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The other side of infertity
Are you still struggling to have your first baby after many years of being happily married? We live in a society where the very idea of an ideal family starts with you, your spouse and your very own bundle of joy. Many women start trying to get pregnant after the 1st year of getting married to fulfil the dream of having a happy and loving family but fail to conceive even after many attempts. It ca
Are you still struggling to have your first baby after many years of being happily married? We live in a society where the very idea of an ideal family starts with you, your spouse and your very own bundle of joy. Many women start trying to get pregnant after the 1st year of getting married to fulfil the dream of having a happy and loving family but fail to conceive even after many attempts. It can be quite frustrating.
But before heading to a conclusion, that either or both of you have a fertility problem, you should be aware of the fact that even for a healthy couple with absolutely no fertility complications, chances of getting pregnant each month area meagre 25%. This means that it can take 4-5 months or even longer to conceive. It is also important to keep in continuous touch with a doctor who can help you overcome these problems or bust any myths that you may be worrying about. Here are some reasons you may have trouble getting pregnant despite being fertile.
Lack of awareness about ovulation period
In an average menstrual cycle, which is ideally a 28-day cycle, ovulation occurs about 14 days before the start of the next menstrual period. Although this is the ideal cycle, it does not always occur in the same pattern. Many people think of family planning but without considering this aspect, they end up having intercourse on the day of ovulation. This is not beneficial at all. The best period to do it is before your ovulation. This allows the sperm to reach the fallopian tube and wait for the egg.
While the sperm can survive for 5 days inside the body, the egg sustains for only 24 hours. Thus, in order to increase the chances of conception, one needs to maintain a calendar counting the first day of the last period as day 1. Intercourse must be performed between the 7th and the 20th day for positive results.
Blocked fallopian tube and PCOS
One of the critical causes of the inability to conceive is blocked fallopian tubes which hinder the passage of the sperm to the egg for fertilization. As these tubes are the pathway between the ovaries and the uterus, the sperm makes its way towards it by swimming up from the cervix, through the uterus, and into the fallopian tubes. When ovaries release an egg, hair-like projections from the fallopian tube draw the egg inside wherein the conception awaits to take place after the sperm and egg meet.
If anything blocks these fallopian tubes, the sperm and the egg will be unable to meet, thus making it impossible to impregnate a woman. Poly Cysts Ovary Syndrome is yet another common health condition that hampers pregnancy. In this condition, ovaries develop multiple fluid-filled sacs of cysts which inhibits normal development of eggs. If a woman with PCOS does conceive, there is an increased risk of miscarriage during the first trimester as well as chances of developing gestational diabetes.
Unaware of the ways to maximise chances of pregnancy
Many times, couples tend ignore a lot of things that might be crucial to conceiving. To increase the chances of getting pregnant, sexual intercourse 5 days before and after the ovulation period is ideal. Women must avoid smoking and drinking during her ovulation period as this affects body temperature, a key element for the fertilization of an egg. Taking too much stress about conceiving also reduces the chances of pregnancy as it interferes with the hormones related to fertilization of eggs.
Assuming the woman is the problem
There is a common misconception that a fertility problem is at the woman’s end. Men can be infertile too. Such assumptions prevent you from looking for the problem elsewhere. All options must be looked at.
Weight issues
Weight can play a major role in fertility for both men and women. For a woman, being both underweight and overweight can cause an irregular menstrual cycle and disturb ovulation whereas, for a man, it can affect the sperm count. So if you and your partner are facing any possible weight issues, consult a doctor immediately. Adopting a healthy lifestyle immediately will also help.
It is true that pregnancy happens easily for many couples and not so much for many others, but either way, it’s important to keep a check on all these aspects to bring the situation in your favour.
By: Dr Gowri Kulkarni
(The writer is a Heads of operations, DocsApp)
