Amazon.com lists over 8,000 items under the search term "fertility"

Timing crucial in achieving pregnancy

Catherine McDiarmid-Watt | Thursday, March 24, 2016 | 0 comments

Image: Pregnancy test, by Lesli Lundgren on freeimages.comA survey of women seeking fertility assistance to become pregnant found most did not know which days of the menstrual cycle they were fertile and most likely to conceive.

In the first study of its kind in Australia, Monash University researchers surveyed 204 infertile women seeking fertility assistance to achieve pregnancy at two Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) clinics in Melbourne.

It found only 13 per cent of the women could correctly identify the specific days of the menstrual cycle, just before and during ovulation, that women were fertile and could become pregnant.

Published in the International Journal of Advanced Nursing, the study found 68 per cent of the women believed they had accurately timed intercourse within the fertile days of their menstrual cycle in their attempts at natural conception before seeking professional advice.

Principle investigator Kerry Hampton, from Monash University's Department of General Practice, said the findings highlighted a gap between what women wanted to know about the days they were fertile and what they actually knew.

This study found a majority of the women seeking fertility treatment had insufficient knowledge of when to time intercourse to optimize natural conception, Ms Hampton said.

It would appear that a gap exists between what women desire in relation to fertility-awareness education with the knowledge and understanding of health professionals and what they actually know.

Ms Hampton said poor fertility awareness could be a contributing cause of infertility, which affects approximately one in six Australian couples.

Accurately timed intercourse on fertile days of the menstrual cycle may reduce the time it takes a couple to get pregnant, helping some to avoid unnecessary ART treatment, Ms Hampton said.

Fertility education should be a fundamental part of pre-conception care, and the primary care of couples when they first report difficulty conceiving.

The study found 87 per cent of the women experiencing difficulty achieving a natural pregnancy tried to improve fertility knowledge. The most frequent sources of information were the Internet and books.

Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive a pregnancy after 12 months of unprotected sexual intercourse.

The best time to conceive is the three days just before and including ovulation, which occurs about 14 days before the start of a period.

Source

Photo credit: Pregnancy test,
by Lesli Lundgren on FreeImages
Some rights reserved



TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
Image: Take Charge of Your Fertility (Teach Yourself), by Heather Welford. Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton; 1 edition (September 1, 2011)-Take Charge of Your Fertility (Teach Yourself)
by Heather Welford

-- Explains everything the prospective parent may need to know as they face the physical, emotional and practical challenges of trying for a baby.

It covers health issues in full, from basic biology and an explanation of fertility and cycles to outlining what supplements are useful and what aren't, and how you can maximize your chances by following a healthy diet and cutting alcohol or nicotine intake.

There are plenty of resources and guidelines for parents facing difficulties, including a guide to the medical options, and advice on how to seek further help.

It will help couples to deal with the emotional issues faced when trying for a baby, and will also give practical information on who you should tell and who you must tell, and when.

With coverage of all aspects of very early pregnancy, from do-it-yourself tests to the very first scan, it will be a useful resource which will help all prospective parents, whether looking to start or to expand their family.

Image: Buy Now on Amazon.comPaperback: 192 pages
Click to order/for more info: Take Charge of Your Fertility

Image: Buy Now on Amazon.comStart reading Take Charge of Your Fertility on your Kindle in under a minute!

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.






Category: , , , ,

Catherine

About Catherine: I am mom to three grown sons, two grandchildren and two rescue dogs. After years of raising my boys as a single mom, I remarried a wonderful man who had never had a child of his own. Unexpectedly, I found myself pregnant at 49!
Sadly we lost that precious baby at 8 weeks, and decided to try again. Five more losses, turned down for donor egg, foster care and adoption due to my age and losses - we have accepted that there will be no more babies in our house.

Find Catherine on Google+ - Circle us on Google+ - Join us on Facebook - Follow us on Twitter

0 comments

WE LOVE COMMENTS!
Don't just sit there, reading this story or article - say something! Do you believe it? Do you think it is impossible? Do you wish it was you? Do you have a story to share (it might get published!)

NOTE: Comments are moderated - just to stop the spambots - and so may take up to a few hours to be approved.

Catherine reserves the right to review, edit, refuse or delete any comment.

Popular Posts