Have you been thinking about getting pregnant for a while now and finally you feel you are ready to adventure into the motherhood journey? Well, we have put together a list of questions you should ask yourself before taking action:

How Old Are You?

Healthy women under 30 years of age don’t need to worry about infertility unless they have been trying for over a year.

But women over the age of 30 should talk to their doctor because a woman’s chances of becoming pregnant decrease after women turn 30. If you are 30 years of age or older and have been trying to get pregnant for over six months without success, then you should talk to a specialist.

Women with the following health issues should see a doctor as soon as possible:

Irregular periods or no menstrual periods.
Painful periods.
Endometriosis.
Pelvic inflammatory disease.
More than one miscarriage.

However, no matter how old you are, it’s always a good idea to talk to a doctor before you start trying to get pregnant. Doctors can help you prepare your body for a healthy pregnancy. They can also answer any questions you might have on fertility and give you tips on conceiving.

Are You Taking Care of the Controllable Factors that Contribute to Infertility from Your Lifestyle?

These factors contribute to infertility:
Stress.
Poor Diet.
Athletic Training.
Being Overweight or Underweight.
Tobacco Smoking.
Alcohol.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs).

It’s up to you to manage your stress, diet, physique, and your smoking and drinking habits to give you the best chances of getting pregnant.

Have You Considered These Factors?

Financial Assistance

Depending on your insurance, you may or may not be covered for fertility treatments. But don’t get discouraged by this. There are many grants and scholarships available to help out those in need of financial assistance.

Time

It takes time to make sure you are taking care of the controllable factors that contribute to infertility. Trying to get pregnant is a journey. So, put your best foot forward by keeping to a schedule that works for you.

Self Care

If you haven’t started a self-care routine, you should consider starting one. A healthy mind and body make the fertility journey smoother. Sometimes couples or individuals need to see a therapist or join a support group to gain the tools to cope with the stressors of trying to get pregnant. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help.

Have You Explored All Your Options?

There are many different medications and assisted reproduction technologies (ART) that are common for doctors to recommend patients that suffer from infertility.

While you don’t need to know what each medicine does on the molecular level, you should have an understanding of its functions and side effects. Call SMP Pharmacy today if you need more information on these common medications.

Common medications include:

Clomiphene citrate (Clomid) is an orally ingested medication that is typically used for women who have PCOS. It causes ovulation by acting on the pituitary gland.
Human menopausal gonadotropin or hMG (Menopur) is a type of medication that is injected to treat women who have ovulation problems because of their pituitary gland. It works by acting directly on the ovaries to stimulate ovulation.
Follicle-stimulating hormone or FSH (Gonal-F, Follistim) is similar to hMG. This injectable works to stimulate the ovaries.
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (Gn-RH) analog is a type of medication that can be injected or administered by nasal spray. It is used for women who don’t ovulate regularly every month and works by acting on the pituitary gland.
Metformin (Glucophage) is a type of medication that is orally ingested. It is used to treat women who have insulin resistance and/or PCOS and works by lowering the levels of male hormones in the patient. Metformin is sometimes combined with clomiphene citrate or FSH.
Bromocriptine (Parlodel) is used to treat women who produce an excess of prolactin, a hormone that causes the production of milk.

It’s also important to consider the following types of assisted reproduction technologies (ART):

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is the most effective ART. First, Women are treated to produce multiple eggs. Next, the mature eggs are removed, and in a lab, they are put in a dish with healthy sperm. After the eggs are fertilized, 3 to 5 days, the embryo is implanted into the uterus.
Zygote intrafallopian transfer (ZIFT) or Tubal embryo transfer is similar to IVF. Fertilization occurs outside of the body in a lab, but the embryo is placed into the fallopian tubes instead of the uterus.
Gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) is a type of ART that transfers eggs and sperm into the fallopian tubes, meaning fertilization happens in the body.
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is a type of ART that transfers an egg into a woman’s uterus or fallopian tube after it has been injected with a single sperm.

Conclusion
Talk with your partner and health care provider about the options that are right for you. Consider the amount of time, money, and effort you are willing to put forth into becoming pregnant and be willing to reach out to the right resources for help.