Glossary

BETA hCG TEST (BhCG) - A blood test used to detect very early pregnancies and to evaluate the development of the embryo. The test measures hCG, which is secreted by the placenta after implantation.
BLASTOCYST – A stage of embryonic development that occurs about 5 days after fertilization, when the embryo consists of two different cell types (those that will form the placenta and those that will form the fetus) and a central cavity. Following IVF, the embryos are allowed to reach the Blastocyst stage before being transferred into the uterus, rather than being transferred after the second or third day
CERVIX – The opening into the uterus. The cervix is a ring of tissue at the top of the vagina designed to collect sperm (with a cervical mucus), which are later released into the uterus. Observing changes in your cervical mucus will help you determine signs of fertility
CHEMICAL PREGNANCY – A pregnancy verified by lab tests but which fails before a gestational sac is seen on an ultrasound.
COICUS SEED - An herb that helps Poria eliminate the excess fluid mentioned above and making the process more effective.
CORPUS LUTEUM – A yellow-colored cyst that forms from the ovarian follicle after it releases an egg. Once formed, the cyst produces estrogen and progesterone to prepare and support the uterine lining for implantation.
CRYOPRESERVATION – The process of freezing tissues or cells and then storing them in liquid nitrogen at very low temperatures. This process is used to store sperm, embryos, and unfertilized eggs.
DIPSACUS - This herb is a key ingredient in the treatment of infertility. It is known to warm the uterus by supporting it with warm energy. This herb also helps the formation of bones in the fetus which is why we recommend taking the Embryo implantation Herbal Support during pregnancy until the end of the 12th week.
DONOR EGGS – Eggs from a fertile woman that are donated to an infertile woman for use in an ART procedure. The candidates for egg donation include women with premature ovarian failure, women with diminished ovarian reserve but with intact ovarian function, women who have previously failed multiple IVF attempts, particularly when poor egg quality is suspected, and women carrying transmittable genetic abnormalities
EGG QUALITY - One of the major factors in the successful development of embryos is the initial quality of the eggs. In general, egg quality tends to decline slowly in the late thirties, and more significantly in the early forties. Sometimes, however, the problem of egg quality can also appear in young women. In some cases of IVF treatment, the eggs are damaged by the hormone treatment itself, which prevents their full ripening even though the follicles have reached the right size (in such cases, we recommend that you ask the physician to change the protocol or try a natural IVF cycle based on your own natural ovulation). This lack of ripening is due to coldness in the ovaries that is caused by the fluids produced by the injected follicle stimulating hormones.
EGG RETRIEVAL – A procedure used to collect eggs from a woman’s follicles for use in IVF, usually performed with ultrasound-directed needle aspiration during IVF
EMBRYO – A term that describes the time from fertilization of the egg until the eighth week of pregnancy
EMBRYO TRANSFER – Placing an egg that has been fertilized outside the womb into a woman’s uterus or into the fallopian tube after IVF
EMBRYO IMPLANTATION HERBAL SUPPORT - is a treatment by of a balanced combination of premium Chinese medicinal herbs containing medicinal qualities that complements IVF hormone treatments and increases the rate of success for embryo implantation, relieving stress and preventing weight gain. The use of Embryo Implantation herbal support, when taken together with the hormone treatment, helps to disperse the unwanted accumulated fluids and to warm the uterus by regulating its normal blood supply, thus increasing the chance of implantation.
ENDOMETRIUM - is a Mucous membrane that lines the uterus and plays a key role in implantation of the embryo. It responds to the hormone progesterone, produced by the body and must be thick and spongy to receive the embryo. If there is not implantation the lining is shed with a menstrual period.
ESTRADIOL – natural estrogen produced by the ovary and released during ovulation. It supports the growth of the follicle and the development of the uterine lining.
ESTRADIOL LEVEL (E2 LEVEL) – The blood test to monitor estradiol. Along with ultrasound scans the tests can indicate how the ovaries are responding to stimulation for women on fertility drugs.
