People often look for tips on getting pregnant when they have been trying to conceive
for a few months and are apparently having no luck. They begin to wonder if they may
be ‘infertile’. It is true that infertility — or at least lowered fertility — is a
commonplace issue today, particularly in the Western world where our natural biological
systems are beset by a plethora of chemicals and other effects from our environment
that can all play a part in reduced fertility levels — for both women and men!

Symptoms of Infertility (Part 1)

So what sort of symptoms of infertility are there? — and do any of these seem to apply to
you?

In many cases the symptoms of infertility that people experience are things that can be treated fairly simply and easily — sometimes merely by making some positive ‘lifestyle changes’ which we will discuss in detail later.

However, for some people the reason behind their failure to conceive can be something more serious. This means that if you have even the slightest inkling that infertility problems may be caused by something you’d rather not know about it is in fact an urgent imperative that you should contact your Doctor and discuss your concerns and possible symptoms. The longer you leave a problem that might be serious the more likely it may be too late to find an effective remedy that will not also have further implications for your fertility.

Commonly the symptoms of infertility that most women experience are related aberrations in their menstrual cycle (their period) or in the process of ovulation — the actual development and release of a healthy, fertile egg from the ovaries.

Other issues that commonly occur can be related to hormonal imbalance — hormones are critical elements of the body’s bio-chemistry that control the natural processes in our body. We hear a lot about ‘raging hormones’ in adolescents — yet for all of us hormones govern the many natural activities that take place in the body, and if certain hormone levels are awry it can have a devastating effect on our fertility.

Other pelvic problems can also be behind the failure to conceive in a normal, average time. If you are suffering an infection, or Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) or experiencing excessive pelvic discomfort and pain these can be signs of problems that might be reducing your level of fertility.

The Menstrual Cycle and Fertility

For the majority of girls the signal that they are ‘becoming a woman’ is the onset of their monthly cycle of menstruation. For some this cycle remains variable and unsettled even into adulthood. There can be numerous reasons for this, an in the majority of cases such irregularity are ultimately self-correcting. However for those for whom their menstrual cycle remains uncertain it can be difficult to predict if or when ovulation might be occurring.

Most women have an approximately 28-day period during which the womb prepares for the possibility of becoming the harbour of a new life, about 14 days into the cycle an egg is released (sometimes more than one) by the ovaries and it passes down the fallopian tubes - this is the process of ovulation, and the time when a woman is most likely to conceive.

If conception does not occur naturally the womb prepares to shed its preparatory ‘lining’ and menstruation occurs — this involves the process of bleeding as the blood rich lining is ejected along with the unfertilized egg. This process can be stressful and painful for some women and it the time leading up to this ‘bleed’ can lead to Pre-menstrual Tension (PMT)
sometimes referred to as Pre-menstrual Syndrome (PMS) during which a woman’s emotions may be heightened and emotional response can become erratic and disproportionate.

Some women need treatment to help reduce these symptoms which can become disruptive to daily life and relationships Treatment often involves taking ‘the contraceptive pill’ of one kind or another to reduce/subdue the menstruation process. This type of medication generally aims to arrest the normal process which inevitably means that pregnancy cannot occur (Note: The type of pill and its impact may vary — some pills have less impact on fertility than others -ask your GP/MD for more information if you are currently on a hormone-influencing medication and are not sure if it is likely to affect your fertility).

Major Symptoms That Could Affect Fertility

Other things that can occur in relation to the menstrual cycle that will have a negative impact on levels of fertility include:

ANOVULTION: The process of menstruation may appear fairly normal, but the ovaries fail to release an egg. This will not be obvious to the sufferer and will be revealed by more in depth medical examination.

AMENORRHEA: Failure to menstruate st all — this can signal other problems. For instance girls/women who suffer the eating disorder Anorexia may diminish their systems potential to a point where menstruation ceases for months. However Amenorrhea might also signal other problems that need urgent medical investigation.

EXCESSIVE BLEEDING: During the menstrual cycle some women experience a very heavy flow of blood. This can be both distressing and debilitating and should be discussed with your medical practitioner at an early opportunity.

