Healthy Living
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
What Really Affects My Pregnancy Chances?
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- by Dr. Kate, on Tue Jul 28, 2009 9:13pm PDT
I've decided that
there's no such thing as reproductive justice. Many of my
patients try desperately to prevent pregnancy in their fertile
years...and an equal number are trying so hard to get pregnant when
they're finally ready. I hear questions almost daily about what
affects the chances of pregnancy (whether it's wanted right
now...or not). So here is a run-down of what influences the
pregnancy lottery.
These things CAN impair your fertility:
- A history of STDs. Specifically, gonorrhea
and chlamydia can scar your fallopian tubes and prevent sperm from
fertilizing an egg.
- Recent DepoProvera use. It takes the average
woman 10 months after her last Depo injection to be able to
conceive. (Of course, if you don't want to be pregnant, your
fertility will return right away - call it Murphy's Law of
Reproduction)
- Irregular periods. Irregular menstrual cycles
may be a sign of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), which is
accompanied by irregular ovulation. Since you're not ovulating
every month, it's harder to conceive.
- Over- or under-weight. Weight that falls
above or below the ideal for your height may also prevent you from
ovulating regularly.
- Medical problems. In addition to PCOS, there
are other chronic medical conditions--over or underactive thyroid,
endometriosis--that can impact ovulation or your tubes.
- Age. It's incredibly unfair that just
when many women are ready to have a baby, their fertility has
started to decline. But "egg quality" begins to decrease
after age 30, and this decrease picks up speed after age 35.
- Not having sex enough. Don't laugh - I
have seen several patients who can't understand why they're
not pregnant, when they're having sex maybe once a
month.
- Having sex too much. Don't laugh - having
daily sex at the start of your cycle may diminish the sperm count
around the time it matters (generally, days 12 and 13 of a 28-day
cycle).
- A family history of infertility. Because
there's still so much we don't know about infertility,
there may be unknown factors that run in your family.
These things WILL NOT affect your
fertility:
- Wetness. No matter how lubricated or dry you
are, there's no effect on the little swimmers heading towards
your eggs.
- Sexual position. No, standing up does not
reduce your pregnancy risk. And no, positions with deep penetration
don't increase your chances.
- Orgasm (yours). No justice here, either -
your chances are the same whether or not you climax. Heavens, if
women couldn't get pregnant without coming, there would be MANY
fewer unplanned pregnancies!
- Long-term contraception use. Prolonged pill,
ring, or IUD use doesn't permanently reduce your pregnancy
chances. Upon stopping the method, your fertility returns to what
it would have been without the birth control.
- Genital warts or herpes. Annoying to live
with, but won't risk your fertility.
Somewhere in the middle:
- High-risk HPV on your pap smear. IF the HPV
causes moderate- to high-grade abnormalities on your cervix...and
IF you have a LEEP or cone biopsy to remove the cells, there's
a chance that you'll have complications with your cervix in a
future pregnancy. But it won't affect at all your chances
of conceiving.
Do you worry about something in particular affecting your
chances at pregnancy?
You can read more about fertility and sexual health
at Gynotalk.
[photo credit: Getty Images]
Related: gynecology, fertility
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Posted by Ani Tue Jul 28, 2009 10:31pm PDT
This might not affect fertility, but I wanted to mention this. Don't get pregnant right after you remove your IUD. I just found out I was pregnant and a week later I miscarried. It's because the IUD makes the lining of the uterus super thin and if you get pregnant right after removal, it's too thin to support a baby. :(
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Posted by simfelicity Tue Jul 28, 2009 10:59pm PDT
whew, my age of course....it might not be healthy for me to become pregnant again...
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Posted by simfelicity Tue Jul 28, 2009 11:00pm PDT
gtg now.. see u later.. ok. ty... muah, muah, muah...
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Posted by Katie B Wed Jul 29, 2009 6:08am PDT
The only two I worry about is age and weight... I stopped taking the Depo shot years ago when I didn't like the side effects (which were not all physical).
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Posted by Kate Wed Jul 29, 2009 10:56am PDT
hey, i was just wondering, can a period that last too long affect my chances of gettin pregnant? like a period that happens for months and months without stoping? just wondering.
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Posted by Wildflower007 Thu Jul 30, 2009 5:59am PDT
This post is heavy...the one that affects me is the age...I want to have a couple of kids, but I want to do it the right way and be married. But sometimes I just want to be a mom...currently 35...who knows...
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Posted by C Thu Jul 30, 2009 6:49am PDT
A few problems with this article...
I slightly disagree with "These things WILL NOT affect your fertility, Orgasm (yours)" It is true that if women couldn't get pregnant without coming, there would be many fewer unplanned pregnancies, but biologically, when a woman orgasms, it makes the cervix and uterus contract, creating a suction for sperm.
Also, the part about "Having sex too much" is also not totallyaccurate. Sperm is seen as a foreign substance in woman’s bodies, so our bodies fight it off and do its best to kill it. The more often sperm is present in the body; the more it will be accepted. Also, studies have now proven that it’s healthy for a man to ejaculate everyday for the healthiest sperm when trying to conceive.
I feel that this article is abit vague on all the facts and slightly misguided.
Not sure where these "facts" are coming from, but someone needs a crash course in sex and conception.
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Posted by DaisyGirl Thu Jul 30, 2009 7:09am PDT
Be Very Prepared to not get pregnant with the Depo shot! After I had my son I knew I didn't want kids for 2 more years. So, my doc put me on the depo shot. I was on it for a year and a half and then stopped the shots and waited and waited and waited to have a normal period or even ovulate. 15 months after my last shot wore off (so 18 months from my last shot)I finally got pregnant. But, never had a regular period and never ovulated (as far as I could tell using the home tests and basal temp and mucuos thickness). Now my thought process is... anything that affects your body that much and takes that long to go away can't be good for you. No more shot for me!
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Posted by Thu Jul 30, 2009 7:36am PDT
sure am glad i am a dude, what a pain, kids, why, really? in todays world. no thanks
starting a family now , with 24 trillion dollar debt in this country, our freedoms leaving,
kids having kids, no social justice, it is crazy world. it is one thing to adopt the kids who are
screaming for LOVE, it is another to add to the mess of the WORLD , i know i am a selfish punk a
....s....s but the reality is, i am honest, i have been tried to be pressured into kids , but i am selfish been there, please consider, it is not having KIDS, it will be watching them struggle so bad in the years to come, facing the reality of that, makes me want to pass, if you want kids, understand, the party is over in the USA, it is not coming back, life is life, will they be able to live it, if not then it is selfish to bring them here to fulfill a desire of your own.
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Posted by PHOENIX Thu Jul 30, 2009 10:03am PDT
We are in a recession, who's thinking about getting pregnant to become more behind in finances...........not a smart move
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