Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive after one year of unprotected intercourse. Female infertility in women is considered when a woman below 35 years is unable to conceive after trying for one year. For women above 35 years, usually 6 months window of inability to get pregnant is considered. Also, if a woman faces miscarriages and thus unable to stay pregnant, she maybe considered to be infertile.
Fertility problems affect both men and women, thus if a couple is unable to get pregnant, both the partners should go through fertility tests to plan pregnancy going forward.
There are many possible causes of female infertility, including hormonal imbalances, structural problems with the reproductive organs, and health conditions that affect egg quality and fertility in women. If you’ve been unable to conceive, it’s important to be aware of the signs that you can’t get pregnant.
What is Fertility in Women?
Fertility in women refers to the natural capability of a woman to conceive and give birth to a child. The average woman has a 20% chance of getting pregnant each month. But this number can vary depending on a woman’s age, health, lifestyle, and other factors.
The fertile window is the short period of time each month when a woman is most likely to get pregnant. The fertile window varies from woman to woman, but is typically around 10 days long, starting about five days before ovulation and ending about 24 hours after ovulation.
Essential Steps from Being Fertile to Pregnancy
There are many steps in the process of successful pregnancy. These steps happen in a synchronised manner inside a woman’s body and are highly dependent on the health of her reproductive system organs and her hormonal balance.
- Ovulation: an egg is released from one of her ovaries.
- Upon Ovulation, the egg should be able to travel down the fallopian tube to the uterus.
- Timely intercourse to introduce sperms into woman’s body. These sperms will travel through the vaginal canal, up to the fallopian tubes, where they often fertilize the egg.
- Implantation: the fertilized egg attaches in the endometrium of the uterus
- Retention: the endometrial lining is sufficiently thick to nurture the fertilized egg. Thus, it stays implanted and develops into a baby from the fetus stage throughout pregnancy.
Infertility in women is usually a result of something going wrong at any of the above steps.
Causes of Infertility in Women
Infertility can have many causes, including hormonal imbalances, anatomical problems, and lifestyle choices.
Although both men and women’s fertility decreases with age, the effects of aging are more significant in women. A woman’s fertility peaks during her 20s and early 30s. After that, it starts to decline gradually, with a more rapid decrease after age 35. Male fertility also declines as people get older, but at a slower rate.
Hormonal imbalance is one of the main causes of infertility in women. When a woman’s hormones are out of balance, as in high estrogen levels, low progesterone, high prolactin or thyroid imbalance; then it affects ovulation and quality of the eggs produced. This makes it difficult for the egg to be released or fertilized by the sperm. In addition, hormonal imbalance can also lead to miscarriage. There are many factors that can affect the hormonal balance of a woman, including age, lifestyle, and her stress levels.
Finally, the woman’s reproductive organs may be out of balance, making it difficult for her to conceive and carry a pregnancy to term.
Female Infertility: Signs You Can’t Get Pregnant
Although there are some risk factors and early signs that you can’t get pregnant, most of the couples try getting to know about fertility when they are not able to conceive.
If you’re having trouble getting pregnant, you’re not alone. Infertility issues affects an estimated 15% of couples globally, amounting to 48.5 million couples. While it may be tough to identify female infertility symptoms directly, there are a few indicators that suggest fertility concerns in women:
1. Irregular Periods
Irregular or nonexistent periods or periods that occur more frequently indicate hormonal imbalance. This can be a sign that your body isn’t producing the right amount of hormones to trigger ovulation or have a sufficiently thick uterine lining for implantation of the fertilized egg.
Hormonal imbalance not only make it difficult for you to conceive but also it is often not possible to carry the pregnancy to full term due to several complications.
2. Painful Periods
Infertility can sometimes be caused by uterus problems such as endometriosis, adenomyosis, uterine polyps and uterine fibroid. All of these conditions create inflammation in the body and affect the integrity of the uterine lining. This can cause extremely painful periods and make it difficult to conceive. It is estimated that endometriosis accounts for infertility issues in 1 out of every 5 women.
3. Heavy Menstrual Bleeding
Heavy periods, short menstrual cycles and prolonged menstruation indicates high levels of estrogen and low levels of thyroid and progesterone in women. All of these hormones are essential to initiate and sustain the pregnancy. In addition, heavy periods often lead to iron deficiency anemia, which further complicates the pregnancy in large number of women.
4. Low Body Weight
Excessive weight loss can lead to infertility in both sexes. For men, it can cause the testicles to shrink, lowering testosterone levels and sperm count. Also a woman with a low body mass index (BMI) is more likely to have irregular periods and may have difficulty ovulating. Being underweight can also cause hormonal imbalances that can interfere with fertility.
5. Excessive Weight Gain
Weight gain can cause hormonal imbalances such as high estrogen levels and insulin resistance that can interfere with ovulation and lead to fertility issues. In addition, carrying too much weight can put extra strain on the reproductive organs, making them less effective.
In health conditions such as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), Hypothyroidism, and Endometriosis; women usually experience anovulatory cycles or structural problems as blocked fallopian tubes. This leads to difficulty in getting pregnant.
6. Vaginal Itchiness and Discharge
Vaginal itchiness, excessive vaginal discharge or vaginal burning can also be a sign of infertility. This is often caused by infections such as candidiasis (fungal infection of the vagina), bacterial vaginosis or STIs (sexually transmitted diseases). Vaginal infections can prevent the sperm from reaching the egg and can also cause inflammation of the lining of the uterus, making it difficult for the fertilized egg to implant.
