When To See a Doctor About Infertility
When you decide that you want to get pregnant, it is natural to feel impatient. However, most couples will be able to conceive on their own within a few months. Unfortunately, for some couples, conception takes longer. If you have been trying to conceive without any luck, you may wonder when you should consider consulting a fertility doctor.
Understanding Infertility
You may be diagnosed with infertility if you are unable to get pregnant within a specific amount of time, or if you are able to get pregnant but suffer from recurrent miscarriages. Infertility may result from a number of different causes. In some cases, a couple is infertile because of issues with the female partner, such as problems with ovulation. In other cases, a couple is infertile because of an issue affecting the male, such as a low sperm count. Some couples fail to conceive because of a combination of male and female factors.
When to See a Doctor
In general, you should try to conceive on your own for at least one year before you see a doctor for infertility testing. However, women over the age of 35 should try for only six months before making an appointment with a fertility doctor, as a woman's fertility begins to decline quickly after the age of 30.
Treatment Options
If you are diagnosed with infertility, a variety of treatments may be available to help you conceive. Some of the most popular treatments for infertility include:
- Ovulation induction - Ovulation induction is a treatment designed to encourage the release of a healthy egg from the woman's ovary. Depending on the situation, your fertility doctor may prescribe oral medications or injectable gonadotropins to induce ovulation.
- IUI - Intrauterine insemination is a technique that involves injecting sperm directly into the uterus near the time of ovulation to increase the chances of conception. This treatment may be used in combination with ovulation induction, depending on the circumstances.
- IVF - In-vitro fertilization is a fertility treatment that involves joining an egg and sperm in a laboratory, allowing the resulting embryo to mature and then transferring it back to the woman's uterus.
Contact a Fertility Specialist
If you think that you may be suffering from infertility, please contact New York Reproductive Wellness today to learn more about your treatment options.
