Traditional vs. Gestational Surrogates: How They Differ
Surrogacy first made the headlines in 1985, when a surrogate named Mary Beth Whitehead attempted to gain custody of the baby she’d carried for Dr. Elizabeth and William Stern. Mrs. Whitehead provided both the egg and the uterus for “Baby M,” but ultimately lost...
How Immune System Problems Cause Miscarriages (and What to Do About It)
Miscarriage — also known as spontaneous abortion — is a pregnancy that ends by itself before the 20-week mark. Although only 10% of known pregnancies end in miscarriage, researchers estimate that about 26% of all pregnancies miscarry. In these cases, though, the...
Does Artificial Insemination Cause Side Effects?
Artificial insemination (AI) is one of the oldest of artificial reproductive technologies (ART) in existence. The first child ever conceived through AI was born way back in the 1700s. Of course, ART has come a long way since then. Advances in technology have increased...
How Often Can I Donate Eggs or Sperm?
Egg donation and sperm donation are both crucial parts of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) that help women and men who have fertility issues go on to build a family. Sometimes, egg or sperm donation ensures that at least one partner contributes DNA to their...
How Age Affects Your Fertility
“Seventy is the new 30!” The headlines trumpet. And they’re easy to believe. Everywhere you look, seniors are staying fit and strong well into what used to be consider old age. That’s your aim, too. Maybe you’re even “biohacking” to give yourself the best shot at...
Helping a Loved One Through Fertility Issues
Up tp 15% of all couples have challenges with becoming and staying pregnant, and are diagnosed with infertility. Problems with hormones, structural abnormalities, and other issues affect the female partner, the male partner, or both, in equal measure. If somebody you...
How Effective Are Fertility Treatments?
Fertility treatments encompass a wide variety of technologies and procedures that can help you have a child even if you or your partner’s been labeled infertile. Fertility treatments are also a wonderful solution for LGBTQA+ couples who wouldn’t be able to conceive a...
How Common is Male Infertility, and What are My Treatment Options?
There are seldom any warning signs that you’re infertile. Most men only find out there’s a problem when their partner doesn’t get pregnant, a difficult challenge that faces 15% of all couples who try to have a baby.Men and women who come to us at Columbia Fertility...
Can You Get Pregnant with PCOS?
Infertility affects about 10% of all women in the United States, according to the Department of Health and Human Services' Office on Women's Health, and the leading cause of female infertility is PCOS. As a premier fertility center in the Washington, DC, metropolitan...
How Being Underweight or Overweight Can Affect Your Fertility
Getting ready to have a baby is one of the most exciting times of your life. You’ve started taking your prenatal vitamins and you’ve upped your intake of fruits and vegetables. But when your doctor tells you you’re not at a healthy weight, and that this might affect...











