September 2nd, 2010
Many women wait until their 30s to have children. While some women have no problem of getting pregnant, others do experience infertility. About 10 percent of women (6.1 million) in the United States ages 15-44 have difficulty getting pregnant or staying pregnant, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Age is one of the biggest factor and the other one is caused by problems with ovulation. Ovulation problems are often caused by polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), which is a hormone imbalance problem which can interfere with normal ovulation. It is not the same as early menopause.
However, female infertility is not all the problems. Men can also be infertile. For couples over 30 whose experience pregnancy issues, the sooner seeking the help from a specialist, the better.
Source: Department of Health and Human Services
Tags: Causes of Infertility, Fertility Awareness, infertility, Infertility is a common problem
Posted in Fertility Issues, Getting Pregnant, infertility
August 13th, 2010
If you and your husband have been trying to have a baby for sometime with no results. Both of you are frustrated, and wonder what you should do. Seeking a professional help sometimes is the best way to go. You probably wonder when you should give up trying on your own and see a doctor. There are few tips if you:
- are under age 35 and have not been able to conceive after 1 year of frequent sex without birth control
- are age 35 or older and have not been able to conceive after 6 months of frequent sex without birth control
- believe you or your partner might have fertility problems in the future (even before you begin trying to get pregnant)
- or your partner has a problem with sexual function
The good news is doctors have been successfully and happily helping many infertile couples to have babies.
Source: Department of Health and Human Services.
Tags: fertility doctor, Fertility Issues, fertility specialist, when to see a doctor
Posted in Fertility Issues, Getting Pregnant, Trying to Conceive, infertility
August 9th, 2010
There are many women who got pregnant in their 30s and 40s. You hear them everyday on the news. However, you don’t hear the story behind these pregnancies. These women might have had donated eggs from younger egg donors. Women generally have some decrease in fertility starting in their early 30s. That’s true that many women in their 30s and 40s have no problems getting pregnant, fertility especially declines after age 35.
When a woman ages, her ovaries and eggs change. They continue to have regular menstrual cycles but the eggs have poorer qualities. The decreased quality eggs create problems such as miscarriages and genetic problems for the babies.
Source: Office on Women’s Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Tags: Age Factor, Causes of Infertility, Fertility Awareness, getting pregnant after 35, infertility
Posted in Getting Pregnant, Trying to Conceive, infertility
July 29th, 2010
Other than the age factor, women who have diseases or conditions that affect their hormone levels can also experience infertility. Among them, the most possible one is polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS. PCOS means that a woman who doesn’t ovulate. It is also the most common problem in women’s infertility.
Next in line is primary ovarian insufficiency, or POI. Like PCOS, it is also a ovulating problem. In this case, a woman’s ovaries stop working normally before she is even 40. However, it is not cause by menopause or early menopause. It is still possible for a women to get a period once in a while, however, she will most unlikely get pregnant under this condition.
Lastly, an infertility condition is called luteal phase defect, or LPD. This is very common also. The uterine lining fails to prepare for implanting which often results in miscarriage.
The above three conditions are the major causes of infertility. Other diseases such as uterine fibroids, endometriosis, and pelvic inflammatory disease can also worsen with age and affect fertility. The worse case can happen is when these conditions cause the fallopian tubes to be blocked, thus preventing the egg from traveling through the tubes into the uterus.
Source: Office on Women’s Health, Department of Health and Human Services.
Tags: Causes of Infertility, Fertility Awareness, infertility
Posted in infertility
May 28th, 2010
Many women are waiting until their 30s and 40s to have children. In fact, about 20 percent of women in the United States now have their first child after age 35. So age is a growing cause of fertility problems. About one-third of couples in which the woman is over 35 have fertility problems.
Aging decreases a woman’s chances of having a baby in the following ways:
- Her ovaries become less able to release eggs.
- She has a smaller number of eggs left.
- Her eggs are not as healthy.
- She is more likely to have health conditions that can cause fertility problems.
- She is more likely to have a miscarriage.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Tags: Causes of Infertility, Fertility Awareness
Posted in Getting Pregnant, Trying to Conceive, infertility
April 4th, 2010
Many things can change a woman’s ability to have a baby. These include:
- Age
- Smoking
- Excess alcohol use
- Stress
- Poor diet
- Athletic training
- Being overweight or underweight
- Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
- Health problems that cause hormonal changes, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome and primary ovarian insufficiency
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Tags: Fertility Awareness, infertility, Trying to Conceive
Posted in infertility
March 28th, 2010
Most cases of female infertility are caused by problems with ovulation. Without ovulation, there are no eggs to be fertilized. Some signs that a woman is not ovulating normally include irregular or absent menstrual periods.
Ovulation problems are often caused by polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). PCOS is a hormone imbalance problem which can interfere with normal ovulation. PCOS is the most common cause of female infertility. Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) is another cause of ovulation problems. POI occurs when a woman’s ovaries stop working normally before she is 40. POI is not the same as early menopause.
Less common causes of fertility problems in women include:
- Blocked fallopian tubes due to pelvic inflammatory disease, endometriosis, or surgery for an ectopic pregnancy
- Physical problems with the uterus
- Uterine fibroids, which are non-cancerous clumps of tissue and muscle on the walls of the uterus.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Tags: Causes of Infertility, Fertility Awareness, infertility
Posted in Getting Pregnant, Trying to Conceive, infertility
March 21st, 2010
A man’s sperm can be changed by his overall health and lifestyle. Some things that may reduce the health or number of sperm include:
- Heavy alcohol use
- Drugs
- Smoking cigarettes
- Age
- Environmental toxins, including pesticides and lead
- Health problems such as mumps, serious conditions like kidney disease, or hormone problems
- Medicines
- Radiation treatment and chemotherapy for cancer
Source: Department of Health and Human Services.
Tags: Fertility Awareness, man's risk of infertility
Posted in Getting Pregnant, Trying to Conceive, infertility
March 17th, 2010
Infertility in men is most often caused by:
* A problem called varicocele (VAIR-ih-koh-seel). This happens when the veins on a man’s testicle(s) are too large. This heats the testicles. The heat can affect the number or shape of the sperm.
* Other factors that cause a man to make too few sperm or none at all.
* Movement of the sperm. This may be caused by the shape of the sperm. Sometimes injuries or other damage to the reproductive system block the sperm.
Sometimes a man is born with the problems that affect his sperm. Other times problems start later in life due to illness or injury. For example, cystic fibrosis often causes infertility in men.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Tags: Fertility Awareness, infertility, infertility in men
Posted in infertility
March 17th, 2010
No, infertility is not always a woman’s problem. Both women and men can have problems that cause infertility. About one-third of infertility cases are caused by women’s problems. Another one third of fertility problems are due to the man. The other cases are caused by a mixture of male and female problems or by unknown problems.
Source: Office on Women’s Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Tags: Fertility Awareness
Posted in infertility