The time has come, you’re ready to start a family. While you may be clear on what you want, you may not feel so clear on how to go about it. Starting a family is an exciting and terrifying step to take in your life, but it all starts with you.
One step at a time.
Your approach to starting a family depends on both you and your partner. Establishing clear communication between you is the first key step so that you can set realistic expectations for the future and address some of the challenges you might encounter together. It’s new to you both, and you’re very much in it together.
Planning for potential obstacles.
You might find that you aren’t getting pregnant as soon as you hoped. Infertility is extremely common, with around 7% of men being infertile and 10% of women struggling to get pregnant.
A woman is medically classed as infertile once they have tried to get pregnant for a year or more.
Infertility is caused by many different factors, with one of the main ones being genetic. It’s commonly known that smoking and other lifestyle factors can also contribute to infertility, but much of the time, it’s primarily out of that person’s control.
Often, couples have complications in getting pregnant but find that they can eventually. It can just take a little bit longer and may require using fertility treatments.
In-Vetro Fertilization.
If you have concerns around fertility, there are several options out there, such as attending a center for Advanced Fertility. Fertility clinics such as these which offer IVF can significantly boost your chances of getting pregnant.
Depending on the woman’s age and how many rounds are had, In-Vetro fertilization typically can increase the chances of pregnancy by up to 54%. This can also vary from clinic to clinic.
IVF is unique in that the fertilization occurs outside of the body. Once fertilized, the embryo is then placed back inside the woman’s womb. IVF is the most popular fertility treatment due to its high success rate.
Surgery.
Other medical interventions include having surgical procedures. One of the most routine surgeries to treat fertility are fallopian tube surgery for women, which repairs damage in the fallopian tubes to facilitate the flow of the egg.
For men, problems with ejaculating are prevalent and able to be resolved through various surgeries. It’s possible to correct blockage of the epididymal (coil-like structure in the testicles) through surgical extraction of sperm. Other surgeries to enhance fertility include vasectomy reversals, sperm-dust microsurgery and varicocele repair.
Assisted Contraception.
Assisted contraception in the form of intrauterine insemination is another method for increasing the chances of pregnancy. The process involves the sperm being artificially inserted into the womb. As the sperm is placed directly in the uterus, it reduces the chance of any blockages along the way.
If you are thinking of starting a family in the near future, having fertility tests may help to either give you peace of mind or begin assessing your options. Luckily, there are several options out there to help with this widespread issue.
