Are you infertile? Medical professionals use that word to classify the condition of failure to conceive after 12 consecutive months of trying to become pregnant. By trying, they mean intercourse at least once daily during your days of ovulation and two to three days before ovulation.

Ovulation and Fertility

So not knowing when ovulation occurs could be the first reason for infertility. For women on normal 29 day menstrual cycles, ovulation occurs during days 14 through 17 of their cycle (counting the first day of the previous period as day number 1). For example, if the July 11 is the first day of your period, you would normally ovulate on the July 24 – 27. But because your time of fertility begins sooner, your fertile days would be July 21 – 27, seven full days when frequent intercourse is most likely to lead to pregnancy.

Because the fertility period is different for women with regular periods that are consistently longer or shorter than 29 days, checking with your doctor is a good idea. You can also use ovulation detection kits, such as Clearblue or Accu-clear, sold in drug stores to help you track your ovulations and the best days to conceive.

Irregular Periods

Irregular periods, missing periods, or irregular bleeding are symptoms of infertility in 30% to 40% of cases. Discussing these conditions with your doctor may lead to diagnosis and treatment of the underlying condition which could help you avoid the disappointment of several months of trying to become pregnant without success.

Age

Age is a very important factor in many cases of infertility, because ovulation declines over the years. Statistics show a distinct correlation of age to infertility, beginning after age 30. In their early to mid 20s, 85% of women trying to become pregnant succeed within a year. At 30 that number is 75%; at 35 it is 66%; and at 40 it declines to 44%.

While you cannot turn back the clock on aging of your reproductive capacity, you can respond more proactively when you have difficulty becoming pregnant. For example, if you are over 35, don’t wait a full 12 months before asking the doctor for diagnostic tests to determine if you have treatable conditions. And you can encourage your partner to be checked out sooner rather than later to be sure he is contributing sperm of sufficient quantity and quality.

Other Women’s Issues

Beyond irregular periods and age, there are other conditions that may affect your fertility, including cysts on the ovaries (PCOS), endometriosis, blocked fallopian tubes (PID), and hormones that are out of balance. All of these reasons for infertility can be diagnosed by your gynecologist analyzing blood tests and using common procedures such as ultrasound examinations.

Male Infertility

Your partner may resist, but he should be encouraged to get a male infertility test if you are having difficulty getting pregnant. Inadequate or low quality sperm is the reason for 30% to 40% of all infertility cases. For men, sperm analysis is of primary importance, so your partner may be able to get it done without a physical examination. Sperm in his lab-collected semen sample will be tested for quantity and quality. If any abnormalities are found, follow-up treatment by a urologist will be needed.

Whatever issues are reasons for infertility for you and your partner, remember infertility does not equate to being sterile. Most conditions can be treated successfully.

Reasons For Infertility – The Big 3 For Women and the Importance of Male Infertility Testing

Article by Shelley Ross

It has been estimated that at between 5 to 10% of the female population have endometriosis, a leading cause of infertility not to mention discomfort and pain. But there are some promising breakthroughs that can be good news to women who suffer the condition according to the latest endometriosis clinical trial infertility studies. Perhaps surprisingly, the news speaks of two seemingly unrelated things having positive effects on patients — pine bark and orgasms.

Just recently, results of a study conducted in Japan at the Kanazawa University School of Medicine where released. From the study it was discovered that Pycnogenol, a chemical found in the pine trees that grow along French coastal regions, can significantly reduce the signs of endometriosis by as much as 33%.

Soon to be published in the upcoming edition of the Journal of Reproductive Medicine the clinical trial involved an extensive study of 58 women suffering endometriosis. The women were given either the conventional treatment (using Gn-RHA gonadotropin-releasing hormone agents) or an alternative treatment using Pycnogenol within a trial period of 48 weeks.

The participants of the study were given monthly gynecologic examinations and completed pain self-assessments before and during the trial period. During the initial stage of the study, both groups had not shown improvement of their condition but within four weeks, they experienced some improvement with those taking Pycnogenol experiencing slow but yet steady relief, while those taking Gn-RHa experiencing faster alleviation.

