Why Am I Not Getting Pregnant?' 22 Possible Reasons

Couples struggling to conceive volition know how frustrating it gets after several unsuccessful attempts. There tin can be dissimilar reasons for not getting pregnant. And if you lot know them, you may exist able to achieve a successful conception by fixing the outcome.

So, in this postal service, nosotros tell yous about all the possible factors behind your inability to conceive and advise some constructive solutions and treatment options. Read on.

How Long Does It Accept For A Woman To Get Pregnant?

If you lot are healthy and your reproductive parts are functioning at their all-time, you have a 25% probability of becoming pregnant during every menstrual wheel (1). According to the statistics presented in Before Your Pregnancy by Amy Ogle and Lisa Mazullo.

Of all couples (women younger than thirty years) trying to excogitate:-

  • 30 percent volition conceive within the initial month (first cycle)
  • 75 percent will conceive after six months
  • 85 per centum will conceive inside one year (12 cycles)
  • 90 percent volition excogitate later one year
  • 95 percent will conceive afterwards two years

What Are The Almost Mutual Reasons For Not Getting Significant?

While your periods may be regular, a number of everyday activities can bear upon your chances of formulation. Allow usa know about them:

ane. Besides much or too piffling sex

Sex is probably the nearly basic human need for pleasure and reproduction. And, people tin can be in the extremes when it comes to this (1).

Having as well much sex activity: Some people believe that having more sex could lead to conception. But this may not always exist true. Though frequent sex will not decrease the vigor of a man'south sperm, it can cause potential health problems such as fatigue, dizziness, weak knees, and frequent urination. If you indulge in a lot of sex merely to have babies, it could lead to Burnout (a state of fatigue, depleting your energy for sex). In this case, when the actual fertile window is open, either partner may not be interested in sex. And, every bit a couple you lot lose an opportunity to conceive.

Having likewise little sex: Y'all may be cutting down on intercourse to save the sperm or you only have sex during ovulation. Just staying without sexual activity for many days may touch on your conception. You lot could miss your fertile phase when sexual activity is express as yous may not ever exist correct nigh your ovulation.

What next?

Attempt to have sex oft and keep a close picket on your ovulation dates. If you have irregular periods or problems tracking your fertile window, use an ovulation kit. If the result shows that ovulation is due in one or ii days, accept sexual practice during that fourth dimension. Keep in listen not to accept sex only for having a baby, because so y'all can't enjoy the process.

2. Over-stress

Stress will take a cost on your health both physically and mentally and affect your ability to get pregnant. Other emotional disturbances such as low and anxiety can lower your fertility levels. You should exist at-home and in a balanced state when trying to conceive. Stress hampers the hypothalamus functions, which control the pituitary gland. This gland regulates adrenal, thyroid, and ovaries and affects the periods, even leading to irregular periods.

What adjacent?

You should give yourself some time to come out of the stress stage to improve your chances of conceiving. To beat stress, you could bring together a support group, see a psychologist, bring together yoga for fertility, meditate and exercise (2).

iii. The man-problem

One of the principal causes of infertility is low sperm count and poor sperm motion (due to structural abnormalities). This factor accounts for 30 to 40% of infertility problems in couples (3).

What adjacent?

The foremost step is to see a md or a fertility specialist for workup and treatment. For low sperm count or motility, testosterone supplementation or Clomid could help sometimes. After exhausting all the reasonable non-invasive options, in-vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) could be a solution. IVF involves mating the egg and sperms exterior the human body, and transferring the fertilized egg to the vagina. In ICSI, a single sperm is picked and directly injected into the egg (4).

4. Running to the bath after sex activity

Many women rush to the bath afterwards making love to clean up. It is essential to stay in bed for some time later on sexual practice to ensure that the sperm gets a chance to reach the egg and fertilize it. If y'all get upward and blitz, every bit soon every bit you are done with the act, you are letting gravity drag the sperm down and the rest of it is done abroad when you make clean up. And, this could be one of the natural reasons for not getting meaning.

What next?

Focus on relaxing and lying in bed for a while later on sex so that you can improve your chances of conception and pregnancy (v).

5. Undergarments too tight

Women article of clothing tight undergarments for proper shape, and also to accentuate their torso and figure. But, you may be hampering the functions of your reproductive organs. In men, sperm production goes down, and in women, the air-apportionment reduces and leads to discomfort or vaginal infections.

What next?

