What Happens When You Have Unexplained Infertility?

Tim Harrison — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 02:55:35 +0000

Infertility is a lot more common than most people think. Believe it or not, about 1 in 10 couples experiences problems with conception at some point in their attempts. This may be with their first child, or they may actually have problems conceiving after they’ve already had a child. Usually the issues they are facing can be pinpointed by a medical doctor, but sometimes not. This is called unexplained infertility, when their doctors are at a loss to find a reason for why they are having problems conceiving.

When does it become unexplained infertility?

It would be shortsighted to assume that with your first few months of trying to having a baby that you’re infertile, or that the first time your doctor scratched his or her head in confusion that this means you have unexplained infertility. Medically speaking, a couple are not considered truly infertile until after a year of regular (twice a week on average) without protection has not resulted in a pregnancy. A year may seem like a long time to someone who wants a baby, but considering all the many details that need to work in harmony for conception, it’s really no wonder that doctors give them this long.

Additionally, there are many common causes for infertility that your doctor will want to check first, such as a woman’s inability to ovulate at all or to ovulate a healthy egg, and a male reproductive cell count. These are probably the first two things that your doctor will check, but if these tests are negative or inconclusive, it doesn’t mean that you have unexplained infertility.

When you get the diagnosis of unexplained infertility.

For some couples, however, they have been through every test that is available and everything has come back in their favor, and yet, still no pregnancy. The man may have healthy, active male reproductive cell, and the woman may be ovulating a healthy egg regularly, but again, conception is just not happening for them. This is when the doctors begin to use the phrase unexplained infertility.

For these couples, there is still no reason to abandon hope. Medical intervention may be necessary, but is usually successful. If the woman has a healthy uterus that can support a fetus, the doctor may recommend in vitro fertilization, where an egg is extracted from her and fertilized with the male reproductive cell in a lab, and then planted in her uterus to grow. By manipulating the male reproductive cell and the woman’s egg in such a way, there is nothing left to chance. In most cases, this procedure is safe and successful, albeit expensive.

And of course there are other options available for any couple going through unexplained infertility, so again, there is no need to give up hope. Talk openly and honestly to your doctor about your concerns, and listen carefully to your options. The decision of course is yours to make, but in the end, you may be able to join other happy couples in welcoming home your new baby after all.

Infertility is More Common Than You Think

Tim Harrison — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 02:52:30 +0000

Couples who are dealing with the problem of infertility can often think that they are very alone in their concerns. Most believe that pregnancy is easy, and may look around at the other couples with their bouncing bundles of joy as proof positive of this fact. They may also have many friends and family members who announce one day that they are planning on starting a family, and who are seemingly pregnant immediately after.

But believe it or not, infertility is much more common than you might think. It’s estimated that about 1 in every 10 couples that are attempting to have a baby, have some type of problem with infertility. Imagine ten other couples that you know who have children, and you can make a safe bet that at least one of them faced some difficulty when it came to conceiving. And when you think about this on a national scale, 1 in 10 couples means 5 to 6 million couples in the U.S. every year have some difficulty getting pregnant.

But what exactly defines the concept of infertility? Simply put, this is when a couple is having regular (twice per week on average) without protection and are still not pregnant after a year of trying.

This may be surprising news to some couples, who often assume that a month or so of trying is all that’s needed to signal a problem with infertility. Not so, say doctors. Because of the many details that need to align perfectly for a woman to conceive, it can actually take that many times trying before there is any need for concern.

Obviously it’s true that there are some who have a much more difficult time with conception than others; and of course there are many factors that will contribute to this problem. Some couples seem to be much more fertile than others, and this may very well be the case. Some men simply have a higher male reproductive cell count than average, and of course the more male reproductive cell he had, the greater his chance of having one reach a woman’s egg to fertilize it. Additionally, some women have problems with ovulation and do not release a healthy, viable egg every month, so there may need to be a few months worth of attempts in order for her to conceive.

