There are many reasons why you might want to check your fertility levels. Perhaps you have had issues with conception in the past and want to check for possible underlying problems or maybe you are trying for children later in life and want to ensure that you have a good chance of conceiving. Whatever your motivation, fertility testing is a popular way to check or monitor your fertility levels, with a range of tests available to provide a comprehensive overview for both men and women.
How Can I Increase My Chances Of Getting Pregnant?
The time it takes to conceive differs for every couple, but around 80% will get pregnant within a year if they have sex regularly without contraception.
Although there are no magic formulas that will help you to conceive on demand, there are steps that you can take to increase your chances of getting pregnant, provided that you and your partner both have healthy reproductive systems. These include:
- Getting to know your cycle: Knowing when you are most likely to be ovulating will help you understand when to have sex in order to increase chances of conception.
- De-stressing: Although the process of getting pregnant can be stressful if you have been trying for a long time, you are less likely to get pregnant if you are putting your body through stress. It’s important to try to relax, and not force the process.
- Living a healthy lifestyle: Avoid smoking and excessive consumption of alcohol. In addition, ensure that your body is getting the right nutrients through food, and maintain an active lifestyle where possible. This will get your body in the best state to prepare for a pregnancy.
If you feel like you have all these boxes ticked, but you still haven’t conceived after 12 months, it could be time to see a fertility consultant.
The Centre for Disease Control (CDC) in the USA recommends seeking help if:
- You are under 34 years old and have been trying for pregnancy but haven’t been successful so far.
- After 6 months of trying if you are aged 35-38.
- After 3 months of trying if you are aged 39 and above.
How To Check Your Fertility Levels
A fertility consultant can run tests to help you understand more about your fertility. At The Fertility & Gynaecology Academy, we offer comprehensive packages to investigate any potential reproductive issues that could be preventing you from conceiving. These packages are as follows:
Female Fertility Assessment
This includes a transvaginal ultrasound scan, which scans the uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes for anomalies; egg counting blood test for Anti-Mullerian Hormone, which measures the number of eggs you have and therefore your fertility potential; and a written report with a conclusion and advice, which details our recommendations of the next steps in your fertility journey.
Premium Female Fertility Assessment
This package contains all of the above, plus an aqua scan to check the tubes and the cavity of the womb. You also have an initial consultation and follow-up consultation to thoroughly explain your results and allow you to ask any questions.
Couple’s Fertility Check
It is not just women that can have fertility problems. In around 50% of fertility problems, it is the male partner with the issue. For this, we offer a couple’s fertility check which includes a premium female fertility assessment as well as a semen analysis investigation, which establishes sperm mobility, shape, count and overall content of the seminal fluid.
What Happens After A Fertility Test?
After you have undergone fertility testing, your consultant will be able to advise what they think is preventing you from conceiving. They will also advise you on the best route forward for your individual circumstances.
There are a variety of treatments available for infertility. In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) and Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) are the most popular. IVF involves extracting some eggs from the female and sperm from the male (or donor). Fertilisation takes place in the laboratory before one or two embryos are implanted into the womb. IVF helps overcome a host of infertility issues, such as endometriosis, blocked tubes, ovulatory disorders, suboptimal sperm and unexplained infertility. ICSI is a very similar process, and is usually used when the sperm would otherwise be unable to fertilise an egg, for example, with low motility.
Physiological Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (PICSI), Ovulation Induction and Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) are also common options for fertility treatment.
Age And Fertility
It is widely known that fertility decreases with age, which is why fertility treatments such as IVF are more common with women who are in their 30s and 40s. According to the Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority (HFEA), the average age of an IVF patient was 35.3 years in 2018, and birth rates per embryo transferred were 25% for patients aged 35-37, 19% for patients aged 38-39, and 11% for patients aged 40-42.
As important as it is to make healthy lifestyle choices, nothing can prevent fertility declining with age. This is because a woman is born with all of the eggs that she will have in her lifetime, and these will only decrease as she gets older.
Men, on the other hand, produce sperm daily. However, men’s fertility is also subject to decline with age, and on average begins to do so from age 40-45. Male fertility issues are linked to the quality and quantity of sperm produced.
Find A Fertility Doctor In London
If you have been trying to get pregnant for 12 months or more, please do not hesitate to contact us and arrange to speak to our fertility consultant. We can help you get to the root of your fertility issues and help you achieve your dream of expanding your family. Book a consultation with us online now, or speak to one of our friendly team members on 020 7224 1880.