Clothing well-fitted, but cotton undergarments to avoid infections. This will reduce sweat and moisture-related issues, and allow your privates to exhale and relax (6).

vi. Sleeping less

Sleep impecuniousness tin strain and exhaust the body and touch on the functions of the immune system. This increases your chances of getting infections, and in turn, affects the reproductive cycle. The same applies to men. Infections could develop into fever, and excess body heat can damage the sperm. Women may feel anxious due to lack of slumber that could bear on their menstrual wheel (seven).

What adjacent?

Get enough sleep to stay healthy. In instance you suffer from insomnia, consult your doctor.

7. Nether or overweight

Being besides thin or too fatty will as well affect your chances of conceiving. If you are undernourished, y'all will not ovulate well. If you're on the heavier side, then it will hamper your fertility. Therefore, an platonic body weight is what helps, and if you are much over your platonic BMI, there are fewer chances of conception fifty-fifty if your ovulation is regular (8).

What next?

Maintain a salubrious diet and lifestyle. Indulge in moderate fettle routine. Yous may bank check with your healthcare provider for nutrition and supplementation guidance.

8. Over-apply of lubricants

Studies country that vaginal lubricants negatively bear upon the motion of the sperm and interfere with fertilization. This is true for both over-the-counter and homemade lubricants.

The reason – the pH of cervical mucus produced before ovulation is ideal for the survival of sperm and its motility. But lubricants have an acidic pH, which is enough to kill sperms. Also, the sperm's motility is affected past the thickness of the lubricants and their h2o content (nine).

What adjacent?

Foreplay is the best lubricant for conception. Take your time to go into the mood. If that doesn't work, employ warm water or coconut oil for lubrication as it is non-toxic and will non interfere with the sperm's motility. If you still require lubricant while trying to get pregnant, you can choose "fertility friendly" lubricants such as Conceive Plus or Pre-Seed (x).

nine. Poor lifestyle choices

Common lifestyle factors such every bit smoking, drinking, drug abuse, and caffeine affect your fertility. In men, these factors decrease the sperm count and motility and in females, they cause irregular ovulation.

What side by side?

Quit these habits, particularly a few months before you lot program to conceive. Switch to healthier life choices. Too, avoid the use of bogus sweeteners and exposure to chemicals (eleven).

10. Environmental pollution

Environmental toxins are known to harm both men and women. Exposure to pollutants such as chemicals, pesticides, cigarette smoke, polychlorinated biphenyls, plastics, food packaging, and personal intendance products (soaps, shampoos, and cosmetics), could affect your health, particularly fertility. Studies say that they lower the couples' power to excogitate by 29% (12).

What next?

Though it is inevitable to avert exposure to environmental toxins and chemicals, you should endeavour to avoid them as much equally possible.

  • Cease using pesticides for your plants and lawn. Cull organic foods.
  • Apply organic and natural personal intendance products.
  • Article of clothing protective gear when you are working in chemical-decumbent areas, and always remain in highly ventilated places.

All of the to a higher place reasons are lifestyle choices or environmental factors that affect the ability to excogitate. Now, let's look at some medical causes of not getting significant.

Medical Causes For Not Getting Pregnant:

In some cases, the egg may become aborted naturally, while in others, the couple could endure from impotence. Y'all must, however, requite yourself a year to conceive. If things don't work out by and then, then you lot may reach out to a doctor for diagnosis and treatment. The causes of infertility are unlike in men and women.

The medical causes of infertility in women are:

11. Irregular periods

Women who exercise not menstruate regularly take more difficulty in getting pregnant. Irregular periods indicate inconsistent ovulation, and conceiving without an egg is incommunicable. Therefore, the less you ovulate, the less are your chances of getting pregnant (xiii).

How tin I get pregnant with irregular periods?

A doctor can help you discover the underlying cause for irregular periods and offer the treatment appropriately. You should likewise focus on a salubrious diet, attain platonic weight, perform moderate exercises, and take fertility enhancing supplements as suggested past the doc.

12. Endometriosis

This is a chronic disorder of the reproductive organisation in which the endometrial cells grow outside the uterus. It can cake the fallopian tubes preventing fertilization or the fertilized egg from traveling towards the fallopian tubes or could make the environment unhealthy effectually the egg.

This condition tin crusade irregular and/ or painful periods, severe pain while penetration during sex, painful bowel movements, and frequent urination along with a feeling of bladder being full during menstrual wheel, or chronic pelvic pain (14).

What could exist the possible handling?

There are many treatment options for endometriosis that may or may not include surgery to diagnose and stage the endometriosis. Normally laparoscopy is recommended to diagnose and treat endometriosis at the same fourth dimension. Suppression of endometriosis can lead to fertility in most but not all cases.

thirteen. Ovulation problems

Nigh xx to twoscore% of infertility bug in women are acquired due to irregular ovulation, which prevents the release of mature eggs from the ovaries. Where some women can never ovulate, others ovulate once in a few months. Hormonal fluctuations, excess weight proceeds or loss, excessive exercise, or severe stress could be the central reasons of ovulatory disorders (15).

