Our doctors’ blog represents another step in RSC’s mission to share state-of-the-art expertise in reproductive medicine. In more than 25 years of practice, we have learned that accurate information is the most powerful key to determining the best course of treatment for each individual. Is is in this spirit of empowerment that we welcome you to explore our weekly blog for a deeper explanation of numerous topics of interest for both patients and physicians on the topics of infertility, in vitro fertilization, and other fertility subjects. We welcome your questions and comments.
On this page, RSC doctors blog about topics brought to them by people suffering from infertility. Do you have questions about fertility? Ask us on our Facebook page.
Fertility Treatment Success: Single Healthy Pregnancy
By Dr. Louis Weckstein - Our Mission at RSC is to deliver the highest quality patient care that provides the best opportunities for making people families. We believe that a single healthy pregnancy has the best outcome from [...]
Pre-Implantation Genetic Screening for Abnormal Embryos
By Dr. Mary Hinckley - While the human body is very good at “screening” embryos – abnormal embryos will most often fail to implant and grow – new technology provides reproductive specialists further insight as to why [...]
The Mathematics of Selecting an Infertility Center
By Sheldon B. Josephs, FACHE - If you are fortunate enough to live in an area where there is more than one infertility specialist or practice, you understand how confusing it can be to choose the physician or clinic best [...]
Fertility Science Has Changed In A Big Way, But The Basic Principles Remain
By Dr. Louis Weckstein - As RSC has remained on the leading edge of scientific advancement for the past thirty years, so too we remain steadfast in our mission to provide the best opportunities for making all people families.
By Dr. Carmelo Sgarlata - Dr. Sgarlata explores whether modern lifestyle and conveniences such as cell phones and laptop computers have adverse effects on male fertility.
By Dr. Evan Rosenbluth - Having recently moved to the Bay Area, I am often asked about the differences in protocols for treating infertility at other centers across the United States. Simply put, the most notable variation [...]
By Dr. Louis Weckstein - Ovarian reserve is a term fertility doctors use to describe a woman’s reproductive potential with respect to egg quantity. This evaluation can be helpful in determining how aggressive a woman should [...]
By Dr. Carmelo Sgarlata - METFORMIN is an oral medication commonly used to treat type 2 diabetes. It is also commonly being used in patients with irregular periods and/or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) to aid with [...]
By Dr. Carmelo Sgarlata - “Mind-body practices focus on the interactions among the brain, mind, body, and behavior, with the intent to use the mind to affect physical functioning and promote health”.
By Dr. Carmelo Sgarlata - Iron deficiency is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies worldwide. Iron deficiency is common in women of childbearing age (9-16%). Iron deficiency often leads to anemia-low red blood count.
By Dr. Mary Hinckley - She walked out of our office smiling, looking at her admiring husband with a bit of “we can handle this together”. She was glowing that glow you get from being pregnant and dreaming of the future.
Natural or Minimal Stimulation IVF compared to Standard IVF
By Dr. Louis Weckstein - Recently there has been much hype on the internet about Natural Cycle IVF or Minimal Stimulation IVF. These treatments are similar to standard IVF, but without the use of injectable medications [...]
By Dr. Carmelo Sgarlata - DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone) is a naturally occurring hormone produced primarily by the adrenal gland. DHEA levels peak in early adulthood and decline with age. DHEA is used by our bodies to produce [...]
By Dr. Susan Willman - One aspect of infertility that often does not receive much attention is the effect infertility has on the sexual intimacy of the couple.
Reproductive Technologies and the Risk of Birth Defects
By Dr Louis Weckstein - A recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine has drawn a lot of media attention. This review of an Australian birth defect registry from 1986 – 1992 reported an increased rate of birth [...]
Health insurance coverage for Infertility in California
By Leticia Uribe, Business Office Supervisor - Insurance coverage is a growing monster in our world today when it comes to infertility coverage in California. California is still a long way from becoming a mandated state for [...]
By Dr. Mary Hinckley & Amoreena Berg, MFT - “Keeping it all together” was her challenge. We immediately put her in touch with a counselor, who gave her one-on-one support and even offered group counseling. This made all [...]
By Dr. Louis Weckstein - Until very recently the technology for freezing eggs was not well developed. In the past few years, the technique of vitrification, or rapid freezing of eggs, has improved success with frozen eggs.
