Why Isn’t It Happening? And What To Do?
Those pesky OPK’s and all of their mystery.
You decide you want a baby. Great! You’ve been trying to conceive for a while now, but no baby yet. But you’re healthy. You’ve heard it takes time, so you wait a little bit longer. You get “healthy” by eating “health foods” and being mindful about getting enough sleep, although you work all the time and then there’s this thing you have to do…
Maybe you wait a year. Or two. You’re REALLY healthy. I mean, you LOOK like you’re thirty, or at least that’s what people tell you. You have a high sex drive and your partner re-assures you, “don’t worry, you’re fertile…let’s just keep trying.”
So how do you know when it’s time to get fertility help? Not just a check-up with your OBGYN, but an actual full-on fertility consultation with a fertility expert (actually they’re called reproductive endocrinologists or “RE’s”)? Here are some tips to think about if you are trying to have a baby and build your family but it’s just not happening:
- If you are over thirty-five years old…
If you are 35 or older, most fertility doctors and researchers will suggest that you try for about 3-6 months and then come in for a consult. If you have a male partner who is helping you, he should come in too (male infertility makes up to at least a third of all fertility issues). Feel free to see your OBGYN, but you’ll get a more straight forward answer was to why you guys are not getting pregnant or bringing a healthy baby to term from a doctor who specializes in fertility care. Don’t wait more than 6 months.
- If you are buying pregnancy tests in bulk…
This one’s pretty straight forward. If you’ve been using these with endless results, it’s time to move on. Don’t spend more money on expensive ones. Do: See a healthcare provider who specializes in infertility care and support. Don’t: panic about all of the 400 things it could be. Also: breathe.
- If you can’t figure out your OPK sticks…
Same thing. There are ridiculously fancy and uber-expensive tests out there that keep some women guessing for months and months. But nothing can be as accurate and clarifying as an ultrasound and a blood test at the doctor’s office to give you answers, and more importantly, solutions.
- If your family has a history of fertility issues…
Does your mother or father have issues with (or rather, in the past) conception, pregnancy, delivery or even health issues related to fertility (some obvious, like PCOS, and some not so obvious like diabetes or a thyroid condition), then again, get thee to a fertility healthcare provider pronto.
Are you having trouble getting pregnant or carrying a healthy baby to full term? If you or someone you know is having trouble getting pregnant, please pass these tips on! And as always, feel free to call us with any fertility questions you may have. Our expert staff (including a top fertility doctor, a fertility psychologist, an expert fertility acupuncturist, awesome nurses, egg donor coordinator specialist, surrogacy support, embryologists and excellent front desk staff) are always here to help you on your path to parenthood!
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