Create A Plan Of Action
After you get the results of any second-round or repeated tests, your fertility doctor will go over a recommended treatment plan. You also may sit down with the clinic’s financial advisor to discuss payment fees and options. Your doctor should give you and your partner time to consider the proposed treatments and figure out what you can afford.
Lifestyle Factors That Can Affect Fertility
Age
There are many lifestyle factors that can affect your ability to conceive, but evidence suggests that the age of both the man and woman plays the most important role. It is commonly reported that a womenâs fertility declines dramatically at 35, and although it is often beyond our control, some studies suggest that women should try to get pregnant before the age of 30 and men before 35 for the highest chances of success.
Weight
The weight of the both the woman and man can affect your chances of getting pregnant. Research shows being overweight â especially significantly so â can affect your chances of conceiving and having a healthy baby. But being underweight can also affect a womanâs fertility, causing hormone imbalances that affect ovulation and therefore make it harder to get pregnant.
Stress
Stress may also reduce a woman’s chance of becoming pregnant. One study found an association between high levels of a substance indicative of stress and a reduced chance of becoming pregnant. The researchers also noted that that stress may increase with the disappointment of several failed attempts at getting pregnant, setting off a cycle in which pregnancy becomes even more difficult to achieve. This suggests itâs important to look after yourself as much as possible while trying to conceive.
Lifestyle habits, diet and exercise
Avoid Toxic Substances And Environmental Contaminants
Avoid harmful chemicals, environmental contaminants, and other toxic substances such as synthetic chemicals, metals, fertilizer, bug spray, and cat or rodent feces around the home and in the workplace. These substances can hurt the reproductive systems of men and women. They can make it more difficult to get pregnant. Exposure to even small amounts during pregnancy, infancy, childhood, or puberty can lead to diseases. Learn how to protect yourself and your loved ones from toxic substances at work and at home.
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Reach And Maintain A Healthy Weight
People who are overweight or obese have a higher risk for many serious conditions, including complications during pregnancy, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers .1 People who are underweight are also at risk for serious health problems.2
The key to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight isnt about short-term dietary changes. Its about a lifestyle that includes healthy eating and regular physical activity.
If you are underweight, overweight, or obese, talk with your doctor about ways to reach and maintain a healthy weight before you get pregnant.
Problem Is With Him Not You
Women may carry the baby, but it takes two to tango. Twenty to 30% of infertile couples discover fertility factors on the man’s side. Another 40% find infertility factors on both sides.
Another thing you need to know: male infertility rarely has symptoms that are observable without a semen analysis, which is a test that measures the health of the semen and sperm. When you do see the doctor, make sure you are both tested.
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Reasons Why You Might Not Be Able To Get Pregnant
More often than not, issues related to infertility defined as not being able to get pregnant after 12 months of trying for women under 35, or after six months of trying for women 35 and older often stem from an underlying cause. The good news is that pinpointing and managing or treating the issue can greatly up your odds of conceiving.
You Have An Underlying Medical Condition
You might have other health issues that are making it difficult to get pregnant. There are a wide variety of autoimmune diseases and some, such as lupus, may impact fertility by interrupting menstrual cycles and ovulation, Dr. Uhler says. A past STI diagnosis, like gonorrhea or chlamydia, could result in pelvic inflammatory disease, another potential cause of blocked fallopian tubes, she adds.
Different prescription medications, like those for anxiety and depression, could also have an effect on fertility because they do affect your hormonesbut talk with your doctor before stopping taking any prescription drugs.
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Problems Conceiving How To Prepare For Your First Obgyn Visit
- Track your menstrual cycle. Cycle length and regularity are important for fertility. Tracking your menstrual cycle will help your doctor know if you are ovulating each month. Use a calendar or a tracking app to mark the first day your period begins . Most apps have other parameters you can input, but your period is most important. Bring your calendar or app!
- Know your medical history and family history of genetic conditions. If you are visiting Madison Womens Health for the first time, be sure to bring your health records and any testing or blood work you might have done previously.
