What Does Your Menstrual Cycle Say About Your Fertility?

One of the most common questions that most of the doctor asks for their patients is “When was the first day of your last period?” The answer to this question may feel like part of the usual routine at your annual gynaec appointment if you have been trying to conceive without success. The answer could provide important insight into factors related to the menstrual cycle and conception such as hormonal imbalances and ovulation.

What is Menstrual cycle?

The menstrual cycle is a series of changes a woman’s body goes through each month whereby the ovary releases an egg and the uterus prepares for pregnancy.

The first day of your chums or period is day 1 of your cycle and the start of the follicular phase. During this phase, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), is released from the brain to stimulate the development of a single dominant

Age matters to fertility

These days more couples are delaying starting family into early mid-thirties’. The golden age

for women to conceive in their third decade of life that is their twenties. As more women are delaying getting pregnant, it is even more important that they try and maintain healthy life style to maintain optimum fertility.

Age and Fertility

Women’s age plays an important role in their fertility, women are born with around 4-5 million eggs which remain in a quiet stage until they reach teenage years. From teenage onwards, there is a slow and steady loss of the follicles and only 400,000 – 500,000 follicles remain. The process of the drop in quality and quantity of eggs gathers pace around the mid-thirties’. It gains even more pace in late thirties and later as women enter into their 40’s. The chances of getting pregnant for women in their 40’s can be as low as 5% when compared to
25% in their twenties.

IVF Tips, DO'S AND DON'TS

In Vitro fertilization (IVF) is a blessing for infertile couples and indeed IVF trend has picked up in India from quite a while now.  When a couple chooses IVF for conception, it affects both the partners physically and emotionally.  There are a few things that you need to keep in mind to improve your chances of conception.

• First of all de-stress yourself; be calm and composed think positive.  Also avoid making
  
  major life changes such as moving to a new house or starting a new job the same time you’re going through the IVF process. As High stress levels are known to reduce fertility in both men and women and compromise the outcome of an IVF cycle.

• Take good care of yourself. It’s very hard to combine your job with an IVF treatment. Don’t stop living. Don’t put everything on hold for your big dream. The impact will be massive.

• Eat good amount of nutrients; before your IVF begin start eating fertility diet. Getting nutritious foods is vital for producing healthy eggs and promoting implantation of the embryo. Your diet should consist of 4-6 small meals each day and each should consist of some complex carbohydrate (such as brown rice or quinoa) interspread with fresh fruits and vegetables. For a fertility diet read here.

Ways to Boost Your Fertility

Dealing with infertility becomes further complicated with the strain in relationship between the couple. Both partners must keep the relations absolutely tuned and no internal conflicts or friction should arise. This is the time of providing complete physical, mental and emotional support to each other.

Known as unexplained infertility such a situation can often be quite frustrating for everyone involved. Unfortunately, it is quite common and can sometimes hinder the fertility treatment process. Up to 15 per cent of couples who visit a fertility clinic for treatment receive a diagnosis of unexplained fertility.

Healthy lifestyle is necessary for fertility. There have been studies that a majority of the infertility cases are occurring due to lifestyle diseases like endometriosis, rising obesity, irregular menstrual cycles and any more.

Age has direct and distinct correlation with infertility. Body strength, resistance, immunity and hormonal levels are at their peak during age and hence it is important to keep these factors under consideration. The vitality and sustainability of our body gets declined as we grow old. Therefore, it is always better to start infertility treatment at the early age.