Many couples struggle with the heartbreak and challenges of infertility, and that’s why the doctors at Dallas OBGYN PA provide both physical and emotional support to all our patients who are trying to conceive. Did you realize that 13 out of 100 couples in the U.S. have difficulty getting pregnant? Infertility is a very common problem that affects millions of Americans.
What Are the Signs of Infertility?
If you are under 35 years old, the main sign of infertility is not being able to get pregnant after one year of having sex without birth control.
If you are over 35 years old, infertility’s main sign is not being able to get pregnant after six months of trying.
There are other indicators that you may have difficulty conceiving. These include:
- Irregular periods
- Skipped periods
- Heavy bleeding
These could all be indications of a problem with ovulation.
What Happens During an Infertility Treatment Visit?
Ideally, we’d love to meet with you when you first decide you want to have a baby. This can help us work with you from the very start of your journey to ensure you’re in the best health possible to conceive.
If you’ve noticed signs of infertility, we urge you to contact us and schedule an appointment. This consultation will enable us to look at your medical history and conduct an examination to determine the source of the issue.
We suggest making this a separate appointment instead of bringing it up at your annual exam, because we want to be able to spend more quality time with you and concentrate solely on infertility treatment.
At this visit we may:
- Ask questions about your periods, any discharge or abnormal bleeding
- Discuss any previous infertility treatment
- Perform a physical exam
- Carefully review your medical history
- Examine any related medical records from previous physicians
- Ask about any symptoms, including pelvic pain
If you keep a menstrual calendar, please bring it to the appointment—this will help us treat you, particularly if you frequently have irregular or skipped periods.
We’ll also need to know if you’ve had any previous miscarriages. In some cases, we’ll conduct a blood test to determine your hormonal levels.
How Do You Determine the Cause of Infertility?
We’ll perform diagnostic testing for infertility to help us identify the underlying cause. It’s important to realize that about one-third of infertility issues are caused by problems in women, another third are caused by fertility problems in men, and the other third is a mixture of both.
Different Causes of Infertility
Infertility can be caused by a problem at any point in the reproductive cycle. Some of the most common causes of infertility are:
- Ovulation problems
- Blocked fallopian tubes
- Physical problems with the uterus
- Uterine fibroids
- Abnormal sperm
- Age—fertility steadily declines as a woman ages
Each specific cause requires a certain infertility treatment in order to help you conceive.
Are There Different Types of Infertility?
Yes, there’s primary and secondary infertility.
Primary infertility occurs in women who have never been pregnant.
Secondary infertility occurs in a woman who has been pregnant before, but is having difficulty getting pregnant again.
Are There Other Factors That Can Affect Your Chances of Getting Pregnant?
Yes, there are several other factors than can dramatically decrease your chances of getting pregnant. These include:
- Excessive alcohol use
- Smoking
- Being over age 30
- Diabetes
- Being seriously overweight or underweight
- Endometriosis
- Chemotherapy or radiation treatment
- Extensive athletic training
It’s Time to Get Effective Fertility Treatment from Compassionate Professionals
We’re pleased to say we’ve helped hundreds of couples successfully conceive and have healthy babies. We realize this is a long process, and we are together on this journey with you. If you’ve had difficulty getting pregnant, contact us today to schedule an evaluation.
