HUFFINGTON
10.07.12
ULRICH BAUMGARTEN VIA GETTY IMAGES
MIRACLE BABIES
processes of ovulation and fertilization need to go just so. Around
one-third of infertility cases are
traced to female problems, such as
ovulation disorders and structural
complications; one-third stem
from male problems like deficiencies in sperm count and ability to
swim; and one-third are due to
both partners, or are unexplained.
Knowing how much time to give
biology to work is an inexact science that changes from couple to
couple and from situation to situation. The most commonly agreedupon definition of primary infertil-
ity is when a woman has tried to
get pregnant, and failed, for at least
12 months, and of the 15 states in
the U.S. that provide some form
of coverage for IVF, most stipulate that a woman must have been
trying to get pregnant for at least
that long before enlisting help. But
groups like the American Society of
Reproductive Medicine stress that
earlier evaluation and treatment
is warranted for women over 35.
Indeed, for someone like Michelle
who was 40 when she began trying
to have a child, a viable pregnancy
is that much less likely.
“It’s all statistical. So long as
a couple doesn’t have any of the
absolutes — completely blocked
A lab
technician
presides over
the process
of artificial
fertilization
after an intracytoplasmic
sperm
injection at
the University
Women’s
Hospital
in Bonn,
Germany.