Planning a Pregnancy

Transcription

1 Planning a Pregnancy ivf.com.au IVF

2 ... You re not alone. If you and your partner have been actively trying to start a family for over 12 months with no success, talk to your General Practitioner. We all like to think that when the time is right falling pregnant will just happen. There are, however, many factors that contribute to a couple being able to conceive naturally. Age, diet, weight and your lifestyle can all play an important role, as do a variety of male and female biological factors that can be assessed and diagnosed by your doctor. One in six Australian couples, of reproductive age, experience difficulties conceiving a child. If you and your partner have been trying to become pregnant for 12 months unsuccessfully, it is time to talk with your local doctor, and sooner if you are over 35 years of age. A comprehensive assessment of your fertility can help you understand your fertility potential, and all your available options. Our expert fertility specialists can guide you through your test results and provide you with advice to help get your plans for a family underway sooner rather than later. In Australia today the average age of women having their first child is 31. Infertility is defined by the World Heath Organisation as the inability of a couple to achieve conception after a 12 month period of unprotected intercourse. With the advances in reproductive technology, IVF treatment and other forms of assisted conception now provide a much higher chance of success than that of natural conception. Today, fertility treatment accounts for 3% of all babies born in Australia.

3 Chance of conception The normal monthly success rate for couples trying to conceive naturally at 25 years of age is approximately 20% this figure decreases with increasing female age particularly after 35 years of age. For example 75% of couples aged 25 will conceive in less than 6 months but by years of age the chance of conception drops to 25% in the same time period. Understanding your menstrual cycle to optimise chance of pregnancy Every woman s cycle is individual and may vary from month to month. The key to achieving a pregnancy is knowing your pregnancy window, the time within the month when your body will release an egg (ovulate) ready for fertilisation via intercourse. The time from the start of your period to ovulation (when hormones in your body trigger the release of an egg) varies from woman to woman. On average ovulation occurs about 8-14 days after the day your period starts. However it can range between 8 and 18 days depending on the length of your cycle. New research suggests that intercourse 2 days before ovulation gives the best chance of pregnancy. Need a helping hand to conceive? Causes of fertility problems are many and varied and involve male, female or a combination of factors. They include problems with: The production of sperm or eggs; The structure or function of male or female reproductive systems; &/or Hormonal & immune disorders in both men & women. After a woman s age, male infertility is the biggest single factor influencing a couple s chance of conception (40% sperm related cause). Others include: Ovulation disorders 20% Tubal disease 15% Endometriosis 15% Combination of male & female factors 30% In 10-20% of couples no cause will be found and this is called unexplained infertility.

4 General pre-pregnancy tips Some simple tips to help maximise your chance of conceiving include: A healthy diet; Stop smoking and recreational drug use; Alcohol in moderation; Regular intercourse 2-3 times per week; Regular moderate exercise eg walking, social tennis; A daily intake of 500ug folic acid (3 months pre conception and during the first trimester of pregnancy to reduce the risk of neural tube defects); Multi-vitamins (may be of benefit to overall health); Blood tests to check for rubella and chicken pox status, blood group, Rh factor, Hep B & Hep C; General Practitioner review of current medications and implications for pregnancy; As a female understand your menstrual cycle the most fertile time is between days 8-14 of a regular monthly cycle. Appropriate weight (ie Body Mass Index as a guide) - evidence suggests that fertility improves dramatically if people with a high BMI can achieve a 5% reduction in weight. Blood test to measure a woman s level of Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) - a hormone secreted by cells in developing egg sacs - is a good indicator of her ovarian reserve.

5 Days Menstrual Cycle Pregnancy Window Menstruation Follicular Phase Ovulation Luteal Phase Optimise chance of conception with regular intercourse during the Pregnancy Window

6 Fertility assessment To gain a quick understanding of you and your partner s fertility read through the following and if you answer yes for just a few of these questions you should talk with your General Practitioner: Have you being trying to conceive for more than 12 months Yes ( ) No ( ) Are you or your partner over 35 years of age? Yes ( ) No ( ) Do you have irregular or absent periods? Yes ( ) No ( ) Have you had two or more miscarriages? Yes ( ) No ( ) Prior use of an intrauterine device (IUD)? Yes ( ) No ( ) Do you have Endometriosis/painful menstruation? Yes ( ) No ( ) Do you have excessive acne or hirsutism (body hair in female)? Yes ( ) No ( ) Is there a history of pelvic/genital infection in either partner? Yes ( ) No ( ) Do you have problems having intercourse? Yes ( ) No ( ) Have either of you had previous abdominal surgery? Yes ( ) No ( ) Is there a chronic medical condition in either partner? (e.g. diabetes, high blood pressure, etc.) Yes ( ) No ( ) Is there a history of chemotherapy or radiation therapy in either partner? Yes ( ) No ( ) Achieve your desire of starting a family Talk with your General Practitioner who will undertake a thorough medical history and physical examination of you and your partner including blood tests and semen analysis. An important new test for women is the Anti-müllerian hormone blood test that gives a very good indication of the number of eggs a woman has left in her ovarian reserve and therefore how much time she has to conceive. Patients are referred to IVFAustralia from their local General Practitioner or gynaecologist/obstetrician if they are experiencing difficulties conceiving. Very simple technologies may be all that is required to achieve conception. A fertility specialist is best placed to discuss with you possible treatment options some simple others more involved. IVFAustralia s dedicated fertility specialists, supported by a team of experienced embryologists, andrologists, nurses and counsellors are in local fertility clinics across Sydney. Patients achieve high success rates through access to the latest scientific developments in Assisted Reproductive Technology. For further information come along to our next free information evening, register online ivf.com.au or call IVF (483) and talk with with one of our experienced team who can book you in to an appointment at the IVFAustralia clinic nearest to you.

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