Pregnancy: Trying to Conceive
How do you figure out when you're fertile and when
you're not? Wondering if you or your partner is infertile? Read on to boost your
chances of conception and get help for fertility problems.
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Ten Infertility Questions to Ask Your Doctor
Medical Author: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel, Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
 Be sure to take along the records of any diagnostic
studies and/or fertility
treatments you may have had in the past if you are visiting a new fertility
specialist. If you have been keeping records of the dates of your menstrual cycles
and/or basal body temperature charts, take these along too. Also, print
this and take it with you to your doctor visit.
- What is my diagnosis, and how does this condition
specifically interfere
with fertility? Does my partner have a condition that interferes with
fertility? Will these conditions worsen over time, improve, or remain
constant?
- If the reason for my infertility is unclear, what diagnostic tests do
you recommend? What is the likelihood that each of these tests will
establish a diagnosis? Are there any risks associated with the testing? Does
my partner need additional testing?
- What type of treatment would you recommend trying
first? Does this treatment involve surgery, medications, or both? What are the risks of
treatment?
- In your practice, how often does this treatment
result in pregnancy? (Be sure to determine whether your doctor is talking
about pregnancy rates or
live-birth rates when discussing specific treatments so you can make
adequate comparisons. For example, a treatment may have a 30% pregnancy rate
per cycle but only a 25% live-birth rate due to early miscarriages.)
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Fertility Awareness
The Menstrual Cycle
Being aware of your menstrual cycle and the changes
in your body that happen during this time can be key to helping you plan a
pregnancy, or avoid pregnancy.
During the menstrual cycle (a total average of 28 days), there are two parts:
before ovulation and after ovulation.
- Day 1 starts with the first day of your period.
- Usually by Day 7, a woman's eggs start to prepare to be fertilized by
sperm.
- Between Day 7 and 11, the lining of the
uterus (womb) starts to
thicken, waiting for a fertilized egg to implant there.
- Around Day 14 (in a 28-day cycle), hormones cause the egg that is most ripe
to be released, a process called ovulation. The egg travels down the fallopian
tube towards the uterus. If a sperm unites with the egg here, the egg will
attach to the lining of the uterus, and pregnancy occurs.
- If the egg is not fertilized, it will break apart.
- Around Day 25 when hormone levels drop, it will be shed from the body with
the lining of the uterus as a menstrual period.
The first part of the menstrual cycle is different in
every woman, and even can be different from month-to-month in the same woman,
varying from 13 to 20 days long. This is the most important part of the cycle to
learn about, since this is when ovulation and pregnancy can occur. After
ovulation, every woman (unless she has a health problem that affects her periods) will have a period
within 14 to 16 days.
Charting Your Fertility Pattern
Knowing when you're most fertile will help
you plan or prevent pregnancy. There are three ways you can keep track of your
fertile times. They are:
Next: Basal body temperature method »
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