5 things all women should know about fertility

Aka – the stuff we should have been told at age 15, 20 and again at 25.

 

1.     You’re not fertile all the time

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We release one precious egg per cycle, which has a lifespan of around 24 hours. This means we only have one window to conceive per month. Taking into consideration the likely lifespan of sperm, that window is only around 5 days long.  When trying to conceive, timing becomes important.  The sooner we learn to understand what our body is trying to tell us, the better our ability to interpret our fertile signs and symptoms when we’re ready to start a family. If you’re having trouble identifying your fertile signs and symptoms to identify your fertile window, you can read more here.

2.     STI’s can impact your fertility

If left untreated, some STI’s do have the ability to damage the reproductive organs.  Research has shown that the vast majority of cases of tubal factor infertility are caused by untreated sexually transmitted infections that travel up the reproductive tract and cause inflammation, damage, and scarring to the fallopian tubes.  Gonorrhoea  and chlamydia are two major players.  It’s never a bad idea to request an STI check as part of a health check, and should definitely be included in your preconception care health check. 

 

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3.   It takes 88 days for an egg to mature. These days are important.

We are born with all the eggs we will ever have, about 1 million of these wee cells. The number declines naturally over our life as we lose one per month to ovulation and the vast majority through a process called apoptosis.  Our ovum or eggs, are just cells and we have the ability to influence the quality of these egg cells through positively impacting the environment they mature in. We are a result of the way we interact with our environment, right down to our cellular level. Not sure where to start? Try here   


4.     We will never be able to totally out-lifestyle the ageing process

For women, our age is most often the biggest limiting factor to our ability to become pregnant.  Conceiving at or around 35 years or over typically comes with a different set of challenges, so supporting fertility at 25 looks very different to supporting fertility at 35. All women and their circumstances are unique, it’s always best to work with a practitioner - but take a look here if you are TTC in your mid-late 30’s or early 40’s.

5. Conception is a team project. Don’t be the sucker who does all the work

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1 in 8 hetero couples trying to have a baby will have trouble conceiving - and no, it’s not all the women’s responsibility. About 1/3 of these cases are attributable to female factor, 1/3 to male factor and 1/3 unknown or both partners contributing. This means of course, if you’re thinking about conceiving, cleaning up and preparing should be done as a team. Guys - it doesn’t have to be complicated, small changes can have a big impact. And remember - if it’s not happening and you’re looking for next steps, investigations should be considered by both partners.

Need more support? Our practitioners are Bachelor qualified in natural health science (acupuncture and herbal medicine) and have completed, or undertaking Masters level training in Reproductive Medicine. Bookings can be made here.

Jenna Mcdonald