Infertility is a lot more common than most people think. Believe it or not, about 1 in 10 couples experiences problems with conception at some point in their attempts. This may be with their first child, or they may actually have problems conceiving after they’ve already had a child. Usually the issues they are facing can be pinpointed by a medical doctor, but sometimes not. This is called unexplained infertility, when their doctors are at a loss to find a reason for why they are having problems conceiving.
When does it become unexplained infertility?
It would be shortsighted to assume that with your first few months of trying to having a baby that you’re infertile, or that the first time your doctor scratched his or her head in confusion that this means you have unexplained infertility. Medically speaking, a couple are not considered truly infertile until after a year of regular (twice a week on average) unprotected sex has not resulted in a pregnancy. A year may seem like a long time to someone who wants a baby, but considering all the many details that need to work in harmony for conception, it’s really no wonder that doctors give them this long.
Additionally, there are many common causes for infertility that your doctor will want to check first, such as a woman’s inability to ovulate at all or to ovulate a healthy egg, and a man’s low sperm count. These are probably the first two things that your doctor will check, but if these tests are negative or inconclusive, it doesn’t mean that you have unexplained infertility.
Options when you get the diagnosis of unexplained infertility.
For some couples, however, they have been through every test that is available and everything has come back in their favor, and yet, still no pregnancy. The man may have healthy, active sperm, and the woman may be ovulating a healthy egg regularly, but again, conception is just not happening for them. This is when the doctors begin to use the phrase unexplained infertility.
For these couples, there is still no reason to abandon hope. Medical intervention may be necessary, but is usually successful. If the woman has a healthy uterus that can support a fetus, the doctor may recommend in vitro fertilization, where an egg is extracted from her and fertilized with the man’s sperm in a lab, and then planted in her uterus to grow. By manipulating the man’s sperm and the woman’s egg in such a way, there is nothing left to chance. In most cases, this procedure is safe and successful, albeit expensive.
And of course there are other options available for any couple going through unexplained infertility, so again, there is no need to give up hope. Talk openly and honestly to your doctor about your concerns, and listen carefully to your options. The decision of course is yours to make, but in the end, you may be able to join other happy couples in welcoming home your new baby after all.