James Armatage is a leading Specialist in Reproductive Medicine & Surgery and is Consultant Gynaecologist at Cheshire Fertility. With over 30 years experience in the profession and at the forefront of the latest techniques and processes to guarantee success, James is the perfect person to take part in our interview series, covering the questions we get asked the most often about fertility and IVF for people having trouble conceiving.
In this article, we are looking at challenges conceiving in general.
“I have been trying to get pregnant and am not conceiving. Why?”
There are many reasons why conception does not occur. In males, this may be due to poor production of sperm, poor sperm motility, or the production of many abnormal sperm. In women, there may be tubal problems, problems with ovulation, or other conditions such as endometriosis or fibroids that may prevent conception occurring.
70% of couples will conceive within six months of trying, and 82% within 12 months of trying.
If conception has not occurred therefore within one year, it is appropriate to seek advice from a general practitioner or fertility specialist for investigations to be carried out to determine why there has been no conception.
For women who are older or where there is a history of premature menopause in the family or if they have irregular periods, then referral for investigation is required sooner.
“When should I see a fertility specialist?”
If patients have been trying to conceive for more than a year, then it is appropriate to be referred to a specialist for investigation.
In some patients, referral to a specialist may be indicated earlier if there are problems with heavy, painful periods because there may be endometriosis or fibroids present. Or if periods are not happening very frequently, ovulation is unlikely to be occurring and, therefore, treatment should be started sooner.
For older patients and those who are likely to have poor ovarian function, referrals should be made as soon as is possible.
You can see the whole video series here on the Assured Fertility YouTube Channel.
If you have any questions or would like to arrange to see a fertility specialist, call us on 0333 234 0895 now.