But while infertility is something that is more common than you might think, it is also a very personal issue. You should never make the mistake of comparing your abilities to conceive to anyone else’s, even those in your own family. Again, you may know of a couple who seem to be able to get pregnant just by talking about it, while you and your partner have been trying for weeks and months, but this isn’t necessarily a cause for concern. Everyone’s body is different, everyone’s reproductive abilities are different as well. If you are really concerned about whether or not you will need medical intervention or another way of helping you with your supposed infertility, then be sure to speak to your doctor, as only he or she will be able to know for sure.

Do You Know the Truth About Male Infertility?

Tim Harrison — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 02:47:23 +0000

It’s a common myth these days that infertility is simply a woman’s problem. Because the woman is responsible for pregnancy, people often think that conception is completely her project as well. However, nothing could be further from the truth, and if you are a couple experiencing problems while trying to get pregnant, you owe it to yourselves to understand the truth about male infertility. After all, to ignore this issue is to waste valuable time that could be spent correcting it and addressing it properly.

How common is male infertility?

When a couple is having problems conceiving, it’s believed that the problem is usually 50/50, in other words, it’s equally likely that the problem is male infertility as it is the woman’s infertility. About 1 in 10 couples that try to conceive have difficulty, so you can understand just how common this issue is with men.

What are the common causes of male infertility?

Most people have heard that low male reproductive cell count is one of the common reasons for male infertility, but there are others; additionally, there are reasons why a male reproductive cell count may be low. For example, smoking causes much damage to the reproductive system in a man, and can interfere with his male reproductive cell production. Trauma to the genital region or testicles, such as an injury or accident, can also interfere with his male reproductive cell productions.

Other common causes for male infertility include malformed male reproductive cell. In order to fertilize an egg, a male reproductive cell must be healthy, otherwise it will simply die before it even reaches the egg in the first place. Another common cause is low male reproductive cell motility. This is also called “lazy” or “slow” male reproductive cell. From a human point of view, the distance that male reproductive cell need to travel in order to fertilize a woman’s egg is not that much – only a matter of inches, really – but to the microscopic male reproductive cell, it may as well be miles. And male reproductive cells are very fragile to begin with, so if they are not active and mobile, again, there is the chance that they will die in the woman’s system before they can reach that egg.

Blocked male reproductive cell ducts are another common cause of male infertility. When a man ejaculates, only about 1% of that fluid is actually male reproductive cell; if his male reproductive cell ducts are blocked, this means there will be even less male reproductive cell, if any at all.

A high male reproductive cell count and healthy male reproductive cell themselves are of course crucial for a man to be able to impregnate a woman. The more healthy male reproductive cell he has, the greater the chance of at least one of those male reproductive cell reaching that egg.

Male infertility can be treated!

The good news is that many of these conditions can be reversed, or helped along by your doctor; even if it means a medical intervention, most men with low male reproductive cell counts or malformed male reproductive cell can still help to conceive a healthy child. So if you’re experiencing problems conceiving, don’t waste another minute assuming that it’s just the woman. See your doctor today!

The Hidden Reasons for Infertility

Tim Harrison — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 02:44:22 +0000

When a couple are experiencing problems with conception, there is usually a good chance that their doctor can pinpoint their exact reasons for infertility – and we say reasons, plural, because sometimes there are actually more than one simple reason. For example, many people assume that conception problems are simply a woman’s issue, perhaps because she is the one who is completely responsible for pregnancy. However, common reasons for infertility are typically about 50/50 between the man and woman, meaning that it may very well be the man’s problem just as commonly as it is the woman’s.

However, there are some other rather common reasons for infertility that no one seems to want to talk about. This is probably due in part to the fact that these reasons are somewhat embarrassing to many people, or they deal with issues that people don’t want to change; it can be easier for them to simply say that it’s a medical issue rather than a lifestyle issue.