Make A Plan And Take Action
Whether or not youve written them down, youve probably thought about your goals for having or not having children, and how to achieve those goals. For example, when you didnt want to have a baby, you used effective birth control methods to achieve your goals. Now that youre thinking about getting pregnant, its really important to take steps to achieve your goal pdf icongetting pregnant and having a healthy baby!
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Certain Factors Can Increase Risk
Other factors can further increase a pregnant or recently pregnant persons risk for getting severely ill from COVID-19, such as:
- Being older than 25 years
- Living or working in a community with high numbers of COVID-19 cases
- Living or working in a community with low levels of COVID-19 vaccination
- Working in places where it is difficult or not possible to keep at least 6 feet apart from people who might be sick
Youre A Woman With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Polycystic ovary syndrome , a hormonal imbalance that can disrupt ovulation, is a common cause of secondary infertility. If your periods are irregular or absent, talk with your doctor to see if you might have PCOS.
In addition to PCOS, abnormalities caused by previous surgeries or an infection also may cause infertility.
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Do Virgin Pregnancies Really Happen
Researchers have studied a phenomenon called virgin pregnancy to understand why it would be reported. In a survey of 7,870 pregnant women, they discovered that 0.8 percent of the women reported becoming pregnant without having vaginal sex.
A study like this has limitations, as it involved self-reporting. The researchers noted various cultural and religious expectations in the mix , as well as varying definitions of what sex meant. As such, these numbers dont represent a true picture of the frequency of fertilization without penetration.
Regardless, its likely that some of these women may have defined sex as penis-in-vagina sex. So, if the virgins in the study had other sexual contact, its possible that sperm somehow made its way up the vaginal tract from other acts.
Should I Exercise While Pregnant
Absolutely! Exercise is a great way to help your body adjust to all the changes it needs to go through over the next 9 months. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that pregnant people incorporate at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity into their weekly fitness regime. This could be in the form of fun group activities like prenatal yoga classes or simply power walking, swimming, or even riding on a stationary bike.
So, where do you draw the line when it comes to exercising, and at what point could physical activity be considered potentially dangerous? There are definitely a few workout options youll want to steer clear of until your baby comes out into the world. This brings us to exercises to avoid.
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Premature & Early Menopause
Premature menopause
Premature menopause is when the final period occurs before a woman is 40. The reason for premature menopause may be because:
- your periods stopped spontaneously but early
- you have had surgery to remove both ovaries
- chemotherapy has caused ovaries to fail
Early menopause
Early menopause is when the final period occurs before a woman is 45. Again the reasons may be spontaneous, surgical or chemical.
Effect on fertility
With premature and early menopause, the ovaries run out of eggs earlier than expected and they are unable to produce an egg or the hormones required for pregnancy.
Very rarely, , a woman may have a spontaneous pregnancy after a diagnosis of premature/early menopause.
Sometimes, premature/early menopause is diagnosed when a woman has sought help for fertility. If the ovaries fail to respond to the hormones used to produce eggs or if eggs fail to fertilise, these may be signs of premature/early menopause developing.
For a woman who has gone through premature/early menopause, depending on her circumstance her options for having children include:
- a donor egg
- surrogacy with a donor egg
- adoption
To explore the best option for you, ask your doctor for a referral to a fertility specialist who is a member of one of the in vitro fertilisation clinics.
You Havent Been Trying For Long Enoughor At The Right Times
If youve only tried for a month or two without a successful pregnancy, dont assume it’s infertility just yet. In general, infertility is defined by not getting pregnant after one year of regular unprotected intercourse , Dr. Minkin says.
It also depends on your age, as mentioned. For women under 35, wait it out for about a year of trying before getting a medical consultation. But if youre over 35, seek out your doctor after six months so you dont waste any time, says Dr. Minkin.
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Using Barrier Methods Of Birth Control
Look For A Fertility Clinic
If basic fertility treatment isn’t successful, or if your test results suggest treatments that go beyond your gynecologist’s purview, they may refer you to a fertility specialist or fertility clinic. Because your fertility treatment likely won’t be covered by insurance, focus your search for a doctor or clinic on finding the best possible care that you can afford.
When you begin researching fertility clinics, make certain you’re clear on how much the initial consultation will cost. Discuss fees ahead of time if you decide to move forward with treatment. Remember to factor in travel and lost work time if you’re considering a clinic that’s not close by. Many treatments require frequent visits.
