertilisation. If this happens once every 6 months you can imagine what your chances of getting pregnant are. Once every 6 months as opposed to every month. So yes, having irregular menses does adversely affect your chances of getting pregnant.

Hopefully, two weeks after your Embryo transfer. This would depend on whether it was a fresh transfer or Frozen embryo transfer. A fresh transfer is one where the transfer is done on the same cycle as the egg retrieval.

I personally believe that the success of IVF is directly dependent on the health of the Woman and her husband. Eating well, as in eating nutrient rich foods helps to ensure proper cell function at every level. Minimising toxic chemicals, quitting smoking and not consuming contaminated foods and drinks helps reduce cell damage. I also believe that complementary Medicine such as those offered by TCM and acupuncture contribute positively to a successful outcome. I am loathe to quote results because it really depends on the medical reasons for doing IVF.

Many large scale studies have been conducted and so far the consensus is that there is no difference in health between naturally conceived babies and IVF babies.

It is not unusual to have some episodes of vaginal spotting when using the progestogen(Crinone) inserts. They can dry the vaginal skin and cause superficial abrasions which bleed when the pessary is inserted. In addition, some centres also use low-dose aspirin as a supplementary drug to enhance blood flow to the endometrium. These have the effect of thinning the blood and cause minor bleeds which seem to be worse then they actually are. The vaginal bleeds are not necessarily a sign of failed implantation.

I am happy to say IVF in this day and age carries very few risks to the women undergoing such treatment. The most dreaded was the Hyperstimulation Syndrome where the number of eggs retrieved was in the region of above 30. The present protocols are safer and reduce dramatically the incidence of these complications. The single most important difference was the introduction of “freeze all” and transfer in a later cycle rather than at the fresh cycle. This is because of better freezing and thawing methods.