For example, one of the more common reasons for infertility that people don’t care to discuss has to do with smoking. Many people don’t want to talk about their smoking and their problems with conception, usually because they simply don’t want to give up those cigarettes! It’s easier for them to convince themselves that it must be something else, and that way they don’t need to address this habit. Also, if they were to be told that their smoking is interfering with their plans for conception, then they may feel guilty or feel as if they are letting their partner down.

One of the other embarrassing reasons for infertility has to do with body weight. Doctors are now finding out that there is a very strong link between obesity and issues with conception. While there is much yet to be discovered, it’s thought that when men and women are obese, the practices that keep them such – poor diet, lack of regular physical exercise – also harms their bodies in ways that medical science had not previously known was possible. Some of the reasons for infertility being interfered with by body weight include the fact that harmful cholesterol adheres not only to the heart’s arteries, but to the many small vessels that are involved in the reproductive system. Excessive body weight puts undue pressure on the uterus and fallopian tubes, interfering with ovulation (the dropping of an egg from the fallopian tubes to be fertilized) and with a fertilized egg then implanting itself to the lining of the uterus as well. If this does not happen, a fertilized egg can be miscarried before a woman even knows she is technically pregnant.

What is truly sad about these common reasons for infertility is that they are preventable with some simple lifestyle changes. Yes, it’s difficult to stop smoking and to lose weight, but if it means finally being able to conceive and achieve your dream of bringing a child into the world, you would think that potential parents would do whatever they could to correct and address these potential reasons for infertility as soon as they possibly could.

The Biggest Cause of Infertility That You Can Fix Yourself!

Tim Harrison — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 02:39:52 +0000

Facing the challenges of reproductive issues is a difficult situation for any couple. Tests and treatments can be expensive and downright unpleasant. Sometimes, for some couples, there is no one cause of infertility that the doctors can pinpoint and then subsequently correct. This can be frustrating and downright disheartening. But for most, there is something that shows up on a test result that can then be treated properly. It may be a low male reproductive cell count or poor male reproductive cell motility for the man, or a lack of ovulation or damaged uterus for the woman. There may actually not even be a cause of infertility at all, if the couple are not engaging in regular (twice per week on average) without protection over the course of many months or even a year; some couples are under the mistaken belief that you get pregnant every time you have slept with your partner without protection, and are just assuming that after a few times of trying, then there is obviously a medical problem.

But for many, there is something that is going on, either with their reproductive systems or with some other cause of infertility that perhaps they are bringing upon themselves. Of course, no one likes to hear that they will need to make some changes or that some choices they’ve made in their own lives has been a long-standing cause of infertility for themselves, but really, this is something that should be empowering. If you yourself are bringing your reproductive issues into your life with a few bad habits, then you can change those habits and eventually realize your dream of having a baby – and possibly without drugs, medicines, medical intervention, surgery, and the like.

So then, what is the biggest and most common cause of infertility that most people just don’t want to hear about? In a word, it’s smoking.

Smoking is one of the most damaging habits you can have overall, when talking about any healthy problem whatsoever. There are over 4,000 chemicals that are produced when a cigarette is burned; over 250 of these are toxic and more than 50 are known carcinogens.

One of the reasons that smoking is a cause of infertility is because these toxins and carcinogens enter the bloodstream and are then transported to every area of the human body, every single cell, and this means the reproductive system as well. These toxins can interfere with a male reproductive cell count, cause his remaining male reproductive cell to be malformed, give him low male reproductive cell motility, and even decrease his circulation enough to cause impotence. For a woman, smoking interferes with the fallopian tube’s natural abilities to drop an egg or ovulate, can damage the eggs she has, and can also damage the uterus, making it impossible for that fertilized egg to attach itself.

This is just a partial list of why we can rightly say that smoking is a leading cause of infertility. Again, no one wants to hear that perhaps they need to make a change in their habits, but if it means finally being able to conceive that child that you dream of, doesn’t it make it all worthwhile?