What could be the possible treatment?

Your doctor will likely inquire you to move to a low carb diet, exercise to improve insulin sensitivity, and recommend some supplements or prescription medications . Later, they might prescribe ovulation stimulators such as gonadotrophins, Clomifene, prolactin suppressants or IVF cycles.

14. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

It is a complex condition acquired past a hormonal imbalance, which interrupts ovulation. Modest cysts are formed in the ovaries that disrupt ripening of ovarian follicle and maturation. The other possible symptoms include irregular menses, weight gain, backlog pilus growth, and acne.

What could exist the possible treatment? Changes in diet, irresolute lifestyle that help control weight, and medical treatments such equally  Inositol supplementation, ovulation stimulatory drugs (gonadotrophins, clomifene) along with IVF, can treat PCOS (xvi).

15. Tubal diseases

Damaged or blocked fallopian tubes prevent eggs from reaching the uterus and sperm from reaching the egg, thus preventing conception. These conditions could arise due to sexually transmitted diseases, pelvic inflammatory diseases, or sterilization surgeries or endometriosis.

What could be the possible treatment?

Laparoscopic surgery could help open up and repair the tubes or could be treated by IVF (13).

16. Egg cistron

The egg quality and quantity decline effectually late 30s and early 40s. Women are born with approximately ane to ii million eggs at birth and the eggs gradually lessen to 300, 000 by puberty. And then about 300 mature and release through ovulation. And by menopause, you lot accept minimal eggs left.

What could be the possible treatment?

As the loss of eggs is an irreversible procedure, y'all should try to plan pregnancy in your fertile age. Also, try losing weight if yous are overweight, quit smoking, manage thyroid issues (if you accept any), and take supplements including fish oils, prenatal vitamins, probiotics, vitamin D, and Coenzyme Q10. These can amend egg quality.

The possible solutions if the above do not piece of work are egg or embryo donation, adoption, or surrogacy (17).

17. Low progesterone levels

After ovulation, the corpus luteum (the remnant egg follicle) produces progesterone to support embryo implantation during early pregnancy. The deficiency of progesterone in this phase is called a Luteal Stage Defect (LPD), and may be one of the reasons for infertility. Fifty-fifty if you excogitate, the placenta and fetus would non grow farther, causing non-viable fetus or early fetal loss. Other medical conditions such as prolactin or thyroid abnormalities could lead to aberrant luteal functioning (xviii).

What could be the possible treatment?

Your doctor may refer yous to a reproductive endocrinologist. The treatments include progesterone supplements, progesterone injections, or suppositories to thicken the uterine lining for embryo attachment.

18. Cervical mucus problems

Cervical mucus usually changes its consistency to clear and elastic forms so that the sperms can easily move through the mucus into female person reproductive organs. In a example of cervical fungus abnormalities, the mucus prevents the sperm from passing through. The mucus may contract an infection, or contain antibodies that kill sperms. These problems are encountered in women with chronic cervicitis or a narrowed neck from prior surgery (19), and lead to pregnancy failure.

What could be the possible treatment?

Identifying and treating infections and using assisted reproductive methods such every bit IUI and in-vitro fertilization, help solve the trouble.

The medical causes of infertility in men are:

19. Sperm bug

Poor sperm mobility, depression or no sperm count, and abnormally shaped sperms can decrease a man'southward fertility.

What could be the possible treatment?

Fertility drugs and testosterone supplements could be the first line of treatment to heave sperm product. The adjacent options are IUI and ICSI (20).

xx. Tube blockages

Blockages in the epididymis (a long coiled tube that lies behind testicles and stores mature sperms) and vas deferens (the muscular tube that carries sperm from the epididymis to the ejaculatory duct) could adversely affect the send of fertile sperms. The obstacle in the tubes could be due to infections including gonorrhea or chlamydia, nascency defects, or injuries. Besides, varicoceles (enlarged veins in the scrotum) will affect sperm mobility.

What could exist the possible treatment?

Wellness practitioners usually adopt surgical correction of tube blockages, which corrects fertility (20).

As well lifestyle choices and medical reasons, there are a few other factors that tin can affect fertility.

Are At that place Any Other Factors That Bear on Fertility?

Yes! Unexplained and combination reasons business relationship for almost 25% and 40% respectively of all infertility cases (21).

