Getting Pregnant: Why Do Some Women Have Difficulty?

Becoming a parent is a dream for many women and men. But sometimes, despite their best efforts, it can be difficult for some couples to conceive. Naturally, when attempts have been inconclusive for several months or even years, we begin to wonder about our fertility. However, in most cases, it’s not a case of infertility. Indeed, there are many reasons why we fail to get pregnant. Fortunately, there are treatments available. So, why is the pregnancy test never positive?

Difficulty getting pregnant: When to worry?

Unless you are a very fertile woman and have a partner who has no problems conceiving children, you will not get pregnant overnight, even if you have frequent sexual intercourse.

Why can’t I get pregnant the first time?

First, a woman’s fertility changes. It peaks in her twenties. Between the ages of 25 and 30, fertility is generally at its peak, especially if she has regular intercourse. However, it’s perfectly normal not to get pregnant right away.

There are several reasons for this:

First, each ovulation cycle only has a 20% chance of resulting in pregnancy, so it’s normal not to get pregnant quickly.
After stopping the pill, it takes some time for ovulation to return to optimal levels. While some women get pregnant easily after stopping the pill, others take longer. On average, a woman becomes pregnant 7 months after stopping hormonal contraception.
An unhealthy lifestyle can contribute to difficulties getting pregnant. Smoking, an unbalanced diet, and stress can all impact your pregnancy plans. Obesity is also a risk factor.
We can have psychological blockages that lead to psychosomatic repercussions.

You may have an irregular ovulation cycle, which makes fertilization more difficult to predict.

So there are many reasons why you might not get pregnant. And yet, they should not be interpreted as signs of fertility or fecundity problems.

I haven’t gotten pregnant for a year.

If you’ve been unable to conceive for several years, there may be more complex and complicated causes to address. If this is your case, you can first schedule an appointment with a gynecologist via teleconsultation to learn more and get advice.

I can’t get pregnant: what are the causes?

If sometimes the timing isn’t right for getting pregnant, there may be more complicated reasons. But be careful: just because you’re having trouble getting pregnant doesn’t mean you’re not fertile.

Miscarriage

Although a traumatic event, miscarriage affects 20% of pregnancies. They are very common during a first pregnancy. However, miscarriage is not necessarily a symptom of infertility: it is most often due to a chromosomal abnormality.

Poor lifestyle habits combined with the consumption of foods that are prohibited during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage.

Blocked fallopian tubes

In some women, fertility problems can be caused by a blockage of the fallopian tubes, the organ that houses the fetus. The blockage, therefore, prevents the proper development of the fetus.

This problem can be caused by:

Endometriosis
Sexually transmitted diseases ( STIs ) such as Chlamydia
Pelvic inflammatory disease

Uterine fibroids
A large ectopic
Complications related to a cesarean section, a miscarriage, an abortion…

There are surgical ways to unblock the fallopian tubes.

Absence of ovulation

Ovulation disorders can be caused by abnormalities or dysfunctions in the ovaries.

This can be caused by:

hormonal dysfunction
low secretion of progesterone or estradiol, two female hormones that influence the menstrual cycle.

In cases of hormonal dysfunction, hormone treatments can be used to restore normal function. In the rarest and most serious cases, the ovaries are atrophied or absent.

Infertility

In the rarest cases, patients may suffer from infertility. In France, it is estimated that for 15% of couples aged 40 to 44, the infertility rate is between 14 and 20%. Infertility can affect both men and women.

Support for fertility problems

Although fertility and fecundity issues can cause a lot of doubts and fears, it is important to know that there are many solutions to get pregnant.

When should you make an appointment with a fertility specialist?

As soon as you feel the need to contact a specialist to find out about your fertility problems, you can naturally turn to a professional.

What tests should I do?

Just as many causes can make it difficult to get pregnant, many tests can be performed to diagnose a possible fertility problem.

First of all, you can carry out a medical interview with your gynecologist (to find out if there are any symptoms) and a gynecological examination (to check that there are no apparent problems).

You may be required to have a gynecological ultrasound, a non-invasive technique to check for abnormalities in the reproductive organs.

MRI can sometimes be used to examine tissue (in cases of endometriosis, for example).

A uterine x-ray (or hysterography ) may be performed to check for uterine malformation.

The infertility assessment

In some cases, when the source of the problem is not understood, both partners are asked to undergo an infertility assessment:

In women, this consists of an assessment of ovarian reserve, a pelvic ultrasound, an exploration of the uterine cavity and fallopian tubes, a pelviscopy, and a hysteroscopy.
In men, this consists of a spermogram to assess the vitality and number of spermatozoa.

What are the possible solutions?

Depending on the cause and severity of the problem underlying the difficulty getting pregnant, there are different solutions.

What behaviors should you adopt to get pregnant?

It is essential to have good dietary hygiene. Therefore, you must eliminate alcohol and cigarettes, but you must also avoid foods that are forbidden during pregnancy. Therefore, you should avoid caffeine, raw milk dairy products, raw fish, etc.

It is also important to have a healthy lifestyle. It is therefore necessary to maintain your physical condition, get enough sleep, exercise, and above all, avoid stress.

It is important not to focus too much on getting pregnant. Although it may seem complicated, obsessively thinking about getting pregnant can have negative consequences, such as psychological and psychosomatic blocks.

Know your fertile days to know when to get pregnant

Getting pregnant can be a simple matter of calculation. Indeed, when you have a regular cycle, it is important to calculate the days when you are most fertile. Women are only fertile for 6 days a month. These are the 5 days before ovulation + the day of ovulation. Ovulation occurs mid-cycle, approximately 5 days after the end of your period.

Possible treatments in case of great difficulty in getting pregnant

There are drug and surgical treatments available to treat fertility and infertility problems.

Firstly, hormonal treatment can be used to combat ovulation disorders in the event of insufficient production of oocytes.
In some cases, surgery can be a solution to getting pregnant. This is the case for unblocking the fallopian tubes, resolving endometriosis, or even for fighting malformations and benign tumors.
Artificial insemination: This involves introducing sperm into the uterus using a catheter
In vitro fertilization ( IVF): This medically assisted procreation (MAP) technique consists of bringing an egg and a sperm into contact in vitro, in the laboratory, before being transplanted into the uterus.