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Fertility Blog

Fertility Blog by Illume Fertility

Everything you need to know about reproductive health, fertility testing, fertility treatment (like IUI and IVF) and how to navigate fertility challenges.

Monica Moore, MSN, APRN

Monica Moore is a board-certified Advanced Practice Nurse Practitioner, nurse educator and health coach who has been caring for patients at Illume Fertility for over 20 years. She is also the founder and lead educator at Fertile Health, LLC. Monica is passionate about taking care of the whole patient, believing in the importance of integrating comprehensive care. She has a special interest in PCOS and combating weight bias with education and advocacy.

Ovulation | Fertility Treatment | IVF | Egg Retrieval

By: Monica Moore, MSN, APRN
November 27th, 2023

If IVF was a movie, the medications would be the villainous sidekicks. Not the menacing bad guy, but all the annoying, unwanted plot points along the way. Even when you know they're essential to the journey, you still wish you could skip to the end without encountering them.

Insulin Resistance | PCOS | Exercise

By: Monica Moore, MSN, APRN
August 24th, 2023

Have PCOS? You've probably heard that physical activity is one of the best ways to manage your symptoms. But what if you're not sure where to start? Enter: our PCOS fitness guide!

Donor Conception | Egg Donor

By: Monica Moore, MSN, APRN
August 24th, 2023

Hearing that using donor eggs may be your best option for building a family can bring up a lot of complex emotions and big questions. In this guide, we detail the process of finding an egg donor, donor egg success rates, and the psychological aspect of pursuing donor conception.

PCOS | Health | Nutrition

By: Monica Moore, MSN, APRN
August 11th, 2023

While the majority of people with PCOS have excess weight, it is possible to have the condition and still have a BMI within normal range. This is known as "lean PCOS," and it can make it even harder to get a proper diagnosis. Let's explore why.

Infertility Awareness | Mental Health

By: Monica Moore, MSN, APRN
May 11th, 2023

No matter where you are on your family-building journey, holidays like Mother's Day can sting. If you're still in the trenches of trying to conceive, navigating fertility treatment or coping with losses, this day is even harder. Here are some words of comfort from a veteran fertility nurse.

Insulin Resistance | PCOS | Preconception | Nutrition

By: Monica Moore, MSN, APRN
September 9th, 2022

An appointment at the doctor generates anxiety for many people. Whether it’s getting your blood drawn, having to undergo a painful but necessary procedure or test, or the fear of receiving bad news, going to the doctor’s office doesn’t feel like a walk in the park for most folks.

Fertility Treatment | IUI

By: Monica Moore, MSN, APRN
March 29th, 2022

Are you exploring the possibility of fertility treatment and wondering what all your options are? In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) may be the most well-known treatment method, but it's important to remember that you don’t have to jump straight to IVF. Depending on your situation and the recommendation from your Reproductive Endocrinologist, you may want to consider other, less-invasive treatment options that show promising results. One of those methods is Intrauterine Insemination (IUI). Let's talk about what IUI is, how it works, and how (and who) it can help. Skip to a section: What is Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)? Why is IUI helpful for some patients? How does IUI increase your chances of conceiving? Are there different types of IUIs? IUI Procedure Step-by-Step What does an IUI feel like? IUI Success Rates Is IUI right for me? More Fertility Treatment Resources

Insulin Resistance | Diabetes

By: Monica Moore, MSN, APRN
November 12th, 2020

November is National Diabetes Month, and we want to focus on Type 2 Diabetes as it is almost always preventable (or it’s onset can be delayed) by utilizing certain lifestyle strategies. Diabetes is not a foreign term when it comes to infertility, but not everyone knows why it happens, how it affects your body, and what you can do about it.