Current trends show an increasing number of women (and couples) sharing their pregnancy tests results with not just friends and family, but with the millions of users of social media sites, particularly YouTube.

The latest craze in the world of fertility and parenthood, “WombTube,” as characterized by news sources such as Good Morning America, produces thousands of results on the web with videos featuring women sharing their pregnancy test results online.  In some cases, women are even treating those on the other side of the screen as the first individuals to hear the news.

Opinions concerning the “WombTube” phenomenon have already arisen on both sides of the spectrum.  Some experts believe sharing both positive and negative results can empower other women dealing with the difficulties of getting pregnant, either naturally or through other methods like IVF, to gain a greater understanding that they are not alone in the sometimes bumpy roads towards conception.  Others, however, such as psychologist Lynne Kenney who interviewed with GMA, explains the false hope these shared experiences can potentially breed in cases where women share too soon (ie. if positive pregnancy tests lead to miscarriage), “You want to think about protecting your heart and your privacy a little bit, as you’re sharing this early information with the world (source: ABC).”

Howbeit people view the new “WombTube” trend, the pregnancy test monologues are not hurting in viewership, with many users choosing to follow women throughout their journey to motherhood.  There are several participants with views in the upper thousands, many of whom share their accounts from test to birth.

You can read GMA’s full story here.

Today, there are resources aplenty aimed to educate women trying to conceive.  Blogs, news clips, and online forums all provide platforms that connect and inform women and their partners who may be having trouble getting pregnant, revealing everything from heartfelt surrogacy success stories to shared struggles with fertility treatments.

NPR is on the fast track to becoming a leader of information when its comes to the topic of fertility medicine with their “21st Century Families” series, which highlights positive advances in the field of IVF protocols.  Other than focusing on the fertility methods available, however, the news source pays equal attention to other factors that contribute to infertility.  In their blog “The Baby Project,” readers and doctors provide personal stories and tips to enlighten women and their partners of things to be cognizant of when it comes to maintaining fertility.

NPR blog host Janey Adams outlines the main health steps women (and men) should take into account before trying to conceive in her recent piece “You May Be Ready For A Baby, But Is Your Body?” Among the most notable, according to interviewee Dr. Kirstiaan Nevin:

• quit smoking
• adjust medication dosages
• take vitamins, especially B complex
• consume caffeine, alcohol, and sweets in moderation
• know your cycle

If these health tips don’t produce positive pregnancy tests, Dr. Nevin suggests considering other factors at play that may affect sperm count (ie. alcohol consumption, not exercising, wearing tight fitting pants) and issues that affect a woman’s reproductive system (ie. tubal blockage, polycystic ovary syndrome).  If these steps still don’t provide couples with answers, fertility specialists can come next, who, like those here at New Hope, can provide the most effective pregnancy plans to fit the individual needs of each patient.

You can read the full story here.

Some quick news on recent New Hope successes:

1) 28 y/o came to New Hope with primary infertility.  After undergoing Mini-IVF™ treatment and requesting two embryo transfers, she is pregnant with twins!  Congrats!

2) 43 y/o with primary infertility underwent one Natural IVF cycle and two Mini-IVF™ cycles and has recently produced a positive pregnancy test!  Congratulations!

3) Patient graduated to her OBGYN after receiving a 2nd day embryo transfer from her Mini-IVF™ treatment.  The patient also froze a blastocyst from this cycle, making her a great candidate for a second child.  We hope to congratulate her again in the near future!

A recent article in The Wall Street Journal has revealed that the biological clock issue is no longer considered a concern exclusive to women.

The reproductive issues that can come along with older women trying to have children (ie. infertility or birth defects) have long been attributed to the woman’s womb, which rids of unfertilized eggs from puberty to menopause.  Several current studies, however, including a 2009 study in Queensland, Australia and another in London, have shown a connection between paternal age and birth defects in children, unveiling that becoming older is as much of a concern for would-be fathers as it is for older women considering motherhood.

While it remains a fact that the amount and viability of a woman’s eggs declines as she gets older, it is now understood that sperm also loses its luster as a man ages.  According to Dr. Harry Fisch, who penned “The Male Biological Clock,” the health of sperm decreases as age increases, “As men get older, maybe there is some sperm available, but a lot of that DNA may be abnormal.”  In serious cases, investigations into paternal age and birth defects have shown links between older fathers and dwarfism, Marfan syndrome, and Apert syndrome.

Although the linkages being made between paternal age and birth deficits are still in their beginning stages, the notion that the biological clock issue can cease to be solely a woman’s burden is important.  It is accepted among women that their chances of infertility and other issues come hand in hand with older age, but conception still involves both parties, and partners can now acknowledge that older age is a factor to be considered by man and woman as they discuss parenthood.

Alexis Stewart talks about her experience with surrogacy on ABC’s The View.