Thanks to our partners at Essentia Health for sponsoring this helpful article!
We’ve all heard the saying, “First comes love, then marriage, then a baby in the baby carriage.” It seems so simple and straightforward, right? However, life doesn’t always go as planned. What happens when the baby carriage remains empty?
There’s no crystal ball revealing who will struggle with fertility and who won’t. It might be you, though you won’t know until you have tried for several months to get pregnant.
Infertility affects men and women and can be both primary, meaning prior to a pregnancy, or secondary, which is the inability to conceive after a successful pregnancy. A diagnosis of infertility generally comes after attempting to conceive unsuccessfully for at least one year.
Compassionate Fertility Specialists in Fargo
According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, infertility affects 10-15% of couples. This makes it one of the most common conditions for people between the ages of 20-45. Additionally, the longer a woman tries to get pregnant without conceiving, the lower her chances are to get pregnant without medical treatment. About 85% of couples with normal fertility will conceive within a year of trying. If a couple doesn’t conceive in the first year, their chance of doing so gets lower each month. This accelerates as the woman ages.
Essentia Health’s mission is to make a healthy difference in people’s lives. Many of their providers, including all gynecologists, are trained to treat fertility concerns among their patients.
They’ve recently announced that they have partnered with Minneapolis-based CCRM Fertility to offer advanced fertility options in Fargo that were previously unavailable.
CCRM Minneapolis is dedicated to providing patients with industry-leading patient care and outcomes. “CCRM is a well-known, world leader in fertility research and advanced fertility treatments, including all aspects of in vitro fertilization,” said Dr. Stephanie Dahl, a reproductive endocrinologist. “It’s exciting to offer these services to patients in the Fargo-Moorhead area. We can’t wait to help them realize their dreams of becoming pregnant and raising children.”
Fertility Options in Fargo
Dr. Dahl will be on-site at Essentia Health for in-person appointments and also available for telehealth/virtual appointments. Patients will be able to complete their consultations, treatment planning and most ultrasounds and blood work in Fargo, but will need to travel to Minneapolis for some fertility testing, egg retrieval and embryo-transfer appointments.
“Our goal is to keep as much care locally as possible, only traveling to CCRM Minneapolis for essential visits,” Dr. Dahl said. “Hopefully, this will keep the process more convenient, less expensive and less stressful for our patients.” Dr. Dahl loves encountering past success stories. “The best part of my job is seeing the babies that I’ve helped bring into the world, especially when I’m out shopping at a grocery store or eating at a restaurant and it’s completely unexpected,” she said. “So if you see me, come say ‘hello.’ That makes my day!”
Learn more about obstetrics and gynecology services at Essentia Health by visiting us at EssentiaHealth.org.
If you would like to schedule an appointment with Dr. Dahl, please call 952-225-1630 and choose option 2.
For more information about infertility and reproductive health, visit reproductivefacts.org.
