Infertility and Miscarriage
Q1. What can I offer for you?
A. Not all doctors are available who have an advanced laparoscopic and hysteroscopic experience with background infertility expertise. This will ensure receiving high quality and skillful surgical care which improves your fertility status.
Q2. What are the causes of delayed conception?
A. There are many causes, the most common are:
Inability to release eggs (ovulation disorder)
Sperms of insufficient quality or numbers
Damage of the fallopian tubes
Other causes: Endometriosis, Fibroid, sexual problem, congenital abnormalities of the uterus, cervical hostility and failure of implantation.
There is still a group of unexplained infertility in 10-15% of couple.
Q3. Does having periods mean I am ovulating?
A., No, it is not necessary, but women who have regular periods are most likely ovulate.
Q4. What sort of measures are helpful for improving sperm quality?
A. General advice for MALE partner:
1. You need to stop smoking as well as any recreational drugs
2. Reduce alcohol intake
3. Exercise and weight loss is helpful
4. Wearing loose underwear and having showers better than baths "avoid higher testicular temperature”.
5. People who do office work for long periods need to stretch their legs and have a break and vice versa.
6. Try to avoid holding e.g. laptop computers on your lap.
7. Taking vitamins is controversial however, one course of Vitamins may help with good balanced diet.
8. Complementary Medicine is helpful to control stress e.g. Yoga,
9. Avoid unnecessary medicines, you need to check that with your doctor.
Q5. What are the factors affecting WOMEN'S fertility?
A.The main factors are:
Increased prolactin hormone level
Polycystic ovaries,
Anorexia
Q6. How to know if I am ovulating?
A.
Q7. What should I do prior to trying for a baby?
A.
Q1. What can I offer for you?
A. Not all doctors are available who have an advanced laparoscopic and hysteroscopic experience with background infertility expertise. This will ensure receiving high quality and skillful surgical care which improves your fertility status.
Q2. What are the causes of delayed conception?
A. There are many causes, the most common are:
Inability to release eggs (ovulation disorder)
Sperms of insufficient quality or numbers
Damage of the fallopian tubes
Other causes: Endometriosis, Fibroid, sexual problem, congenital abnormalities of the uterus, cervical hostility and failure of implantation.
There is still a group of unexplained infertility in 10-15% of couple.
Q3. Does having periods mean I am ovulating?
A., No, it is not necessary, but women who have regular periods are most likely ovulate.
Q4. What sort of measures are helpful for improving sperm quality?
A. General advice for MALE partner:
1. You need to stop smoking as well as any recreational drugs
2. Reduce alcohol intake
3. Exercise and weight loss is helpful
4. Wearing loose underwear and having showers better than baths "avoid higher testicular temperature”.
5. People who do office work for long periods need to stretch their legs and have a break and vice versa.
6. Try to avoid holding e.g. laptop computers on your lap.
7. Taking vitamins is controversial however, one course of Vitamins may help with good balanced diet.
8. Complementary Medicine is helpful to control stress e.g. Yoga,
9. Avoid unnecessary medicines, you need to check that with your doctor.
Q5. What are the factors affecting WOMEN'S fertility?
A.The main factors are:
- Stress, life style and diet
- Strenuous exercise
- Smoking, alcohol intake and recreation drugs
- Obesity and overweight or underweight
- Congenital anomalies e.g. malformation of the uterus
- Age >35ys
- Medical issues:
Increased prolactin hormone level
Polycystic ovaries,
Anorexia
- Sexual transmitted disease mainly chlamydia infection
- Previous abdominal or pelvic surgery
- Multiple surgeries on both ovaries which reduce ovarian eggs reserve
- Abnormal test as abnormal smears, low ovarian reserve or ovulation problems
- Drugs e.g. Chemotherapeutic agents which could damage the ovaries or Radiotherapy
Q6. How to know if I am ovulating?
A.
- Blood test to check progesterone hormone level. It is recommended to be done seven days prior to your expected period.
- Urine ovulation test will detect one of the hormones called luteinizing hormone is present in urine, causing ovulation. This test could be done about 12 days after you have started your cycle.
- Chart your basal body temperature. You must use a basal body thermometer, which measure finer gradations than an ordinary fever thermometer. You need to measure your temperature at the same time every morning as soon as you awaken and before you do anything else. Temperatures of 36 to 37 C are normal before ovulation and 37.5 to 38 C after ovulation.
- Check cervical mucus, which is normal vaginal discharge. In the days leading up to ovulation, cervical mucus becomes more slippery to aid the sperm in reaching the egg. When it is clear and stretchy (more than 1 inch) like raw egg whites, the time of ovulation is near.
- Other measures like mid-cycle pain or mid-cycle spotting with regular periods could indicate ovulation but not very reliable.
Q7. What should I do prior to trying for a baby?
A.
- Do not leave things to late, is better to seek medical help by the age of 35 if one isn't able to get pregnant by then but definitely before 40
- Treating pre-existing medical problems and stabilise any medical conditions. Check this with your doctor.
- Work on factors which affect fertility e.g. stress, life style with healthy balanced diet.
- Check drugs needed are safe for use with pregnancy if not sure you will need to see specialist.
- Optimise your weight, ideally BMI between 20 to 30.
- Stop smoking and any recreation drugs, you and your partner.
- Reduce caffeine intake less than two cups daily.
- Take folic acid and iodine regularly.
- Check your Rubella antibody status through a blood test.
- Correct timing and frequency of intercourse, Two to three times per week should cover the most fertile time.