Trying to Conceive - the Infertility Workup

We were told in our junior high health classes just how easy it is to get pregnant. We followed the rules and use contraception consistently. A time comes when we decide that we are finally ready to have a child. Lo and behold, every month we get that negative home pregnancy test.

Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive after a year of regular intercourse without contraception. The average couple with no fertility problems has a 20% chance of conceiving each cycle.

In order to understand infertility, first you need to understand how babies are conceived. Our health textbooks told us that women have 28 days between periods. While this is ideal, each woman is different and you will need to know your own cycles before you can try to conceive. Day one is the first day of your period. If you have a 28 day cycle then in approximately two weeks (day 14) you will ovulate. The egg will have anywhere from 12-24 hours to conceive. It is advised to have sex every other day from starting day 10 or day 12. Sperm can survive for as long as 7 days if the environment is right. If the egg is fertilized then you will miss your period. If not, well then your period will show up on time.

They say that you are supposed to wait a year of failing to conceive before going to see a specialist. I disagree. I spent months trying to conceive and finally went to an OBGYN only to be told I had PCOS and wouldn't be able to conceive without help. I can only imagine how much time we could've saved if we had gone to the doctor immediately.

When you decide you want to get pregnant, contact your doctor or OBGYN for a preconception appointment. At this time you can then discuss your cycles and any concerns you may have.

If you have passed the one year mark of trying to conceive, make an appointment with your doctor. There are some basic tests they will do to find the cause of your infertility.

- Blood work. They will draw blood to test your various hormone levels as well as testing your thyroid. Thyroid disease can lead to infertility.

- Ultrasound. They may perform an ultrasound to view the condition of your ovaries and how many follicles you currently have.

- Hysterosalpingogram (HSG Test). This test is used to check the condition of your fallopian tubes and to diagnose any uterine abnormalities.

- Sperm Analysis. They will perform tests on your husband to check for any male factor infertility issues.

Once your doctor has all the information available to them, they should sit down and discuss your fertility treatment options. There will be different treatment options based on whether the infertility is male factor or female factor.