Children tend to be taught the basics of reproduction and sexual health at school, around the time of puberty or shortly before, but there is a lot that isn’t covered. As a result, when we grow into adults, we often have a fairly limited understanding of fertility, especially as it still remains quite a taboo subject. This is particularly true of infertility; we often avoid talking about the problems some couples face when trying to conceive a child.
If you hope to have a baby one day, it’s important to try and educate yourself as much as possible about fertility and how to increase your chances of conceiving. Here are five fantastic facts to get you started…
1. Female Babies Are Born with the Most Eggs They’ll Ever Have
When a female baby is born, she has around 1-2 million eggs. With every menstrual cycle, roughly 3-5 thousand eggs are lost, until they eventually run out. Some women consider egg freezing as an option as this preserves their fertility until they are ready to have a baby in later life.
2. Ovulation is the Best Time to Try to Conceive
If you have a regular period, you should be able to determine when you are ovulating because it usually happens around 10-16 days before your period. You may also notice clearer cervical mucus and a small rise in temperature. Some women have other symptoms, like tender breasts or bloating. You could also use an ovulation test to determine when you are ovulating.
3. Your Diet Can Affect Your Fertility
If you are trying to conceive, you will need to consider your diet to boost your chances of conceiving. Eggs are one of the top fertility boosting foods because they are full of protein and Vitamins B12 and E. Oily fish, avocado, full fat diary and garlic are some other ingredients you should consider adding to your diet.
4. Endometriosis Can Affect Fertility
Endometriosis is a common condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows outside of the womb. This tissue is what breaks apart and causes a bleed during a period and when endometriosis happens in the ovary, it can cause a cyst, which may affect a woman’s ovarian reserve and their overall fertility.
5. Women Can Donate their Eggs
Egg donation is when a woman with healthy eggs donates them to another woman who is undergoing fertility treatment. It’s an extraordinary act as it can help a couple with fertility issues to have a baby. It is legal in the UK, but it is not legal to pay a woman for her eggs.
Of course, the five facts above merely scratch the surface and there is still so much more to learn about both female and male fertility. One thing to note, if you have been trying to conceive unsuccessfully for over a year, it might be wise to make an appointment with your GP so that they can carry out an assessment and find out if there is anything that could be causing infertility.
Sometimes cases of infertility go unexplained, but often doctors will be able to come to a conclusion and suggest your options. Bear in mind that if you have been using some form of contraception, it may take some time for your fertility to return to normal.
Did you know any of these facts previously? What other facts about female fertility do you know?
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