What can I do to promote female fertility? Healthy lifestyle choices can help you promote fertility. Take steps to: Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight or significantly underweight can inhibit normal ovulation. Prevent sexually transmitted infections. Infections such as chlamydia and gonorrhea are a leading cause of infertility for women. Avoid the night shift, if possible. Regularly work ...

What is infertility? Healthcare providers consider a couple infertile if they try but fail to get pregnant within one year. When the woman is older than 35, the amount of time trying to conceive drops to six months for an infertility diagnosis. In women over 40, immediate evaluation is warranted. Infertility does not include miscarrying or being unable to carry a baby to childbirth. What causes i ...

For women, is there any connection between hypothyroidism and infertility? There is sometimes a link between hypothyroidism — when you have an underactive thyroid gland — and infertility in women. With hypothyroidism, your thyroid gland doesn't produce enough of certain important hormones. Low levels of thyroid hormone can interfere with the release of an egg from your ovary (ovulation), which im ...

Genetic issues affecting conception Genetic problems generally relate to chromosomal abnormalities and single gene issues. These often cause embryo implantation failure and pregnancy loss, as well as possibly resulting in birth defects when a child is born with a chromosomal or single gene defect. Chromosomal disorders can relate to one or more of an embryo’s chromosome pairs containing either on ...

Problems in the uterus or fallopian tubes can prevent the egg from traveling from the ovary to the uterus, or womb. If the egg does not travel, it can be harder to conceive naturally. Causes include: Surgery: Pelvic surgery can sometimes cause scarring or damage to the fallopian tubes. Cervical surgery can sometimes cause scarring or shortening of the cervix. The cervix is the neck of the uteru ...

Damage to fallopian tubes (tubal infertility) Damaged or blocked fallopian tubes keep sperm from getting to the egg or block the passage of the fertilized egg into the uterus. Causes of fallopian tube damage or blockage can include: Pelvic inflammatory disease, an infection of the uterus and fallopian tubes due to chlamydia, gonorrhea or other sexually transmitted infections Previous surgery in t ...

Lifestyle issues affecting conception: Lifestyle issues that impede fertility are factors that one can often change by choices and behaviors. As such, we encourage people having troubling getting pregnant to try these changes first, if they are applicable. Most of the lifestyle issues can affect both men and women. Weight. This is one of the primary lifestyle issues that can cause infertility in ...

When to see a doctor You probably don't need to see a doctor about infertility unless you have been trying regularly to get pregnant for at least one year. Women should talk with a doctor earlier, however, if they: Are age 35 or older and have been trying to conceive for six months or longer Are over age 40 Have irregular or absent periods Have very painful periods Have known fertility problems H ...