ESTROGEN - One of the two principle female sex hormones responsible for triggering growth of the female reproductive system. In the first half of the menstrual cycle, this hormone stimulates the uterine wall to become richly supplied with blood. EUCOMIA - An herb that helps support the uterus and is often used to decrease the chance of miscarriage. We include this herb in our Embryo implantation Support formula since it is instrumental in increasing success rate of implantation by helping the Dipsacus strengthen the fetus bones and enhance its correct development.
FALLOPIAN TUBES - Hollow ducts through which eggs travel to the uterus once released from the follicle. Specifically, two trumpet shaped, flexible tubes connected to the uterus, which are designed with flared projections to catch the egg and move it into the tube. Egg and sperm meet in the fallopian tubes and it is here that the egg becomes fertilized and the resulting embryo is transferred to the uterus by cilia.
FERTILITY MEDICATIONS - A group of drugs given to women to improve fertility. There are a variety of medications and hormonal therapies used to treat infertility. These therapies can replace or enhance your hormones and restore your ability to conceive, and they are often used in conjunction with other treatments such as Artificial Insemination, Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART), Micromanipulation Techniques and IVF.
FERTILIZATION – Penetration of the egg by the sperm cell.
FETUS – A term used to describe an unborn child during the period of gestation, from the period of time when the embryo is fully formed at around 8 weeks, until birth.
FOLLICLE – A fluid-filled sac in the ovary that contains the eggs.
FOLLICLE STIMULATING HORMONE (FSH) – A reproductive hormone that stimulates sperm production in a man; in a woman, FSH stimulates the growth of the ovarian follicle and the production of eggs, which is needed in order to ovulate. As the follicle grows, it releases inhibin, which halts the production of FSH.
FOLLICULAR PHASE - The portion of a woman’s cycle before ovulation during which a follicle grows and high levels of estrogen cause the lining of the uterus to grow.
FSH/EQQ QUALITY HERBAL SUPPORT - Herbal Support for Egg Quality Improvement is comprised of a balanced combination of medicinal herbs that help improve egg quality in women of all ages. The treatment increases the blood supply around the ovary, warming it so that it can produce fully ripened high-quality eggs. This herbal support therapy is recommended for enhancing egg quality for natural impregnation, or while undergoing IUI or IVF treatment.
GOOD MANUFACTORING PRACTICE (GMP) - means that the site and methods employed in the production of herbs has been subject to a thorough quality control investigation and is certified to be in compliance. These standards for manufacturing are the guidelines upon which our manufacturers base each decision, and allow us to have the confidence to say that they are some of the best herbal product manufacturers.
GONADOTROPIN – The hormones that stimulate the growth of the follicle.
HERB RESEARCH FOUNDATION - is the world's first and foremost source of accurate, science-based information on the health benefits and safety of herbs.
HERBMED - is an interactive, electronic herbal database - provides hyperlinked access to the scientific data underlying the use of herbs for health.
HIGH BASELINE FSH - High FSH levels of the follicle-stimulating hormone on day 3 of the menstrual cycle indicate problems with egg quality or egg production due to weak ovarian function (this factor of fertility is measured by means of a blood test on day 3 of your menstrual cycle).
HORMONE – A chemical substance that travels via the bloodstream and carries a signal from one part of the body to another.
HUMAN CHORIONIC GONADOTROPIN (hCG) – A hormone produced by the placenta in early pregnancy that keeps the corpus luteum producing progesterone.
IMPLANTATION – The embedding of the embryo into tissue so it can establish contact with the mother’s blood supply for nourishment.
INTRACYTOPLASMIC SPERM INJECTION (ICSI) – A lab procedure in which a single sperm is injected through the outer shell of the egg to enable fertilization.
INTRAUTERINE INSEMINATION (IUI) – An Assisted Reproduction Technique referred to as artificial insemination. This is a procedure where a woman is injected with washed sperm from the husband or a donor directly into the uterus, bypassing the cervix, and allowing the sperm to enter the fallopian tubes where fertilization normally occurs.
