Trying to conceive is a burden that too many women carry. It can often be an uphill battle, and one that is extremely emotional. The goal to have a baby is easy for some and extremely difficult for others. Fertility issues are sometimes the father's fault, but most of the time these are women's health problems. So, if you are struggling to conceive, it is a good idea to have both partners fully involved in the process, as well as tested, this should be done to diagnose all probable factors of infertility.  Understanding the causes of infertility and as much as you can about what can be done to help improve your chances of conception can help you out when trying to conceive, and make the process far less painful emotionally.

Causes of infertility

The causes of infertility are often definite, and can be attributed to more than one factor. The following are some of the various causes of infertility, your doctor can help you see which obstacles are in your way of trying to conceive, and what you can do to improve your chances of infertility.

Ovulation factors: If you suffer from ovulatory infertility, it will likely be from chromosomal abnormalities and endocrine dysfunctions. The three most common causes are emotional stress, strenuous exercise and excessive weight loss or weight gain. These lead to an irregular ovulation cycle. If this is accompanied by poor cervical mucus it is extremely difficult to conceive.

What can you do? You can reduce stress, do not exercise too much, keep a stable weight, and consider taking some replacement hormones or other prescription drugs available to induce ovulation.

Cervical or uterine factors: Cervical and uterine problem are typically physical problems or mucus related problems. The physical problems are usually related to recurrent miscarriages than to a cervical evaluation. If the problems are mucus related, then it will be one of three basic problems, first, there is not enough mucus for the sperm to survive; second, the mucus is too thick for sperm to survive; third, the mucus contains sperm antibodies.

What can you do? Talk to your doctor. They can usually determine what the problem is and help you figure out the best way to take care of it.

Tubal and peritoneal factors: Tubal factor infertility accounts for about 20-25% of all cases of infertility. This can be when the fallopian tubes are blocked, or scarred, or other damage has occurred. Tubal factor infertility is usually caused by either pelvic infection, such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) or pelvic endometriosis.

What can you do? If the tubal damage is minor the infertility could be a bigger problem than just tube damage, so have your doctor perform tests to be certain. If you are trying to get pregnant, avoid pelvic and abdominal operations, try not to get infections in this area, and treat them quickly if you do get them.

What can you do to improve your chances of conception?

The first is to monitor your fertility. There are basically three ways you can do this. You can use Basal Body Temperature, Cervical fluid, and Cervical position.

The second thing you want to do is chart your cycle.

If you combine these two methods you will know when you are ovulating and thus have a better chance of conception.

What is a Basal Body Temperature? It is the temp of your body before activity. You want to take your temp with a basal thermometer every morning to get your baseline temp. For most women their temp will be lower during the first part of their cycle, then it will raise slightly on the day of ovulation.

What is cervical fluid? Basically the amount of cervical fluid changes during ovulation. Cervical fluid is also called cervical mucus. It is produced by the lining of a woman's cervical canal. Right after menstruation mucus is usually light, as you have several days of dryness. After that, the mucus is cloudy and tacky, it then changes to clear and slippery just before ovulation. The most fertile phase is when the mucous is clear and slippery. To check your cervical mucus you can wipe the vaginal opening with toilet tissue before urination, observe the discharge on underpants, or obtain some of the mucus by placing your fingers (making sure they are clean) in the vagina. You will want to take note of the color to determine if it is white, creamy, opaque, or clear. During the highly fertile stage, the mucus will usually be visible in profuse amounts. It's thin, and transparent. It is also stretchy.

What is cervical position, and how do I check it? If you can check your cervical position each day, at the same time, you can often determine which cervical position you have when most fertile. During your cycle, your cervix changes it position. To check the position, squat down, sit on the toilet, etc. then use one hand to hold back the vaginal lips, while inserting the other hand's middle finger into your vagina. Move your finger up until you hit your cervix. It should feel like a rounded cylinder shaped mass within your body. Note the position you find. Far back? Lower down? Etc.

During the beginning of your cycle, and after ovulation, your cervix is in a low position. It rises to the higher position just before and during ovulation. If you check the position you can know when you are most fertile. At the highest position it is almost unreachable.

So, create a chart and track all three signs of fertility so that you know when you are ovulating.

What else can you do to improve fertility?

In addition to trying to get pregnant during the right time of the month, there are things you can do to improve your chances, including eating right, and preparing your body to carry a baby.

First, you want to stop doing certain things, such as you want to stop smoking and drinking. If you are doing drugs, even just recreationally on occasion, you need to stop right away. Not are they going to be very bad for a baby should you get pregnant, but they are also going to put undue burden on your body so it is harder to get pregnant. You also want to increase the amount of caffeine you intake. Studies have shown that increased amounts of caffeine do indeed lower a woman's chance of conceiving. You can make it more difficult to get pregnant with only a few cups of coffee or highly caffeinated soda as well.

In addition to eliminating certain things, you want to start eating a healthier and more balanced diet. Your doctor may suggest that you take supplements, but it is incredibly important that you know that supplements are supposed to take vitamins in addition to eating right, not so that you do not have to. Most health professionals suggest that you begin getting healthy at least four months before you want to conceive. Focus on foods that are low in fat, high in fiber, low in sugars, and that are good sources for vitamins and minerals. It is also very important that you get plenty of folic acid. This is a vitamin that will help you prevent neural tube disorders in your fetus should you get pregnant.  Good sources of folic acid or vitamin B are your prenatal vitamins, dark leafy veggies, fruits such as oranges, grapefruits and other citrus, nuts, beans, wheat breads and cereals like cheerios. Eat them, and be sure to get 400 micrograms a day.

Sometimes it is hard to conceive because of the contraceptive you were using before you decided to get pregnant. Depending on what you've been using, chances are it may take a little while after you stop, before you actually conceive. The following is a look at basics with birth control and the ability to conceive:

Condoms and Spermicide: Because these are not internal, as soon as you stop using them, you should be able to conceive.

The Pill: Really this depends on what pill you take, but most people should not try and conceive until you have at least one period and go through one cycle of ovulation. This makes it easier to conceive and helps you avoid problems such as your baby developing a heart and/or blood vessel defect.

The shot, Depo-Provera: The manufacturers suggest you wait for 12 weeks from the time of your last shot, because it takes that long to get it out of your system. However, most doctors, and a few manufacturers will tell you that it might actually take a year to be able to conceive. Studies have shown that it usually takes anywhere from 3 - 9 months, after your shot wears off in order to conceive.

Tied tubes: This is one of the hardest procedures to reverse when it comes to trying to conceive, but it is possible. You can reverse the procedure with major surgery. However, on occasion this leads to damage and scarring.


Vasectomy:  Vasectomies can sometimes be reversed, but the success rate is low.

IUD: If there were no fertility problems before you got an IUD, you should not have difficulty getting pregnant afterward.

If you are trying to conceive you should talk to your doctor and see what they say you should do as your specific case is going to be different from anyone elses.