Infertility affects over six million women! That is a lot of women who struggle with conceiving a baby or are completely incapable of becoming pregnant. This is unfortunate because that is 6 million couples that cannot share in the joys (and pains) of parenthood.
The causes of infertility in women are numerous. They can range from a birth defect to a medical condition, to the lifestyle a woman leads. To be more specific, here are some of the main issues women face when battling infertility:
- Eating disorders
- Thyroid issues
- Too little exercise; too much exercise
- Obesity
- Cysts in the reproductive organs
- Damage to the uterus or fallopian tubes
Some of these can be overcome. They will require effort on the part of the woman looking to get pregnant or she may need to seek out the help of a medical professional to beat the cause of her infertility. There are some causes that can never truly be defeated. But there are ways around them that can have a woman — or any of the six million women for that matter — having a child to love and raise.
Exercise and Dieting
As mentioned above, one of the leading causes of infertility in women can be there weight. Most often, this is a result of being overweight. While this can sometimes be a symptom of a medical condition, this is not always the case. Obesity stores too much fat in the body for a healthy pregnancy along with increasing the chances of preeclampsia or gestational diabetes.
As with health in general, getting on the proper diet — not an extreme diet such as the keto diet — will make sure that your nutrient intake is measured in the right amounts from the right sources and keep you from gaining any additional weight. Exercise is essential for losing the weight they already have. If someone is not used to exercise then you will want to take it slow. They can start by walking or beginner’s yoga, just to build up some endurance and prepare you for the next level. When they are able to, they can step up to some cardio workouts that will get their body moving and their heart pumping. They can try a dance class or increasing their speed to a run.
Too Much Exercise
It is possible to do too much exercise, and this can lead to infertility. If someone burns too much of their body fat off too quickly, the sudden loss will cause the body to react adversely. Some bodily functions may be shut down because the body thinks something is wrong; basically, it goes into survival mode. The reproduction system is nonessential to the body’s operations, therefore it will get turned off until the perceived danger has passed.
In Vitro
IVF, In Vitro Fertilization, is the process of removing an egg from a woman’s body and inseminating it directly with the father’s sperm. Then the egg is placed in her uterus where it can grow into a baby. This method of insemination has proven to be a better option than other methods for women to get pregnant. It gives them the biggest chance of success over the other methods. If exercise and dieting are not enough, or other health factors continue to be the cause, then IVF can help.
Adoption
When all else fails, there is a third way of beating infertility. It does not rid a woman’s body of the causes of the inability to conceive but it does circumvent the effects they have on the body. Adopting a baby — or an older child — can be just as rewarding as if a woman gave birth to one. It is taking a small creature and bringing it into her home; caring for it, feeding it, loving it. The maternal instinct will kick in and although it is not biologically hers, that little baby will be hers emotionally and in every other way possible.
Image Credits: Infertility from Chinnapong/Shutterstock
