The First Steps to Achieving Fertility

Difficulty in having children is more common than you may think, affecting one in six couples. Here are some of the most common questions about achieving fertility:

Q: How long must a couple try to conceive before they should obtain professional help?

Generally, if a female is under the age of 35 and she has been having difficulty to getting pregnant for a year, it's time to evaluate why she has not conceived yet. If a female is over 35, or if she has previously got pregnant, the time is shortened to six months.

Q: So if couples are planning to get pregnant, their full remedial histories necessary to be examined to resolve what factors may be causing harms?

It is very important to discuss everything with the couple. Just by doing some questioning and looking into the couple's medical records, doctors are able to expose problems that might have not otherwise been disclosed, and find some keys and clues to why a pair is having problems in conceiving.

Q: What are some of the most common causes of infertility?

One of the most common causes are related to the sperm -- either they are low in number or motility, or they're not normal in appearance. Sometimes, the sperm just does not have the ability to fertilize the egg. From a female standpoint, the most ordinary things that triggers infertility are irregular menstrual cycles and tubal disease – in which the tubes are blocked.

Q: What about thyroid conditions?

Certainly thyroid conditions can play a role in infertility.

Q: What about structural troubles, blocked fallopian tubes, for instance?

The most common reason for blocked fallopian tubes is scarring from a former pelvic infection or a surgery. Sometimes, women know that they had an infection, but more often than not, they don't.

Q: In case of male infertility, why is sperm motility important?

For conception to take place, a number of sperm need to be deposited in the vagina. It takes more than a single release of sperm to be able to fertilize the egg; only one sperm actually gets in, but you essentially need to have several sperm deposited into the vagina for one sperm to insert.

Q: What kind of diagnostic tests can be done to give an adult couple some indication of the likelihood of pregnancy?

One test is called an FSH level, or follicle-stimulating hormone levels. It's a blood test that's done on the third day of the cycle, and it gives a lot of information about a woman's eggs. Basing on that blood test only, doctors can help give prognostic information, to tell a couple whether they're going to have a hard time conceiving, or perhaps even an easier time conceiving.