Causes of Infertility
Finding out the exact cause of infertility has been a tough job for medical researchers. A third of problems concerning fertility occur solely in women, another third in men and the remaining third are mutual. An estimated six percent of men are infertile. The highest cause concerning infertility is rooted in sperm problems, constituting 30 to 40 percent. Problems directly correlated with ovulation, fallopian tubes and cervix are the other areas of concern. The most common cause is low sperm count which reason is probably rooted from environmental pollution involving chemicals. Another problem is poorm sperm quality; even some men’s ejaculate contains antibodies to their own sperm. Sometimes sperm can hardly cannot penetrate the egg when they reach it or could be rooted from hormonal problems.
Ovulatory infertility is greatly caused by chromosomal abnormalities and endocrine dysfunctions. Emotional stress, strenuous exercise and excessive weight loss are primary reasons why this happens.
Cervical and uterine factors are strongly linked to physical problems or mucus-related problems. The physical problems of the cervix is more related to recurrent miscarriages than a cervical ovulation. Mucus related problems are either related to its thickness, quantity and anti-body content.
Listed below are some common specific factors that cause a couple’s infertility:
1. Stress: mental or physical
2. Physical changes in the pelvos as result of inflammation and infection
3. Extreme weight gain or less
4. Exposure to toxic substances e.g. radiation, heavy metals, drugs and nicotine
5. Excessive physical activity
6. Malnutrition
7. Chlamydia, caused by nongonococcal genital infection
Guidelines for an Accurate BBT Chart
Since measuring a woman’s basal body temperature can be really tricky, one has to be able to know what to do in order to measure her BBT as accurate as possible. Measuring the temperature at either a few degrees higher or lower than the actual BBT would only cause a miscalculation on a woman’s ovulation period.Here are some tips on what to do for an accurate BBT chart.
Start on the right track - Make sure that the first day of your BBT chart should be the first day of your menstrual flow. Do not include temperatures taken days before that. Once measured, expect that your temperature should drop when your menstrual flow starts, recording each reading everyday.
Indicate the dates correctly - You need to make sure you note the actual day of the month when you have taken the temperature. This is to correctly monitor your ovulation period. Make sure to use a dot instead of an X or check mark when recording your BBT, as well as using a downward-pointing arrow on days when you had sexual intercourse.
Use a more accurate thermometer - Instead of the regular thermometer, use an oral, digital thermometer that specializes in basal body temperature.
Take your temperature regularly - Your basal body temperature should be measured just after you wake up (without ever leaving the bed). Place the temperature under your tongue for two to three minutes.
Avoid error-causing activities - Never eat anything, drink anything, or smoke for about 12 hours before you take your temperature. (And when I say anything, this includes sperm!) You also need to note any special considerations such as an actual fever or any other illnesses.
Change charts regularly - Get a new BBT chart once you get your new menstrual cycle.
Avoiding Backaches During Pregnancy
Pregnancy is a very delicate phase for a woman, especially when it comes to her health. One of the problems pregnant women encounter is that they experience back pains. This is because ligaments become softer and stretch to prepare for labor, thus putting strain on the lower back and pelvis. They can also feel backaches as the baby grows inside their belly, and as the hollow on their lower backs may increase.Here are some steps to avoid such predicament.
Avoid lifting heavy objects - Doing so puts strain on your lower back, and it becomes worse during pregnancy. However, if you do have to carry something heavy, hold it close to your body.
Be aware of your posture - When picking or lifting something up from the floor, bend your knees and keep your back straight. You don’t wanna “squish” the baby.
Don’t twist your back - When turning around, move with your feet and make a wide turn. This is to avoid twisting you spine, and eventually hurt your back.
Wear flat shoes - These allow your weight to be distributed evenly.
Avoid stooping too much - When working, whether in the office or at home, make sure that the desk or surface is high enough so you don’t have to stoop most of the time.
Balance your weight - When carrying two loads on both hands, like two baskets, try to balance your body and not be pulled in by the weight of the heavier load, which would make you lean on one side.
Sit straight - When sitting, make sure that you back is straight and well-supported.
