Sanaz Ghazal, MD

How long should I wait before having another baby? If you recently had a baby or even if you are currently pregnant, you may be wondering when you should think about the next one. Interpregnancy interval is defined as the time between live birth and treatment cycle start. A short interval between delivery and next pregnancy has been associated with poor pregnancy and neonatal outcomes in naturally conceived pregnancies. The WHO recommends waiting 24 months, while many physi...cians recommend waiting 18-24 months to try to conceive. But what if you’re going through fertility treatment? Does that recommended wait time change? A study published in 2018 looked at data from 51,000+ IVF cycles that resulted in a live birth and 11,000+ repeat IVF live births and analyzed outcomes. They found that women who started treatment <12 months from a live birth had an increased risk of preterm delivery and low birth weight babies compared to those who waited 12-18 months. So we typically recommend waiting 12 months after delivery to start treatment again. The timing of your next pregnancy is also a personal decision and you may want to factor in things like: - Wanting to enjoying every moment of the first year with your new baby - Nursing or breastfeeding, which can affect your hormones - The age gap between children - Other family commitments If you are concerned about timing of your next pregnancy, talk to a fertility doctor about it. It’s important to consider medical factors such as your age, ovarian reserve, how your last pregnancy/delivery went, and other risk factors. You don’t want to wait too long, but you don’t want to rush it either. We can help you decide on the perfect timing.

Which prenatal vitamin should I take? . . Patients ask me this question all the time. And with all the options on the market right now, how do you know which prenatal vitamin is best for you?... The truth is that there are a lot of great options available and you don’t necessarily need a prescription or to special-order your prenatal. When you are trying to decide which prenatal vitamin to get, there are a few key vitamins and minerals you should look for: FOLIC ACID - Helps prevent birth defects of the brain, spine - L-methylfolate may be better absorbed by some patients - Some may need more based on risk factors Recommend 400-800mcg daily VITAMIN D - Deficiency is associated with poor pregnancy outcomes, miscarriage risk - Also important for fetal bone, teeth development Take 600 IU daily (ideally 1000 IU daily) DHA - Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an omega-3 fatty acid that helps baby’s brain, nervous system, and eye development Aim for DHA 200mg daily CALCIUM - Builds strong bones Recommend 1000mg daily IRON - Used by your body to make red blood cells, which deliver oxygen to you and your baby Recommend 27mg daily CHOLINE - Plays role in fetal brain development, may help prevent birth defects - Not found in most prenatals so get it from your diet (milk, chicken, beef, eggs, peanuts, soy) Recommend 450mg daily VITAMIN C - Important for a healthy immune system Get at least 85mg daily B VITAMINS - Give you energy, promote good vision, help make red blood cells, build the placenta If prenatal doesn’t contain B vitamins, take B complex supplement. A complete prenatal vitamin generally contains many other vitamins and minerals that are good for you, but look for these key ones. If your prenatal doesn’t have enough of a key vitamin, take an additional supplement or add it through your diet. Remember: start taking a prenatal vitamin 2-3 months before you try to conceive for best results. What is your favorite prenatal vitamin? Share below!

Want to know the 4 best supplements to take when trying to conceive? Believe it or not, you don’t need to spend a fortune on vitamins and supplements to optimize your chances of getting pregnant naturally. In fact, to prove that you can find these supplements at any grocery or drug store, I made a Target run to show you exactly what to look for. So if you are trying to conceive, skip the gimmicky stuff and old wives’ tales and stick with these tried and true and, most importa...ntly, evidence-based supplements to prepare your body for pregnancy. Click over to my Instagram @sanazghazalmd to learn more! For more fertility pro tips and insider secrets to help you get pregnant naturally, follow me on social! As always, I'm here for you if you need me!

