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Fertility Facts: 10 Things You May Not Know About Your Fertility

Dr. Carolyn R. Givens, one of our board certified fertility specialists

The article is especially helpful and informative to those who are currently trying to get pregnant, or thinking about getting pregnant in the near future. It highlights some key points that intended parents should be aware of and keep in mind when trying to conceive.

The outline of the article is listed below, in addition to a few very interesting snippets from each fertility fact. You can read the entire article and the full details of each of the fertility facts here.

Ten Little Known Fertility Facts:

1. Your fertility is mostly determined by genetics, which influences how many eggs you are born with.

“Doctors believe that the number of eggs you have at birth determines the length of time you will remain fertile”

1. Regular menstrual cycles are a sign of regular ovulation.

“Women who do not ovulate regularly have irregular menstrual cycles”

1. Basal temperature charting does not predict ovulation.

“The main problem with using this method is that your temperature rises after ovulation has already occurred A better method is to use over-the-counter urine ovulation predictor test kits such as Clearblue Easy”

1. Most women with blocked fallopian tubes are completely unaware they may have had a prior pelvic infection.

“About 10 percent of infertility cases are due to tubal disease, either complete blockage or pelvic scarring causing tubal malfunction.”

1. In most cases, stress does not cause infertility.

*“**Except in rare cases of extreme physical or emotional distress, women will keep ovulating regularly”*

1. By age 44, most women are infertile, even if they are still ovulating regularly.

*“**Even with significant fertility treatment, rates of conception are very low after age 43”*

1. Having fathered a pregnancy in the past does not guarantee fertility.

*“**Sperm counts can change quite a bit with time, so never assume that a prior pregnancy guarantees fertile sperm”*

1. For the most part, diet has little or nothing to do with fertility.

*“**Despite popular press, there is little scientific data showing that a particular diet or food promotes fertility”*

1. Vitamin D may improve results of fertility treatments.

*“**A recent study suggested that women who were undergoing fertility treatments, but had low vitamin D levels”*

1. Being either underweight or overweight is clearly linked with lowered levels of fertility.

“Having a body mass index less than 18 or over 32 is associated with problems ovulating and conceiving, as well as problems during pregnancy”

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