Sleep on a firm bed - This actually prevents your back from bending too much. If your mattress is too soft, place a piece of hard cardboard underneath the sheets.
Have a massage - Having someone massage your lower back actually relieves the pain.
Try wearing a support corset - This requires prescription from your doctor.
Get enough rest - Your back would feel more painful during the latter part of pregnancy as the baby inside you becomes bigger and heavier. Make sure you get enough rest by that time.
The Basal Body Temperature Chart
For women who wish to improve their chances at pregnancy, one of the most effective methods that they can use is the BBT (Basal Body Temperature) Chart. This chart allows women to keep a record of their Basal Body Temperature over a period of time to determine at which times they are fertile.The basal body temperature is the temperature of a woman’s body that is taken right after waking up from sleep before any physical activity has been undertaken. Differences in basal body temperature have been proven to help determine at which times a woman may be at her most fertile. This is due to the fact that ovulation can cause an increase in a woman’s basal body temperature by one half to one degree Fahrenheit. Charting will help determine a woman’s biphasic pattern, which is the tendency of women to have lower basal body temperatures before ovulation and then higher temperatures afterwards.
Keeping track of the basal body temperature on a regular basis can also help show signs of certain issues that concern a woman’s fertility cycle. Through the charts, a number of minor infertility issues can help doctors know a lot more about what is happening to a woman’s body and help provide necessary remedies to them. A fertility BBT Chart may be able to show if a woman is experiencing anovulation, the absence of ovulation during a cycle. This can be seen on the BBT Chart when there are no drastic temperature changes even as the menstrual period is experienced.
Women who have low estrogen levels can also be determined through the BBT Chart. This can be known when the pre-ovulation temperatures charted during a cycle are not low enough. Estrogen can cause the basal body temperature to drop. Low levels of estrogen will show on a woman’s pre-ovulation temperatures. In the same way, low progesterone levels may also be determined from a BBT Chart. But this time, they can be reflected through a record of post-ovulation temperatures that stay on or below the average temperature.
Through a BBT Chart, a thyroid dysfunction might also be determined. This might reflect by having either too low or too high temperature levels during the first week of menstruation. A reading that is too low may indicate an underactive thyroid. A too high reading during the first week of the menstrual cycle may indicate an overactive thyroid.
Keeping a BBT Chart would really be an important undertaking for women trying to conceive. A minimum of three month’s worth of BBT chart records may be able to tell how a woman stands when it comes to her fertility. Through the charts, certain fertility issues may even be determined and help doctors to further increase a woman’s chances of conceiving.
Early Signs of Pregnancy
If you’re trying to get pregnant, then you should know the common signs and symptoms that tell you’re expecting a baby. Getting a missed period or experiencing morning sickness is not always a sure sign that you’re pregnant. It is better to examine what these symptoms mean so that you could add up the signs telling that you’re most likely to be along the family way. Then you can take a simple pregnancy test or consult your doctor to confirm your pregnancy.Here are the early signs of pregnancy and how they are likely to tell that you’re pregnant:
Missed period. Although missing your period is not always a sure positive sign, this is more probably a good indicator of pregnancy. That is why if you’re planning to get pregnant, keep in mind the day that you’re expecting your period. This is the time that you should be taking home pregnancy tests. In rare cases, there are women who still have their period through out their pregnancy. Also some women experience implantation bleeding at the time of their period, although these are usually shorter or lighter than their normal period.
Morning sickness. Usually, having nausea and vomiting are associated with pregnant women. But not all pregnant women experience morning sickness. It also may not affect you until two weeks or a month after missing your period. Other variations of the sickness may also occur. Some women get sick at night, some are sick the whole day, while others come and go with their own pattern.
Breast changes. This is one of the earliest signs of pregnancy. Such breast changes may include fullness, tenderness, heightened sensitivity, changes in size, and darkening of the areola. Breast tenderness is usually experienced by many during their pregnancy and before their menstrual cycle.
Fullness and bloating. Some women immediately start to bloat, while some experience fullness prior to their periods. Sometimes the symptoms of pregnancy are just like those of PMS. But don’t always rule out that you’re pregnant once you experience PMS. Some also feel pain in the abdominal area or complain of constipation and diarrhea during pregnancy.
