It gets frustrating and overwhelming when a couple decides to start a family and not get pregnant. Couples nowadays have vast knowledge about the best ways to get pregnant, such as having regular intercourse, tracking the fertility window, taking prenatal vitamins, and cutting down on alcohol, smoking and caffeine. Even after following all these best practices, some couples are trying to conceive for 2 years and are still not pregnant. Today’s young couples are seeing more and more delays in getting pregnant naturally. We at ZIVA Fertility Centre will try to answer your questions about why, in spite of Trying to conceive for 2 years, I am still not pregnant.
Trying to conceive for 2 years and still not pregnant, should you think you are infertile?
Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive after one year of unprotected sex if the woman is under age 35 and after six months for a woman 35 and older. The latest statistics show that 12% to 15% of couples are having trouble getting pregnant. After these timelines, if there is no conception, it’s more likely that there’s a problem preventing pregnancy. If the female partner is above the age of 40 when you start trying, please always consult with a reproductive specialist at the beginning.
What are the causes of infertility if you are trying to conceive for 2 years and still not pregnant?
Both the male and female partners’ health conditions have an impact on the ability to create a pregnancy. So, both partners should get an infertility evaluation done. But another word of caution is that in about one-third of couples who are infertile, the cause is unknown.
Causes of infertility in women, if you are trying to conceive for 2 years and still not pregnant?
Fallopian tube obstruction: Women may suffer from blocked or scarred fallopian tubes. Either of these problems will prevent the sperm from reaching the egg, so fertilisation does not happen. Risk factors for fallopian tube obstruction are a history of pelvic infections, sexually transmitted diseases or endometriosis.
Ovulation disorder: Ovulation irregularities obstruct the release of the egg into the fallopian tubes. So, it is difficult to predict the accurate fertility window. Ovulation disorders are due to:
- Infrequent or missing periods.
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
- Hormonal imbalances
- Unmanaged stress
- Low or excess body weight.
Uterine abnormalities: If women have Uterine fibroids, scar tissue, endometrial polyps or an abnormally shaped uterus, then it becomes difficult for a fertilised egg to attach to the uterine wall.
Causes of infertility in men, if you are trying to conceive for 2 years and still not pregnant?
Sperm disorders: Men who suffer from a low sperm count, abnormally shaped sperm, or low motility will find it difficult to impregnate their female partner. In some men, there is no sperm in their semen, medically known as Azoospermia.
Varicoceles: In this condition, the swollen veins in the scrotum cause male infertility. When the veins are blocked, the scrotum’s temperature rises, making it too hot for sperm to thrive. Varicoceles is also a leading cause of low sperm count.
- Poor sperm delivery.
- Premature ejaculation
- Retrograde ejaculation is where the semen goes backwards into the body
- Erectile dysfunction
- Blockages in the testicles
Factors to check if you have been trying to conceive for 2 years and are still not pregnant
The following risk factors apply to both men and women in varying degrees:
Age: Is your age above 40? In those cases, getting pregnant naturally becomes challenging because the number of eggs reduces with age.
Men produce sperm throughout their lives, but beyond a certain age, the quality of sperm reduces. Even if women conceive with weak sperm, it could lead to miscarriages or congenital disabilities.
Body weight: If either of the partners is overweight, it causes many health complications in women, mostly PCOS and hormonal imbalances. In both partners, it could cause diabetes, thyroid, and heart problems, which are all detrimental to pregnancy. Fertility problems also arise from too low a body weight. In women, fertilisation fails, and miscarriages or premature birth occurs.
Cancer treatments: Testicular or ovarian cancers make it very difficult for natural conception. Consequently, cancer treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy or hormone therapy adversely affect fertility in men and women.
Lifestyle choices: If either of the partners is into heavy drinking, drug abuse or smoking, their fertility reduces. All these habits should be avoided during pregnancy for the healthy growth of the foetus.
Do either of you have conditions such as diabetes or kidney disease? Even chronic stress can make it harder for couples to get pregnant.
Diagnosis to find out why you are not getting pregnant even after training for 2 years.
If you’re having trouble conceiving, please consult an infertility specialist, and they will do the following:
- Physical examination
- Careful review of your medical history
- Blood work to check ovulation,
- Hormone levels
- Thyroid function
- Make sure no sexually transmitted diseases are present
- Scans to prevent the woman’s uterus and fallopian tubes
- Semen analysis to check the health of the sperm
Should you think of infertility treatment?
The infertility evaluation determines the next course of action. Some issues, such as fibroids or varicoceles, can be treated with medicine or surgery.
- Oral or injectable medications help improve ovulation patterns, and more than one egg is released each month, increasing the likelihood of conceiving.
- ART – Intrauterine insemination (IUI): Good quality sperm is directly injected into a woman’s uterus when she’s ovulating. IUI saves the sperm from swimming up the vaginal canal to fertilise the egg, which increases the chances of pregnancy.
- ART – In vitro fertilisation (IVF): During this procedure, healthy eggs and sperm are fertilised in a laboratory. The best embryo with the most excellent chance of success is selected and transferred to the uterus, where it may implant and create a pregnancy. The remaining embryos can be frozen for later IVF cycles if the couple decides to have more children.
The bottom line is that there are numerous reasons why “Even after trying to conceive for 2 years and still not pregnant.” The good news is that there are various medical treatments, ART options, and surgical options available to conceive. For more information, please visit our website https://zivafertility.com/ or at +91-9100002737 or +91-9392834024.
