In this special and timely podcast, your host Dr. Neil Chappell is joined by fellow Fertility Answers reproductive endocrinologist Dr. John Storment to discuss the February 2024 Alabama Supreme Court ruling that deemed frozen embryos as children with legal status. This ruling came about after several Alabama couples sued for wrongful death of a minor when their embryos were accidentally destroyed by a person who wandered into an IVF lab. Dr. Chappell and Dr. Storment discuss IVF lab security as well as what an embryo represents for the potential of life and the possible downstream consequences of granting an embryo the same status as a living child.
Women with insulin resistance not only struggle with their overall health but their fertility as well. Join your host Dr. Neil Chappell as he delves into the intricate relationship between insulin resistance and fertility. Learn the science behind insulin resistance, the best way to test for it and how this condition not only affects your metabolism and other important bodily functions, but also reproduction. Discover actionable strategies you can use against insulin resistance through diet, exercise and pharmacology to improve your overall health, optimize fertility and achieve your goal of parenthood.
Join Dr. Neil Chappell in this entertaining and candid conversation with Olympian and former LSU track star Lolo Jones on her recent egg freezing journey with Fertility Answers. Approaching her 40th birthday and still single, Lolo feared she was running out of time to have children. Listen as they walk through her process of searching for information about egg freezing, costs and testing involved, and what her expectations were going in compared to how it actually all went down. After going through two egg freezing cycles, Lolo has a lot of information to share!
Marijuana and THC use has gained followers in recent years as many states have legalized it for medicinal or recreational purposes. But, there are still many questions surrounding how marijuana and THC can affect the fertility potential of both men and women. Join Fertility Answers Podcast host reproductive endocrinologist Dr. Neil Chappell as he delves into some of the recent research that attempts to determine the possible fertility risks of THC on human reproduction.
Progesterone is a hormone secreted after ovulation that prepares the lining of the uterus for a potential pregnancy. Because of its important role at the beginning of conception and well into pregnancy, there is often a false assumption that low levels of progesterone are responsible for all pregnancy loss. In this episode, Fertility Answers Podcast reproductive endocrinologist Dr. Neil Chappell breaks down the role of progesterone, why spot checking for this hormone can be misleading, and when and how to add progesterone therapy if recurrent miscarriage is a concern.
While most women seeking fertility treatments eventually become pregnant, a small subset are never able to medically overcome infertility and seek other avenues to a family or resolve to live childless. When is it time to say enough is enough? How do you give yourself permission to admit that you've given it your best shot, but now is the time to stop treatment? In this episode, Dr. Neil Chappell tackles the tough subject of when and how to move on from fertility treatments and how faith, family and finances can influence your decision.
There is no doubt that assisted reproductive technologies used in fertility treatment, such as intrauterine insemination and in vitro fertilization, have contributed to the rise in the number of twins and triplets over the last several decades. It's not uncommon for our patients to even ask for a twin pregnancy. However, multiple gestation pregnancies bring risks to both the mother and the babies due to added health issues and pre-term delivery, as well as added financial costs, often throughout the lifetime of the child. In this podcast episode, reproductive endocrinologist Dr. Neil Chappell explains what can cause multiple gestation pregnancies when using different forms of ART, and ways physicians are now bringing the incidence of twin pregnancies down to levels that correlate with natural twin rates.
The level of stress experienced by individuals and couples diagnosed with infertility is nothing to dismiss. Experts equate the distress and trauma one gets with being diagnosed as infertile the same as getting a cancer diagnosis. Join us in this special conversation with Samantha Rauber, LPC, a licensed counselor certified in perinatal mental health in the Baton Rouge area, who discusses how a diagnosis of infertility can become a real emotional crisis for many. Learn about the ways she counsels patients to deal with the stress infertility creates, tried and true coping mechanisms, how partners and others can support you, and how to deal with those who just don't get it.
If you’re an IVF patient you’ve maybe heard your fertility specialist or embryologist use the term “mosaic” to describe your embryo after genetic testing. As embryo genetic testing has advanced over the last few years, geneticists are learning that not all embryos fall neatly into the classification of either normal or abnormal, but some can fall into a spectrum in between called mosaicism. Listen as our host Dr. Neil Chappell welcomes Caroline Stites, a genetics counselor at Woman’s Hospital, Baton Rouge, LA, who helps us explain what a mosaic embryo is and what it means to you and your fertility journey.