Want to know something really shocking? A young, healthy couple in their late 20s or early 30s with normal fertility only has about a 20-25% chance of getting pregnant each month. Shocked?! Yeah, I know. It’s pretty low. But, with time, the majority of healthy young couples will eventually get pregnant.... After 3 months of trying, ~60% of couples will be pregnant. After 6 months of trying, 72% will be pregnant. After 12 months of trying, 85% will be pregnant. After 2 years of trying, 93% will be pregnant. 1 in 8 women will experience infertility in their lifetime. This means that infertility is COMMON. The sad reality is that less than half of these women actually seek medical attention, which is a shame because 2 out of every 3 couples who do seek treatment eventually SUCCEED in taking home a baby. So, if you have been trying to get pregnant for a year or more without success, it means that something is not working and it’s time to see a specialist. It's my job as a fertility doctor to figure out what that problem is and either fix it or work around it to help you conceive. If you are 1 in 8, know that you are not alone. I’m here for you. Let’s talk about your journey and get you on track to meet your fertility goals.

Hi there! I'm so excited to be back on this platform and connecting with everyone! For those of you who don't know me, I'm Dr. Sanaz Ghazal and I am a double board certified Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility specialist and Ob/Gyn in Orange County, California. I am a Southern California native, but spent 18 years on the east coast completing all my education and medical training. I recently started my own fertility practice called RISE Fertility, which has given me the ...ability to care for patients the best way I know how: by putting patients FIRST. My approach is based on honesty, compassion, cutting edge technology, and personalized treatment plans using evidence-based medicine to maximize success rates. I am also a wife and mom to 3 little kids and have personally experienced many of the same things as my patients. I've been there and I know how hard it can be. I want nothing more than to help my patients build the family of their dreams. Thank you for being on this journey with me!

How long should I wait before having another baby? If you recently had a baby or even if you are currently pregnant, you may be wondering when you should think about the next one. Interpregnancy interval is defined as the time between live birth and treatment cycle start. A short interval between delivery and next pregnancy has been associated with poor pregnancy and neonatal outcomes in naturally conceived pregnancies. The WHO recommends waiting 24 months, while many physi...cians recommend waiting 18-24 months to try to conceive. But what if you’re going through fertility treatment? Does that recommended wait time change? A study published in 2018 looked at data from 51,000+ IVF cycles that resulted in a live birth and 11,000+ repeat IVF live births and analyzed outcomes. They found that women who started treatment <12 months from a live birth had an increased risk of preterm delivery and low birth weight babies compared to those who waited 12-18 months. So we typically recommend waiting 12 months after delivery to start treatment again. The timing of your next pregnancy is also a personal decision and you may want to factor in things like: - Wanting to enjoying every moment of the first year with your new baby - Nursing or breastfeeding, which can affect your hormones - The age gap between children - Other family commitments If you are concerned about timing of your next pregnancy, talk to a fertility doctor about it. It’s important to consider medical factors such as your age, ovarian reserve, how your last pregnancy/delivery went, and other risk factors. You don’t want to wait too long, but you don’t want to rush it either. We can help you decide on the perfect timing.

Which prenatal vitamin should I take? . . Patients ask me this question all the time. And with all the options on the market right now, how do you know which prenatal vitamin is best for you?... The truth is that there are a lot of great options available and you don’t necessarily need a prescription or to special-order your prenatal. When you are trying to decide which prenatal vitamin to get, there are a few key vitamins and minerals you should look for: FOLIC ACID - Helps prevent birth defects of the brain, spine - L-methylfolate may be better absorbed by some patients - Some may need more based on risk factors Recommend 400-800mcg daily VITAMIN D - Deficiency is associated with poor pregnancy outcomes, miscarriage risk - Also important for fetal bone, teeth development Take 600 IU daily (ideally 1000 IU daily) DHA - Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an omega-3 fatty acid that helps baby’s brain, nervous system, and eye development Aim for DHA 200mg daily CALCIUM - Builds strong bones Recommend 1000mg daily IRON - Used by your body to make red blood cells, which deliver oxygen to you and your baby Recommend 27mg daily CHOLINE - Plays role in fetal brain development, may help prevent birth defects - Not found in most prenatals so get it from your diet (milk, chicken, beef, eggs, peanuts, soy) Recommend 450mg daily VITAMIN C - Important for a healthy immune system Get at least 85mg daily B VITAMINS - Give you energy, promote good vision, help make red blood cells, build the placenta If prenatal doesn’t contain B vitamins, take B complex supplement. A complete prenatal vitamin generally contains many other vitamins and minerals that are good for you, but look for these key ones. If your prenatal doesn’t have enough of a key vitamin, take an additional supplement or add it through your diet. Remember: start taking a prenatal vitamin 2-3 months before you try to conceive for best results. What is your favorite prenatal vitamin? Share below!

