You’ve followed your menstrual cycle religiously. You’ve taken several fertility-enhancing herbal supplements. You’ve tried the most recommended baby-making sex positions your friends swear by. You and your partner are having sex even when you are both exhausted from work, just because you think you’re ovulating. It’s time to give guessing a rest, and instead, narrow down possible reasons why you’re having a hard time conceiving. While it is still best to consult a fertility specialist to understand why you can’t get pregnant, here are the most possible reasons. Understanding the real cause of your inability to conceive is the first step to finding a solution that could lead the way to the possibility of a healthy pregnancy.
Lifestyle
The most successful pregnancies and the healthiest babies begin way before conception. If you are seriously contemplating on having a baby, you and your partner must take a good look at your lifestyle before even trying. Your food choices and preferences, sleeping habits, stress levels, as well as your exercise habits have a lot to do with the regulation of your hormones which in turn, affect your fertility. Smoking and consuming alcohol can affect the health of your egg cells as well as that of your partner’s sperm cells. In fact, smoking has been proven to significantly reduce a man’s sperm count and quality.
Clothing preferences
This is a common concern for males. The choice of underwear plays a major role in the production and release of adequate, healthy sperm cells. Sperm cells are produced in the testicles under a certain temperature. If the environment is too warm (such as when a man wear tight-fitting briefs and pants), sperm cell production is impeded greatly.
Stress and anxiety
You may get unsolicited advice from family and friends who think the best way to get pregnant is to leave the city with your partner and go for a second honeymoon. While there is no scientific evidence that a getaway can increase your chances of getting pregnant, there certainly is truth that stress can prevent your body from sustaining a pregnancy. Constant anxiety can mess with the way the brain uses hormones to induce certain changes in the reproductive system. Sometimes, women who are constantly stressed can miss their periods. The same is true for males.
Hormones
Your menstrual cycle is all about hormones, thus your ability to become pregnant also relies heavily on your hormones. The right balance of hormone levels is crucial to become pregnant and actually sustain it for nine months. Hormonal imbalance is a common reason for the inability to become pregnant. For instance, a hyperactive thyroid, progesterone deficiency, or even estrogen dominance are all common hormone issues that make getting pregnant difficult. Your doctor may prescribe hormone therapy to have this corrected. Note that, hormones can also be a reason males cannot impregnate their partner.
Age
Fertility has been proven to decline with age. Women who are beyond 35 may experience greater challenge trying to become pregnant compared to younger women. This may also be true for men, especially when they smoke and drink alcohol. The existence of conditions such as hypertension or diabetes can be a factor as well.
Structural and other conditions
A thorough physical and internal examination may reveal structural conditions that are actually preventing conception. These could be a blocked fallopian tube, endometriosis, or cervical weakness.
Other medical conditions that make getting pregnant difficult include STDs, thyroid problems and the like. The diagnosis and treatment of the underlying condition must be completed before attempting conception.
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