Good to the last drop…so long as it is only 300 mg.
By Dr. Mary Hinckley - The question often arises as to how much caffeine, if any, is safe in pregnancy and whether caffeine has any links to infertility.
Now What? What to Consider With Your Unused Embryos.
By Sheldon Joseph - One unintended consequence of a successful or unsuccessful IVF cycle may be the difficult decision of what to do with any unused embryos.
By Dr. Louis Weckstein - A recent study reported in the Journal Nature Medicine describes the use of stem cells taken from human ovaries to make new eggs.
By Karen Volpe, R.N., Director of Operations - Try to find ten minutes for yourself each day. Just ten minutes to be quiet. Just ten minutes to close your eyes.
By Dr. Deborah Wachs - Many women have trouble getting pregnant due to irregular periods. It is because of this insulin resistance that many women with PCOS are prescribed metformin.
By Amy Simpson, Ultrasound Tech - You have diligently taken your injections, come to multiple ultrasound appointments, put up with numerous side effects from medications, undergone surgery to retrieve your eggs...
By Dr. Carmelo Sgarlata - I recently saw a new patient getting ready for IVF. Her TSH was 2.90. I advised further thyroid testing and started her on Thyroid supplementation. Why?
A Reminder About When to see and Infertility Specialist
By Dr. Deborah Wachs - Sometimes it's not entirely clear if you need to be seeking the advice of a specialist. So how do you know if it's time to see the Reproductive Endocrinologist?
By Dr. Mary Hinckley - It is important for you to know what was done to your cervix. Some treatments may cause problems or damage to the cervix that could translate into infertility or premature delivery.
Dr. Sgarlata Pursuing a Fellowship in Integrated Medicine
By Dr. Carmelo Sgarlata - The Fellowship is a unique two-year program dedicated to teaching physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants the art and science of integrative medicine.
By Susan Hathaway, RN & Surgery Supervisor - One of the hardest things for patients to hear is "Nothing to eat or drink for eight hours before your procedure."
By Dr. Susan Willman - AMH is a hormone that has been studied for many years but only recently has been commercially available. AMH is useful in assessing how many eggs are in the ovaries.
By Dr. Carmelo Sgarlata - Every day I see patients who have tried in earnest to find helpful information about fertility and pregnancy through the internet. The problem is which internet sites to trust.
It was 1978 and my neighbor told me the story of Louise Brown, the first IVF baby born. Recently, the Nobel Prize was awarded to British biologist Robert Edwards, PhD for his pioneering work developing IVF.
By Dr. Carmelo Sgarlata - Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) has been defined as the loss of 2-3 or more consecutive pregnancies in the first or early second trimester of pregnancy.
By Dr. Louis Weckstein - Though many patients going through infertility treatment say they really want twins, twin pregnancies are higher risk than single pregnancies.
Advantages Of A Team Approach To Providing Infertility Care
By Dr. Louis Weckstein - At RSC we offer a team approach to your care. We have six physicians and it is always helpful to have multiple people's input on complicated infertility situations.
By Dr. Mary Hinckley - What matters to patients is the ability to diagnose a problem, to correctly stimulate a patient, to retrieve the eggs, handle the embryos, and transfer them back safely into a uterus.
By Dr. Deborah Wachs - I was performing HSGs last week and noticed a recurring theme: extreme anxiety! I wanted to take this opportunity to discuss the HSG test and what it involves.
By JoAnne Brian, Director of Practice Development - When a potential patient calls RSC one of the first questions they have is, "Will my insurance cover the cost of infertility treatment?"
I watched a documentary about IVF and gestational surrogacy in India. There were a few things worthy of commenting on, both from the surrogacy standpoint as well as from the IVF overseas aspect.
Obesity complicating pregnancy hit the front page of the NY Times today! Overweight and obesity negatively affect the outcomes of ovarian stimulation and in vitro fertilization.
For many diagnosed with cancer, they now know what they have to fight against. But that does not mean we have to give up the dreams we have of having a family.
In the wake of national media coverage of IVF patient Nadya Suleman and her octuplets born in January, we say the issue is a public educataion opportunity on avoiding the risk of multiple births.
Established in 1983, just two years after the first successful birth through in vitro fertilization (IVF) in the United States, the Reproductive Science Center of the San Francisco Bay Area has been a pioneering fertility medical practice for more than a quarter-century.
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