Infertility Q & A

What are the chances of a normal fertile couple conceiving in one month?

Before worrying, remember that in a single menstrual cycle, the chance of a perfectly normal couple achieving a successful pregnancy is only about 25%, even if they have sex every single day. This is called their fecundity which describes their fertility potential. Humans are not very efficient at producing babies!

There are many reasons for this, including the fact that some eggs don't fertilize and that some of the fertilized eggs (embryos) don't grow well in the early developmental stage because of a random genetic error.

Getting pregnant is a game of odds - it's a bit like playing Russian Roulette and it's impossible to predict when an individual couple will get pregnant! However, over a period of a year, the chance of a successful pregnancy is between 80 and 90%, so that 7 out of 8 couples will be pregnant within a year. These are the normal "fertile" couples - and the rest are "labeled" infertile - the medical text book definition of infertility being the inability to conceive even after trying for a year.

What is primary infertility? What is secondary infertility?

Couples who have never had a child, are said to have "primary infertility", while those who have become pregnant at least once but are unable to conceive again, are said to have "secondary infertility."

The approach to both types of infertility is very similar. However, patients with secondary infertility have a better prognosis, because they have proven their fertility in the past.

What are the factors which affect the chances of a normal couple getting pregnant in one month?

The chances of pregnancy for a couple in a given month will depend upon many things, and the most important of these is:

• Woman's age: As women get older, the number of eggs as well as their quality decreases. 
• Frequency of intercourse. While there is no "normal" frequency for sex, the optimal frequency of intercourse if you are trying to get pregnant is about 3 times a week during the fertile period. Simply stated, the more sex the better. Couples who have intercourse less frequently, have a diminished chance of conceiving. 
• "Trying time" - that is, how long the couple have been trying to get pregnant. This is an important concept. The longer a couple has been trying to conceive without success, the lesser their chances of getting pregnant without medical help.
• The presence of fertility problems.

What are the factors which affect the chances of an infertile couple getting pregnant in one month?

What happens when a couple has a fertility problem? The chances of their getting pregnant depends upon a number of variables multiplied together.

Consider a couple where both partners have a condition that impairs their fertility. For example, the man's fertility, based on a reduced sperm count is 50 percent of normal values. His wife ovulates only in 50 percent of cycles; and one of her fallopian tubes is blocked. With three relative infertility factors, their chance of conception is 0.5 (sperm count) X 0.5 (ovulation factor) X 0.5 (tubal factor) = 0.125, or 12.5 percent of normal.

Since the chance of conception in normal fertile couples is only 25% in any one cycle, the probability of pregnancy in any given month for this couple without treatment is only 3 percent (0.125 X 25 = 0.03125). Even if they kept on trying for 5 years, their chance of conceiving on their own would be only 60%.

Thus, infertility problems multiply together and magnify the odds against a couple achieving a pregnancy. This is why it is important to correct or improve each partner's contributing infertility factors as much as possible in order to maximize the chances of conception.

If infertile couples had 300 years in which to breed, most women would get pregnant without any treatment at all. Of course, time is at a premium, so the odds need to be improved - and this is where medical treatment comes in.

When should you start worrying about infertility and seek medical advice?

If you have been having sexual intercourse two or three times a week at about the time of ovulation, without any form of birth control for a year or more and are not pregnant, you meet the definition of infertility. Pregnancy may still occur spontaneously, but from a statistical point of view, the chances are decreasing and you may now want to consider seeking medical help. There is no "right" time to do so, and if it is causing you anxiety and worry, then you should consult a doctor. Even though you may be embarrassed and feel that you are the only ones in the world with the problem, you are not alone. Many couples experience infertility and many can be helped.

Unfortunately, while infertility is always an important problem, it is usually never an urgent one. This often means that couples keep on putting off going to the doctor. Unfortunately many find that before they realize it, their chances of getting pregnant have started to decline, even before they have had a chance to consider treatment. Set your priorities, so that you have peace of mind knowing that you tried your best. After all, if you don't take care of your own infertility problem, who will?

