Dr Anne Poliness

Featuring Victorian Medical Director and Melbourne fertility specialist, Dr Anne Poliness At City Fertility, we understand that misconceptions about fertility can cause undue stress and worry. That’s why we’re committed to sharing accurate information paired with compassionate care. In this article, Victorian Medical Director and Melbourne fertility specialist Dr Anne Poliness debunks some common fertility myths and sheds light on the facts.   Myth 1: Infertility is mainly a woman’s issue This misconception can be isolating and unfair. Infertility does not discriminate by gender; it affects men and women equally. About one-third of infertility cases are attributed to female factors, one-third to male factors, and the remaining third to a combination of both or unexplained reasons. Everyone’s journey to parenthood is unique, and various factors, including genetics, health conditions, and lifestyle choices, play a role. Understanding this helps prevent unnecessary blame and encourages both partners to seek support and treatment.   Myth 2: Age only affects women’s fertility While it’s well-known that a woman’s fertility declines with age, particularly after 35. Men’s fertility also changes over time, generally beginning to decline around age 40. This can affect not only the changes of conception but also the health of the pregnancy and the baby. For instance, older paternal age has been associated with an increased risk of various genetic conditions and other health issues in offspring. Age-related changes in fertility can also affect the quality of sperm and eggs, which in turn influences embryo development and pregnancy success rates. As a result, it’s crucial for both partners to consider how age might impact their plans for starting or growing a family.   Myth 3: There’s nothing you can do to improve your fertility While not all fertility challenges can be overcome by lifestyle changes alone, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is beneficial. These include maintaining a healthy weight, eating a balanced diet, getting regular exercise, managing stress, and avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol consumption. For those looking for specific advice, City Fertility offers resources like our ‘Tips to Boost’ fact sheet.   Myth 4: You just need to ‘relax’, and it will happen While often intended to be supportive, this advice can be dismissive and discouraging. Telling couples or individuals trying to conceive to “just relax” minimises their experiences and oversimplifies the complex issues involved. While stress can certainly take a toll on your overall health and well-being, it’s not usually the sole cause of infertility. However, chronic stress can disrupt hormone regulation, which can impact ovulation and sperm production. Fertility issues are often medical in nature and may require specific treatments or interventions. Effective treatment plans should address the medical nature of fertility issues, tailored to the individual’s or couple’s specific needs.   Myth 5: Fertility treatments are a last resort Viewing fertility treatments as only a last resort overlooks their role as part of a broad spectrum of options available at different stages of the fertility journey. These treatments are valuable for many couples facing conception challenges. They range from simple, less invasive techniques to advanced procedures. Consulting with a fertility specialist early can significantly enhance your chances of success. Early intervention allows us to tailor treatments to your specific needs, potentially speeding up the time it takes to achieve a successful pregnancy. This proactive approach helps in addressing fertility issues promptly, improving outcomes, and minimising emotional and financial stress. Ultimately, the goal is to identify the right solution early in your journey, rather than as a last resort. Early consultation can lead to better-informed decisions and more effective treatment plans, providing couples with the best opportunity for a successful outcome.   Myth 6: Fertility treatments always result in multiple births Advances in fertility treatment have greatly reduced the likelihood of multiple births. With the current practice of usually transferring a single embryo during IVF, the incidence of twins or triplets has significantly decreased. Our goal is always to ensure the safest possible outcome for mother and child.   Ready to take the next step? At City Fertility, we are committed to providing compassionate and comprehensive care. We strive to debunk myths and offer clarity and hope to our clients. If you have concerns about your fertility or have been struggling to conceive, reach out to us. Our team, including fertility specialists like Dr Anne Poliness, is here to support you with personalised care and state-of-the-art treatment options. For more information or to schedule a consultation, contact our Fertility Advice team. Let us help you navigate your journey to parenthood with confidence and care.

