5 Steps To Dealing With Fertility Problems

Trying for a baby takes patience. Most couples do not conceive straight away. That said, 85% of couples that are actively trying for a baby do find themselves pregnant within 12 months.

Been trying for a year and still no joy? It could be time to start taking the art of baby making more seriously. Of course, there’s more to just simply having sex regularly. You need to think about how your lifestyle and overall health could be affecting your chances. Continue reading to find out how you can achieve parenthood in 5 steps.

Ovulation tracking

The first important thing to consider is when you are having sex. It needs to be within the ‘fertile window’ – a phase within the menstrual cycle in which an egg is released from the ovaries. 

The average menstrual cycle lasts 28 days. It is counted from the day your period starts to the day your next period begins. About 12 to 14 days into your menstrual cycle is when your ‘fertile window’ begins. This lasts about 6 days for most women, which includes 5 days leading up to when your egg is released and the day in which your egg is released. 

Tracking all of this can get confusing, so it’s worth using a calendar – or better still, an ovulation tracking app. Such apps can tell you when your fertile window begins so that you know when to start trying.

Don’t seem to be having regular menstrual cycles? This can happen to many women and is one of the most common health issues affecting fertility. An ovulation tracking app can tell you when you should be having each period. While every 28 days is the average, some women can experience their next period after only 21 days and some as long as every 35 days. This can make ovulation tracking more tricky, but generally still means you have a good chance of falling pregnant if you keep trying. You should worry if you’re having periods more frequently than every 21 days or less frequently than every 35 days as this could mean that you’re not ovulating properly and therefore not able to fall pregnant without taking some extra measures. 

Ovulation cycles should be fairly predictable below the age of 35, but beyond this it may be more normal for them to become more irregular. This is when the race against the clock can begin – most women do not experience menopause until they are 50, but chances of falling pregnant are greatly reduced after the age of 40. 

Lifestyle changes

Whether your ovulation cycle is regular or irregular, it’s possible that you could be failing to conceive due to lifestyle factors. Things like stress, heavy drinking, drug use, poor diet and lack of sleep can all affect fertility. 

This is the case for men and women: Just as stress or heavy drinking can affect a woman’s ovulation cycle or egg quality, they can also affect a man’s sperm quality or even cause ED. Therefore both members of a couple should consider making lifestyle changes.

Weight loss is something that many doctors recommend to those who are overweight. This is because carrying excess body fat can disrupt our hormonal imbalance. Taking steps to shed some pounds could therefore potentially help you to conceive by helping you achieve the right hormone balance again. 

Adopting a healthier diet and cutting out alcohol and drugs is something most couples can benefit from when trying for a baby – regardless of their weight. These unhealthy foods and drinks can also disrupt hormone levels. It’s worth noting that there are certain healthy foods and drinks that may actually boost your fertility by containing key nutrients needed for our reproductive system. Examples include:

• Citric fruits
• Leafy greens
• Avocados
• Eggs
• Salmon
• Herbal teas 

Taking steps to reduce stress is probably the most effective thing you can do to help with fertility. It is believed that high levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) can inhibit reproductive functions by focusing our body’s attention on bodily functions needed for fight or flight. It is unsurprising therefore that many couples fall pregnant while on holiday – taking a break from sources of stress if often key.

Medication

If lifestyle changes have no impact, it may be time to look into medication. Many fertility-related health problems may require pills or medicine to restore the right hormone balance, fight infection or kickstart reproductive functions. 

Many of these medications have to be prescribed by a doctor, which means getting an official diagnosis for a fertility issue. Tests will need to be taken to detect problems – these could include blood tests, sperm samples, urine samples, ultrasound screening or in some cases a more ‘hands-on’ examination of the reproductive organs. These tests may help you to get a diagnosis for problems like polycystic ovaries, low sperm count, infections, STIs, fibroids or endometriosis. You can then be prescribed the appropriate medication. Examples of medication include:

• Viagra (for ED)
• Clomifene (for polycystic ovaries and low sperm count)
• Progestogen (occasionally for endometriosis)
• GnRHas (sometimes prescribed to shrink fibroids)
• Antibiotics (for infections)

Some medication is possible to obtain without a prescription. For example, you may not need a prescription for kamagra and may be able to buy it through online sites like kamagra-apotheke.com. Many forms of herbal medication are possible to obtain without a prescription and are also worth trying. Just make sure to always check that such medication can be safely taken with prescription medicine.

Fertility treatment procedures

Sadly, not all fertility problems can be easily treated with medicine. Sometimes a procedure is necessary to have effective results – particularly if certain reproductive organs have been damaged or removed, or if you or your partner has become incapable of producing eggs or sperm. 

Such procedures may include surgery or in vitro procedures and will need to be recommended and carried out by a qualified medical professional. They may not be available through the NHS and may not be covered by private health insurance, which does mean finding a way of funding yourself. This can be one of the biggest obstacles for couples – however it is worth noting that there is funding assistance out there provided by companies like FertilityFoundation.org. 

Some of the possible procedures that may be recommended include:

• Fallopian tube surgery: For removing blockages from fallopian tubes.

• Laparoscopy surgery: Sometimes recommended for treating fibroids, endometriosis or polycystic ovaries if drugs have no worked

• IUI: High quality sperm are placed directly into the womb to meet the egg

• IVF: Eggs are extracted and fertilised with sperm outside the womb in a lab. The embryo is then returned to the womb where it grows and develops.

• ICSI: A form of IVF where the sperm is injected directly into the egg as opposed to being mixed in a dish.

• IVF with donor eggs and sperm: If one partner cannot produce eggs or sperm, a donor of their choice can provide eggs or sperm for IVF.

A qualified health professional will be able to recommend the most suitable treatment for your condition. You should be wary that there could be a risk of complications in some cases and that you may not be able to undertake certain procedures if you have certain health problems. 

Not all of these treatment methods are certain to be successful straightaway and some couples may need several rounds of treatment. This is particularly the case with IVF – which has a 32% success rate the first time around. Obviously, this will increase the cost, so you need to consider how many rounds of treatment are worthwhile.

Surrogacy/adoption

There may be cases where all of the above treatments do not work or are not feasible. In this case, you may have to accept that you may never be able to go through the process of pregnancy and birth. However, that does not mean you cannot be a mother. 

Surrogacy is one option. This is when another woman carries and births your child on your behalf. You still get to raise your child from a newborn – pretty much giving you the whole parental experience. You can even attend scans and appointments with the surrogate and follow the journey of your child being formed. Of course, unless you are able to find a friend or relative who is able to be a surrogate for free, you will have to pay a surrogate for this opportunity. 

Adoption is another popular option. There are many young kids waiting to be adopted by a loving parent. Some of the most common candidates are couples who have tried every other form of fertility treatment with no luck. In most cases, adoption is free, so you don’t have to worry about spending extra money. It is worth noting though that the adoption process can be quite long. You will need to meet certain requirements before you can be considered as a suitable candidate. Check out this guide at First4Adoption.org.uk for a guide to the entire process. 

 

*This is a collaboration post