There are numerous factors that affect a woman’s ability to become pregnant, and to add an additional layer, all factors do not affect all women equally. Understanding the factors, though, and how they affect fertility is important when conceiving is not an easy task. Knowing these factors is also important for women who are not interested in conceiving at any given time since it can prevent an unwanted pregnancy.
Here are three factors that affect a woman’s fertility.
Ovulation
The most important factor to consider when attempting to become pregnant is ovulation. In order to conceive, an egg must be present. If there is no egg, there is nothing to fertilize, so knowing your cycle is critical. For most women, the 13 – 15th day in their cycle are the prime days for conception, but if you are not able to pinpoint them, you can purchase an ovulation test kit. A kit can help you predict your fertility cycle accurately, and some kits will, additionally, let you know if you can conceive at all.
Age
Women do have a finite number of eggs they will carry during their lifetime. As a woman ages, the release of those eggs slows down. For most women, that significant slowdown occurs at age 35 when she enters perimenopause and completely ends after menopause. Also, since a women is born with the eggs she will release during her life, those eggs age with her, too. The older the eggs, the less viable they become. This reduces the chances of getting pregnant due to the diminishing quality of the eggs.
Physical Activity
When it comes to physical activity and attempting to become pregnant, the goal should be to achieve a good balance. Some studies have shown that rigorous physical activity, like consistent aerobic exercise, can actually cause a woman to not ovulate. A woman who does not engage in vigorous physical activity, but is above her weight bracket, can also incur fertility problems due to hormonal unbalances being overweight can cause.
By age 30, a woman’s chance of becoming pregnant naturally per cycle is on average 20%. At age 35, the chances of getting pregnant declines significantly. By age 40, the chance of getting pregnant is 5% per cycle. If conceiving has become a difficult task, consider your ovulation cycle, age and physical activity, and then, visit your doctor.
