Sometimes it requires more than just having unprotected sex to conceive a baby. You keep on trying within the fertility window but still, the result on pregnancy home kit is negative and it is just disappointing. It’s always good to be aware of the problem and find a solution to it. Some of the complications that you may be facing to get pregnant that is connected with infertility are:
Female Infertility:
Ovulation problems - Ovulation problems are one of the most common causes of infertility. If you do not have regular periods each month (as early as 21 days or late than 35 days), you may experience problems with ovulation. It may be either
- Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS): It is the imbalance of hormones that cause a disruption in the regular ovulation process. Women with PCOS produce higher-than-normal amounts of male hormones. This hormone imbalance causes them to skip menstrual periods and makes it harder for them to get pregnant.
- Primary ovarian insufficiency: With this condition that affects women under 40, the ovaries aren’t functioning as they were during your fertile years. It is not premature menopause as in this you still get your periods but the eggs produced by your body are less fertile than they should be.
Blocked fallopian tubes:
Fallopian tubes are attached to both sides of ovaries and function as a pathway for a fertilized egg to the uterus. Any kind of obstruction in fallopian tube prevents the egg to travel down to the uterus. If one or both fallopian tubes are blocked, the egg is unable to reach the uterus, and the sperm cannot reach the egg, preventing fertilization and pregnancy. It is also called as tubal factor infertility.
Blockage in the fallopian tube is little difficult to diagnose as it does not have major symptoms. But, if you are trying to get pregnant for more than a year, the doctor will check for blockage. It can be diagnosed by x-ray (by injecting harmless dye and tracing stains), ultrasound (uses sound waves) or laparoscopy (small surgery).
Uterine Conditions:
Another reason for infertility in women is due to problems with the uterus itself or with unwanted growths like fibroids, cyst or polyps within the uterus. Uterine fibroids, for instance, are typically benign but can grow on the uterine walls. Fibroids and other physical abnormalities of your uterus can make it difficult to conceive or carry a baby to term leading to miscarriage.
Hypothalamic dysfunction:
(FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) are the two hormones that are produced by the pituitary gland, responsible for stimulating ovulation each month. Some factors like excess physical or emotional stress, overweight or being underweight, or a recent substantial weight gain or loss can disrupt production of these hormones and affect ovulation and hence complicating the pregnancy. It may be identified by irregular or absent periods.
Hyperprolactinemia:
Sometimes due to medications pituitary gland produces an excess of prolactin. This reduces estrogen production and may cause infertility.
Endometriosis:
The tissue lining of the uterus starts to grow in other places like behind the uterus, in the fallopian tubes, in the abdomen, in the pelvis or the ovaries. That causes irritation and scar tissue development. Endometriosis can make it difficult to get pregnant because the condition can cause blocked fallopian tubes, disrupt implantation, cause inflammation in the pelvis and perhaps impact egg quality.
Male Infertility:
Health issues that the male counterpart is facing due to which the female is not able to conceive is male infertility. The reasons for the same are:
- Low hormones level causing poor sperm growth.
- A problem in chromosomes.
- Repeated infections, surgery or developmental issues may cause obstruction in the sperm tract.
- Low sperm count.
- Undeveloped sperms.
Risk Factors
Age:
The most fertile and quality eggs produced by a woman’s body are between ages 20 and 30. From age 30 to 35 the rate of follicle loss speeds, resulting in fewer and poorer quality eggs. After the age of 40, the pregnancy tends to be complicated. This makes conception more difficult and increases the risk of miscarriage. It's also physically easier for women in their 20s to carry a child because there's a lower risk of high blood pressure, gestational diabetes and other health issues that can complicate pregnancy. And younger women are less likely to have low birth weight or premature babies. When you're older, your ovaries have a smaller number of eggs left, and your eggs aren't as healthy.
Weight:
Being underweight or overweight brings in complication in getting pregnant. It is important to get to a healthy Body Mass Index (BMI) to increase chances of getting pregnant and having a healthy pregnancy. If you have recently gone through a visible weight change (put on or lost), that also affects your chances of getting pregnant.
Stress:
One of the most important factors creating complications in pregnancy is STRESS. It is not good to be stressed as it affects the mental and reproductive health of both man and woman.
Alcohol consumption and smoking:
These are not only very harmful to general health but they obstruct pregnancy. So if you are trying to get pregnant these must be avoided as they have a huge effect on the quality of eggs, cervix and fallopian tube for women and sperm quality and count for men.
Nutritional deficiencies:
Young women are more likely to have poor eating habits. It may be junk food or starving yourself to maintain weight. Lack of balanced diet causes nutritional deficiency which can lead to extra strain on the body that causes more complications for both the mother and child.
Sexually transmitted diseases:
STDs are serious illnesses that require treatment, regardless of whether or not you are pregnant. But when you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant, you are not the only one at risk; many STDs can be especially harmful to you and your baby. It’s not only the expecting mother but also would be father must also get checked for STDs.
Moreover, we should not forget that getting pregnant takes time. It is not necessary that you get a positive result in one go or say a few trials. It may take time as long as one year. So keep patience and don’t stress. It may take time, but you need to rule out the possibility of any of the complications you may be facing and if there is any complication, it is better to get timely treatment for it.
