For those for whom the dream of motherhood has not yet been realised, Mother’s Day can be a difficult day. This year, if you are feeling helpless in the struggle to conceive, take your fertility back into your own hands and make some positive steps towards motherhood.
Improving your fertility
The most important way of improving your fertility is maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Keeping a good weight, exercising regularly, eating healthily and avoiding unhealthy habits like smoking and drinking are all very important for maximising fertility.
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For women, fertility declines with age, with the reduction in fertility beginning at the age of 35. The decline in fertility accelerates through the late 30s until the mid 40s, when the chance of falling pregnant has fallen to 1% per cycle. Therefore the most important factor in falling pregnant is the age at which you start trying for a baby. If the timing just isn’t right for you at the moment, there is the option of freezing eggs in order to preserve fertility. This is a process which involves extracting eggs and freezing them, for possible use in the future.
Diagnosing problems
Around 1 in 6 couples have problems conceiving. If you have been unable to conceive after having regular unprotected intercourse for 1 year, either you or your partner may suffer from infertility. The best way to move forward is to get an accurate diagnosis. A visit to your GP should lead to referral to a fertility specialist, who may be able to diagnose the problem. At CREATE, we offer a 1 hour comprehensive fertility MOT for both partners, which offers an ultra-fast diagnosis. Once any problems have been diagnosed, it is much easier to access treatment including medication, surgery or assisted reproduction technology (ART) such as IVF.
Treatment options
If you have received a diagnosis of infertility, there are still many options available for having a baby. Speaking to a fertility specialist is the best way of ascertaining which treatment is suitable for you; there may be surgery or medication that will help with your condition. If not, the alternative is to opt for in vitro fertilisation (IVF). This treatment involves extracting eggs directly from a woman’s ovaries and inseminating them with sperm in the lab before transferring the embryos back into the womb. It is suitable for patients with endometriosis, PCOS and blocked tubes among others. It can also be used to treat older women or those with a low ovarian reserve. For single women or those with ovarian failure treatment with donor sperm/eggs is available to help you achieve motherhood. At CREATE we offer treatment to all women under the age of 51 and have a natural approach to IVF, using fewer drugs.
If you are struggling this Mother’s Day, there is still hope that your dreams could be realised. Take one of these positive steps today, and make a start on the route to motherhood.