Trying to get pregnant can be a struggle for many women, and the idea that you might have underlying fertility issues is tough to comprehend. For starters, it can take the average couple anywhere between 5-7 months to conceive. Therefore, if you’ve been trying to get pregnant for several months, there’s no immediate cause for concern.
However, if you’re approaching a year of analyzing your ovulation or actively altering your lifestyle to improve your chances and still aren’t getting pregnant, it’s likely that you’re experiencing fertility complications. There are several telltale signs that could indicate potential fertility issues. For example, irregular periods often correlate to irregular ovulation. If you’ve been having trouble, here’s what you need to know about fertility issues:
Understand the Causes
There are many reasons why fertility might be an issue for you, and understanding what the core issue is can help you work through your feelings and thought process. Blocked fallopian tubes, uterus problems, age, and polycystic ovary syndrome are just a few issues you might be experiencing.
Roughly 40% of women have difficulty getting pregnant because their bodies are unable to ovulate. Aging and endocrine complicates (like thyroid disease) make ovulation difficult. Sometimes, certain operations a woman has had in her lifetime can also cause complications. For example, women who have had ectopic pregnancies (where a fetus grows inside of the fallopian tube) have a higher risk of another ectopic pregnancy. It’s important that you always determine the reason why you have trouble getting pregnant. In some cases, lifestyle changes can increase your chances.
Seek a Fertility Clinic
“If you struggle to get pregnant, seeing a fertility specialist is a proactive way to examine your options moving forward,” says fertility clinic Conceive Health (https://conceivehealth.com/fertility-clinic-whitby/). “As a general rule of them, most physicians recommend a fertility specialist for women under 35 who are unable to get pregnant after one year of trying, or women over 35 who have struggled for up to six months. Specialists can order high-end lab tests that will detect even the most subtle causes of infertility. From there, they’ll take that information to put together personalized, low-cost treatments to start. They might recommend private, affordable, and intimate treatments like home insemination before considering expensive treatments like IVF.
And lastly, a fertility specialist can make you feel comfortable about your circumstances; they understand the emotions and concerns families have about their fertility issues, and want to help those patients in the best way possible.
Talk to a Therapist
Infertility issues can cause serious depression. This is especially true if you find yourself consumed by thoughts of infertility all day long: you wake up thinking of ways to get pregnant and what steps you can take next. Perhaps you start to even think less of yourself because of your inability to conceive, and are wracked with guilt.
But it’s important to understand that medical diseases are nothing to feel ashamed of, and although it’s natural to feel infertility-related depression, speaking to a professional can help you work through some of those deeper thoughts and issues.
In addition to therapy, there are also support groups that allow you to connect with others who are experiencing the same issue. This can be highly beneficial because it’s not uncommon for women experiencing difficulty getting pregnant to feel isolated by their own troubles.
Consider Adoption or Surrogacy
Many infertile women go on to explore surrogacy and adoption. Both are incredible options that will ultimately help you build a healthy family. Adoption and surrogacy are solid choices for couples have tried for many years, and spent large sums of money to no avail. Of course, giving up the experience of going through pregnancy is difficult for women who have tried their best to conceive. And there are many factors you have to consider before you opt for either of those choices.
For instance, you must ask yourself, are you more interested in being pregnant or becoming a parent? Are you still clinging onto hope that an IVF treatment will work? Not everyone is mentally prepared to give up on their dream of going through a pregnancy of their own. Deciding on surrogacy and adoption is a deeply personal decision, and the fertility clinic you’ve worked with can help you explore all of your next best options. They’ll talk to you about surrogacy requirements and what you can expect out of the surrogacy process. To inspire you, it helps to read stories of successful adoptions and surrogacies.
ALSO READ: Does Health Insurance Cover Fertility Treatment Costs?
