The first step in treating infertility is finding a doctor. Your doctor will do various tests to check how your conception system works. They may also monitor your hormone levels or monitor your body’s response to fertility medications. There are also some home-use ovulation predictor kits that can be very helpful.
If you have one of these problems, your doctor can prescribe fertility medications to help you get pregnant. Fertility treatments may include intrauterine insemination, in vitro fertilization, or other methods. However, not all of these treatments are effective. You should know the odds of success before deciding whether to go through these treatments.
Male infertility can also be caused by problems with the pituitary gland. This gland secretes hormones that tell the testicles to produce sperm. If the levels are low, the sperm doesn’t grow well. The sperm carries half of a woman’s DNA and help conceive. There are also chromosomal abnormalities that affect a man’s ability to get pregnant. For example, the Y chromosome may be missing parts of the sperm. The causes of male infertility are difficult to diagnose. Health care providers may conduct a physical exam and take blood and/or semen tests to help make an accurate diagnosis.
Other conditions that can affect a woman’s ability to conceive include endometriosis, uterine fibroids, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and pelvic infections. Some of these factors may make conception possible but may also increase the time it takes to conceive. Waiting too long to get pregnant will increase the likelihood of failure.
