Many couples fear that trying to conceive for several months without success could be a sign of infertility. Infertility is commonly described as the inability to conceive following one year of frequent unprotected intercourse. It is important to remember that infertility does not always mean the inability to conceive but rather indicates a diminished ability to conceive.
There are indeed many acute medical conditions that can cause infertility and they are often reasonably easy to identify. A condition such as amenorrhea, the complete absence of menstrual cycles, is a clear signal of a reproductive problem. In the absence of these types of obvious conditions some of the tell tale signs of infertility are:
1. Painful Periods
It is very common for women to talk amongst themselves about their ‘period pain’. Some mild cramping is more than likely no major cause for concern however more acute period pain could be a sign of infertility. Your health care professional should be consulted to determine whether any conditions such as endometriosis, uterine fibroids or the like are present. A targeted approach to resolve the specific condition at hand will ensure that your reproductive health is improved.
2. Irregular Menstrual Cycles
A regular menstrual cycle lasts for 28 days although cycles that span anywhere between 25 days and 35 days are also considered to be normal. It has been shown however that irregular cycles, those that fall ten days or more outside the norm, have reduced fertility. An irregular cycle once every so often is not too unusual but if your cycle is consistently irregular there is need for further investigation.
3. Flat Basal Body Temperature (BBT) Readings
Recording your BBT each day over the course of your menstrual cycle should show a clear pattern of low temperatures during menstruation and leading up to ovulation. After ovulation there should be a distinct rise in temperatures for at least three consecutive days. If the temperatures are flat throughout the cycle this could be in indication of an anovulatory cycle, one where ovulation did not in fact occur. A once off anovulatory cycle should not be cause for alarm however several cycles definitely requires investigation.
4. Lack of Fertile Mucus
No or very little fertile mucus tells the story that hormone balance might not be at its optimum. There are a number of ways to improve the balance of your hormones such as by following a preconception care program and or by including Chinese Herbs as part of your fertility regime.
There are a number of problems that some women experience with their reproductive system that are difficult but not impossible to treat. From natural therapies to today’s advances in technology, reproductive solutions are many and varied providing us with hope even against the toughest of odds.