What Are the Signs of Infertility?

Tim Harrison — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 02:30:05 +0000

It may seem like an odd question, wondering if there are actual signs of infertility. After all, it’s a pretty safe bet that if a couple are sleeping together regularly for many months without protection and a resultant pregnancy, then this should be a pretty obvious sign in of itself. They may wonder if they perhaps are just victims of circumstance or if medical intervention is really necessary. If this sounds like you, then let’s take a moment to discuss the true signs of infertility, and if you find that any of these are present in your case, you can be sure to mention them to your doctor during that appointment.

Amenorrhea.

Amenorrhea is the term used to describe when a woman does not have menstrual periods when she should. Women normally do not menstruate before puberty, during pregnancy, and after menopause. At other times, she should have regular menstrual cycles every month; if she doesn’t, this may be a sign of infertility or another treatable medical condition, however, there are some conditions that cause this cessation of periods that may also cause infertility.

Amenorrhea can be caused by any number of changes in the organs, glands, and hormones involved in menstruation. Possible causes include:

Failure of the ovaries (female organs that hold eggs).
Problems in the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) or the pituitary gland (a gland in the brain that makes hormones involved in menstruation).
Poorly formed reproductive organs.
Hormonal imbalance due to polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)

In these cases, amenorrhea may be a sign of infertility in the woman.

Miscarriages.

A miscarriage is the loss (death) of a baby before the 20th week of pregnancy. According to the March of Dimes, as many as 50% of all pregnancies end in miscarriage – most often before a woman misses a menstrual period or even knows she is pregnant. About 15% of recognized pregnancies will end in a miscarriage. Miscarriage itself is not necessarily a sign of infertility, however, if miscarriages happen because of difficulties with a woman’s reproductive system, then the two may be related.

Other signs of infertility.

An OB/GYN may look for other causes for a woman’s difficulty in conceiving, including endometriosis, a condition in which the tissue lining the uterus (the endometrium) is found outside of the uterus, pelvic inflammatory disease, an infection caused by bacteria that starts in the uterus and can spread to other reproductive organs, stenosis (narrowing) of the cervix, the lower part of the uterus (the hollow, pear-shaped organ where a baby grows), often caused by scarring, and tumors (also called “fibroids”), or growths on the inner wall of the uterus. All of these can also be considered signs of infertility that would necessitate medical intervention.

Fertility Problems: Do Not Need to Break Up Your Marriage!

Tim Harrison — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 02:11:57 +0000

It’s a common fear among many couples that fertility problems are going to wreak havoc on their marriage and even lead to divorce. Women in particular seem to harbor the fear that their husbands feel as if they are failing them, and will trade them in for a “working model.” However, it has been proven that many couples are able to address and even overcome their fertility problems to not only keep their marriage together, but to make it even stronger as well. So how can a couple do this? How can they be sure that their marriage one of those that not only survives, but that thrives, even through the terribly difficult issue of fertility problems? Let’s discuss a few pointers here.

Communication is Key

One of the worse mistakes any couple can make when dealing with fertility problems is to keep their thoughts and feelings bottled up inside. This can only cause tension and further stress, not only for themselves, but on their marriage as well. It’s important to keep up with regular communication between the two of you. And remember, communication means listening as well as talking, so it’s important to listen as much as it is to talk. Are you really hearing what your spouse is telling you about his or her feelings and expectations? Are you willing to step up and be there for him or her in the way they really need?

Avoid Blame and Anger

Remember, your fertility problems are probably not your partner’s fault, and even if it is, there is no reason for blame or anger. Remember that things happen that are often out of one’s control, and there’s no reason to allow resentment to build. Additionally, avoiding blame for fertility problems means not putting unnecessary blame on yourself either. Even if you are the one who has physical limitations that are causing issues with conception, again, there is no need for unnecessary anger or resentment. Many people are born with physical issues they need to have addressed and that perhaps interfere with their marriage; this is part of the world we live in today.

