How to Take Control of Your Fertility

Thanks to modern medicine, it has become much easier for most people to take control of their fertility. Of course, there are people who struggle with fertility issues, and they feel anything but in control of their fertility. Fortunately for most people, taking control of their fertility is easy to do with a little work. Here is how to take control of your fertility.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Birth control

1. Use birth control if you do not want to become pregnant. Many people seem to “forget” that people “make babies” by having sexual intercourse. Each and every time that you have sex, you run the risk of making a baby. If you do not want to become pregnant at this time, take control of your fertility by using birth control with every sexual encounter.
2. Decide which form of birth control is best for you. Hormone-type birth control is the most effective in preventing pregnancy as long as you take it as prescribed. However, if you are unlikely to remember to take a birth control pill at the same time every day, then you compromise your ability to take control of your fertility. Decide which method of birth control you are most likely to use every single time.
3. Stop using birth control when you are ready to become pregnant. If you are using a barrier-type birth control, such as a condom or diaphragm, or if you are using an intrauterine device (IUD), then you can simply stop using your birth control and begin trying to become pregnant. However, if you are using a hormone-type birth control, such as the pill or Depo-Provera shots, then you should switch to a barrier-type birth control for a couple of months to allow your body to start ovulating again.
4. Talk with a fertility doctor if you are having trouble becoming pregnant. Most fertility doctors want you to wait to see them until you have been trying unsuccessfully to become pregnant for one year. That number drops to six months if you are over 35 years of age.
5. Undergo fertility procedures if you have trouble becoming pregnant. Depending upon what is causing your fertility issues, there are numerous fertility procedures available, from intrauterine inseminations (IUIs) to in vitro fertilization (IVF), that can help you take control of your fertility. Your fertility doctor can guide you through which fertility procedures are more likely to be successful in your situation.
6. Consider adoption. Unfortunately, some infertile couples are never successful in achieving a pregnancy. Another way to take control of your fertility in this situation is to choose to stop trying to become pregnant and, instead, grow your family through adoption.
7. Think about permanent birth control if you do not want to have any more pregnancies. A tubal ligation or vasectomy can take care of fertility concerns permanently. If you are certain that you do not desire any more pregnancies, then consider taking permanent control of your fertility in this manner.