Once you hit puberty, you likely learned about the symptoms of pregnancy to be aware of, especially when you started having intercourse. From missed periods and weight gain to unusual cravings and mood swings, many people know about the signs to look out for. But do you know about the signs that show you’re unable to get pregnant?
If you believe that you’re unable to get pregnant, there are signs that go beyond a negative pregnancy test. It’s important to know about potential ways that your body is trying to tell you that you’re unable to conceive. But what’s even more important is knowing the steps to take after you recognize those signs.
We’re going to discuss the signs you should be on the lookout for when it comes to the inability to get pregnant. You’ll also learn about the options available that can help you increase your chances of getting pregnant despite those signs.
5 signs that you can’t get pregnant
It can be surprising to some people that there are ways you can tell if you’re unable to conceive a child even before you bring up your struggles to your doctor. Your body will often exhibit signs that you can take note of so that you’re able to take the required steps to get the treatment you need to fight against infertility.
Here are five signs that a female can’t get pregnant:
- Irregular periods — Many women take birth control for years before they decide to conceive. After you stop your birth control method, it can take a while for your menstruation to regulate. But if you’re unable to track your cycle due to irregular periods, then it can be difficult to know when you’re ovulating. Irregular periods are often linked to medical issues that cause infertility.
- Lack of period — If you’re not having a period, that means that you’re most likely not ovulating either. Without ovulation, your ovaries are unable to release eggs for fertilization. When an egg isn’t released during your menstrual cycle, it’s called anovulation and can be a sign of infertility.
- Heavy periods — Infertility may be linked to endocrine abnormalities or bleeding disorders that cause women to have heavy periods. A heavy period is usually defined by blood clots larger than a quarter or needing to change your pad or tampon in less than two hours.
- Bleeding between periods — After your menstruation is over, you should not have any more bleeding or spotting. If blood is coming from your vagina between periods, then there is possibly something else occurring inside the uterus that’s resulting in blood, which may be linked to infertility.
- Pelvic pain — It’s common to experience cramps during your period, but severe cramps that cause pain in your pelvis throughout your menstrual cycle shouldn’t be shrugged off. You also shouldn’t be feeling pelvic pain after sex. If you’re experiencing pelvic pain, you may have a disease or infection that’s causing scarring, which could interfere with conception.
Treating signs of infertility
As we mentioned earlier, the signs of infertility usually stem from a disease or disorder. It’s important that you mention these signs to your health care provider so that they can help you treat the underlying issues. Then, a fertility specialist can help determine the best treatment options based on the issue you’re diagnosed with.
- Polycystic ovarian syndrome.
- Thyroid disorder.
- Endometriosis.
- Uterine polyp or fibroid.
- Cervical lesion.
It’s important to note that 30% of couples who seek treatment for infertility are diagnosed with undiagnosed infertility due to no definitive cause that can be identified.
3 options to explore when you can’t get pregnant
When you learn that you have a medical issue that is causing infertility, don’t let yourself be defeated. There are several treatment options that you can discuss with your fertility specialist to increase your chances of conception. They will determine which option will work best for you based on your medical history.
Here are three potential options to fight infertility:
- Ovarian stimulation (OS) and ovulation induction (OI) — When you’re exhibiting signs of ovulation issues, such as irregular or a lack of periods, it’s important to start your treatment by stimulating ovulation and increasing the amount of mature eggs released. This will likely include a prescription of oral tablets of clomiphene citrate or letrozole to increase the number of ovulated eggs released from the fallopian tube during your cycle.
- Trigger shot — If you have anovulation, endometriosis, or unexplained fertility, your fertility specialist may recommend an injection of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) coupled with OS. HCG helps to release the mature eggs in your ovaries during ovulation. To get the best timing, the shot will be administered 24 to 36 hours before ovulation, which should coincide with intercourse.
- Intrauterine insemination — If you’ve been diagnosed with unexplained infertility, your fertility specialist may recommend intrauterine insemination. This is a procedure that involves sperm being directly implanted into the uterus. The goal is to increase the number of healthy sperm cells that could potentially fertilize an egg in the fallopian tubes.
Fertility Cloud can help when you’re seeing signs of being unable to conceive
Infertility can be frustrating, especially when it comes from a medical issue that needs further treatment, such as PCOS or a uterine polyp. But the good news is that Fertility Cloud is here to help you fight against those signs and increase the chance of getting pregnant.
Contact our team by phone today for more information or book an initial appointment online with a fertility specialist.