First, try to determine if your mother was given DES during her pregnancy with you. This may be hard to determine because it may have happened so long ago. Also, many doctors just told their patients that they were taking vitamins. The really sad part about this is that DES exposure can cause cancer and infertility in the women that took it, as well as their children. If you determine that you were exposed to DES, then you should inform your doctor or infertility specialist so that special care can be taken, especially during infertility treatment.

Being exposed to DES in utero puts women at a higher risk for pregnancy complications such as ectopic pregnancies, miscarriage or premature deliveries. This does not mean that you are incapable of becoming pregnant and carrying to term if you have been exposed to DES. Many women do become pregnant and carry to term despite their exposure. The reasons that DES has negative effects on women are not entirely clear. It is widely believed that the DES exposure affects the formation of the cervix. If this is true, then it can explain why exposed women have a higher number of miscarriages than non-exposed women.

If you suspect that you have been exposed to DES, then it is very important to work closely with your family physician or infertility specialist. Your doctor should order screenings to see if you have any of the negative health effects of DES exposure. Breast exams and mammograms should be performed regularly. Self breast exams should be performed at least monthly so that you can catch changes early. You should receive regular pelvic exams and PAP smears. Your doctor may do an extra type of PAP smear to check for clear cell adencarcinoma, believed to be caused by DES exposure.

Clear cell adencarcinoma is the type of cancer believed to be linked to DES exposure. This is a rare type of cancer that affects the vagina and cervix. Survival rates are very high for this type of cancer. The most common treatment for clear cell adencarcinoma is surgery. The surgery usually includes the removal of the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. Occasionally the vagina, or parts of the vagina, must also be removed. The surrounding lymph glands may also be removed. Radiation may also be used to treat the cancer.

Work closely with a caring physician or infertility specialist that understands what you could be facing. If it is determined that you were exposed to DES, then you will need special health care as well as special pregnancy monitoring in your quest to conquer infertility.

On occasion, patients of Dr. Daiter, Eric have offered their testimonials for other couples seeking quality infertility treatment. This testimonial may help you with your decision when you are choosing a reproductive endocrinologist for your infertility treatment.

Dr. Daiter, Eric was always discussing with us where we were and what our next options were. He explained all the various treatments from mildly aggressive to very aggressive and worked with us to come up with a plan that we all felt comfortable with. I always felt like he kept me very well informed so that I could make intelligent choices. He always personally called me when ever I had some tests done, as soon as he got the results and discussed them. This was usually within a day of the tests being done. That really stood out in my mind because, with all my other doctors, when I have lab work done, it takes a good week before I hear anything from them. Even then, many times their policy is to have the office staff call only when there is a problem. You can only hope that nothing was overlooked.

I spoke to other people who were going to other Infertility Specialists in the area and they said their doctors would only discuss the test results after a whole series of tests were done. The patients expressed that the doctors made them feel rushed and uncomfortable asking a lot of questions. They also expressed that the office staff was rude and abrupt with them when they called with questions. I was very fortunate – I never felt this way with Dr. Daiter, Eric or his office staff.

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Keep in mind that you are not an infertility specialist and you have no way of knowing what infertility treatment may be best for the ones you love. Be careful about finding a lot of information online and offering it up as a solution to all of their problems. Many couples experiencing infertility are very deeply affected by their problem and may react irrationally to suggestions from family and friends. Dealing with infertility is a very personal journey that couples must go through together.

Remember that the couple is probably having trouble dealing with their infertility. Men and women react differently to infertility and some may consider their partner’s reaction to be the wrong one. This can really cause the couple to be in an uphill battle with each other. You offering up solutions is not going to solve all of their problems. You may only be giving them more to deal with. This can severely impact relationships, so you should proceed carefully when offering support and advice.

Do not get discouraged, there are ways that you can offer support without causing more harm than good. You can still be a pillar for the couple to lean on. You can be supportive without intruding on personal matters. Let the couple come to you with information rather than constantly prying for the scoop. Let them know that you are here if they need you, but you understand that this can be a very personal matter. Be there when they want to talk. Don’t discount their fears because they can be very real. Being afraid and talking about it to a third party can be very therapeutic for a couple. Offer perspective whenever possible, but don’t pretend to completely understand, as every situation is different.