Appreciate the Good

Your fertility problems do not need to define you or your marriage. Chances are there are many, many positive things in your life and your relationship overall that you can still appreciate and enjoy individually and as a couple. Make time for activities that you can do together, and be sure that you don’t talk about your fertility issues during this time. Remember that there are probably many things in your life that you can still enjoy while working on addressing your fertility problems.

If you do all these things, you’re sure to find that your marriage will be one that survives even the roughest patches. However, don’t assume that these things will just take care of themselves. Make a point to apply these principles, and speak to your spouse about them as well.

The Myths Surrounding the Causes of Infertility in Women

Tim Harrison — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:46:00 +0000

If you are a woman who is experiencing what you think are reproductive challenges, or you’ve already been given the diagnosis of infertility from your OB/GYN, then it’s important for you to separate the facts from the fiction when it comes to the causes of infertility in women. After all, if you find yourself believing something that is not true or not applicable in your case, you may wind up wasting precious time ignoring the real problems.

So what are those common myths when it comes to the causes of infertility in women? And better yet, what is the truth about those beliefs? Let’s examine a few here.

Myth: It’s all in your head.

This myth may have developed over the years as some couples have dealt with infertility for some time, and then eventually were able to conceive on their own. Others may view this as a reason to believe that reproductive problems are simply stress related or that a couple is being overly sensitive to their situation. Yes, stress and such things can be pinpointed as one of the causes of infertility in women, but it certainly is not the only cause, and not even the most common!

Advances in modern science that can plainly pinpoint different problems with a man’s or a woman’s reproductive system should have squelched this myth years ago, but unfortunately it seems to continue to thrive. Despite the abilities we have to look deep into the body’s reproductive system and find even the smallest of defects which can be one of the causes of infertility in women, some still think it’s simply a mental challenge.

Myth: Miscarriage is a common cause of infertility in women.

First of all, it’s important to remember that in most cases of miscarriage, there was nothing the woman could have done to prevent it. Rarely is it ever caused by stress, overworking, and the like.

It’s also important to remember that miscarriage itself is really not a cause of infertility of women; most doctors regard it as simply a possible symptom of a larger problem. Many miscarriages that are caused by such things as exposure to environmental and workplace hazards, such as high levels of radiation, hormonal problems, uterine abnormalities, incompetent cervix, and severe medical conditions can be considered a symptom, as these are some of the common causes of infertility in women as well.

Myth: If you’ve already had a baby, you’re not infertile.

Secondary infertility is the term used by doctors to describe the condition of a couple having problems conceiving even after they’ve already had a child, so this is something that is rather common. Some causes of infertility in women don’t manifest itself until after a pregnancy or even more than one, so again, this is simply an untrue statement.

Any woman who is truly concerned about her own reproductive issues should address this with her doctor, and her doctor alone. Being led along by these myths regarding the causes of infertility in women is dangerous and certainly wastes valuable time, money, and emotional energy.

The Common Causes for Infertility in Men

Tim Harrison — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:42:47 +0000

When a couple are facing problems with reproduction and conception, it’s very shortsighted and medically inaccurate to assume that it must always be the woman’s problem. Infertility in men is the cause of reproductive issues in about half of the cases reported, so if you and your partner are having problems conceiving, you do well to investigate the common causes for infertility in men so as to handle these issues promptly and completely. Here are the most common causes:

Low male reproductive cell count – the most common reason for infertility in men.

Yes, men typically have millions of male reproductive cell, however, these male reproductive cells are very fragile and very few actually survive the journey through a woman’s system to reach an egg to fertilize. This is why it’s necessary to produce those millions! But in reality, any one male reproductive cell reaching an egg to fertilize it is like winning the lottery – there are millions of tickets sold, but it’s unlikely that any one is the winner. So, having a lower than normal male reproductive cell count makes it that much more difficult for conception to take place. Since this is the most common reason for infertility in men, chances are that a doctor would want to take a sample of a man’s semen to test the male reproductive cell count before doing any other tests.

