Fertility

How do I maximize my fertility?

Prior to trying to conceive, you want to make sure you’re in generally good health, and any underlying health conditions, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, are well managed.

Healthy lifestyle choices go a long way in making sure your body is ready to get pregnant and have a healthy pregnancy. Other steps you can take include:

• Adopting a healthy diet
• Maintaining a normal weight
• Managing stress
• Moderating your exercise levels (not too little or too much)
• Quitting smoking and moderating your alcohol intake
• Limiting your caffeine consumption

Consider your partner’s fertility, too. He should stop smoking, maintain a healthy weight, and not take any illicit drugs to optimize sperm quality.

When should I suspect infertility is a problem?

If you’re following a healthy lifestyle and can’t get pregnant after 12 months of actively trying (or six months for women 35 and older), you should get a fertility workup at Lucina Women's Health and Midwifery.

Infertility may be due to problems with the woman, the man, or both. Also, it’s not unusual for the cause of infertility to go undiagnosed.

With guidance and treatment from the skilled team at Lucina Women's Health and Midwifery, infertility is usually overcomeable, and couples go on to have a healthy pregnancy.

How does a doctor evaluate infertility?

The doctors at Lucina Women's Health and Midwifery recommend a number of screening tests to look for hormonal issues, signs of infection, organ abnormalities, and ovulation irregularities. Expect to undergo:

• In-office ultrasounds
• Blood tests
• A pelvic exam
• A hysterosalpingogram to look for blocked fallopian tubes

They also take into account your partner’s sperm quality and quantity.

How is female infertility treated?

Your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes, such as weight loss and proper nutrition, to boost your fertility. They support fertility tracking to ensure you have intercourse on your most fertile days.

For women with ovulation irregularities, certain medications and oral hormones can help stimulate egg development and release. If you have a fertility problem that would benefit from more intensive interventions, such as intrauterine insemination or in-vitro fertilization, your doctor can refer you to a specialist.

If endometriosis or fibroids are causing fertility complications, your doctor uses minimally invasive surgery to clear up the excess tissue and restore function in your reproductive organs.

For support when you’re ready to start trying to have a family, consult the fertility experts at Lucina Women's Health and Midwifery. Call the office or book online today.