7. Pelvic Pain and Painful Intercourse
Chronic pelvic pain and painful intercourse are often caused by medical conditions such as endometriosis, adenomyosis, polyps, uterine fibroid and Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID). These conditions can cause inflammation and scarring inside the reproductive system organs, making it difficult for the egg to travel through the fallopian tubes and implant in the uterus.
8. Fatigue
Fatigue is another common symptom of infertility. It can be caused by a number of factors, including the stress of trying to conceive, hormonal imbalances, and underlying health conditions. Fatigue can make it difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle, which can further contribute to fertility issues.
9. Changes in Breast Size
Changes in breast size are often caused by hormonal imbalances that can interfere with ovulation. Breast tenderness, changes in nipple size or texture, and darkening of the areola (the darker area around the nipple) can also be signs of hormonal imbalance.
10. Acne and Hair Problems
Hormonal acne and hair fall that gets worse during ovulation and menstruation indicate hormonal imbalances that can interfere with ovulation. These hormonal imbalances can be caused by conditions such as PCOS, Hypothyroidism, and Cushing’s Syndrome.
Fertility Test for Women
There are a few different fertility tests for women that can help to determine if she is having fertility issues or struggling with female infertility.
- Basic physical exam to check your weight, height, and blood pressure. Your doctor will also likely palpate your abdomen to feel for any masses or enlargements. They may also perform a pelvic exam to check the size and shape of your uterus and ovaries.
- Blood work to check hormone levels and rule out any underlying medical conditions that could be causing fertility issues.
- Ovarian reserve test, which measures the number of eggs remaining in the ovaries. This can be done with a blood test or an ultrasound.
- Hysterosalpingogram (HSG), which is an x-ray of the uterus and fallopian tubes. This can help to identify any blockages that may be preventing conception.
- Ultrasound to get a better look at your reproductive organs. This can help to identify any structural abnormalities or blockages that could be preventing pregnancy.
- Laparoscopy is a surgical procedure that can be used to examine the reproductive organs for any abnormalities.
Helpful Tips to Conceive Naturally
If you’re trying to get pregnant, there are a few things you can do to increase your chances:
– Keep track of your fertile window and time the intercourse on the days of highest fertility.
– Use an ovulation predictor kit to help you identify your most fertile days.
– Eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly.
– Avoid smoking, drinking alcohol, and using drugs.
– Maintain a healthy weight to ensure optimal fertility.
– Stay calm and practice stress relieving activities such as yoga and meditation that will help you to cope up with the mental pressure of fertility problems. High stress is one of the major causes of hormonal imbalances, which further affect fertility.
Takeaway
If you are struggling with signs of female infertility and having difficulty conceiving after trying for a year or more, it is important to seek help. With early diagnosis and treatment, many women are able to overcome fertility issues and have a healthy pregnancy.
Ayurvedic treatment for infertility is highly effective to naturally overcome infertility issues, prevent miscarriage and increase your chances of conceiving. Ayurvedic medicine offers a number of natural approaches to help with this, such as herbal supplements, dietary changes and yoga therapy. These methods can help to restore balance in the body, promoting better overall health and increasing the chances of conception.
You can begin your Ayurvedic fertility treatment plan by consulting with Doctors at Medhya Herbals, who can help you determine the cause and tailor your health protocol for your specific requirements.
FAQ
What is the reason for not getting pregnant when everything is normal?
The reason for not getting pregnant when everything is normal can be due to many factors. It could be due to an imbalance in the hormones, stress, or some other factors. However, in most cases, it is due to an imbalance in the hormones. The hormone levels need to be in harmony for a woman to conceive. When one or more of the hormone levels are out of balance, it can cause difficulty in conceiving. There are many Ayurvedic herbs that can help to balance the hormone levels and help with fertility. Some of these herbs are Ashoka, Shatavari, Lodhra, and Dashmoolarishta. These herbs can be taken in the form of capsules, tinctures, or decoctions. If you are having difficulty conceiving, it is important to consult with an Ayurvedic doctor to find the best herbal remedy for you.
How to test if a woman is infertile?
There are a few Ayurvedic ways to test if a woman is infertile. One is to observe the color of her urine. If it is very pale, it could be an indication that she is not ovulating. Another way to test is to feel her pulse. If it is weaker on the left side, it could be an indication that she is not ovulating. Finally, one can examine her tongue. If there is a coating on the tongue that is white or yellow, it could be an indication that she is not ovulating. By observing these three things, one can get a good idea of whether or not a woman is infertile.
How do I know if I am able to get pregnant?
If you are wondering how to know if you are able to get pregnant, there are a few things you can look for. One is your basal body temperature. This is your temperature when you first wake up in the morning. If it is higher than usual and stays high for several days in a row, this could indicate that you are ovulating. Another sign of fertility is changes in your cervical mucus. This mucus becomes thinner and clearer around the time of ovulation, making it easier for sperm to travel through the cervix and reach the egg. Paying attention to these signs can help you determine whether or not you are fertile. However, the best way to know for sure is to visit a doctor or fertility specialist. They can perform tests to determine if you are ovulating and check the health of your reproductive organs.
