Very few people foresee that, once they’re ready to become pregnant, they might be unable to do so. Even though infertility affects approximately 15% of couples in the United States, you probably never thought it could affect you, too.
After the first few months of unprotected sex, you may start to wonder why it’s taking so long to get pregnant. Unfortunately, infertility is a growing problem; worldwide fertility rates have dropped by almost 1% from 1960 to 2018.
But when you’re the one who can’t get pregnant, infertility feels very personal. Why do you have trouble conceiving while almost everyone around you seems to get pregnant easily?
At OC Fertility in Newport Beach, California, expert OB/GYNs Sharon Moayeri, MD, Nidhee Sachdev, MD, help you find the cause of and resolve female infertility. The following are four common factors involved in infertility.
To get pregnant easily, you must produce, ripen, and release one egg per monthly menstrual cycle. If you’re not producing eggs regularly, or at all, it’s either more difficult or impossible to become pregnant.
During your fertility workup, we examine the health of your ovaries and eggs. We also determine whether you ovulate (i.e., release eggs) regularly. In addition, we draw blood to evaluate your hormone levels.
For instance, you may have a common condition called polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), in which your body produces excessive testosterone. PCOS may cause symptoms such as painful periods, weight gain, and facial hair growth. It also affects your fertility.
Depending on the cause of your ovulation problems, we may prescribe hormone therapy to balance the proportion of testosterone to estrogen. We may also administer fertility drugs that help you ovulate on a regular schedule.
Misshapen or damaged reproductive organs can hinder your chance of becoming pregnant. Common structural and functional abnormalities include:
Many structural abnormalities can be resolved with simple surgeries, such as a myomectomy to remove large fibroids. You may also need to take hormones, short term, to improve a severe case of endometriosis long enough to become pregnant.
Sometimes infertility doesn’t need external treatments at all. You may be able to resolve your fertility problems by changing your habits or even your environment.
Being overweight or underweight, for instance, has a negative impact on fertility. Your body has to “feel” healthy and safe before it can conceive and nurture another life.
Eliminate toxins that impair fertility by quitting cigarettes and recreational drugs and limiting alcohol. If you live or work in a polluted environment, consider a move. Or, if possible, use air purifiers. Other lifestyle changes that can improve fertility include:
The more you do to improve your health, the more your fertility may improve, too. Let us know if you need help making healthy changes to your lifestyle. We may be able to refer you to counselors and programs that give you guidance and support as you adopt new habits and break the old ones.
In rare cases, you may be going through an early menopause or perimenopause. Only 1% of women under 40 have fertility problems due to early menopause. Premature menopause is also called premature ovarian insufficiency. In other words, you may not have enough eggs to get pregnant without assistance.
We may recommend in vitro fertilization (IVF) if you have a low ovarian reserve. You take fertility drugs to produce and release more than one egg per cycle. We then fertilize the egg with your partner’s sperm in a lab and transplant a healthy embryo to your uterus.
Of course, all fertility issues aren’t due to female infertility alone. In many cases, the male’s structural problems or sperm abnormalities hinder pregnancy. That’s why we also conduct male infertility tests as part of your infertility workup.
Don’t blame yourself or try to figure out on your own why you’re not conceiving. Get the answers and remedies you need for female or male infertility by calling us today at 949-706-2229 or booking an appointment online.
