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Having problems conceiving?

Having problems conceiving?

If you're having trouble getting pregnant, you could be feeling very upset and isolated. But 25 per cent of couples experience a period of infertility that can last up to a year and about 1 in 10 will need medical help. Here's help coping with infertility.

While it may seem that people all around you are falling pregnant at the drop of a hat, it can take time to conceive. You only have a 20% chance of getting pregnant each month. After a year of having unprotected sex, one in seven couples won't have conceived. But 90 per cent of couples conceive within two years.

If it's not happening for you there are some practical things you can do to help. Both you and your partner need to eat healthily, quit smoking, cut down on alcohol and have lots of sex, of course!

Try to pinpoint when you ovulate (release an egg), so you can make sure you're having sex at the optimum conception time. It's normally halfway through your cycle. You can buy an ovulation kit from the chemist, or you may know yourself when you ovulate. (Many women feel a pain in their ovary when an egg is released mid-cycle and you produce a clear, stringy mucous discharge.)

If you're under 35 and haven't become pregnant after a year of unprotected, regular sex, then you should see your GP for fertility advice. If you're over 35, see your doctor after six months and ask for tests.

By Julia Shaw

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kelly, 4 months [Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment.]

im a 27yrs old, ive got a girl aged 4, me and my partner have been trying for a baby for 2yrs, but recently ive been diagnosed with pcos. im on tablets called provera to help me get my periods back, but ive just had my blood tests back and they state that i did not ovulate last month, my doctor was supposed to prescribe me with clomid tablets but now they have refered me back to another hospital, is there anything else i can take to make me ovulate on my own without waiting for the doctors to get back to me as ive been under them for nearly a year now and they dont seem to be doing anything for me???? please help as this is really getting me down. as i think my time is running out because i'll be hitting the 30 mark soon. thank you.

Randi, 4 months [Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment.]

Hi, My Husband and I already have one child together. She is 2, and getting pregnant with her just seemed so easy. I had a C-section with her. Now we are trying for baby # 2 and have been trying for probably about 6 months now and no luck. I have gained weight since then too. I am 26 and my husband is also 26. I was wondering if having a C-section could jepordize my chance of getting pregnant as easily? And also the weight that I have gained, could that be another factor too?

Nicola, 7 months [Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment.]

Hi, i am a 23 year old female and have been married for almost a year now. shortly after getting married my husband and i decided to start trying for a family. before we were married i was on the depo injection for almost 3 years and we have been having unprotected sex for 9 months now with no luck. i understand that it can take upto a year for things to get 'back to normal' but i was wondering if there was anything i could do to help us conceive. any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

vikki, 8 months [Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment.]

hi mynames vikki i'm 20 and my partner is 30 we' ve been seeing eachother for 2 years noe and decided to start trying for a baby about 12 mnths ago and as yet no luck! ( i know you all gonna hate me for this)i had an abortion when i was 16 and my mother told me then that there was a high chance of me not been able to concieve in the future. could anybody tell me if this is true? my partner knows all about it and keeps telling me its not my fault but i just cant help blaming myself and its getting me down. everybody in my family has loads of kids and this is the only thing i can think of why am not getting pregnant .

Donna, 8 months [Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment.]

I am 37 years old and my partner and i have been trying for a baby for 6 months. I have been following all your advice about healthier lifestyle, i know exactly when i ovulate but still nothing. My partner is 42 and has 2 young children from a prerviously marriage, so i know he is probably fine. I have had surgery 2 yrs ago for endometriosis and endometriomas and told that although damage was caused to my fallopian tube, they were tested and were patent at this time. I have since had a smear and was told i had a large cervical cyst which was obstructing my cervix and i have been told that the plan is to lazer the cyst. Could the position of this cyst be preventing the semen from reaching my uterus? Or could it possibly be the surgery 2 yrs ago that has affected me becoming pregnant?

LISA PLATT, 8 months [Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment.]

I AM 39 YEARS OF AGE AND TRYING AGAIN FOR MY 4TH CHILD - WE HAVE BEEN TRYING FOR ABOUT A YEAR BUT JUST RECENTLY USED THE CLEAR BLUE HOME OVULATION TEST - I HAVE JUST DETECTED MY FETILE TIME AND GOT A SMILEY FACE - WHAT ARE THE CHANCES NOW OF BEING PREGNANT? ANY ADVICE AS I AM DESPERATE FOR SOME INFORMATION. WITH MANY THANKS LISA AND CLIVE PLATT.

sher, 9 months [Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment.]

im 29 had an etopic 6 years ago and cant get pregant since im with my parter 5 and a half years we want a baby so bad i have watched all my family an friends have babies wat can i do

Sel, 9 months [Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment.]

