Fact : Infertility affects both men and women.
For a long time, women were wrongly attributed all problems associated with infertility. However, recent data show that about 40 % of infertility cases are due to a female problem, 40 % to a male problem, and the remaining 20% is caused by a combination of both.
Myth : Unable to conceive naturally : worry after two months.
Doctors consider a couple to be infertile after and only after they have been trying to conceive without success for over a year. (or after 6 months if you are aged 35 or older).
Fact : The time needed to conceive is different according to age.
Absolutely! At 30 years old, a woman has a 75 % chance of conceiving within her first year of trying. At 40 years old, her chances drop to 44 %.
Time to get pregnant
- At 25 years old, a couple has a 25 % chance on average to get pregnant at every cycle, with an average time of conception of 3 to 6 months.
- On average, a couple succeeds in getting pregnant in 6 to 12 months.
- Percentage of women who have conceived a child :
- After a year of regular and unprotected sex: 84 %
- After 2 years : 92 %
- Almost 80 % of couples conceive naturally in 2 years or less.
- 60 % of couples having difficulties conceive within a year.
Source : Santé-Médecine
Fact : The man’s age also influences fertility.
In fact, men are most fertile between 30 and 34 years old.
Fact : After 30, women have more difficulty conceiving naturally.
Age is certainly a factor that influences fertility, but there are many others (such as lifestyle, for example). Biologically speaking, waiting past 30 years old to have children is not the best idea. As the years go by, the chances of getting pregnant decrease. In addition to finding it hard to conceive, women are often at higher risk of miscarriage or medical complications related to pregnancy and child birth.
Myth : It’s easier to conceive naturally after adopting a child.
We almost all know a lucky couple who was able to conceive after they adopted a child. The most probable explanation is that the stress of getting pregnant was acting as a barrier to fertility. But it remains a rare situation – which is why we notice it so much – that doesn’t happen to most couples with fertility problems.
Fact : A healthy lifestyle can improve fertility.
Some weight-related problems (both overweight and underweight) can influence fertility because they often cause an hormonal imbalance. If women can get pregnant after 35, it’s in part due to a healthy lifestyle. Quick advice: avoid drinking alcohol, stop smoking, have a healthy and balanced diet and get enough sleep. And for the guys: avoid anything that increases testicular temperature (heat decreases sperm production !)
Fact : After you stop taking the pill, it may take up to 6 months for your menstrual cycle to get back to normal.
But the pill doesn’t affect your chances of a future pregnancy. According the website Masexualite.ca, most women can get pregnant as soon as they stop taking the pill. It is however wise to wait for the menstrual cycle’s restoration, which can take a few months.
Fact and myth : Forgetting one pill during your cycle can cause pregnancy.
In theory, it’s true, but in reality, they are very few chances of it happening.
Fact : Taking multivitamins and folic acid is recommended when trying to get pregant.
Health Canada recommends that all women wanting to get pregnant, as well as those who are pregnant or breastfeeding, take a multivitamin containing folic acid dailym at least 12 weeks before conception, during pregnancy and 4 to 6 weeks after the baby is born – or until they stop breastfeeding. Folic acid helps prevent neural tube defects, and multivitamins prevent deficiencies in pregnant women and eliminate the possibility of other problems in the baby.
Fact and myth : You could get pregnant at any time of your cycle.
You can only conceive during ovulation, but because every woman’s cycle is different – and that it can vary from one month to another - it’s hard to predict the ovulation’s duration. That’s why it’s important to know your body and your cycle if you want to get pregnant. Mysexuality.ca also reminds us that sperm can survive for a few days in the woman’s body, which means that having intercourse before your ovulation period could still end up with a pregnancy!
Myth : Stress influences fertility.
Relaxing is not a guarantee for fertility, but stress can nonetheless influence the situation. According to MédiResource, experts believe that there is a relationship between stress and infertility, but that it is secondary to other causes of infertility. Indeed, too much stress causes hormonal fluctuation in some women, which could delay or prevent the release of an egg. In men, stress can reduce the amount of sperm produced.
