When is the right time to seek fertility help?

It is exciting when you decide the time is right to have a baby. You start thinking about all the usual things, like what the baby will be like, how you will decorate the nursery and what type of parent you will be.

So you start trying to fall pregnant and for a few, it happens straight away while others don’t have success in the first few months.

Rest assured, the truth is that 80 per cent of couples in the general population will fall pregnant within 12 months of trying to conceive.

So the best thing to do is keep calm and keep trying. Eat well, exercise and make sure you are fertility fit.

However, for some, falling pregnant seems to begin to feel like it is taking forever and even becoming a little elusive, so when is the right time to seek help?

I recommend you seek advice from a fertility specialist to help guide you if you are experiencing any of the following concerns or conditions:

1) You have been trying to fall pregnant but haven’t been successful yet

You should seek help if you are under 35 years of age and have not fallen pregnant within 12 months of unprotected intercourse, or if you are over 35 and have not fallen pregnant within six months of trying. For women aged 40 and over, I recommend further investigations be initiated after three months of trying to fall pregnant, as female age is one of the most important predictors of whether pregnancy will be achieved.

2) Irregular menstrual cycles

Irregular cycles may suggest a problem with ovulation and can impact on your ability to conceive.

The average length of the menstrual cycle is 28 days, but can range between 25 and 35 days. The menstrual cycle is determined by a complex interaction of hormones, so any hormone imbalance can make your period irregular.

Although, in most cases, irregular cycles are not dangerous, it is important to determine what is causing the irregularity sooner rather than later.

3) Medical conditions

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS): This is a condition where the ovaries secrete abnormally high amounts of androgens (male hormones), which often cause problems with ovulation.
Endometriosis: Endometriosis results when endometrial-like cells (cells from inside the uterus) grow outside the uterus. Distortion of the anatomy due to endometriosis can block or change the function of the fallopian tubes and prevent the sperm from reaching and fertilising the egg.
Fibroids: These non-cancerous masses are found in the uterus or cervix. Uterine fibroids are found in one out of every four or five women in their 30s and 40s. Fibroids can cause tubal blockages, prevent the embryo from attaching to the uterine wall and cause miscarriage. The impact the fibroids have on fertility depends upon their size and location.
Blocked fallopian tubes: When fallopian tubes are blocked, the egg can be prevented from meeting the sperm.
Premature menopause: Premature Ovarian Failure (POF) is also called early menopause and refers to a condition where the ovary stops ovulating earlier than is normal. The average age range for menopause is between 45 and 55.
Other medical causes: Thyroid disorders and genetic conditions.

4) Recurrent miscarriage

After three or more miscarriages (known as recurring miscarriages), tests are commonly done to look for the cause.

5) Known sperm issues

Fertility advice should be sought if any of the following sperm issues are known: poor sperm morphology (abnormally shaped); poor motility (slow-moving); low sperm count; the presence of antisperm antibodies; ejaculatory problems or azoospermia (no sperm present); vasectomy.

6) If a donor is required

If donor sperm or donor eggs are required.

For more information on this topic please visit here.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.com

23 Comments

- - meedee said
  - 23 Aug 2021
    10:21 am
One of my daughters has Endometriosis but she is not sure that she wants children anyway.

- - rovermum said
  - 17 Aug 2016
    9:07 am
We had been trying for 12 months when our GP discussed our options with us. We agreed to seek additional help and do further tests at that point. We found many issues and ended up on IVF. It took many cycles over 2 and a half years before we finally gave birth to a baby boy.

- - mom134803 said
  - 16 Aug 2016
    1:46 pm
Think sometimrs we live in a time and age that we can get what we want when we want and find it hard when this is not just the case, causing struggle and stress. And that is one thing what most of the time doesn’t go together with conceiving… Many people chose for intervention, some don’t and let nature have it’s course.

- - ella12 said
  - 16 Aug 2016
    9:40 am
Very informative article, thanks for sharing.

- - mom101628 said
  - 15 Aug 2016
    9:09 pm
We are all different, and some of us don’t like talking about this problem to anyone, especially if an illness like mumps has been had when you are in your 20’s. But this is the best time to get everything checked, as this constant worry in the back of your mind might be the very reason of failing to conceive.

- - Nas01 said
  - 10 Dec 2015
    8:25 pm
Everyone is different so I think it comes down to a personal decision.

- - mom157657 said
  - 28 Nov 2015
    3:01 pm
Please go when your concern becomes overwhelming for you. Everyone is different and sometimes we just know something is not right. My daughter found out she was well into menopause when she was 34years old. The only sympton she had was irregular periods either too often or not enough & the occasional Hot Flushes at night. This is not something that happens to many women but it seems to be a growing issue so when in doubt check it out a simple blood test will give you so many answers & may not lead to any other medical follow up at all.

- - mom94378 said
  - 18 Nov 2015
    9:26 pm
I’ll be passing this article onto a good friend who will find it informative.

- - mom81879 said
  - 11 Nov 2015
    7:16 am
I think the best time to get fertility help is when you think you’ve been trying for ages and are still not pregnant. I went after 12 months of trying. The first test they did was a pregnancy test before they started other more invasive test, just to make sure. And I was 3 weeks pregnant!

- - mom165081 said
  - 01 Nov 2015
    4:29 am
So much of this is inherited. I only found out that premature menopause ran in our family after it happened to me. Encourage family conversations around fertility sooner rather than later. .

- - mom165081 said
  - 01 Nov 2015
    4:17 am
Premature

- - hopefullyheidi said
  - 29 Oct 2015
    10:01 pm
Great article. I am loving the amount of articles on fertility advice lately. There have been a number of useful articles on up to date information about IVF and freezing eggs etc. A lot of people go through such agony trying to start a family, particularly if there are other issues at play. Thank you so much.

- - mom74640 said
  - 29 Oct 2015
    11:17 am
Like ng

- - mum4107 said
  - 29 Oct 2015
    5:06 am
Great advice here thank you. I had issues with endometriosis blocking my tubes

- - Missey Grace said
  - 28 Oct 2015
    10:24 pm
Great article.
I can relate to the medical conditions, specially the endometriosis and fibroids. It was tough to get through the acceptance.

- - 4littlemunchkins said
  - 28 Oct 2015
    9:53 pm
It’s great advice. Doctor’s told me my ovaries appeared polycystic but I was lucky enough to never have any issues conceiving.

- - Carolineb said
  - 28 Oct 2015
    9:06 pm
Thank you for sharing this article, it is very helpful.

- - fnt51 said
  - 28 Oct 2015
    6:32 pm
I have Endo and struggled with infertility for 6 and a half years.It can be really tough but the better informed you are about your own body the better your chances!!

- - Bela said
  - 28 Oct 2015
    6:15 pm
Someone was asking this on another forum last night. I’ll link them here
- mom93821 replied
  
  29 Oct 2015 , 6:49 am
  Good on you for linking them to this article! Super thoughtful!
- - mom93821 said
  - 28 Oct 2015
    11:49 am
A big thank you for sharing this article with this community. There have been some questions posted about fertility and falling pregnant and this article covers some of these issues. Fertility issue can cause so much heartache and the more information the better.