Dos and Don'ts of Infertility

Don't Wait to See a Specialist

 

If you want to have a baby and traditional at-home babymaking methods aren't resulting in a plus sign, you shouldn't wait too long before asking a specialist for help. If you're under 35 and have been trying for a year or more, it's time to see an infertility specialist, and you should wait only six months if you're 35 or older. According to a GfK Roper survey released in April 2011, among couples seeing a fertility specialist or reproductive endocrinologist for treatment, 91 percent wish they had started doing so sooner. Bottom line: The sooner you see a physician, the more likely you are to get pregnant. Dr. Domar says new research shows that women who get prompt treatment can have almost a 90 percent chance of conceiving. But if you wait with false hope that you'll be able to do it on your own, your chances for success go down every single month.

Don't Blame Yourself

 

Half of the surveyed couples trying to conceive agreed they may have waited too long to start trying. But, infertility is more common than you may think. One in 8 couples experience infertility. It's equally likely to be caused by the female or male partner and in some cases, it's caused by both. You can't waste your energy beating yourself up over something that's out of your control. "There is very little that you can do to cause infertility," says Dr. Domar. "Certain things aren't a good idea, but people with bad habits still get pregnant." The couples who think they waited too long to start trying, could have had the same result one, two, or 10 years ago. "At age 42 you could be infertile, but there's no telling you were fertile at age 22 either," says Dr. Domar.

Do Seek Support

 

Infertility can be stressful; research has shown that the stress levels of infertile women are equivalent to those of women with cancer, AIDS, or heart disease. The stress is not going to help you get pregnant any faster. There are plenty of other women who aren't getting pregnant either, so a support group may help. You can find online infertility support groups, or ask your doctor or fertility specialist to recommend a local in-person group.

Consider confiding in a close friend or family member. More than half of the couples in the GfK Roper survey said they hid their infertility problems from friends and family, and 71 percent of couples have not told their mother. Even though you might feel ashamed, and it may be hard to open up at first, the support that follows can be rewarding. Those who did tell someone about their trouble trying to conceive said their family and friends were very supportive and 71 percent of them said having to people to talk to made the process easier.

thanks to  parents.com