However, after the 24-week mark, the Gn-RHa group exhibited significant relapse of the symptoms while their Pycnogenol-taking counterparts continued to improve.

The results revealed the greater effectiveness of Pycnogenol in the long run. Another great thing about the new treatment is that it also helped reduce discomforts and pains during menstruation without causing adverse side effects resulting from Gn-RHa use.

Among the most serious side effects of the Gn-RHa treatment is infertility due to the drastic hormonal changes generated by the therapy that include sudden decrease of estrogen levels and disruption of the menstrual cycle.

Those who took Pycnogenol did not experience negative effects with their menstrual cycle, nor did they experience dropping of their estrogen levels. Surprisingly, five women who belonged to the Pycnogenol group even became pregnant during the clinical trial — a sharp contrast to the infertility-inducing reputation of Gn-RHa. With this in mind, Pycnogenol, which is also used in treating premenstrual syndrome, might be an option for those who wish to become pregnant while seeking relief for endometriosis symptoms.

Other exciting news might prove contradictory to the usual reputation of endometriosis – that it can cause pains during intercourse. According to the trial published in a recent issue of the Gynecologic and Obstetric Investigation, sex during menstruation may actually prevent endometriosis.

The study revealed that women who were active sexually when they had their periods were less likely to develop endometriosis than women who shun having sex during that time of the month.

Moreover, women who regularly achieved orgasms during menstruation further decreased their risk of developing the disease. Orgasms seemed to flush out menstrual debris from their uterus. This just shows that sex may actually help reduce endometriosis perhaps before it can cause pain during intercourse.

While more research is required it is a great step to hear good news about endometriosis research knowing that millions of women suffer with this chronic condition. Perhaps future endometriosis clinical trial infertility researches might even reveal more promising results that would help so many patients all over the world.

Understanding The Latest News From Endometriosis Clinical Trial Infertility Studies

Many women dread that getting pregnant after miscarriage is almost impossible. This is not true. According to the ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists), miscarriage is the most widespread cause of fetal death during pregnancy. The occurrence usually takes place within the first 20 weeks after fertilization.

The ratio of miscarriage can be from 1 in 10 or 1 in 4 in clinically-recognized pregnancies. In-vitro pregnancies can be accounted for almost half or three-fourths of all miscarriages. This happens when implantation fails, causing bleeding during the time of a woman’s expected menstrual period. A woman may also not realize that she already conceived during this time.

It is okay to grieve before taking another shot at getting pregnant after miscarriage

Many women who fear that conceiving again may pose another threat to their babies should be given the chance and the time to grieve. It is not advisable to push yourself into getting pregnant after miscarriage because your body needs time to recover. Give yourself enough time to relax and recuperate especially if you have undergone hospitalization due to miscarriage.

It is a good thing to surround yourself with family and friends whom you can talk to. Make sure that the lines of communication are open between you and your husband, as well as the rest of your family and doctors. You will need all the support you can get from these caring people during this time because it is common to have some emotional breakdowns due to the loss of your baby.

Cry if you must. Grieve if you must. But make sure to get back on your feet in order for you to move on. It is not healthy to grieve at your baby’s loss for a long time because you can still conceive once you have made the necessary preparations to strengthen your body and reproductive system.

Know the risk factors of miscarriage

There are numerous risk factors that can cause fetal loss. Major factors are female hormonal problems, maternal health issues that lead to infection, as well as unhealthy lifestyle and diet. The first two risk factors can be addressed medically with the help of your OB-GYNE as well as your physician. You need to ensure that the next time you try to get pregnant you are healthier inside and out.

Hormonal problems can be tricky and may not have any symptoms until you conceive. There are ways to determine this and it is best to consult with your OB-GYNE as early as possible to determine the possible causes and treatments.

If you have unhealthy lifestyle and diet, and these led to losing your baby, you need to take major steps in improving your habits. A woman with many bad habits such as drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, eating unhealthy foods, and engaging in stressful activities is deliberately making her body unfit for pregnancy. You need to take a look at your habits and throw away the bad ones if you truly want to have a child in the future.