Want to know the 4 best supplements to take when trying to conceive? Believe it or not, you don’t need to spend a fortune on vitamins and supplements to optimize your chances of getting pregnant naturally. In fact, to prove that you can find these supplements at any grocery or drug store, I made a Target run to show you exactly what to look for. So if you are trying to conceive, skip the gimmicky stuff and old wives’ tales and stick with these tried and true and, most importa...ntly, evidence-based supplements to prepare your body for pregnancy. Click over to my Instagram @sanazghazalmd to learn more! For more fertility pro tips and insider secrets to help you get pregnant naturally, follow me on social! As always, I'm here for you if you need me!

Want to know something really shocking? A young, healthy couple in their late 20s or early 30s with normal fertility only has about a 20-25% chance of getting pregnant each month. Shocked?! Yeah, I know. It’s pretty low. But, with time, the majority of healthy young couples will eventually get pregnant.... After 3 months of trying, ~60% of couples will be pregnant. After 6 months of trying, 72% will be pregnant. After 12 months of trying, 85% will be pregnant. After 2 years of trying, 93% will be pregnant. 1 in 8 women will experience infertility in their lifetime. This means that infertility is COMMON. The sad reality is that less than half of these women actually seek medical attention, which is a shame because 2 out of every 3 couples who do seek treatment eventually SUCCEED in taking home a baby. So, if you have been trying to get pregnant for a year or more without success, it means that something is not working and it’s time to see a specialist. It's my job as a fertility doctor to figure out what that problem is and either fix it or work around it to help you conceive. If you are 1 in 8, know that you are not alone. I’m here for you. Let’s talk about your journey and get you on track to meet your fertility goals.

Hi there! I'm so excited to be back on this platform and connecting with everyone! For those of you who don't know me, I'm Dr. Sanaz Ghazal and I am a double board certified Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility specialist and Ob/Gyn in Orange County, California. I am a Southern California native, but spent 18 years on the east coast completing all my education and medical training. I recently started my own fertility practice called RISE Fertility, which has given me the ...ability to care for patients the best way I know how: by putting patients FIRST. My approach is based on honesty, compassion, cutting edge technology, and personalized treatment plans using evidence-based medicine to maximize success rates. I am also a wife and mom to 3 little kids and have personally experienced many of the same things as my patients. I've been there and I know how hard it can be. I want nothing more than to help my patients build the family of their dreams. Thank you for being on this journey with me!

Surround yourself with people who make you feel like the unicorn you are. I have always done things differently. Most young doctors feel a lot pressure to conform when they join a new practice, to do what everyone else is doing because they must know better or they have more experience or because that’s the way it has always been done. When I started out, I knew that I wanted to do things differently. In a world of horses, I was a unicorn. I knew the research, I tru...sted my training, and ultimately I found my own style, my own protocols, my own way of doing things that worked for my patients. Sometimes it can be scary to break the mold. People might second guess you or try to discredit you or doubt you. Ignore them. Keep being the unicorn that you are because at the end of the day your results will speak for themselves. I am so lucky to work with such an awesome group of nurses and techs in our surgery center who have always been so supportive of me and the way I do things. They are always looking out for me and making sure I have everything I need to deliver the best possible care to my patients. Find people who will give you the space and support you need to do things your way. Surround yourself with people who believe in you, in what you stand for, and what you are trying to achieve. Happy Halloween from me and my amazing team! #TeamGhazal #allwesoiswin #ihavethebestteam #teamworkmakesthedreamwork #beaunicorn #ttccommunity #ttcjourney #ivfjourney #fertilityjourney #fertilitydoctor A special shout out to the members of my team not pictured here including Marielle, Kirsten, and all the other staff in RSA, Natalija, Breann, Deisy, Janielle, Molly - you guys are the best! See more