Pinpoint the best time to conceive By Dr Anne Poliness, Medical Director at City Fertility Centre Melbourne. Knowing when the best time is to conceive each month is an important factor in helping achieve a successful pregnancy. Unfortunately, some patients miss getting this right which is delaying a positive outcome for them sooner rather than later. Put simply, the timing of conception is critical to success, and by learning to understand your body’s menstrual cycle and the signs of ovulation, it may help you feel more in control. Ovulation is when the egg is released from the ovary and is a female’s most fertile time of the month. For conception to have any chance of occurring, the egg and the sperm need to be in the fallopian tube at the same time for fertilisation to take place. However, they both have a short survival window (when unfertilised) hence why synchronising the timing is critical. Calculate when your fertile window is The first step in pinpointing when you are ovulating is to calculate exactly when your fertile window is. To calculate your fertile window manually, you need to know the length of your menstrual cycle (which can vary from 23 to 35 days or longer). A menstrual cycle is the number of days from the first day of your last period to the first day of your next one. You then subtract approximately 14 days. For example, if your cycle is 28 days, subtract approximately 14 days from the first day of your next period to identify the day you are likely to ovulate (ie Day 14-15). What to do if your cycles are irregular? If your cycles are irregular or vary in duration each month, your ovulation date will be difficult to calculate. While ovulation urine tests may be useful, you may want to consider seeking further advice from your GP or a fertility specialist. Other signs of ovulation As your menstrual cycle progresses, check your cervical mucus daily. It changes in consistency, depending on the stage of your cycle. Around the time of ovulation, your cervical mucous may become slippery, stretchy and clear. This can be difficult to detect for some women who have only a small amount of mucous, which is still normal. After ovulation, your temperature can increase by about 0.2C. While you won’t notice this change, you may be able to identify it by using a basal body temperature (BBT) thermometer. This temperature increase is a sign you have ovulated. Releasing an egg (ovulation) stimulates the production of the progesterone hormone, raising your body temperature. Track your temperature each morning for a few months so you can identify a pattern and your likely ovulation date. Temperature change can be difficult to detect for many women and hence frustrating, however some women can detect a temperature rise after ovulation. Peak fertility window Your likelihood of conceiving is substantially increased if you have sexual intercourse in the three days leading up to and including ovulation, which are the most fertile days in your menstrual cycle. This is when the egg is moving down the fallopian tube, waiting to be fertilised. The egg can survive for up to 12 to 24 hours after ovulation (most commonly 12 hours), while sperm can survive and fertilise an egg for two to five days in the fallopian tubes (most commonly 48 hours). I encourage women to have intercourse every day or every second day through their ‘fertile window’. This means that sperm are ready and waiting for the egg when the female ovulates. If you wait until after ovulation to have sex, you will probably miss the opportunity to conceive that month. When to seek further help If you have not fallen pregnant after 12 months (or six months if you are aged over 35) of unprotected intercourse with regular menstrual cycles, you should seek advice from your GP or fertility specialist. For further information visit https://cityfertility.coconutlab.io/information/pregnancy-planning/fertility-window/ For more information about Dr Anne Poliness, please visit Dr Anne Poliness website at drannepoliness.com.au

By Dr Anne Poliness, Medical Director at City Fertility Melbourne Falling pregnant is different for everyone, just like securing the perfect job, or finding the right partner, it seems many things in life, including conceiving, happen differently for everyone. We are all unique and statistically one in six couples will find it difficult to conceive. If you feel you are struggling to conceive, there is hope and many options available to you. Here are a few tips on things to consider that may help you achieve your dream sooner rather than later.   Check your lifestyle Did you know there are several lifestyle factors that can influence and help maximise your chance of conception? Some of these factors include: Maintaining a healthy weight and BMI (not doing so can sometimes cause hormonal imbalances) Exercising and eating well. A balanced diet and 30 minutes of mild to moderate exercise every day is all it takes. Minimise stress levels Quit smoking and any recreational drugs Limit caffeine and alcohol intake Take the recommended pre-pregnancy vitamin supplements especially folic acid Minimise exposure to environmental toxins. If you work around toxins (e.g. paint, diesel fumes or pesticides) wear protective equipment.   Know your fertility window Understanding your body’s cycle and recognising the signs of ovulation, is an important step in the conception process. The days leading up to ovulation are the most fertile ones in a woman’s menstrual cycle. This corresponds with the second week and the beginning of the third, in a 28-day cycle. During this time, the egg is moving down the fallopian tube, waiting to be fertilised. Therefore, intercourse before ovulation is more likely to result in pregnancy than at or after ovulation, as the sperm are ready and waiting for the egg. The egg can survive for 12 hours post-ovulation, while sperm are able to survive and fertilise an egg for two days in good condition in the fallopian tubes. To calculate your “fertile window”, you need to determine what day you ovulate. To do this, you need to know the length of your menstrual cycle (which can vary from 23 to 35 days or longer). To work this out, count the number of days from the first day of your last period to the first day of bleeding in your next one. Subtract 14 days from the end of your current cycle to determine the day you ovulate.   Watch Dr Anne Poliness’ videos for further advice. Please note: This video may not be copied or used, in whole or in part, without the prior written permission of City Fertility © 2016.   Seek help when ready? If you have not achieved a pregnancy after a year (or after six months if you are over 35 years) of unprotected intercourse, or if you feel something is not quite right, you should seek medical advice from your GP or a specialist. There are also other instances where you might want to seek earlier fertility advice. These include: early menopause, polycystic ovaries, irregular or non-existent menstruation, past history of endometriosis, when either you are or your partner is a current or past cancer patient or when the male partner has had a vasectomy. Infertility affects men and women. It results from a male factor in about 30% of cases, a female factor in 30% and both male and female factors in 30% of instances. About 10% of infertility problems remain unexplained even after complete medical evaluations. While experiencing fertility issues can be a devastating experience, the good news is there are several treatment options available. For more information visit contact our friendly staff on  1300 354 354.  

