Babies are an amazing miracle of life! The joys of seeing those two pink lines on a pregnancy test fills a couple with excitement and anticipation.
However, if month after month there’s only one pink line indicating a negative test, it can take a toll on the couple’s emotional health.
Generally, around 85-95 percent of couples become pregnant in the first year of trying to conceive. Only 1 in 5 couples will get pregnant each month they try.
If after six months of trying to conceive and the female partner is over 35 years of age or the male partner is over 55, it is a good idea to visit with a specialist. Younger couples who try to conceive for more than one year may want to seek evaluation and care as well.
To help ease the stress, all of these evaluations can be done right here in Huron at the Women’s Wellness Center. Our women’s health team can help with oral agents to induce ovulation. If in vitro fertilization (IVF) is required, our women’s health experts will work with an outside physician to ensure that questions and concerns are always answered. Once a couple has conceived, our team specializes in high-risk pregnancies and can ensure a couple is well taken care of throughout the nine months of pregnancy and during deliver and post-pregnancy care.
Preparing for Pregnancy
If you are interested in starting a family, pre-conception care is one of the best things couples can do to ensure optimal health for mom and baby. When women are healthier, babies are healthier. Because half of all pregnancies are unplanned, it is a good idea to take a prenatal vitamin if you are of fertility age. This helps to ensure a pregnancy gets off to a good start from the moment of conception.
Trying to conceive can be stressful and full of anxiety. Make conception an easier process with the specialists at the Women’s Wellness Center.
By: Sara Castellanos, DO - Board-certified Obstetrician/Gynecologist
First Step
Optimizing pregnancy conditions is key to conceiving and understanding the fertility window can help. There are only six days during a cycle when a woman can get pregnant – the five days leading up to ovulation (the lifespan of sperm surviving in the women’s body) and the 24 hours after ovulation (the lifespan of the ovum).
If pregnancy still doesn’t occur even after trying to optimize the conditions, it is a good idea to get help from a specialist to look into other health concerns and factors. Often times, couples assume the factors effecting pregnancy are from the woman; however, 25 percent of the time it can be a male-related issue.
Narrowing the Cause
A specialist will work with the couple to understand the possible female-related areas of concern:
- Ovaries – Are there a good number and good quality of eggs left?
- Anatomy – Are there anatomical issues that prevent the sperm and the egg from connecting, such as blockages in the uterus and fallopian tubes?
- Other factors – Sometimes, even specialists are unable to discover the underlying issue. Up to a quarter of the time, there is an unknown factor causing infertility.
Gynecologists Elyse Brock, MD, and Sara Castellanos, DO, specialize in women's health. Visit our Physician Finder for appointment information.
