How to Diagnose and Cope with Female Infertility

Infertility is a common condition characterized by not being able to get pregnant. It is usually only diagnosed after at least a year of having regular unprotected sex and not conceiving. Women who have also had multiple miscarriages are considered infertile as well. Infertility is divided into two categories, primary infertility and secondary infertility.

Primary Infertility- The partners in questions have never had a child.

Secondary Infertility- The infertile person has had a child in the past, but now either emotional, medical, or physical problems are affecting their ability to get pregnant (or impregnate).

A number of females might be infertile within their reproductive years but are clueless about their situation. Age, health, and lifestyle choices are major factors in fertility levels. Most people don't know this, but the conception rate during sex is an average of one percent! Of course this statistic varies greatly from one woman to the next, and depends on the woman's menstrual cycle. Certain times of the month are more complimentary to conception than others.

Another scarcely known fact is that about 1 in 7 couples in the US are considered infertile. So the concept of getting pregnant may be blurred for a lot of unwary people out there.

The conception time line goes as follows:

1. The woman's egg is released from her ovaries
2. The egg enters the fallopian tubes and travels to the uterus
3. The male's sperm must contact and penetrate the egg during the trip
4. Then the fertilized egg must attach itself to the uterus to start implantation
5. Any interruption in these processes during any part of this fertilization process can cause infertility

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Basal Body Thermometer
• Home Ovulation Kit

1. Diagnosing Female Infertility
   
   The bases of a female infertility diagnosis are physical symptoms plus sexual history. It is essential that a woman tracks her ovulation cycle for several months. Common methods for doing so include:

2. Record your basal body temperature. You are most fertile when your temp rises.

3. Noting changes in cervical mucus. You will notice a thicker white discharge when your most fertile.

4. You can also refer to a home ovulation kit.

5. Other options available from your doctor include:
   * Blood tests
   * Ultrasounds
   * Hysterosalpingography (scan of the uterus and fallopian tubes for physical irregularities)
   * Laparoscopy (checks fallopian tubes, uterus, and ovaries for deceases)

Tips & Warnings

• Feelings commonly associated with infertility are guilt, frustration, anger, depression, and confusion. These feeling can have a detrimental effect of your daily life. That is why it is very important to get with your partner and figure out a solution or ways to cope with your situation.

Resources

• More Pregnancy Info at Natural-Pregnancy.net
• Natural-Pregnancy.net Official Blog