By knowing the things that can affect you and your unborn child, you will be able to take extra caution prior and during conception. Getting pregnant after miscarriage is not impossible if you know what to do, what to avoid and what can help you in the long run.

Getting Pregnant After Miscarriage is Still Possible

Insurance is something everyone should carry and there are many reasons why. One reason is the fact that accidents do happen, and if medical treatments and other high dollar medical procedures have to be performed, your insurance will have you covered. Many times there have been situations that have come up that individuals do not have the insurance coverage that they needed for a particular situation and have had to pay many thousands of dollars to hospitals and ambulance companies and aftercare just because a lapse in coverage happens or in this economy today, they lose their job.

Taking some time to get some competitive quotes for insurance on your car, home, self, and children should be something that you should do today. There are many ways to get this insurance but the best possible avenue is to pull up a search engine and find some of the quality websites that can give some accurate quotes for insurance and give you the figure that you will have to pay on a monthly basis. Having this information available to talk over the situation with your significant other about what avenues to go to will make the process that much easier.

Going without insurance should be something that no one in this great country of the United States of America should have to do. There are thousands of large and small insurance companies that have the ability to keep you covered when you need it. Now, as we all know insurance is something that we use only a few times in our lifetime especially if you are talking about auto insurance. Some people go their entire lives without using the auto insurance coverage that they have, but all it takes is that one time for something to happen and youll be glad you got some competitive quotes for insurance for your family and coverage from a quality insurance company.

Competitive Quotes For Insurance

Most women have an uncomplicated pregnancy, able to carry on with daily routines even till few weeks before delivery while some women have difficult pregnancies which change their daily life from the start.

Experiencing mood swings and emotional shifts by pregnant women, its natural to feel doubt, fear and anxiety about the pregnancy, child birth along with the happiness, excitement during the anticipation of little one.

Pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks or 9 months. The doctor counts from the first day of your last normal period, and these weeks are divided into three trimesters. These trimesters are three month intervals, during which the pregnant woman experiences different things to her body and to baby.

Do you believe it? Pregnancy is counted from the first day of a woman’s last period. This means that at conception, the unborn child is already considered two weeks old!

The First Trimester: Week 1 – Week 12

• Initially periods becomes light or simply stops • Feel: Nausea, queasiness, vomiting and morning sickness (though this happens at any time of the day.) • Tender and Swelling of breast • Nipples or Areola (area around nipples) gets darker and broader • Frequent urination • Getting tired and feel low on energy and fatigued • Constipation • Heart burns • Headaches • Backaches • Mood swings • Bloating of abdomen • Raised basal body temperature • Craving or aversion for food • Faintness and dizziness • Drink lots of water • Six Week Embryo: twenty one days after fertilization, embryo’s tiny heart begin to beat!

The Second Trimester: Week13- Week 26

• Gaining of weight • First time you feel the fetus- your baby moving • Stretching and drying of skin of stomach, use lotions to lesson stretch marks • Breast gets bigger- wear support bra • Colostrum – its thin fluid that comes out of nipples, it is just small amount • Indigestion, constipation and heartburn continues • May even get nose bleeds • Edema: Swelling of hands, feet, ankles and even face • Developing of a dark line between navel and pubic area. • Pigmentation or marks or mask, darker area on face • Varicose veins- there is varicose vein relief available. • Umbilical cord thickens to carry oxygen and nourishment • 18 week Fetus: your baby gets its eyebrows, eyelashes and fine hair. Also now he will kick or do somersault and can grasp with hands.

The Third Trimester: Week 27- Week 40

• Not just you feel fetus moving, but when it moves you can see it from outside • Navel pushes out • Practice deep breathing • More backaches- at times severe • Walk differently- for accommodating the weight of the fetus • Initially painless ‘practice’ contractions • Shortness of breath • Real contractions • Labor • Delivery • 24 week fetus: unborn child is covered with a fin, downy hair called lanugo and waxy substance called vernix

Pregnancy Week by Week – The Three Trimesters of Pregnancy