Fertility Expert, Dr. Abayomi Ajayi Enlightens Couples On The Right Time To Seek Fertility Treatment

Dr. Abayomi Ajayi of Nordica Fertility Centre, Lagos, has dished out an important advice to couples on when to seek fertility treatment before it gets too late. Read below.

For how long should you try to get pregnant before you see a doctor? When should you keep going on your own, and when should you seek fertility help? Several couples are often in dilemma over these.

While it’s easy to become impatient if you don’t get pregnant right away, it’s also important not to delay getting timely help.

If you and your partner are trying to conceive, every month that goes by without a positive pregnancy result can feel like an eternity. It is normal to become justifiably anxious when there is no pregnancy several months after trying especially if there is no apparent reason not to conceive.

Finding out the cause of the delay is a logical step, but rushing off to the doctor may not be necessary just yet. It is essential to know when you should wait and when it’s time for you to get checked for possible fertility problems.

It is a fact that it takes the average young couple 4-6 months to conceive, with most getting pregnant after one year of trying. Getting pregnant can be challenging for some.

Conception problems can arise from issues with either the man or woman or both combined and overcoming these issues can resolve the problem.

There’s a 25 to 30 per cent chance per cycle that a woman will get pregnant if she’s in her 20s or 30s. And for both women and men, the chances of conception naturally decrease with age.

For issues such as a serious medical illness, previous abdominal or pelvic surgery, a personal or family history Polycystic ovary Syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, or premature ovarian failure, seeking the help of a fertility specialist right away may be the best route.

Fertility can diminish with age, but some of this has to do with health conditions that may develop as you get older. For example, thyroid conditions in women can affect fertility. Infections, cancer, and poor nutrition can affect both male and female reproductive chances. Also, alcohol consumption, smoking, and certain medications can interfere with fertility.

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Ideally, you and your partner will want to be in good health before conception. This not only helps increase the chances of pregnancy, but parental health also directly affects the baby’s health. You need specific recommendations to be in the best of health possible.

The rule of thumb is that if you’re under 35 and healthy, wait a year. If you’re over 35, wait six months. If you’re over 40, see a specialist immediately. It may appear simple putting it like this, but it’s relatively complicated in practice.

It can take a normal young couple in which the woman is below 35, up to 12 months to get pregnant. It is not strange for fertility physicians to recommend patients in their 20s and early 30s try to conceive for at least a full year before seeking assistance. The explanation is because conception is indeed a delicate dance of sperm and egg, and it’s not a guarantee even if you’re timing things right.

After 35, if you’re a woman and you’re labelled “advanced maternal age”, don’t get upset. You may argue that a 35-year old woman is not essentially that “old”, however what is of interest here is that the chances of any woman conceiving start dipping around that age.

As a woman, your egg supply decreases over time, particularly after age 35. If you haven’t conceived after half a year, see a fertility specialist.

After 40, a woman’s eggs drop in quality as well as quantity, so not only are the chances of conceiving fewer, but the risk for miscarriage is greater. From clinical practice, at the age of 40, about two-thirds of a woman’s embryos contain an abnormal number of chromosomes.

If you are in your 40s, you are more likely to need fertility treatments, so talk to a specialist soon after you begin trying. There can be a lot of confusion about how much sex to have, but it’s not as complicated as often made out to be.

Having sex a couple times a week should cover you, but precise timing of intercourse actually does not improve success rates and trying to time intercourse precisely has the very negative impact of creating a lot of stress.

Being healthy makes a huge difference not only for your general health but also your reproductive health and your chances of conception and having a healthy pregnancy.

Before you start trying to conceive, try to lose weight. Your weight is a crucial factor that can impact the reproductive functions and the hormonal balance of your body.

We all know that getting to an ideal weight and exercising is good for overall health, but it’s also crucial for fertility. Being overweight or underweight can affect fertility. If you have a Body Mass Index (BMI) under 18 or over 30, you may be at higher risk for infertility and complications during pregnancy.

Being too thin (BMI of less than 18.5) or overweight (BMI of 25 or more) can affect your fertility. Check your BMI and if you’re underweight or overweight, it’s worth talking to your doctor about how to achieve a better BMI for your overall health even before you try to conceive; although it may be possible for you to get pregnant if you’re ovulating regularly.

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Having a thyroid condition could negatively impact fertility so it is necessary to see a doctor right away. Your thyroid is tied into your hormones, so if it’s not functioning optimally, it may impact your chances of conceiving and having a healthy pregnancy. Abnormal thyroid function may be associated with infertility, miscarriage, and abnormalities of fetal brain development

If you suspect thyroid issues, see a doctor right away. Also see the doctor right away if you have a known reproductive issue such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) or endometriosis. Every woman with either of these conditions should be evaluated as soon as they begin attempting pregnancy. Waiting 6 to 12 months is not always productive in such cases.

Many women with PCOS don’t ovulate, and may need medications to help jump-start it. Endometriosis is trickier—it could result in blocked fallopian tubes, diminished ovarian reserve or nothing at all depending on its severity, which a fertility checkup can determine.

You also need to see a doctor right away if you do not have menstrual periods. An absence of periods, irregular cycles or pelvic pain could be an indication that you have an undiagnosed fertility issue.

Opting for fertility treatment is no easy task, but your doctor can help you determine the right course for the most successful outcome possible.

The process of fertility treatments can be long and tiring, which can increase stress if you’ve been trying to get pregnant. To choose the best treatment options possible, your doctor will review your health history and look for any potential reproductive problems in both you and your partner.

Source: PUNCH