By Dr Anne Poliness, Clinical Director of City Fertility Centre Melbourne.  For lesbian couples, a number of viable routes can be considered when the goal is to achieve parenthood. Assisted reproductive technology (ART) is one of them. ART is increasingly being used to enable same-sex couples to have their own children. It is important to remember that this doesn’t necessarily mean they are infertile or have a fertility problem; however, in some cases they may learn they have a fertility problem after starting the family-building process with ART. Deciding to go down the path of parenthood is a very exciting time but there are also some important factors to consider when planning a pregnancy. Here are a few of the key things to take into account:   Who will Carry the Pregnancy and who will Provide the egg? Deciding who will carry the pregnancy and who will provide the egg is one of the big decisions to make. Sometimes one partner will do both and other times couples will opt for partner IVF. Partner IVF gives lesbian couples the chance to each have a special connection to their future child. This method allows both partners to become physically involved in the conception of their baby. One partner provides the eggs, which are fertilised with donor sperm, and the other carries the pregnancy. Some couples may use this type of treatment to conceive their second child, with their original sperm donor and carrier roles reversed.   Choosing a Known or Unknown Sperm Donor Choosing a sperm donor is also an important decision. Donors are classified as either “known” or “unknown”, depending on the type of relationship between the donor and the women/couple. Often, “known” donors can be hard to find as not all friends or family members are comfortable with the idea of donating and having a child genetically linked to them. “Unknown” (clinic-recruited) sperm donors (frozen sperm) are readily available at City Fertility Centre and have already completed the process of counselling, screenings, consenting and the six-month quarantine period. It is important to remember that in Australia, when children conceived from donor sperm turn 18 they have the right to access identifying information about the donor. In addition, only sperm from donors who have been advised by Victorian counsellors can be used in Victoria. The donor, however, is not the legal father of the child. The woman giving birth is regarded as the mother of any child born. The recipient couple are the legal parents of the child, with parental rights and responsibilities. Australia also has restrictions in place to limit the number of families that can be created from a single donor. Please note: City Fertility Centre encourages all individuals and couples to seek independent legal advice before taking part in the donor program.   Usual Fertility Factors Still Count – Age, Lifestyle, Environment, Medical Conditions It is important to also be aware of what impacts on your reproductive health. The usual fertility factors, such as advanced maternal age, lifestyle, environment and medical conditions, still all play a part in your fertility.   Counselling Counselling is also an essential part of the fertility journey as it provides the opportunity to consider and discuss treatment on a more personal level, taking into account the emotional responsibilities of all parties involved. It also enables patients to raise issues that are more private, such as individual concerns, relationship difficulties, or current life situations that may affect their experience of treatment. If you already have children, they may be invited to attend. Counselling is a mandatory part of all donor treatments. If you would like more information about the treatment options available for same-sex couples, please contact our friendly staff on 1300 354 354 or email contactus@cityfertility.com.au. Alternatively, visit our “Lesbian Couples” page or download our fact sheet “Fertility Treatment for Same-Sex Couples”. For more information about Dr Anne Poliness, please visit Dr Anne Poliness website at drannepoliness.com.au Image courtesy of Shutterstock.com