Women are most fertile between the ages of 20 and 24, and by the age of 40, only two in five women will be able to have babies. The longer a woman waits to have a child, the more her chance for an unsuccessful pregnancy. However, there are cases where older women have healthy pregnancies and can carry children to term, whereas even women who fall into the age range with the best chances of getting pregnant (20-24) may not be able to carry a baby. Many women struggle with getting pregnant on their own, and after months and years of the exhaustive process of trying to get pregnant, they decide to look into more information and possibly undergo IVF treatment.

What is IVF and what does it stand for?

IVF stands for in vitro fertilization and is a process which involves extracting eggs from the woman and retrieving a sperm sample from a man, and then manually combining an egg and sperm in a laboratory dish. Once they are combined, the embryo(s) are transferred to a woman’s uterus where she carries her baby.

What kind of doctor do I need to see?

The person who helps a couple carry out this process is a primary reproductive endocrinologist. An endocrinologist is a kind of health professional who studies the endocrine system. This system is what control hormones in your body, which is why this kind of doctor would be associated with pregnancy, something that has everything to do with a woman’s hormones. Fertility begins declining for women from about the age of 30, dropping even more after the age of 35. An endocrinologist can sit with you and discuss fertility treatment options, and help you understand the IVF cycle.

What is a woman’s chances of becoming pregnant without IVF?

Generally, a woman who is between 29 and 33 and who’s male partner is between 29 and 33 will only have a 20-25% chance of conceiving each month, granted they both have normal functioning reproductive systems. Now, many other factors can affect this number and make it lower, such as drug and alcohol consumption, diet, sleep, and frequency of intercourse. Stress also has an effect on the fertilization process.

How is the IVF cycle different from my menstrual cycle?

Though they are similar, the one thing that sets these processes apart is that the eggs are extracted during the IVF cycle when they are mature, and no ovulation happens. These eggs are then taken, fertilized with the sperm in an IVF lab, and then put back into the woman’s uterus, where she will carry her baby to term. As you know, a woman’s menstrual cycle involves ovulation, which is when a mature egg is released from the ovary, pushed down the fallopian tube, and then is available for fertilization by a male’s sperm.

Who’s fault is it if I cannot get pregnant?

There are tests available to see who of the two of you might be infertile but for the most part, one-third of infertility is attributed to the female partner, one-third attributed to the male partner. However, there is another one-third of the time where it might actually be both partners, or just cannot be explained at all. There really should be no pointing fingers, though. There are natural ways to boost fertility and IVF treatments to help you get pregnant. Fighting with your partner makes it harder to be intimate and therefore harder to have sex, which is needed for natural fertilization. It’s also not a good feeling emotionally to know that you might not be able to have a child naturally because you are infertile. Instead of arguing with your partner or being angry with them, try and be understanding and find a solution together. Start by visiting your endocrinologist together.