Another take on infertility

 

Experts are saying that couples may be resorting to fertility treatments too soon, and that education about the reproductive cycle might lead to more babies.

Making babies is probably more complicated than most people think.
In many cases, it’s a matter of timing, according to a survey by the World Congress on Fertility and Sterility. Twenty percent of the couples studied failed to have intercourse during the woman’s most fertile period.
The fertile period is around the time of ovulation, when an egg is released from the ovary. Because the sperm has to have time to travel to meet the egg, the best time to try for conception is actually about 3 to 4 days before ovulation up to the day the egg is released.
You can monitor this fertile period most accurately by using an ovulation kit. The most common kits can detect the luteinizing hormone in urine, which peaks about 24-36 hours before ovulation. A more expensive monitor can even track the estrogen rise, which precedes this LH surge.
It’s generally recommended that women younger than 35 seek treatment if they don’t conceive after a year of trying, and that women over 35 consult a physician after trying for no more than six months.
And if you are trying to conceive, let your family doctor know so he or she can help guide you through the process. Don’t forget to take folic acid to help protect your baby from spinal defects and stop any alcohol or tobacco use.
Q&A
What about taking your temperature to help you determine the most fertile time?
- The basal body temperature goes up about one degree when a woman ovulates but then you’ve already lost those days before ovulation when you could be trying.

 

 

Last updated by 7asquare on April 20, 2013.