Increased urination. Once you’re pregnant, your blood volume and kidney size both increase. These factors make you experience more frequent urination.
Mood swings and irritability. Changes in hormones make headaches more frequent during pregnancy. Fatigue combined with hormonal changes also cause most pregnant women to have mood swings and become more irritable. But remember that these are also signs of PMS.
Vaginal discharge. A slight increase in vaginal secretions may be a sign of pregnancy. This happens because the cervix is building mucus to block its opening, protecting the baby from infections. Remember that such vaginal discharge should not smell, itch or burn. Otherwise it may indicate an infection which will require proper medication.
Factors Influence Your Basal Body Temperature
It is very important to take your basal body temperature (or BBT) first thing in the morning so that you won’t have many variables that can influence it. This makes your measurement more accurate and more reliable for identifying your fertile phase. Here are some factors that could affect your BBT readings.
Occasional high temperature - If your temperature is artificially high because of fever, a restless night’s sleep or alcohol consumption the night before, you may want to cover the outlying temperature with your thumb when you are interpreting your chart.
Write the lowest possible temperature (the part that lies on the edge of your thumb) as well as your highest temperature at that moment so that it doesn’t interfere with your ability to decipher your chart.
Any physical activity - Even the slightest shaking of the thermometer before taking your temperature is enough physical activity to slightly increase your BBT. Remember that you are monitoring your temperature up to the tenth decimal point, so a little difference in the temperature can be interpreted differently.
With that in mind, take your BBT upon awakening, about the same time of day, after at least three hours of consecutive sleep, and before doing anything such as talking on the phone, drinking water, and getting up to urinate.
Smoking - Never smoke a cigarette if you are trying to get pregnant, or are already pregnant. This is also considered a physical activity that should be avoided before taking your BBT.
Checking the coverline - One way of properly interpreting your BBT chart is to be able to draw a “coverline.” To do so, you need to remember that you are checking your last six temperatures at a time. Once you see a temperature of at least two degrees higher than the highest of the last six days, you assume that you’ve had a thermal shift.
After which, count back six temperatures, highlight them and draw the coverline, which is one-tenth of a degree above the highest of those temperature. Once your temperatures have been above the coverline for at least three days, you can be virtually positive that you are fertile.
How to Take a Pregnancy Test
Pregnancy testing is really not that difficult. However, it carries a lot of importance, especially to the one who is taking the test. You want to be sure that the result would be accurate because there is a lot of difference between being pregnant or having a false alarm.
Here are some steps you should take in taking a pregnancy test and be more confident in your test results.
Purchase a pregnancy kit - You will need to select a pregnancy test and purchase it. Some women feel more comfortable with certain brands or types of tests. However, most tests are fairly equal to one another despite its branding and cost. You may want to purchase several kits in order to confirm the first test result after a few days.
Read the instructions - Even though pregnancy tests are simple to use, be sure to read all of the instructions before taking the test yourself. Some instructions even have illustrations or written in a foreign language aside from English. Not following the instructions completely would easily affect the results. Most test kits provide you with a number to call if you have further questions.
Open the test when you are ready - Have a clean space where you could lay the test’s components down. Be sure that you have everything that you need before you begin. Don’t forget to bring along a watch or timer, as it could help you answer many questions about your test reading.
Collect your urine - There is one rule in taking the test that you really shouldn’t following: how to put your urine in the test, especially if the instruction tells you to aim for the pregnancy test stick or a specimen cup. Doing so could be messy. It is perfectly acceptable to collect your urine in a clean cup and simply dip the test stick in it or use the dropper included with your test. However, when to collect your urine is crucial. Most tests request that you use the urine that you excreted the morning that you expect your menstruation period or the next day before taking the test.
Read the results - Most pregnancy test are designed with two windows: a control window that would tell you the test was working correctly and a testing window that would give you the results. You should always have a line in the control window. Meanwhile, if the testing window contains a line (or two, or a plus sign, depending on the test’s instructions), then you are pregnant. You should also make sure to follow the time instructions on reading the test, as most results become affected after a certain period of time.
