So you and your partner have decided to start a family. This decision is one that fills most couples with joy, excitement, and hope for the future. While the happiness and dreams of the future that come with growing your family often brings couples closer together, for other couples, the path to parenthood is a difficult one.
For 1 in 8 couples, the path to parenthood is filled with unexpected twists and obstacles. And for many of these couples, the struggle to achieve and maintain a pregnancy can go on for years before they make the decision to seek help. But when should you seek fertility help? And what can you do now to increase your chances of success? Below, the experts of SIRM Dallas go over four reasons why you should not put off seeking fertility treatment.
1. Age is a Major Factor in Fertility
For both men and women, age plays a role in fertility. For couples, infertility is defined as being unable to conceive after a year of trying – unless the woman is 35 or older. In those cases, couples should seek treatment after six months of trying without success. In couples where the woman is 40 or over, help should be sought as soon as the couple decides to start a family. So why the difference among age groups? As women age, both the quantity and quality of the eggs a women has begins to decrease, meaning that while a woman may not have had trouble conceiving at 28, she will likely need assistance after age 35.
But age can impact a man’s fertility as well – while the impact on male fertility is less pronounced than with women, male fertility begins to decline around age 40. At this point, many men will experience a decrease in sperm quality, meaning that it will take them longer to impregnate a partner, and any resulting pregnancies are more likely to result in miscarriage.
Want to get started? Schedule an appointment with our fertility specialist, Dr. Saleh, today.
2. Earlier Intervention Can Mean Lower Costs
For many women who are older, more invasive procedures like IVF may be tried right off the bat to increase their chances of conception. But for women who seek fertility help sooner, less invasive (and less expensive) options may be able to help them achieve a pregnancy.
Younger women have a higher likelihood of having a large reserve of quality eggs, meaning that interventions like fertility medications or intrauterine insemination (IUI) are more likely to be effective.
If you have questions about the financial options available to you through SIRM Dallas, contact our financial team today.
3. Detailed Health Information
When a patient comes in for their first visit at SIRM Dallas, they receive a full workup that provides a wealth of general health information to patients. For many patients, infertility is caused by an underlying health issue they weren’t aware they had. These issues (such as PCOS or thyroid diseases) can cause a variety of health problems now and down the line that can impact quality of life. Thanks to the full fertility workup these patients receive, they can learn if they have an underlying health condition that causes hypertension or a thyroid disorder, letting them begin treatment early. Learning that you have an underlying disease is the first step to treating it and taking charge of your health.
4. Planning for the Future
More women than ever before are looking to delay parenthood in order to pursue personal and professional goals. For these women, time is still of the essence! Women can now preserve their future fertility through elective egg freezing, giving them the ability to build a family when the time is right. But women considering this option should move forward as soon as possible to increase their chances of success. As women age, their egg reserve decreases (along with egg quality). Women who choose to freeze their eggs earlier have a higher likelihood of freezing enough high quality eggs to give them the best chance of conceiving in the future.
Want to learn more about freezing your eggs? Contact our team today.
When it comes to your fertility, the sooner you can get help for any issues you may have, the more likely you are to be able to eventually bring home a baby. If you and your partner would like to learn more about your treatment options, contact the fertility experts at SIRM Dallas in Dallas, Texas at 972-566-6686 or request an appointment today.