Deciding to start a family should be a time of great joy and excitement for couples or individuals, but when any fertility challenges arise, the experience can certainly become a struggle.
For those who are having trouble getting pregnant after several attempts, seeking fertility help from a specialist may be a good idea. On the other hand, how are you supposed to know if professional help and fertility treatments are right for you?
Find out in this video!
To help alleviate any uncertainty you may have about what to do next regarding your pregnancy, here are a few things to consider that can help you determine when it's time to pursue fertility procedures:
Age Plays a Significant Role in Determining Success
What many people may not realize is that someone's age plays a significant role in determining the success of achieving pregnancy.
Ideally, the best age to conceive for women is during their 20s. Throughout this time, the female body produces the greatest amount of healthy eggs, while keeping pregnancy risks at an all-time low. A woman in her early 20s will enjoy the best odds of success, having roughly a 25% chance of conceiving after 3 consecutive months of trying. However, success rates will gradually decline as a woman progresses into her 30s.
After the age of 30, the odds of achieving a natural pregnancy drops to 20%, and by age 40 and above, success rates fall to a mere 7% during each month of active attempts. Keep in mind, even though women face a great deal of adversity the older they become, men are also subject to issues regarding their age and overall lifestyle.
For example, men who become less active and conscientious of their personal health as they get older will surely develop issues that affect their fertility. Decreased levels of testosterone and weight gain can lead to having a low sperm count or poor sperm health, so maintaining the best pregnancy odds is certainly a joint effort on both fronts.
Needless to say, those who decide to pursue a family later in life will certainly have some challenges to face, but meeting with a fertility specialist can shed some important light on where to begin if age is a concern.
Time Frames to Reference When Trying to Conceive
With consideration to age, another factor to examine is the overall time frame that you and your partner have been trying to conceive within.
A good rule of thumb established by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine is that couples under the age of 35 who have failed to conceive after 12 months of regular, unprotected sex during peak ovulation cycles should seek assistance from a fertility specialist. For couples over the age of 35, that time frame is decreased by half.
The reason why these windows are so important to operate within is because failure past these markers will most likely represent an underlying issue that must be remedied before pregnancy can be achieved. Couples who think they are perfectly healthy may be surprised to know that they have a hormone imbalance disrupting the schedule of their reproductive system, or perhaps an infection is creating a blockage preventing normal activities from being carried out.
Rather than thinking of these time frames as cutoff points to surmount, you should embrace the opportunities that failure after these periods creates, which is a chance to improve your overall health and ensure a successful pregnancy with the help of a fertility specialist.
Diagnosing Health Issues and Making Improvements
The final thing that couples must assess is their overall physical condition and how they can make improvements to their general health.
Issues that prevent pregnancy from occurring can be overwhelming to say the least. Both men and women must pay close attention to their reproductive health, personal health, lifestyle factors, and environmental factors when trying to conceive because even the slightest problem can result in many failed attempts.
Some of the most common fertility problems that women face include PCOS, PID, uterine fibroids, and endometriosis, whereas men may struggle with having a low sperm count, poor sperm health, low testosterone, or issues with sexual performance. That being said, many of these problems for both genders can go unnoticed if they aren't being directly examined, and that's why meeting with a fertility specialist can provide some valuable insight.
A fertility specialist can recommend several ways for both men and women to amend their health issues or prescribe certain medications and procedures to help. Dealing with fertility issues can certainly be a challenge if you're unsure of what to look for, but being aware of your overall health and finding the right support will make a huge difference.
Find Answers with Kofinas Fertility Group
Having the family of your dreams doesn't necessarily mean it has to occur in a certain way. All that matters is that you achieve a healthy, successful pregnancy at a time that's right for you, and Kofinas Fertility Group can make that a reality.
If you and your partner have been contemplating seeking the help of a fertility specialist, then hopefully these guidelines will nudge you in the right direction. Further, new legislation known as FAFTA may be able to help you as well. To learn more about these factors or to see what treatment options are available, feel free to request an appointment today.
