Improve Your Chance of Success

If you are concerned about infertility because you have not been able to conceive a child, remember that conception is a very complex process.

In fact, there is only about a 25% likelihood that an average couple will conceive in any given month...and this percentage declines as a woman ages.

Some couples may require more time and careful planning to achieve their goal of having a child.

Before you and your partner turn to fertility testing there are some steps you can take to improve your chances of conceiving.

• Keep a calendar of your menstrual cycles. You may want to use an ovulation predictor kit (which you can buy over the counter at most pharmacies) and have intercourse during the time of peak ovulation.
• If you are a smoker consider treatment options to assist you in quitting. Research has shown that cigarette smoking is harmful to the ovaries and can cause increased depletion of the eggs as well as impair their ability to produce estrogen.
• If you are overweight, begin a weight loss program. Obesity can interfere with your body's hormonal function and impede fertility.
• Limit (or eliminate) alcohol use as this may also affect fertility.
• Discuss with your doctor the effects of any medications you may be using. Ask if they might interfere with fertility or pregnancy.
• Begin taking prenatal vitamins. These can be purchased over the counter or by prescription. The time to begin taking prenatal vitamins is before you become pregnant.
• Caffeine is controversial, but several studies have shown that it may increase the risk of miscarriage. (New. England Journal of Medicine, 343 (25): 839-25, 2000

Timing is important: A woman and her eggs are the same age

More and more women are having their first child after the age of 35. This time also coincides with the natural decline in fertility potential. One of the most challenging clinical scenarios is the impact of the aging egg on pregnancy chances.

Many couples may not be aware that a woman's age can play such a significant role in her ability to become pregnant.

Initial infertility evaluations should be individualized, taking into consideration the medical history of the couple and the age of the female partner.

We recommend the following general age-based guidelines for infertility evaluation:

• Women less than 35 years of age: Begin after one year of trying
• Women 35-39: Begin after approximately six months of adequately timed intercourse or inseminations
• Women 40 and over: Begin after three months

These guidelines were developed because we recognize that female age is one of the most important predictors of subsequent conception. When female age is a factor, moving more aggressively towards completing the evaluation and initiating treatment can help to maximize the chances of pregnancy.

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