Conditions that warrant seeing a doctor sooner

• Periods at three-week (or less) intervals
• No period for longer than three months
• Irregular periods
• A history of pelvic infection
• Two or more miscarriages
• Women over the age of 35 - time is now at a premium !
• Men who have had prostate infections
• Men whose testes are not felt in the scrotum 

What can you do to improve your own fertility?

Here are some tips for Infertility self-help. Before seeking medical help, remember some of the things you can do to enhance your own fertility potential.

1. Body weight, diet and exercise:
   Proper diet and exercise are important for optimal reproductive function and women who are significantly overweight or underweight can have difficulty getting pregnant. Although most of a woman's estrogen is manufactured in her ovaries, 30% is produced in fat cells. Because a normal hormonal balance is essential for the process of conception, it is not surprising that extreme weight levels, either high or low, can contribute to infertility. Body fat levels that are 10% to 15% above normal can contribute to infertility, with an overload of estrogen throwing off the reproductive cycle. Body fat levels 10% to 15% below normal can completely shut down the reproductive process, so that women with eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia, or those who are on very low-calorie or restrictive diets are at risk, especially if their periods are irregular. Female athletes, marathon runners, dancers, and others who exercise very intensely may also find that their menstrual cycle is abnormal and their fertility is impaired.
2. Smoking:
   Cigarette smoking has been associated with a decreased sperm count in men. Women who smoke also take longer to conceive.
3. Drinking alcohol:
   Alcohol (beer and wine as well as hard liquor) intake in men has been associated with low sperm counts.
4. Review your medications:
   A number of medications, including some of those used to treat ulcer problems and high blood pressure, can influence a man's sperm count. If you are taking any medications, talk with your doctor about whether or not it can affect your fertility. Many medications taken during early pregnancy can affect the fetus. It is important to tell your doctor or pharmacist that you are attempting to become pregnant before taking prescription medications or over the counter medications, such as aspirin, antihistamines, or diet pills.
5. Abusing drugs:
   Drugs such as marijuana and anabolic steroids decrease sperm counts. If you have used drugs, discuss this with your doctor. This is confidential information. Both partners should s using any illicit drugs if they want a healthy baby.
6. Limit your caffeine (tea, soft drinks and coffee) intake.
7. Start vitamin supplements.
8. Taking folic acid regularly helps to reduce the risk of the baby having a birth defect.  

How often should you have sex?

When trying to get pregnant, it's generally recommended to have sex 2-3 times a week every week. In addition, you should have sex tthe 4-5 days before and the day of ovulation. Thus, for couples who have sex only on weekends (often the price they pay for a heavy work schedule) the chance of having sex on the fertile preovulatory day is only one-third that of couples who have sex every other day - which means they may take three times as long to conceive. Many couples complain that they are too stressed out to have frequent sex. Here are some simple measures you can take to increase sexual frequency.

1. Use sexual toys like vibrators or body massagers, to make sex more fun
2. Using a lubricant like liquid paraffin can help to make sex more exciting
3. Playing sex games can help – try taking turns seducing each other!
4. If you find you are too tired to have sex at night after a hard day's work, then why not have sex the first thing in the morning? This could be a great way to start the day!

Also remember that you cannot "store up" sperm, which means that there is really no advantage to abstaining from sex if you are trying to conceive. having sex more than once a day is likely to decrease his sperm count. In this case, more is not always better, and in fact studies have shown that fresh sperm have a better chance of achieving a pregnancy than sperm which have been stored up for many days.

How can you time intercourse for conception?