IN VITRO FERTILIZATION - the term refers to fertilization that takes place outside the body, in a lab dish instead of a woman's fallopian tubes. IVF involves stimulating the ovaries, retrieving released eggs, fertilizing the eggs, growing the embryos in a laboratory, and then implanting the embryos in the woman’s uterus to develop naturally.
IVF PROCEDURE - The cycle commences with stimulation of the ovaries using injectable fertility medications. When the follicles reach an optimum size, an injection of hCG is given to trigger the final maturation of eggs. The eggs are retrieved through the vagina with ultrasound using a light anaesthetic. Once the eggs are identified they are fertilized in the laboratory. Once the eggs are fertilized they are carefully nurtured in the laboratory and they become embryos which are ready for transfer into the uterus. Approximately ten days after embryo transfer, the first blood pregnancy test is performed and after another two weeks the first ultrasound will confirm the pregnancy.
INFERTILITY - is defined by World Health Organization (WHO) as the inability to conceive after one year of unprotected, well-timed intercourse, or the inability to carry a pregnancy to term. The Infertility definition is reduced to six months for: Women over 35, Women with a history of painful periods, irregular cycles, pelvic inflammatory disease and miscarriages and couples who know that the male partner has a low sperm count.
IVF HERBAL SUPPORT - is a natural infertility treatment by herbal medicine that complements in-vitro-fertilization (IVF) hormone treatments and increases the rate of success for embryo implantation. IVF Herbal Support Complements: IVF - Hormone assisted, IUI, Natural Conception and IVF - Natural cycles.
LIGUSTICUM - This herb is added to our Embryo implantation Support formula in order to help the Angelica (Dong Quai) move the blood supply in the outer walls of the womb making it an ideal warm incubator.
LUTEAL PHASE – The second half of the menstrual cycle that occurs between the release of an egg and the menstrual period.
LUTEAL PHASE DEFECT (LPD) - Abnormalities in endometrial development - are associated with infertility and early miscarriage. Luteal phase defect occurs when the endometrium is inadequately prepared, either because the secretion of progesterone by the ovary is below normal or because the endometrium is not responding to the normal stimulation by progesterone.
LUTEINIZING HORMONE (LH) – A pituitary hormone that stimulates the ovaries or testicles.
MALE FACTOR - 40% of infertility is due a male problem such as structural abnormalities, sperm production disorders, ejaculatory disturbances and immunologic disorders.
MENSTRUAL CYCLE – The monthly series of reproductive changes in the uterus and other female organs that averages about 28 days, measured from the one menstrual flow to the next.
MICROMANIPULATION TECHNIQUES - These techniques are often used as part of ART to achieve or improve fertilization and implantation rates. These techniques may also be used to remove a cell from a developing embryo for assessment of the DNA.
MISCARRIAGE – The spontaneous loss of an embryo of fetus before the 20th week of pregnancy. Most miscarriages occur during the first 14 weeks of pregnancy.
NATIONAL CENTER FOR COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE (NCCAM) - A factual site maintained by one of the centers of the National Institutes of Health, specifically to promote and disseminate information regarding complementary medicine.
NATURAL CONCEPTION - in general is the fertilization of an egg by sperm that leads to the creation of a baby. It is a joined together sequences of events which include a release of a mature ripened egg (called ovum), which must be picked up by a functional fallopian tube in the woman. The man produces sperm and deposits it in the vagina, near the cervical opening. Intercourse must occur every other day around the time of ovulation. The sperm must make it through the cervix and through the uterus into the fallopian tube. One healthy sperm must breach the egg's protective layers for fertilization to occur.
NATURAL IVF CYCLE - treatment based around a woman natural menstrual cycles instead of routinely using drugs to stimulate the ovaries into producing extra eggs.
OOCYTE – The biological term for an egg.
OVARIES - Produce female hormones: estrogen and progesterone and produce one ripened egg (called ovum) each menstrual cycle. Each month one of the ovaries produces an egg, which develops in a small fluid-filled sac called the follicle. When the egg is mature it is released from the ovary and passes through one of the fallopian tubes.
