Falling pregnant can take a lot of time and energy, and it isn’t always straightforward for everyone. There is no straight line to follow, no one-size-fits-all, no magic tricks, potions, or special positions. Some are lucky enough to fall pregnant naturally, and some need a little more help. And that is where we come in.
Seeing a fertility specialist is a good opportunity to check on your fertility health, especially if you’ve been trying to conceive for 6 to 12 months, or if you’re over 35 years old, and have been trying for 6 months but have yet to fall pregnant. There’s no need to worry or stress, it’s simply an opportunity to see and review your reproductive qualities and discuss possible treatment options available to you to help you conceive.
Why can’t I fall pregnant?
You may struggle to conceive for many reasons. A number of lifestyle factors affect fertility in women and men, including age; nutrition, weight, and exercise; physical and psychological stress; environmental and occupational exposures; substance and drug use; and medications.
Age
For women, by the time you turn 36, your chances of conceiving naturally have halved compared to when you were 20 years old. The phrase “your biological clock is ticking” may seem insensitive and exasperating, but unfortunately for women, it’s a real thing. Women can’t conceive once they hit menopause, usually in their 40’s or 50’s, and the number of eggs they have decreases the older they get.
Men, on the other hand, produce sperm throughout their lives – Charlie Chaplin had his youngest son at 73 years old. That being said, however, men’s sperm quality and quantity do decrease with age, just not with the same impact as women’s reproductive health.
Health issues
Many medical conditions may affect your fertility. Fallopian tube obstruction, where blocked or scarred tubes can prevent sperm from reaching the egg. Ovulation disorders like Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) where women don’t ovulate regularly. Endometriosis where inflammatory cells, similar to the normal uterine lining cells, grow outside the uterus.
Illnesses like cancer and other autoimmune diseases can affect fertility, along with diabetes and obesity. Your physical health plays a vital part in your fertility health, and one factor that often gets overlooked is your mental health. This too can impact your fertility health.
Environment and lifestyle
What’s your lifestyle like? Do you smoke? Drink a lot of alcohol? Take drugs or medications? Work with dangerous chemicals? Do you exercise?
These are all factors to consider that may affect your fertility health and factors our specialists will discuss with you during your fertility check-up.
What to expect during your fertility check-up?
During your appointment, we’ll take a detailed medical history and fertility assessment from you, complete with blood tests, a conversation about your lifestyle, general health, and how long you’ve been trying to conceive. Our fertility specialists will take you through their findings and provide quality advice to help you understand the different factors that affect your fertility. Understanding your fertility health can give you more confidence while trying and create a better chance of falling pregnant. We’ll complete this before tailoring a fertility care plan that suits your needs best.
There may be multiple treatment options available to you, which we will take you through step by step. Once we’ve agreed on the best treatment for you, we’ll create a personalised care plan that gives you the best chance of falling pregnant.
What fertility options do you offer?
We offer a range of tailored fertility options, designed to give you the best possible chance to leave with a special bundle of joy in your arms. Many patients fall pregnant with guidance or simple treatments, while others may require more invasive treatments like IVF.
A brief outline of some of our treatments include:
IVF: This treatment is where we stimulate your ovaries and retrieve eggs via a simple procedure. We then try to fertilise them with a sample of the sperm provided. We attempt to create multiple viable embryos, then implant a successful one directly into the uterus and freeze the others. Click here for more information on IVF.
ICSI: This treatment is similar to IVF, but instead of using multiple sperm to try and fertilise an egg, a single sperm is injected directly into the centre of the egg. This attempts to overcome male infertility issues and increase the chance of fertilisation occurring. Click here for more information on ICSI.
IUI: This treatment is a less invasive alternative to IVF, involving artificially placing washed sperm directly into the uterus around the time of ovulation, hoping that the sperm will enter the fallopian tube and fertilise an egg. IUI is often used for unexplained infertility, or in the case of using donor sperm. Click here for more information on IUI.
The important thing to remember is that every couple and their fertility journey to start a family is unique. At Create Fertility, we treat you as the individual you are, listen to your needs and worries, empower you to take control of your fertility health, and provide you with the best knowledge and science there is to offer.
Starting a family isn’t straightforward. It can take bravery, determination, strength, and peace. And we’re with you every step of the way.
For more information, or if you would like to chat with one of our specialists, please contact us on 03 9873 6789 or email info@createfertility.com.au
