struggling to conceive

29 December 2020

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Is 2020 your baby year but struggling to conceive? Let’s discuss your fertility health

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If you’ve been trying to fall pregnant for a while, you’re not alone!  In fact, problems falling pregnant affect about 1 in 6 Australian couples.

‘Officially’ the definition of infertility is the inability to fall pregnant after a year of unprotected sex; but you should seek help if you have been trying for more than six months over the age of 35.

If you’re one of those trying, just getting started can be overwhelming. Firstly, make sure you and your partner are in optimal health and understand how to improve your chance of having a baby. A fertility health check is a great place to start, and can help steer you in the right direction to receive expert advice.  Health checks aren’t new, most people know to go to their GP once a year or to get their eye sight tested: but not many people are aware of a fertility check! It’s a great place to start, especially if you’ve decided to make 2020 your baby year or if you have been struggling to fall pregnant.

A Fertility check up can unravel the many factors that affect your fertility. It’s a chance to ask questions; to discuss your menstrual cycle and learn how to increase your chances of conceiving naturally e.g. being in optimal health, focusing on your diet and keeping your weight to a healthy range.

A Fertility check up usually includes an Anti Mullerian Hormone (AMH) blood test. This is a good indicator of her ovarian reserve, giving some insight into the remaining quantity of eggs and fertile years left. For same sex couples, both partners can have an AMH.

A Fertility check up also includes a semen analysis to measure the quantity and quality of spermfollowed by a consultation with a fertility specialist to discuss the test results.

It’s also a great time to chat about fertility myths. A common misconception is that the day of ovulation – the day that the egg is released - is the only day you should have intercourse. Of course this is untrue: the fertile days in your cycle are around the time of ovulation, better known as the ‘fertile window’. So should you have sex every day? From a conception point of view, having sex every second day can give you the same fertility outcome as having sex every day. And this ties-in with one of the myths relating to male infertility where sperm needs to ‘build up’ through a couple of days off. The truth is that if a man produces sperm every day, the count will drop, but the quality will improve. Conversely, if there are less emissions, the count will increase but the quality will drop.  

If you’re overwhelmed with fertility facts and myths, it’s definitely good to speak to the experts and undergo a few simple tests!

Starting a family is an exciting, but if it’s taking longer than expected, you are not sure where to start or simply overwhelmed, you might just need the right advice to help guide you along the way.

To book a fertility check up call 1800 111 483.

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