Low male reproductive cell motility.

To a human, the journey through a woman’s system to reach the egg dropped by the fallopian tubes is miniscule. But to the tiny microscopic male reproductive cell, it may as well be miles long! Any male reproductive cell that are not able to push themselves to get through that journey are going to die off before they make it, and again, male reproductive cell are very fragile to begin with. Low male reproductive cell motility may not be the most common reason for infertility in men, but it is common enough that again, doctors will want to check the abilities of your “little swimmers” to make sure they can make it through their long journey. If not, alternative means of conception may need to be explored.

Malformed male reproductive cell.

If the male reproductive cell are not formed properly, they will not be able to propel themselves along to make that arduous journey. Malformed male reproductive cell is a common reason for infertility in men, and may also be one of the more common reasons for low male reproductive cell motility. However, it’s important to remember that malformed male reproductive cell doesn’t mean that a child conceived with it is going to somehow be malformed or that this is a cause for birth defects; it simply means that again, there may need to be an alternative form of conception that is explored rather than relying on the natural course of action.

Blocked male reproductive cell ducts.

Many people mistakenly assume that every time a man contains male reproductive cell. This is not necessarily true; only about 1-2% of a man’s semen is actually male reproductive cell. Blocked male reproductive cell ducts are another common reason for infertility in men; he has no male reproductive cell at all in the ejaculate in these cases.

The Most Common Causes for Infertility

Tim Harrison — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:35:38 +0000

Don’t believe the myth that infertility is all in your head. Most causes for infertility have medical roots in the reproductive systems of the man or the woman, or can be a combination of problems form both. To get a better understanding of how this can happen, let’s look at some of those common causes for infertility.

For Men

In men, the most common causes for infertility are the male reproductive cell disorders. These problems include:

Low male reproductive cell count.

This is probably the most common of the causes for infertility in men. The male reproductive cell are very fragile and most don’t make their trip through the woman’s system. This is why most men produce millions of them at a time, however, the less a man produces, the less chances he’ll have to be able to impregnate a woman.

The only way to get an accurate male reproductive cell count for a man is to be tested at a doctor’s office. The amount of ejaculate or size of a man’s genital organs have nothing to do with actual male reproductive cell count.

Certain lifestyles, like increased alcohol intake and smoking, can also have a negative effect on the male reproductive cell count and are some of the most common causes for infertility. Men who are 40 or older often have decreased fertility.

Low male reproductive cell motility

This is a problem commonly referred to as “slow” or “sluggish” male reproductive cell. The male reproductive cell do not move as well as they should and so do not make the entire journey through a woman’s system in order to fertilize the egg. This is also one of the most common causes for infertility in men.

For Women

There are many causes for infertility and reproductive issues for women, from simple reasons to those that are more complicated. Here are the most common:

Anovulation.

This refers to a lack of ovulation, or release of eggs from the ovary. The major cause of anovulation is a condition called polycystic ovary disease, or PCOS. This is the most common of the causes for infertility in women.

The fallopian tubes and endometriosis.

Another of the causes for infertility is the inability of the fallopian tubes to carry eggs from the ovary to the uterus, usually due to scar tissue or a condition called endometriosis. Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus (the endometrial stroma and glands, which should only be located inside the uterus) is found elsewhere in the body. Endometriosis lesions can be found anywhere in the pelvic cavity: on the ovaries, the fallopian tubes, and on the pelvic sidewall.

For Both Men and Women

Age is one of the major causes for infertility in both men and women. In women, fertility declines with age, and even more so after the age of 35. Conception after age 45 is possible but rare.

Obesity is also one of the causes for infertility for both men and woman. Many studies have also begun to link a man’s excessive body weight with his inability to produce healthy male reproductive cell. Cholesterol is damaging to his male reproductive cell count and breaks down the health of the male reproductive cell that is present.