21. Unexplained infertility

Of all infertility cases, 25% are diagnosed every bit unexplained infertility, due to failure in finding the actual cause even after a range of tests and assessments. Both partners undergo a variety of tests without whatsoever definitive results. Though you lot may non really have any problem, information technology results in defoliation (22).

What side by side?

Doctors usually propose the next best footstep, which is to conceive past having regular intercourse (without focusing on having babies). If it doesn't work even after a couple of years, you may be given an IVF treatment.

22. Combination infertility

Hither, both the partners are diagnosed with fertility problems, or when one of them has a couple of fertility issues.

What adjacent?

Appropriate treatments are offered according to the cause of infertility.

In women, sometimes the menstrual bicycle may change in intensity and duration. This could also directly affect fertility.

Are Heavy Periods A Sign Of Fertility?

Heavy periods are not a sign of fertility, and sometimes could signal a different problem. You may feel fatigued and worn out. In the process of losing more than blood, you volition lose the essential body resources built over time. If you lot get sudden, heavy periods, y'all should immediately talk over with your doctor (23).

Can You Become Meaning At Any Time Of The Month?

Information technology is not possible to get meaning at anytime of the month. You must be ovulating in order to conceive. This means that you should take sexual practice in the days leading to and around ovulation. The two to iii days earlier ovulation and the day you ovulate are most fertile days (26).

You must, withal, understand that fertile days do not necessarily mean that everything is operation well.

Are You Fertile If Y'all Have Regular Period?

If y'all take regular periods, your chances of fertility are high. Yet, fertility is tricky equally at that place may exist reasons that could prevent conception despite having a good number of eggs.

If you have been trying to conceive for months or years and failing, then y'all must see a fertility specialist or gynecologist to dominion out the possible causes. Also, recall that you do non always demand medical assistance for formulation. Certain lifestyle changes could naturally help you conceive.

How Tin can Yous Become Pregnant Faster?

In one case you lot determine to have a babe, you may want to go pregnant faster. There are means to boost your likeliness of conceiving quickly.

  • Schedule a preconception check-up or counseling
  • Stay away from birth control pills a few months earlier you try to conceive
  • Effigy out your ovulation time. You could utilise an ovulation predictor kit.
  • Have sexual practice at the right time
  • Give sperm a boost by improving diet, exercising regularly, limiting chemical exposure, and consuming supplements
  • Eat a good for you and nutritious diet
  • Relax and have fun while making dearest

The sooner you implement these changes, the faster you lot tin can become pregnant (25).

While some couples have issues getting pregnant the first time, others accept issues conceiving a 2d time. And we'll tell you why.

Reasons For Not Getting Meaning The 2d Time

Your fertility tin can reduce from your get-go pregnancy and women may observe it difficult to become pregnant for the 2d fourth dimension. This is known equally secondary infertility. Hither are some common reasons for non getting significant:

  • If y'all are a woman over 35 years, and then the egg count will fall, leading to no or lesser eggs
  • Men over 50 accept a decreased fertility and abnormal sperm
  • Changes in ovulation and menstrual cycles due to hormonal dysfunction, weight issues, stress, medications (steroids, antibiotics, and antihistamines), and substance corruption (drugs, tobacco and alcohol)
  • Complication in your first pregnancy or labor
  • Damage to fallopian tubes due to intestinal surgery, endometriosis, sexually transmitted infections (24)

If yous are unable to conceive subsequently several attempts, yous may wonder, why am I not getting pregnant? Improper intercourse, low sperm count in men, health issues in women, stress, obesity, and lifestyle practices are some factors that could be contributing to this situation. Y'all may track your ovulation cycle to take timely intercourse, maintain a balanced nutrition, reduce stress, and implement certain lifestyle changes to improve your chances of formulation. Withal, if y'all accept been trying to get pregnant, but are unsuccessful, contact a fertility specialist or gynecologist to identify the underlying issue and work towards an appropriate solution.

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Dr. Anita Gondy is an Ob/Gyn at The Ob-Gyn Middle in Las Vegas. In practise since 1998, Dr. Gondy began her medical training at Rangaraya Medical College in Kakinada, Republic of india and completed studies at the University of Nevada School of Medicine, where she as well did an obstetrics and gynecology residency. She is also a Fellow member of The American College... more

Rebecca is a pregnancy writer and editor with a passion for delivering inquiry-based and engaging content in areas of fertility, pregnancy, birth, and postal service-pregnancy. She has been into wellness and wellness writing since 2010. She received her graduate degree in Biotechnology and Genetics from Loyola Academy, Osmania University and obtained a certification in 'Nutrition and Lifestyle in Pregnancy' from Ludwig... more