Unlike other animals, who know when to have sex in order to conceive (because the female is in "heat" or estrus when she ovulates), most couples have little to no ideas when the woman ovulates. The window of opportunity during which a woman can get pregnant every month is called her "fertile phase" – and is about 4-5 days before ovulation occurs. Timing intercourse during the "fertile period" (before ovulation) is important and can be easy to learn. You can use the free fertility calculator to do so. However, some couples are so anxious about having sex at exactly the right time that they may abstain for a whole week prior to the "ovulatory day " - and often the doctor is the culprit in this over-rigorous scheduling of sex. This over-attention can be counterproductive (because of the anxiety and stress it generates) and is not advisable. As long as the sperm are going in the vagina, it makes no difference which day they go in, so you can have sex as frequently as you like. Just make sure you have sex during the "fertile days" as well!

Does sexual position matter?

Sexula position may matter, but not necessarily. Pigs are very efficient at conserving semen - the boar literally screws his penis into the cervix of the vagina, obtaining a tight lock prior to ejaculation, to ensure that no semen leaks out. Humans do not have such well-designed mechanisms of technique - and perhaps this is because they are really not necessary. Leakage of semen after intercourse is completely normal. While many women worry that this means that they are not having sex properly or that their body is rejecting the sperm, actually leakage is a good sign – it means that the semen is being correctly deposited in the vagina. Of course, you can only see what leaks out, and not what goes in. Most doctors advise a male superior position and also advise that the woman remain lying down for at least 5 minutes after sex; she should not wash or douche afterwards. A number of products used for lubrication during intercourse, such as petroleum jelly, K-Y jelly or vaginal cream, have been shown to kill the sperm. Therefore, these products should be avoided if you are trying to get pregnant. A safe "sperm-friendly" lubricant is liquid paraffin, which is easily available at all large chemists. While it is traditionally consumed orally when used as a laxative, when using it to make a baby you need to apply it liberally locally.

How can the older woman check her fertility potential?

FSH level. Women who are more than 30 and who wish to postpone childbearing should get their FSH levels checked on Day 3 of their cycle. This is a simple blood test which allows the doctor to check your ovarian reserve (the quantity and quality of the eggs in your ovaries). A high level suggests poor ovarian reserve and should be a wake-up alarm that your biological clock is ticking away rapidly. It's important that this test should be done in a reliable laboratory.

Which is the "right time" to plan a baby?

While there can be no simple answer to this question, remember that a woman’s fertility is maximal between the ages of 20 and 30. Beyond the age of 30, fertility starts to decline; this drop is quite sharp after the age of 35, and precipitate after the age of 38. From a purely biologic point of view, nature has designed women’s bodies so that they have babies between the ages of 20 and 35. However, the right time to have a baby is a very personal and individual decision, which each couple needs to make for themselves. Public anxiety over infertility is fueled by countless magazines articles warning couples not to wait too long to start a family. We now see many patients who are "pre-infertile," who assume they’ll have trouble conceiving even before difficulties actually arise, just because they are more than 30 years old.

Has the fertility of couples declined in modern times?

Possibly. The reasons for this include:

1. The increasing age of women at the time of marriage and childbearing
2. The increased incidence of sexually transmitted diseases or STDs which damage the reproductive tract in both men and women
3. Decreasing sperm counts in men which is a worldwide phenomenon. An interesting observation made recently, has been that male sperm counts worldwide have been falling in the last few decades. The cause of this is unclear.

The good news is that there is definitely an increasing awareness about infertility in society today. It is no longer a taboo issue, and couples are much more willing to seek medical assistance.

Where can I get help?

The first thing you need to do is become well informed about infertility and your treatment options. BabyMed has over 1000 pages of information to help guide you.

Most couples consult their family physician who will refer them to an obstetrician- gynecologist when infertility is a concern. This first visit should include both partners. The physician will usually outline the possible causes of infertility, and provide an evaluation plan. The first step should be to achieve an accurate diagnosis to try to find out why pregnancy isn't occurring. Once a diagnosis has been determined, the couple and physician should talk again about a treatment plan. For difficult problems, referral to an infertility specialist may be suggested.