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Chances Of Getting Pregnant After Ovulation
Also known as the luteal phase, this final portion of your cycle lasts a minimum of 12 days and a maximum of 16 days. Progesterone starts to rise, signaling that the ovaries don’t need to release any more eggs this month. Your cervical mucus will dry up and create a plug to prevent any additional sperm from entering the uterus.
It takes about six days for any fertilized eggs to travel to your uterus. If one implants in your endometrium, you’ll start to see the rise in human chorionic gonadotropin , the hormone measured by home pregnancy tests, within a week.
Your chances of conceiving: Low. Once the egg has been released, there’s not much that can be done until next month. But there’s certainly no harm in having sex if you’re in the mood!
Don’t sweat it if it’s time for your cycle to start over again and you’re still not pregnant. You may not have tracked your most fertile days accurately, in which case your guy’s swimmers never had the chance to work their magic. The vast majority of couples who are trying to conceive do so within a year, with only about half achieving their goal by 6 months. Talk to your doctor or a fertility specialist about any concerns regarding your chances of getting pregnant.
Do I Have To Take The Test First Thing In The Morning
Not unless you are testing early. Otherwise your test should detect hCG any time of day if you are pregnant. However, if youre taking a pregnancy test before your missed period, its better to test first thing in the morning when concentrations of hCG are the highest.
You can also dilute the amount of hCG in your urine by drinking too much liquid, so try not to drink more than you usually would.
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Common Tests For Fertility
In addition to checking blood work, your OBGYN will also evaluate your uterus to make sure there isnt anything about your uterine anatomy that makes it difficult to get pregnant.
At Madison Womens Health, we can do a Saline Infusion Sonohysterogram, often called an SIS. After injecting saline fluid in the uterus, we use ultrasound equipment to evaluate the uterine cavity.
Its also important to know if your fallopian tubes are open so a sperm and egg can meet. The hysterosalpingogram, or HSP, is like an SIS but uses an x-ray machine to view your uterus and test if your fallopian tubes are patent .
Try To Maintain A Healthy Weight
Your BMI is a measure that uses your height and weight to work out if your weight is healthy. The ideal BMI before conception is between 18.5 and 24.9.
Being overweight
Having a high BMI can reduce your fertility and increases the risk of complications in pregnancy. Being overweight can also contribute to fertility problems in men .
If you have a very high BMI you may feel like it is an impossible task to reach the healthy range and you may have been struggling with your weight your whole life. Try not to lose heart, bringing your BMI a few points down the scale can make a big difference.There is professional support available if you need it.
Being underweight
If your BMI is in the underweight range it may affect your fertility and cause health problems during pregnancy. It may help to put on weight gradually with a healthy diet. There are many reasons why a person may be underweight. You GP can give you help and advice.
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Double Up On Your Vitamins
If you’re thinking about getting pregnant, take a prenatal vitamin with 400 micrograms of folic acid every day. It helps prevent birth defects called neural tube defects.
But don’t take handfuls of megavitamins or supplements. Too much vitamin A, for example, is linked to problems in a growing baby.
Patience Is Good But Dont Wait Too Long To Get Help
If you are trying to get pregnant again, try to relax and not worry too much at least at first.
However, if you have been trying for a year and still havent conceived, talk to your Ob/Gyn or fertility specialist. And if youre over age 36, consider talking with your doctor sooner once you have tried for three or four menstrual cycles without success, Dr. Detti says.
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You’re Not Checking With A Professional About Certain Health Issues
Maybe you’ve always had irregular periods and worry you can’t get pregnant. Or perhaps you have diabetes and want to make sure it’s under control before trying for a baby. Checking in with a professional isn’t neurotic or crazyit’s smart!
In certain situations, like the ones mentioned above, couples should seek out the help of a doctor or fertility consultant to formulate a bambino-making plan. That way, if it takes you a little longer to get pregnant, you’ll already know how to handle things. And, if you find yourself with a positive pregnancy test sooner than you thought, you’ll already be getting monitored by a doctor and acting healthfully.