I am 27 years old im still on the pill me and my husband want to try for a baby, However when is the best time to come off it and when do we start. This really scares me incase i cant have children ive always been so paranoid about this i know i shouldnt i guess, as i havent even tried yet. Need advice?

lynne, 9 months [Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment.]

hi my name is lynne i already have a family of 3 i am 38 and im desperatly along with my husband trying for another child our youngest is 12 i no im luckier than some to already have children. i have been off of the pill now for 6 months can you give me some advice on why its taking us so long to get pregnant this time around. thank you so much

Michelle Jones, 10 months [Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment.]

Hi, me and my partner have been trying for a baby for 4 years now, we went to our GP and we had tests done, we have been told my partner has slow sperm mobility. We have been told we will have to have IVF but it really scares me can anyone give me any encouragement with regards IVF!! x

Claire, 10 months [Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment.]

Like may of the letters posted myself and my partner have been trying to concieve for 18 months now with no joy.Both of us get dissapointed every month with no glimpse of hope.People seem to be pregnant all around me and we just have no luck, i dont want our relationship to suffer just because we long for a child of our own.

emma, 11 months [Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment.]

I am 27 and my partener 29,we have been trying for a baby for 5 years now,we have had 2 lots of failed fertility treatments,my docter says this is probaly becouse im producing poor quility eggs,but nobody has told me i cant have children,so i will always have hope.all of my docters have been wonderfull,and have been a great support.and anyone who has been trying to concieve for more than 2 years deserves this and has the right to ask there gp for referals to there hospital.

carrie, 11 months [Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment.]

i am 20 my partner is 27, we have been together 5 years and we have just started tryin for a baby again this year. i have always wanted a baby. i wanted a baby last year we tried but it didnt happen. i wanted it so bad everytime i thought i was, i just was let down. i got depressed and didnt even want to have sex. do bigger woman have more problems gettin pregnant?

angela, 11 months [Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment.]

hi, my names angela, me and my hubby have been trying for a baby for 10 years with no joy. We have both had two IVF treatments which both failed. We have run out of funds to have more treatment. Im 31 my husband is 32. Everyone around us has young children or are having babies. It really is upsetting for us. Though we just smile, deep down we both keep asking when will it be our turn. People and family dont really understand how you feel as they havent been threw it. Please have a second opinion from the doctors or hospitals which you might attend as we were both told that we were fine at the first hospital and that I had a high FSH and my husband had low sperm count at the second hospital. Im due to go in for a small opp next week to check for a blocked tube, cysts and endometreosis. So please dont give up I havent. The funny thing is this month I havent had a period in the last 44 days, but Im to scared to do a test. Hope I can help someone out there.

vikki, 11 months [Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment.]

i am 20 me and my partner have been together 2 and a half years, we started trying for a baby last year and after 11 months of trying and getting nowhere i couldn't take the heartache and depresion anymore so we stopped trying for a while then 3 months ago we decided to start trying again and it just seems its not going to happen i don't know what to do everyone in my family has always caught within 5 months of trying

Kirsty, 11 months [Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment.]

This article has been very helpfull My partner and I have been tryig for 2.5 years and no luck yet i;m 27 and he's 28

nic, 11 months [Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment.]

i am a 24 year old female currently at university but live at home with my partner we have been trying for 2 and a half years i found this article helpful and have visited my GP he advised me to attend again in a couple of years and not to worry i have had no blood tests or received any relevant info regarding this. as you can imagine it has left me feeling like there is no help out there available other than the internet. xx many thanks xx

carrie lamb, 11 months [Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment.]

we have been trying for 4 years i am 24 we both smoke would that have something to do with it

Lisa, 11 months [Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment.]

My partner and i have been trying for 3 Months after having a coil removed, we have used an ovulation test this month, now have fingers crossed, as i am 34, how long should we wait before we go to the doctor for advice or fertility tests if we dont conceive?

laura, 11 months [Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment.]

i am a 19 year old female i have been in a relationship for 4 years now and we have been trying for a baby for nearly 2 year and we having got any where at all we have both been to the doctors we r both fine all my bloods are ok and my partner sperm is fine i am having problems copping with it i keep breaking down and crying all the time every time i walk in a shop i go striaght to the baby bit and ging looking at prams n things i am having a very hard time its getting my down and depressed what can i do ?

rebecca boddy, 11 months [Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment.]

i found the article very helpfull, many thanks.

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