These major symptoms can all be indicators of more complex medical issues that require investigation, such as:

• Endometriosis (Overgrowth of the endometrial layer of the uterus)
• Fibroids (Benign but sometimes disruptive, tumours)
• Hyperprolactinemia (Excess production of milk making hormone Prolactin)
  
• PCOS - Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (cysts on the ovaries)
• POF - Premature Ovarian Failure (in effect the early onset of menopause)
• Or even previously undiagnosed birth defects relating to development of the uterus

These issues will all be discussed in later posts. But if you have a need or desire to ‘jump the queue’ and find out more information more quickly we recommend this useful resource which provides a free report and provides tips on getting pregnant that may be of interest: Overcoming Pregnancy Problems - Free Report

Maybe it’s no surprise to you…but a huge number of people seek tips on getting pregnant during their quest to conceive. On the other hand it may seem odd that something that seems as if it should be so natural, something that ‘just happens’ can sometimes actually be really difficult to achieve.

Undoubtedly there are numerous reasons why conception has become a challenge for many couples (or even singles) these days. There are many things in this ‘modern’ world that have had a negative impact on fertility such that falling pregnant is not always that foregone conclusion it seemed to be after having unprotected sex! (Mind you, that is not to say you should take unnecessary risks if you are NOT ready to make a baby, yet! ;-))

Doing What Comes Naturally… 

Man and woman, since their days in caves, have always basically instinctively known what actions are required to get pregnant. But, in today’s sophisticated world, we are surrounded by a barrage of advice, articles, magazines, leaflets, aunties…and so on…all seemingly to know better, and more, than we do about what to do to achieve one of life’s natural goals.

That rather ‘academic’ term, procreation of the species, may seem a bit cold — but it is after all what we are here to do. We are here to ensure that mankind, as a species, continues to thrive and succeed. Animals all have an innate drive to bear offspring — and by an large set successfully about the process right from the moment they are naturally mature enough to do so. Man on the other hand has ‘taken control’ of nature when it comes to having offspring. We are the only creature that can choose when to start a family, when to fulfill our ‘natural imperative’.

Indeed we would not dream of simply letting nature take its course when it comes to sex and conception these days. Even in this day and age there are still many parents who are frozen with embarrassment when it comes to discussing the birds and the bees with their own growing children. However, it is generally the case that Schools now provide some pretty explicit instructions about the process of conception and contraception, at some stage during our early academic careers! The age of videos and the Internet itself have ensured that we can learn about the practical and physical business of what to do — sometimes all TOO graphically!

…Not As Easy As It Seems!

However, the truth is that an increasing number of couples find that ‘doing what comes naturally’ just does not come that naturally after all.

You’ll probably have heard about the impact of chemicals in our environment — and if not be sure we will discuss this in more detail soon on this ‘blog. You may also be aware that both male and female fertility is just not what it used to be — particularly in the developed Western countries. Indeed it does not require the normal human bodily process to vary by much to have a massive impact on the likelihood of easy conception.

As you will see such things as simple poor or badly balanced diet, eating the wrong foods, being overweight, suffering too much stress, wearing the wrong clothing…can all impact severely on our levels of fertility.

The good news is that you CAN do many things to improve the situation. Sometimes it may take a little time — but all in all you can start stacking the odds in favor of a positive outcome when it comes to getting pregnant, just by making a few sensible lifestyle changes. And we will be taking a look at these tips for getting pregnant over the coming weeks.

Here To Help 

So if you need some help getting pregnant, if the time is right for you to welcome that new little life into your home and take your rightful place amongst that community of folks that are known as ‘Parents’…then I hope you will join us here regularly and learn more about what you can do to reach your goal!

As a Mum of a beautiful, healthy 21 month old daughter — born when I was 41 years old — I believe it is never too late to make the changes that can ensure that you achieve a successful conception, a wonderful pregnancy, a natural birth, and that you bring a healthy and thriving child into this world.

I hope you find that the pregnancy tips that we cover on this blog will be informative, interesting and most of all integral to you soon experiencing the joy of impending Motherhood (and Fatherhood of course! For all those traditional partnerships out there :-D)

Tip #1: A Great Free Resource

Until I post my next message you may like to take a look at this super ‘Pregnancy Report’ and free mini-course produced with those having problems getting pregnant in mind. It’s a bit of a short-cut if you like, if you just ‘can’t wait‘ for the next few weeks of posts to learn about the many tips on getting pregnant and having a great pregnancy that we will be covering here: How to boost your fertility and get pregnant - Free Mini Course & Report

Whilst we did not create this great resource it does provide some really helpful advice and encouragement for anyone who has found that ‘age old process’ of how to make a baby more of a challenge than they expected!