I CAN'T GET PREGNANT: WHAT CAN I DO? THE MOST COMMON CAUSES AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS - PARENTHOOD

I can't get pregnant: the most common causes and possible solutions

We know that once you enter the "I can't get pregnant" loop, it becomes even more difficult to analyze the situation with clarity and understand what is best to do for your specific case. The first step in these cases is precisely to investigate the causes of the difficulty of conception and to seek the most appropriate solutions in order to favor the much desired pregnancy. Psychological problems, infertility, male sterility, polycystic ovary, there are many causes that could be at the basis of your difficulty in conceiving, but do not be alarmed: there are solutions for every problem, just identify it correctly and act accordingly. Below we will try to investigate the most common reasons for the difficulty in getting pregnant and to suggest methods and solutions to try to solve the problem.

We remind you that in any case, even in the absence of overt problems, a healthy and regular lifestyle and a series of correct behavioral rules can facilitate conception, allowing you to get pregnant faster.

How long does it take to get pregnant? Average waiting times

One could compare the conception of a child to a real Lotto win: to win you have to play, but when you play you are never sure to win! How long does it take to get pregnant? If you have regular sexual intercourse, frequent and in the most fruitful periods (for women with a regular cycle, intercourse should be concentrated between the fourth and fifteenth day after the menstrual cycle), calculate an average of 8 months of waiting, before being able to get pregnant. If you make love in the most fruitful periods, without using contraceptives, you have a 1 in 4 or 6 chance of getting pregnant, that is, a 15 to 20% chance. Keep trying then and make love at the right times. A great method is ovulation tracking, look at the options available on Amazon.

If you know for certain that you and your partner will have problems conceiving a child (for example, if someone in your family or yours has had infertility problems), it is better to have a checkup right away, instead of waiting in vain. The same goes for those over 38 - check it out if you have any doubts!

My ovulation is not regular

At school we learned that ovulation occurs about 14 days after the start of the menstrual cycle. Once in the uterus, the egg has a life of 24 or maximum 48 hours and the sperm is able to survive for 36 hours. In fact, ovulation can also occur on the 10th or 18th day of the menstrual cycle.

How to identify the problem?
Every morning, especially before getting out of bed, take your temperature (here you will find the thermometers on offer) and write it down on a sheet of graph paper. You will then get a diagram of the month. A slight peak in the diagram indicates that ovulation has occurred. To detect the exact date of ovulation, you can also resort to some ovulation tests, expensive but safe. After a few months you may realize that your ovulation occurs on a different day than expected according to your cycle or that ovulation it always occurs at different times depending on the menstrual cycles. Sometimes, however, it can also happen that ovulation does not occur at all.

Here is a video that specifically explains how to accurately calculate your fertile period

How to behave?
It all depends on what you have found: if the ovulation date does not change during the cycles, you just have to better choose the moment in which to have sexual intercourse (4 days before the ovulation process or 4 days after, moreover the more frequent intercourse is during this period, the more likely you are to get pregnant!). If, on the other hand, the date varies from one cycle to another, extend sexual intercourse to an even longer period. In the event that ovulation is very irregular or does not take place, your gynecologist will prescribe blood tests to be able to identify any hormonal imbalances. There are also sexual positions that would be more suitable than others to facilitate conception as they would exploit the force of gravity, facilitating the descent of the sperm towards the uterine neck (or cervix) of the female. This is one of the many ways you can try to increase your chances of getting pregnant.

Infertility problem: the cause could be a "gynecological infection

Some gynecological infections are not easy to find because they are not perceived. Others have very mild symptoms that we don't pay attention to when we should! The most difficult bacterium to identify is undoubtedly Chlamydia: it is transmitted through unprotected sexual intercourse (between 5 and 20% of women would be affected) and often there are no symptoms. This germ is able to cause an infection in the fallopian tubes, tubes that appear as channels traveled by the egg to reach the uterus. If you contract the virus, your tubes can become blocked and even damaged, especially if it is a "long-standing infection. This process could prevent and hinder fertilization."

Possible treatments:

We will never stop repeating it: an annual visit to the gynecologist is not just for prescribing the pill or drugs against cystitis! Only the gynecologist will be able to clarify your doubts and will tell you with certainty if something is wrong.
If the infection is detected in time, a simple pharmaceutical treatment is prescribed, often based on antibiotics.
If, on the other hand, the tubes are obstructed or totally occluded, the only solution is to resort to an operation. Later, to become a mother, you will have to resort to assisted fertilization.

My ovaries aren't working as they should

The ovaries are responsible for producing eggs. There are two main causes that can hinder their proper functioning:

hormonal insufficiency: a large number of hormones with rather strange names (LH - luteinizing hormone-, FSH - follicle-stimulating hormone-, progesterone, estrogen and others) affect the functioning of the ovaries. A disturbance in the functioning of any of these hormones can become a hindrance to the ovulation process. Through the hormonal dosage (which we remember is carried out through a blood sample) it is possible to identify a possible malfunction. In most cases, these anomalies are treated with simple treatments, through the intake of drugs (for a predetermined period) that are able to make our body function properly.
an ovarian cyst: identified by means of a pelvic ultrasound (don't worry! This is a painless exam), the ovarian cyst is very common but does not always represent an obstacle to reproduction. However it is good to check its possible changes (size and position) and very often thanks to a simple operation the cyst can be removed quickly.

My uterus is not functioning as expected

The uterus usually allows the embryo to develop. During this process, it becomes covered with a mucous membrane (the endometrium) which allows the embryo to nest in the uterus.

What is it that can create a problem?
Sometimes there may be a cyst in the uterus that hinders the settlement of the embryo. Endometriosis (the presence of parts of mucosa in inappropriate areas) can also hinder fertilization. In addition, sometimes the uterus itself has a malformation that prevents it from preserving a fertilized egg.

Exams
To see clearly, it is better to do some analyzes: hysteroscopy (a tube is introduced through the uterine cavity, to check that nothing is obstructed) or video-laparo-surgery (while providing anesthesia, this operation is still a light intervention).

The solutions
Your gynecologist will first prescribe a pharmaceutical treatment if your problem is not serious (a cyst that can reabsorb over time or superficial endometriosis). Often, however, surgery can prove to be the best solution for having a child (thanks to a subsequent correct functioning of your organs).
Finally, the last possible solution consists in an assisted fertilization cycle.

Male infertility: what if he was the problem?

In the past, for a long time, when a couple could not have children, it was immediately thought that the problem lay with the woman. Instead, the problem may well come from man!

When to act?
Right away when you start consulting the specialist. Your partner will have to answer some requests that will be necessary for your practice.

One of the first tests that the couple will have to carry out will be spermiogram, to analyze sperm quality, mobility and shape. In addition you can also make a hormone testosterone dosage, in order to allow the analysis of theseminal fluid. By doing so, you will go towards a radical solution to the problem.

The solutions?
If your partner's sperm turns out to be "weak" (it does not contain many sperms or the sperms are inefficient and not very active), the medicine may come to you. encounter. You will then have to resort to IVF (In Vitro Fertilization with Embryo Transfer): one of your eggs will be taken which will then be fertilized in a test tube by one of your partner's spermatozoa, a sperm that will still be carefully chosen because it must not have any anomalies, (this technique is also called ICSI - Intracytoplasmatic Sperm Injection-).