As you grow older, your fertility gradually declines, beginning at age 25. Aging causes the outer layer of the embryo, known as the zona pellucida (peh-LEW-see-duh), to become more rigid this makes it difficult for the embryo to break free.

If you can't seem to become pregnant using the traditional method of intercourse, you might consider artificial insemination at home. This doesn't involve using a turkey baster, but an oral medicine syringe.

Since infertility can be caused by so many different factors, it makes sense that treatment can vary greatly as well. Assisted reproduction techniques can offer you options for successful union of sperm and egg.

Not being able to become pregnant might make you consider seeking advice on assisted reproduction techniques. Insurance coverage for these procedures varies depending on your policy.

If you're trying to conceive but not having any success, you're probably encouraged by all the new technology available in this field. You might also wonder if or how much you're insurance will cover.

An endometrial (in-DOH-me-tree-uhl) biopsy is a procedure where a small sample of uterine tissue is extracted and evaluated to determine possible causes of infertility.

To know what kind of infertility care you're receiving, you need something to compare it to. The best way to do this is by educating yourself on new procedures, practices, and patient care.

Hormones play a crucial role in the menstrual cycle as a whole and also in ovulation. The Follicular Stimulating Hormone, or FSH (F-S-H), is released by your pituitary gland.

If you're seeking infertility treatment, the doctor and clinic you choose are very important. If you trust your general practitioner or gynecologist, see whom they'd recommend.

To benefit the most from your visits to the doctor, it's a good idea to keep an ongoing list of questions you have. When you go in to see the doctor, ask the questions you've listed.

If you're having problems becoming pregnant, your doctor might recommend a hysterosalpingogram (hist-er-aw-sawl-PING-uh-gram). Around day eight or nine of your cycle, this procedure can be done to look for fibroids, polyps, or uterine structural problems that could come in the way of conception or pregnancy.

Intra-cytoplasmic (Intra-SYE-toe-PLAZ-mick) sperm injection, or ICSI (I-C-S-I), is a treatment for men with severe male infertility. If you have a very low sperm count, are missing the tubes that carry seminal fluid from the testes to the penis, or are unable to have a vasectomy reversed, you may be a good candidate for ICSI.

Intra-tubal insemination is a form of artificial insemination that's very similar to intra-uterine insemination. Both these procedures help you become pregnant when you're having a difficult time doing it naturally.

Intra-uterine insemination, or IUI (I-U-I), is one of the many techniques available to you if you're having difficulty conceiving naturally. If your uterus is healthy and functioning, you can be a candidate for this procedure.

If you're one of many women trying to become pregnant under a doctor's care, you might be tested for infertility problems. There are many techniques used to diagnose problems with conception.

When your doctor suspects that endometriosis, adhesions, or organ malfunction might be keeping you from conceiving, you might be recommended to have a laparotomy (lah-puh-RAW-tuh-me).

Many procedures are available if you and your partner are having problems conceiving. You've probably heard of in vitro fertilization, where egg and sperm are united outside the body and the fertilized egg is then inserted into the vagina.

Non-surgical Embryonic Selective Thinning and Transfer, also known as NEST (nest), is a technique that manages the growth and development in early embryonic stages.

Pelvioscopy (pell-vee-OSS-koh-pee) is one of the newer techniques in gynecological surgery that's now being used to repair anatomical abnormalities that frequently interfere with fertility.

If you're looking for a doctor to help you with infertility, there are several things to keep in mind. Some doctors have experience with infertility but have little or no education in that area.

When you can't conceive naturally, modern technology provides you with many alternatives. You have many choices of procedures to help you, depending on the nature of your infertility.

If you and your partner have made an appointment to see a doctor about your infertility, you're probably wondering what to expect. It's a good idea for both partners to be present at the initial evaluation because both of you might need to be tested.

If you're a woman who's had a tubal ligation (lie-GAY-shun) but now want to have a baby, you might be a good candidate for tubal reversal. Likewise, if you're a man who's had a vasectomy and later decide you want a child, you may request to have the procedure reversed.

When you visit an infertility specialist, you'll probably go through several tests to rule out all the possibilities of why you can't get pregnant. Your doctor will probably do several blood tests and check thyroid, prolactin, and androgen levels.

Not being able to become pregnant is very frustrating and at times, it might seem hopeless. With new technology and procedures, your chances of conception are quite good.