Uterine anomalies and structural problems with the female reproductive organs, such as uterine septums, are often associated with increased miscarriage. In this episode, Dr. Neil Chappell discusses uterine anomalies with Fertility Answers patient Emma who came to our center with a history of miscarriages and a uterine septum. Find out more about what that means, what to do about it, and what the journey can look like in this all encompassing conversation about uterine anomalies.
East meets West in this special episode featuring Dr. Jan Morello, a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician in Baton Rouge. Her strong interest in holistic approaches and combining Eastern and Western medicine led her to become a licensed acupuncturist through Harvard Medical School. Based on thousands of years of practice in Eastern medicine, acupuncture uses tiny needles to restore the energy flow throughout the body. While the scientific jury is still out on whether acupuncture actually does help with fertility, research has noted that it can increase production of endorphins, the body's natural "feel good" brain chemical that also plays a role in regulating hormones. Take a listen to Dr. Neil Chappell's chat with practicing acupuncturist Dr. Morello as she explains how it works and what benefits you can possibly get during fertility treatment.
It's been over eight months since the vaccines have come out and we've learned quite a bit in that time. With close to 170 million fully-vaccinated people in the U.S., the preliminary research shows that the vaccines are doing their job of saving lives. But there is a lot of varied information and opinions about the vaccines, and we know you want truthful answers from people you trust. In this episode, Dr. Neil Chappell updates you on the status of the more contagious delta variant, what research has revealed in relation to the vaccines on pregnancy and fertility, and debunks some of the myths about the vaccines. Our mission is to bring you the most up-to-date facts and help you make the best decisions while building your family!
It's Pride Month and we've got a special podcast for our LGBTQ+ listeners who have been curious as to their options for family building. In this episode, Dr. Neil Chappell talks with patient Kaitlyn to take an in-depth look into the options she and her wife Alana considered, tried, and were successful at during their family building journey. Our discussion explores the pros and cons of home inseminations versus clinic-monitored inseminations, how to buy and handle donor sperm, and reciprocal IVF for lesbian women which allows both partners to be a part of the journey.
What are the first line tests essential in the female fertility work-up? Join Dr. Neil Chappell and Fertility Answers physicians assistant Grace Pitt, PA, as they discuss anti-Mullerian hormone testing (AMH) and the hysterosalpingogram dye test (HSG) as the first two essential tests for diagnosing female infertility. AMH testing gives us clues to your remaining supply of eggs and fertility potential while an HSG tells us whether your fallopian tubes are open, an essential criteria for fertilization. Learn more about how these tests are conducted, what the numbers mean, and how the results can refine treatment options and timelines.
The semen analysis - one of the three most important screening tests in the fertility workup, though arguably one of the least understood. Join Dr. Neil Chappell as he sits down once again with Fertility Answers IVF Lab Director Dr. Chelsey Leisinger to cover each component. Motility, morphology, concentration, total motile count...what’s important, and how to piece all of it together to form a plan for the next steps.
Cancer can be a devastating diagnosis, especially in younger women with a full life ahead of them. But in many cases, the conversation of fertility preservation can get missed or overlooked in a patient's consultations with oncologists in the rush to begin cancer treatment. In observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, join Dr. Neil Chappell as he discusses fertility preservation before cancer treatment with Baton Rouge breast surgeon Dr. Mindy Bowie. In this timely discussion, learn about what conversations you should be having with your oncology team in terms of fertility preservation options, when preservation treatment should be done and the amount of time needed to freeze eggs, embryos or tissue prior to treatment.
In this episode, Dr. Neil Chappell sits down with Hillary Janani, RN, MS, CGC, a licensed genetics counselor, to discuss carrier screening. Carrier screens are increasingly being discussed at routine doctor visits, and are a really important consideration for anyone in their reproductive years. So, we thought it worth a short discussion with an expert to arm patients with a few good facts to be prepared with! What is carrier screening, and what is it not? Who should consider carrier screening and when? Why does this matter for fertility treatments? How should I interpret positive or negative results? Enjoy this great conversation as Hillary guides us through what you need to know!