As a fertility specialist, I spend a significant portion of my day counseling patients about their reproductive health and how to optimize their natural fertility. A lot of the things we talk about may seem obvious, but in many cases these recommendations are either underappreciated by patients or they are overanalyzed. It’s pretty simple though: Maintain a normal BMI. Eat a healthy diet. Don’t smoke. Limit alcohol and caffeine.... Take your vitamins. Avoid environmental toxins. . As a physician, I feel that I have a responsibility to practice what I preach and, in addition to being a resource for our patients, physicians should also strive to be role models. Living a healthy lifestyle doesn’t only apply to patient with infertility trying to conceive. It should apply to everyone, myself included. I try to follow my own advice I give to patients and adhere to my list of simple recommendations above in my daily life and with my family and kids. . Thank you to @anjalimalikmd for starting the #practicewhatwepreach campaign. I have tagged some of my fellow physicians who are sharing their experiences about how they stay healthy so check them out! . #TeamGhazal #followyourownadvice #fertilityjourney #fertilitydoctor #doctorblogger #ttccommunity #ttcjourney #ivfjourney #fertilitydiet #fertilityawareness #docsofinsta See more

Stand tall and be proud of who you are. . . After sharing my credentials through the #verifyhealthcare campaign last week, I received so many messages about my training and background. And given how my resume reads it may come as a surprise to some to know where I came from. I had a very humble upbringing, I grew up in a small town, I went through the public school system. I never had tutors or mentors growing up. There were no doctors in my family. No one paved or showed me... the way. So I found my own way. I worked hard. I kept my eye on the prize and even when the obstacles seemed insurmountable, when the dreams seemed out of reach, I just kept going. I just kept fighting. . For a while, I was a little embarrassed to tell people where I trained because I was worried about being perceived a certain way. But when I think back on how hard I worked to earn those degrees - the long hours, the sleepless nights, the stress endured, the sacrifices made - just thinking about how hard I had to push my body, my mind, and my soul to stand here today as a double board certified physician with diplomas from the top programs in the country I can’t help but feel proud. Everyone is on their own journey fighting their own battles. We should be proud of our accomplishments, big and small, and not worry about how they will be perceived by others. Be proud to share who you are and where you come from. And never be afraid to go after what you want in life. I want to know about your journey and what you are striving for. Share below and let’s support one another! #TeamGhazal #mondaymotivation #dreambig #keepfighting #fertilitydoctor #womeninmedicine #infertilityblogger #doctorblogger #docsofinsta #doctorsofinstagram #instamed #medschool #medstudentlife #residency #obgyn #doctorlife #ttccommunity #ivfjourney #doctor #physician See more

I have been waiting for this moment for almost a year. That was the last time I saw this little boy - when he was a perfect, beautiful little embryo that was destined to be the little warrior I am holding in my arms today. Shiloh’s existence and strength is a testament to the incredible resilience and determination of his parents. The journey they have been on over the last year is nothing short of amazing and I’m so honored to have been a part of it. When you hear them talk about everything they have been through, how much of a fighter Shiloh has been, and to hear them tell these stories with such positivity and gratitude and grace you can’t help but just be in awe of them. Shiloh, it’s so nice to finally meet you. You and your family will always hold a special place in my heart.