With so many causes of infertility, it can be difficult to understand what may be causing your infertility. So let's break it down one by one.

Uterine fibroids. Uterine fibroids are an interesting category when we're talking about causes of infertility. They don't always cause infertility, and the fascinating thing, at least I think of fibroids, is sometimes people misunderstand fibroids and confuse them with polyps, which we'll talk about in another video.

But today we're jumping into uterine fibroids. Understanding exactly what they are, how often do they cause infertility and really, do they always cause infertility? Hint: no, they don't. But we will get to that in just a minute. So let's dive in.

What are uterine fibroids? Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous growths that occur in the uterus and are made of uterine muscle, also known as the myometrium or middle layer of the uterine tissue.

Tumors grow within this layer and can protrude into the inside of the uterus or through to the outside layer. The uterus has three layers of muscle tissue, the perimetrium, which is the outer layer, the myometrium, which is the middle layer, and the endometrium, which is the innermost layer. Fibroids, which grow in the myometrium otherwise known as the middle layer, can protrude into each other layer of uterine tissue. They can protrude inward, pushing into the endometrium, causing less space within the uterine cavity. It can also protrude outward on the outermost layer, the perimetrium.

Uterine fibroids affect an estimated 70 to 80% of people with uteruses at some point in their lifetime. 2 to 4% of those with fibroids experience infertility.

Uterine fibroids are very common among women in their thirties and forties. The cause of uterine fibroids is unknown. Treatment for uterine fibroids depends on the size and impact on life and/or reproductive struggles, but options include surgery, medication, or other interventions. Symptoms may include: heavy menstrual periods, longer or more frequent menstrual periods than expected, weight gain, and/or abdominal distension.

Stay tuned for more information about infertility and don't forget to follow and subscribe.

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Motivate Me by Mixaund | https://mixaund.bandcamp.com

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There are a lot of things that come up as a new mom. One of the most complicated things, is the decision how to feed your child. Are you going to nurse, pump, formula feed, a combination?

As a mom who combination fed my twins due to an issue with low milk supply, I often struggled to find a comfortable and stylish nursing bra. But what's more frustrating was finding a sports bra that I could easily transition to nursing from after a workout. If only Jen & Keri was around!

Today's guest is Dr. Karlie Causey, co-founder of Jen & Keri, a postpartum activewear brand specializing in stylish and functional sports bras that double as nursing bras! So, after you have your baby and your back to hitting the gym, you don't have to get out of your sports bra, you can nurse your baby without changing! And more than that, these incredible bras are cute and stylish!

Dr. Karlie is the co-founder of a postpartum activewear brand, sports chiropractor, and certified strength and conditioning coach who is passionate about providing practical tools to moms and moms-to-be, helping them restore their bodies and continue exercising after their babies are born.

Here’s a quick glimpse at this episode:

•Karlie shares her journey to becoming a chiropractor.

•We talk about what inspired her to co-found Jen & Keri.

•She tells me about her experience founding an activewear company.

•Who she'd invite to her dream dinner party and who have been the most influential people in her life.

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Find Karlie:

On the Web: www.jenandkeri.com

On the Web: www.karliecausey.com

Instagram: @jenandkeri

Instagram: @drkarlie

TikTok: @jenandkeri

TikTok: @drkarlie

With so many causes of infertility, it can be difficult to understand what may be causing YOUR infertility. So let's break it down one by one.

Male factor infertility, also known as MFI. This is such an interesting cause of infertility because it's not talked about as often as female causes of infertility, mostly because there are more causes of infertility that can originate from the female.

This doesn't mean that causes of infertility are more often with the female. It's actually a third female factor, a third male factor, and another third male _*AND*_ female factor. But that being said, the category of male factor infertility covers fewer causes than female factor. But let's dive in today and talk about what are the more common causes of male factor infertility, also known as MFI. Let's dive in. This is a great one. So here we go.

What is male factor infertility? MFI, or male factor infertility is identified as being due to an issue with sperm, sperm production, or other related issues. Some examples are low sperm count, abnormally shaped sperm, otherwise known as morphology, low sperm movement, otherwise known as motility, and more.

Normal sperm count is considered a range from 15 million to greater than 200 million sperm per milliliter of semen. Low sperm count is considered to be anything fewer than 15 million sperm per milliliter of semen.

In terms of morphology, normal sperm morphology (or shape) has a head, a body and a tail. Abnormal sperm morphology (or shape) is a tail that is too long, a tail that is missing a head, a head that is missing a tail, no body, a head that is too big, a head that is not properly shaped, two heads, or two tails, or anything that is not a normally shaped sperm.

Low sperm motility, also known as slow moving sperm is exactly how it sounds. It's sperm that doesn't move at the proper rate. Normal sperm motility is considered to be sperm that moves forward with progressions of at least 25 micrometers per second. Poor sperm motility is anything that is less than five micrometers per second or sperm that _*doesn't*_ move forward.

Other causes of male factor infertility are things like varicocele. In varicocele, there is an enlargement of the veins in the scrotum. This enlargement can cause low sperm production and/or decreased sperm quality. In a normal scrotum, the veins are not enlarged and are the proper size.

MFI or male factor infertility, affects an estimated 7% of all men. 40 to 50% of infertility cases are due to MFI. Some causes can be fixed through surgery, diet, and lifestyle changes. Diagnosis is made through a variety of tests, usually in the following order, sperm sample, otherwise known as a semen sample, blood test, imaging, or repeat sperm sample.

Stay tuned for more information about infertility and don't forget to follow and subscribe.

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Background Music:

Motivate Me by Mixaund | https://mixaund.bandcamp.com

Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com