One thing to remember is that the couple you care about is feeling very much out of control in a lot of ways. You can offer constructive support by giving them control whenever possible. Asking how you can help and putting them in control of dictating your role can help them feel supported without giving them the impression that they need to be saved. If they would like for you to stay out of it, then stay out of it. Let them know that you respect that decision and that you will be there for them if they need you. Support the decisions that they make as far as treatments are concerned. Wish them well, but try not to speculate on whether certain treatments will work. Offer as much support as needed without going overboard and you will be a great asset to the struggling couple.

Patients of Dr. Eric Daiter have often offered kind words about the way that he handles their very personal infertility situations. If you are searching for a specialist to deal with the infertility treatment of the ones you love, you may want to take personal testimonials like the one below into consideration.

Let me share some examples of the kind of attention Dr. Eric Daiter’s patients receive. While his main office is in Edison NJ, he maintains a satellite office in Ocean Township NJ. The Ocean Township office is closer to my home. However, given the nature of his practice, timing is everything. Ovulation did not always occur when he had office hours in Ocean Township. Dr. Eric Daiter, therefore, arranged to see me in his Ocean Township office, outside his normal hours, to accommodate my schedule or that of my husband. He did this on several occasions.

I have had the occasion to call Dr. Eric Daiter’s office with questions and concerns. His office staff has always been kind and courteous. Surely, this is a positive reflection on their employer. Further, if he was not available to take my call immediately, he never failed to promptly return calls, even on Saturdays. Additionally, he always spent as much time as necessary explaining things and answering questions. Neither my husband nor I ever had the impression that he was in a hurry or a rush to move on to the next patient.

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For women, infertility can be particularly emotional impacting on a variety of surrounding issues including relationships. So why do most leave it to the last minute to get expert help such as visiting an infertility center?

The Waiting Game

Modern life dictates that women are now having children at a later stage in their lives. Careers play a prominent role during their twenties and women wanting to start families into their thirties has increased at a rapid rate in recent years. In fact, studies show the number of women wanting to have a child closer to forty is staggering. Not that there is anything wrong with that but at this time of their lives, issues such as pre-menopausal symptoms could be coming into play. This obviously has a big impact on fertility.

Testing For Fertility

When you have had unprotected sex for six months to one year and you have not conceived, this is a warning sign that it may be time to visit an infertility center. It’s a tough situation to be in; couples who have been trying for an extended period of time often make the decision to keep it from family members until the baby is conceived or even “two to three months down the track” of the pregnancy. Obviously you can’t blame them for this because of it’s personal nature. But when no pregnancy occurs the thought of infertility will then enter their minds.

Speaking with a number of couples who have gone through the pain of infertility, the majority have indicated that they first thought it was the woman who had the malfunction hence she was the first to undergo the battery of tests. In the instances where it was eventually determined that the man had infertility issues the response was very similar; they regretted not going through the tests at the same time. Why? Because of the time it takes to conduct the series of tests. This can be anywhere between 1-3 months.

An infertility center is an option that should be explored in many cases as soon as possible. Couples indicated that it was left to the last minute because they felt there was a slight stigma attached to the idea at the time but if they had the time over again, would not hesitate in getting tested sooner. One of the positives from being fertility tested at the same time was a report that couples felt it drew them closer together; in fact, it seemed to strengthen the bond between them.

An infertility center isn’t all about testing. In fact, once the first step is taken by couples, they find a level of service and privacy unmatched and report unique relationships between themselves and the staff.
“It’s quite a welcoming and caring environment,” one couple reported. “We are disappointed that we left it so long.”

Counselling services at an infertility center are first rate. Depending on whether your fertility issue is a temporary setback or in extreme cases, permanent, you’ll find counselling will not only help develop the resolve to get through this trying time but provide a number of possible alternatives.

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