Maybe you and your husband have been trying to have a baby for some time now. And what seemed at first like something that should be as easy as breathing, has become pretty intimidating.
Is it me? Or could it be him? Is there something wrong with the two of us together?
Don't give up hope that you'll eventually be able to conceive. Let's look at some of the things that often stand in the way.
There are plenty of things that can cause infertility, abnormalities in ovulation being one of the primary issues. This can often be corrected.
Failure to ovulate (anovulation) can occur for a variety of reasons. Your hormones are part of the ovulation process and any imbalance can cause anovulation.
Anovulation can be due to an inability to produce eggs that fully mature. If your hypothalamus (part of your brain) or your pituitary gland don't do their jobs properly, eggs will not mature.
If your ovaries are scarred from surgery for ovarian cysts, maturation may not take place.
Premature menopause can take you by surprise. Once your eggs are gone, they're gone for good.
Up to a quarter of infertile couples deal with fallopian tube abnormalities. The tubes may suffer adhesions or they may be completely blocked, due to the effects of bacteria and viruses.
Surgery is the way to go, opening the door to the possibility of conceiving by the next year.
Abdominal diseases like appendicitis and colitis can also cause scarring and blockage of the fallopian tubes due to inflammation that settles into the abdominal cavity.
Ectopic pregnancies take place in the fallopian tube. These pregnancies cannot come to term and can also damage the tube. If not treated, this can be fatal.
And then sometimes, you're just born with an abnormality in your fallopian tubes and you are going to run into abnormalities with your uterus.
Endometriosis can be a cause of infertility, in up to 40 percent of cases. Cells of the uterine lining begin showing up elsewhere. It can happen anywhere in the abdomen.
Periods will tend to be long, heavy and tortuous. Urination is affected, and rectal bleeding can occur. Then again, there may be no symptoms at all of endometriosis.
These are among the most common causes of infertility. Take heart that in many cases, treatments are available that can reverse infertility, and can allow you to begin your family.
Resources:
What Causes Female Infertility?
http://www.stanford.edu/class/siw198q/websites/reprotech/New%20Ways%20of%20Making%20Babies/Causefem.htm
Causes Of Infertility - Things You Need To Know
http://www.humanfertility.net/infertility-causes/causes-of-infertility-things-you-need-to-know.html#more-415
Causes of infertility
http://www.ivf-infertility.com/infertility/causes/endometriosis.php
Net Wellness: Causes of Infertility
http://www.netwellness.org/healthtopics/infertility/infertcauses.cfm
Infertility
http://www.fertilityfactor.com
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