Conception problems – tests to find any problems

For some couples falling pregnant is as easy as falling off a log, but for others it seems nigh impossible. This can be a very trying time and the stress of not falling pregnant often makes it more difficult to do so. Most women fall pregnant within the first month or two of trying, for others it may take 6-8 months or even a year. This is all dependent on the mother’s age, stress level and health.

If you have been trying to get pregnant for some time and it hasn’t happened you may want to have some fertility tests to check if there is any problem. You may also want to investigate some natural ways to increases your chances for example acupuncture has been known to help women succeed in falling pregnant.

The following four fertility tests are the ones most commonly used to find out if there are any problems.

Hormone testing. A series of blood tests taken at different times will verify if there is a normal hormone production or not. These blood tests measure the amount of progesterone and find out whether or not there is sufficient to allow a pregnancy to continue. Another hormone test is carried out to detect the amount of the hormone prolactine, which is responsible for producing breast milk. Faulty thyroid function can also hinder conception. A simple blood test can determine if the thyroid is producing eight too much or too little hormone which may be interfering with conception.

Ovulation. Gynaecologists can check for regularity of ovulation in the cycle. Doctors recommend an ovulation predictor kit to track cycle length. A Normal ovulation cycle includes periods that are regular, there can be mid-cycle spotting and/or cramping and there can be PMS symptoms.

Chlamydia and gonorrhea cultures.

Both Chlamydia and gonorrhea cause infertility problems and both viruses are preventable. Without testing these conditions are difficult to detect because there is a lack of symptoms. They can be detected by a cervical culture that is taken with a swab like the ones used in Pap smears to check whether or not a woman is infected.

Sperm analysis.

The sperm count and health of a man’s sperm is undertaken to evaluate the quantity and quality of sperm.