Infertility: The Basics
Infertility
If you’ve been trying to have a baby and are having trouble conceiving, then you may start to wonder if something is wrong and what you need to do going forward. Whilst you may know people who got pregnant straight away, around one in seven couples in the UK will struggle to conceive within a year of trying; this is known as infertility (1).
How common is infertility?
When it comes to trying for a baby, timing seems to be everything. Not just in terms of how often to try, but also how old you are when you try, especially as a woman. When under the age of 30, many women have a high chance of conceiving, but after the age of 36 this appears to decline quite rapidly to around 40% (2). Despite this many women are becoming mothers later in life and there are certain lifestyle factors which can affect success rates - things like stress levels, smoking, exercise, and your nutrition can all have a big impact on your fertility.
Causes
There are many reasons why a couple may be diagnosed with infertility and sometimes there is no clear cause. For men it is mainly down to their sperm quality and quantity and for women there are a few different possibilities:
Not ovulating regularly can be due to a whole host of things, one being how old you are, as fertility declines with age. Certain health conditions also impact ovulation, such as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) which can be linked to irregular or a lack of periods and ovulation.
Blocked or damaged fallopian tubes can make conceiving harder. Sometimes females are born this way, but this can also be caused by certain sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including chlamydia.
Endometriosis is a chronic, often painful condition where tissue like the lining of the womb appears in other places such as the fallopian tubes and ovaries (3).
Unexplained infertility can sometimes be diagnosed when a couple has been tested but no known cause can be found for why they aren’t conceiving.
Lifestyle Factors
Nutrition is important for both men and women when trying to conceive. Nutritional deficiencies and malnutrition can occur in both underweight people and those in bigger bodies, therefore a balanced diet with plenty of nutrients is essential (4). For more in depth information about specific foods, check out other blog posts on seeds and fertility and nuts and fertility.
Exercising regularly but not going overboard is crucial for fertility. Women who take part in high intensity exercise too often can harm their fertility as it may cause them to temporarily lose their periods (amenorrhea). On the flip side of this, not exercising at all can also have a negative impact on your fertility and overall well-being.
Smoking can impair fertility for both partners (3), so if one or both of you smoke, thinking about stopping and getting support with this is an excellent first step.
Alcohol is often a part of people’s lives, especially those of reproductive age. However, consuming more than the recommended 14 units per week can have a substantial impact on your reproductive health (6).
Stress is a big part of life, we all go through difficult periods and trying to conceive can become stressful, particularly if it’s taking a while or you need to go through treatment. Learning ways that work for you in managing this, and any other sources of stress, can be really important when trying for a baby.
Environmental exposure to certain toxins such as pesticides, heavy metals, and other chemicals in our everyday lives (4).
Treating infertility
If you or your partner are advised to go ahead with some form of fertility treatment, depending on your individual circumstances there are various options available:
Medications can be used to induce or support regular ovulation – commonly used to help women with PCOS who do not have regular periods.
Surgical procedures for treatment of endometriosis or repair of fallopian tubes.
Assisted conception procedures such as intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilisation (IVF) – however there are risks involved with these such as possibility of multiple pregnancy. IVF is increasingly becoming the most common method of treating couples with infertility (5).
If you think you may be experiencing difficulties conceiving, then speaking with your GP is the first step to investigate this further.
References
NHS, 2020. Infertility. [Online] Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/infertility/
Sharma R, Biedenharn KR, Fedor JM, Agarwal A. Lifestyle factors and reproductive health: taking control of your fertility. Reprod Biol Endocrinol. 2013;11:66. Published 2013 Jul 16.
World Health Organisation (WHO) 2020. Infertility. [Online] Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/infertility
Silvestris E, Lovero D, Palmirotta R. Nutrition and Female Fertility: An Interdependent Correlation. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2019;10:346. Published 2019 Jun 7.
British Dietetic Association (BDA) 2022. Dietitians in infertility and maternal health. [Online] Available at: https://www.bda.uk.com/specialist-groups-and-branches/maternal-and-fertility-specialist-group/dietitians-in-infertility-and-maternal-health.html
Van Heertum K, Rossi B. Alcohol, and fertility: how much is too much? Fertil Res Pract. 2017;3:10. Published 2017 Jul 10.
