Fertility can be quite complex to understand and there are various factors at play. For a woman it’s mostly her eggs that affect her ability to conceive, although lifestyle factors can contribute. If you’re ready to start a family and would like to learn about what will affect your chances, or are just curious about how your body works in general, here’s a short guide that we’ve put together with the help of an IVF private clinic.
Over One Million Eggs at Birth
If you didn’t already know, women are born with their eggs at birth. There are around 1 million at that point and gradually the number decreases. By the age of puberty females typically have between 300,000 and 400,000 eggs. This reserve is believed to diminish by around 1,000 per month and as women can’t produce more, gradually the chances of conception also decrease. However, this doesn’t really tend to happen until a woman reaches 35 years of age, which is where the biggest decline takes place, egg quality reduces and there’s a higher risk of complications.
Improving Your Chances
Despite the point above, there are ways that you can improve your fertility and conceive. Methods such as Intrauterine Insemination (also known as IUI) and Invitro Fertilisation (IVF) can help.
IUI
IUI is a form of artificial insemination. Sperm are filtered and those of the best quality are injected directly into the womb for a higher chance of fertilisation. They must naturally swim up to the fallopian tubes to get to an egg, so this reduces the distance and improves the chances of the two fusing.
IVF
IVF is a little different as the process of fertilisation takes place outside of the womb. It guarantees the two fusing as it is carried out by a lab. The resulting embryos are then transferred into the womb and will start growing once they have implanted.
You Can Improve Your Chances Naturally
Diet
You are what you eat and consuming a good diet and taking care of your general wellbeing can increase your chances of getting pregnant. Whole foods can help balance reproductive hormones needed for ovulation and the chance to conceive. They will also help create a healthy environment for your baby to grow and develop.
Stress Less
Aside from diet, you will need to manage stress as cortisol levels can suppress the hormones needed for ovulation and do so long term.
Weight Management
Weight management can also help. Having a BMI of over 27 increases the risk of anovulation which is where an egg cannot be released.
Reduce Damage
For women we know that it’s about egg quality and count, so it’s important to preserve it as best as possible. Many things that we do on a daily basis, like consuming a high-sugar diet, smoking and drinking can all diminish eggs at a quicker rate. For the best chances, try and cut down on these habits where possible and seek help where it is needed.
It’s Not Just You
Fertility concerns men just as much as it does women. Sperm must be able to make its way up to the fallopian tubes where the egg will wait to be fertilised. Shape of the sperm and count are contributing factors and can make things harder. Unlike women however, men can create new sperm and improve its quality through what they eat and other lifestyle factors like alcohol consumption, smoking etc.
Infertility Can Be Completely Unexplained
While you may be able to pinpoint a reason as to why you’re having issues, for around one in five couples there is no probable cause. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends IVF for those still struggling after 2 years, so do get in touch with a medical practitioner if you have concerns about your fertility.
