 DECIDING TO HAVE A BABY |
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Today it is not uncommon for couples to plan their families very carefully considering all the factors and waiting until the time is just right to have a baby. Most couples assume that once they stop using birth control, pregnancy will happen right away. Although this occurs without too much diffifulty for the majority couples, others soon realise that conceiving is not as easy as they anticipated. At some point in their lives, atleast 15% of couples will experience some degree of infertility with all of its accompanying feelings and frustrations. Infertility is defined as the inability to carry a pregnancy to live birth. There may be reasons for this including the fact that some eggs do not fertilize, some sperms are not able to reach the eggs and some fertlilized eggs do not develop well in the early stages. |
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The facts about infertility |
How does a couple know if there is a problem? Generally, if a couple has not conceived after having unprotected sexual intercourse two to three times a week for a year or more, or for 6 months if the woman is over age 35, infertility may be a factor. Many couples who do not conceive easily have specific problems causing their inferlity. They may be related to the woman, the man or both partners. It is important for both partners to understand the problems and the available treatments and to discuss them as a couple with their doctor. |
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What are my chances ? |
For most couples the chance of getting pregnant during any given month is about 25%. After 3 months of trying, about 60% of couples will conceive. By the end of the first year, about 85% of couples will conceive.
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The Good news about infertility |
Great strides are being made in the diagnosis and treatment of infertility. About 65% of the couples who seek medical help eventually succed in having children and the day may not be far when every couple seeking treatment can be guaranteed a success. Depending on the underlying cause, many relatively simple and affordable procedures are available to treat infertility.
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