For some couples, having a baby is not as easy as they expected and as months of trying to get pregnant pass, they most likely wonder if there is a problem inside their body which could lead to frustration, anger and despair. A fertile couple have a chance of 20% to conceive each month and about 60% of couples usually conceive within 6 months of trying and a further 25% chance to conceive after 12 months of trying. There are about 10 to 15% of couples having some type of fertility problem during their reproductive years.
What Is Conception?
Conception is the condition within the body when the man’s sperm fertilises a woman’s egg. The sperm and egg join in the fallopian tube to form a zygote, which develops into an embryo and eventually, it would become a foetus. Only if the fertilisation of the egg is followed by an implantation, pregnancy will take place.
If you are trying to get pregnant, conception is most likely to occur during ovulation and it happens 14 days after the beginning o the menstrual cycle. Most women have a 28 day cycle, hence the ovulation is assumed to start on the 14th day. However, if you have a longer ovulation cycle, you may ovulate a little after 14 days. Conception may also occur 5 to 6 days before the ovulation date.
Possible Causes Of Difficulty Conceiving
To conceive, it involves a man having a healthy reproductive system and producing good quality of sperm; and a woman producing healthy eggs and having fallopian tubes that are not blocked, so the sperm can fertilise the egg. Another factor to consider is the woman’s hormones which allow her to have a menstrual cycle and to ovulate. Below are some reasons behind difficulty in conceiving a baby.
For Males:
- Infection – It can cause damage and scarring, and this can result from a variety of infections and from sexually transmitted diseases. This may lead to ineffective production and quality of sperm.
- Spermatogenic disorder – an enlargement of the veins that are in charge for draining the testes can contribute to these spermatogenic disorders, but this is treatable. Hormonal problems and genetic abnormalities can also contribute to several kinds of spermatogenic disorders. In addition, there are also a lot of abnormalities with sperm, such as a low sperm count, inactive sperm, and low semen volume.
- Obstruction of the seminal tract – the obstruction can be caused by several problems like a history of vasectomy, congenital defect, or trauma.
- Sexual disorders – sexual dysfunctions may include impotence or ejaculation problems. It may be cause by spinal injuries and diabetes.
For Females:
- Ovulatory disorders – this can be due to hormonal problems, disturbance of the pituitary gland, hypo/hyperthyroidism, chronic illness, malnutrition, obesity or other ovarian problems (Scarring from surgery, infection or side effects from radiation treatment).
- Endometriosis – the uterus inner lining displaces to the outer part of the uterus, causing pelvic pain and leading to fertility problems.
- Polycystic ovarian syndrome – this problem is experienced by up to 20% of women and results in cysts in the ovaries causing an imbalance in the sex hormones.
- Fallopian tube damage – this condition can cause infertility. It may be caused by endometriosis, ruptured appendix, etc.
- Contraception – women who have used oral contraceptive pills may experience a delay of a few months before the regular menstrual cycle is restored.
Interventions For Difficulty Conceiving
Trying to conceive a baby involves a lot of different factors. It can be something like your diet, lack of exercise, lifestyle, or sex positions. It could also be something more serious like infertility. To increase your chances overcome problems on conceiving, you should:
- Nutrition is very essential four our health. You should eat balance nutritious food.
- Avoid cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption and drugs as it affects your health and fertility.
- Have a regular exercise to relieve stress. If you are busy, you can have a simple walking or normal exercise in your home. It can reduce sperm count up to 50 percent.
- Avoid caffeine like coffee, chocolates, green tea, etc.
- Consult your doctor to check your health and get an advice on how to deal with your condition.