OVULATORY DISORDERS - Approximately 40% of female infertility problems are the result of ovulation disorders. There are many factors that can affect ovulation.
OVARIAN CYST – A fluid-filled sac inside the ovary; typically, ovarian cysts disappear on heir own. Such a cyst might form during ovulation, when a follicle grows but fails to rupture and release an egg.
OVARIAN FAILURE – is defined as the cessation of menstrual periods before the age of 40. A condition involving a loss of ovarian function so that menstrual periods stop, estrogen levels drop, and follicle-stimulating hormone levels rise.
OVARIAN HYPERSTIMULATION SYNDROME (OHSS) – A side effect of drug-induced ovulation in which a woman’s ovaries become enlarged and produce too many eggs as a result of being over-stimulated. The medications can cause ovarian enlargement and discomfort; fluid accumulates in the abdomen, which can lead to blood chemistry problems. Usually ovarian hyperstimulation occurs after the end of the treatment with FSH-containing drugs.
OVULATION – The release of a mature egg from a follicle.
OVULATION INDUCTION – Drug treatment that triggers the development and release of an egg or eggs from the follicles in the ovaries.
PITUITARY GLAND – The small gland beneath the hypothalamus that secrets many hormones, including FSH, and LH.
POOR RESPONDERS - The term poor responder has been used to define women who require large doses of stimulation medications and who make less than an optimal number of eggs.
PORIA - A very effective mushroom that helps drain the excess fluids caused by the hormones from the lower abdomen. This in turn prevents the excess water from cooling the uterus, keeping the uterus warm to enhance implantation.
PORIA CORE - This herb helps in relieving stress by calming the mind and spirit during an IVF treatment. Relaxation has been determined to have a very important role in better coping and preparing most women for a successful IVF cycle.
PROGESTERONE – An important ovarian hormone that is normally secreted after ovulation and during pregnancy. Progesterone triggers thickening of the lining of the uterus so it can accept implantation of a fertilized egg.
SEMEN – Fluid containing sperm and a number of other substances, including water, simple sugars, alkaline chemicals, and prostaglandins.
SPERM – The microscopic cell that carries the male’s genetic information to the female’s egg.
SPERM COUNT – The number of sperm in the ejaculate, also called sperm concentration and given as the number of sperm per milliliter. A low sperm count is called oligospermia. A sperm count of 20 million/ml or above is considered normal.
SPERM MORPHOLOGY – The number or percentage of sperm in the semen sample that have been formed normally.
SPERM MOTILITY – The ability of sperm to swim.
SPERM PENETRATION – The ability of sperm to break through the egg.
SPERM WASH – A technique used to separate sperm cells from the seminal fluid, resulting in a small volume of highly concentrated sperm used for IUI treatments.
TCM PRACTITIONARS - practitioners typically use herbs, acupuncture, and massage to help unblock qi and blood in patients in an attempt to bring the body back into harmony and wellness. The prescription of herbal remedies takes, a TCM practitioner, years to master because it requires a deep understanding of medical theory and the complexity of herbs. In creating an herbal formula, the TCM practitioner considers the effects or outcome of the remedy.
ULTRASOUND – Use of high-frequency sound waves that are reflected off solid tissues to give an image of internal body structures. This device is used to detect and count follicle growth in many fertility treatments and to detect and monitor pregnancy.
UTERINE FACTORS - Abnormalities of the uterus can have a significant impact on the ability of a woman to conceive and to carry a pregnancy successfully. Some women have an abnormally developed uterus from birth (congenital) while others may develop a uterine problem due to infection or surgery (acquired).
UTERUS – Part of the female reproductive system and is a thick, muscular organ that is designed to support a growing fetus until birth.
VAGINAL ULTRASOUND – An ultrasound procedure used to determine follicular development and to guide the retrieval of eggs.
ZYGOTE - An embryo in the early stages of development.