Why Can't I Get Pregnant?
You’ve decided that you want to start trying for a baby. You and your partner stop using birth control and begin having sex a little more often in hopes that you’ll soon conceive. But each month when your period arrives, you’re disappointed that you aren’t pregnant.
This can be very frustrating, especially if you and your partner are excited about becoming parents. Fortunately, most couples who want to have a baby can have successful pregnancies even if they don’t conceive right away.
Here at Albany Obstetrics & Gynecology, our care providers can help figure out why you’re not getting pregnant. We’re experts at optimizing fertility and diagnosing and treating conditions that can interfere with pregnancy and contribute to infertility.
We’d like to share some information for couples who are having trouble conceiving.
Not as simple as you think
Believe it or not, many women don’t get pregnant quickly. In fact, only 60% of couples conceive within three cycles of unprotected sex, according to the American Pregnancy Association.
Having trouble getting pregnant doesn’t necessarily mean you have infertility, which affects about 1 in 8 couples, according to RESOLVE, the National Infertility Association. And even if you or your partner have a condition that interferes with pregnancy, many of those conditions can be successfully treated.
Learning about timing
For some couples, simply gaining a better understanding of how to optimize the timing of intercourse can increase the chances of conception. Pregnancy can only occur during ovulation, which is when an egg is released from your ovary.
Although ovulation typically occurs anywhere between day 11 and day 21 of your menstrual cycle, it can be hard to know when you’re ovulating, especially if you have irregular periods. Using ovulation trackers, fertility monitors, and other methods can help you pinpoint when you’re ovulating.
Conditions that inhibit fertility
Various medical conditions in both women and men can interfere with pregnancy.
In women, these may include:
- Endometriosis
- Hormone imbalances
- Ovulation problems
- Pelvic inflammatory disease
- Polycystic ovary syndrome
- Primary ovarian insufficiency
- Structural problems in the uterus or fallopian tubes
- Uterine fibroids
- Early menopause
Appropriate testing, completed by one of our providers, can help determine whether you have any of these conditions. We can also test your partner for certain conditions or refer him to a urologist for a more extensive workup.
Don’t wait to seek help
Although it sometimes takes a while to get pregnant, we don’t want you to wait too long to seek help. Be sure to have an evaluation if you’re over 35 and have been trying to conceive for at least six months, or if you’re under 35 and have been trying to get pregnant for a year.
If you have questions or concerns about ovulation, your gynecological health, or symptoms such as pain or bleeding, we invite you to come in to meet with one of our caring providers.
The doctors, nurse practitioners, and midwives at our practice in Albany, New York, have extensive experience with a full range of obstetrics and gynecology health needs. To schedule an appointment with one of our providers, call our office at 518-516-6726 or use our contact form to reach us.