Early Intervention

Most couples achieve pregnancy within the first six months of trying. Overall, after 12 months of frequent unprotected intercourse about 90 percent of couples will become pregnant. Infertility is the inability for a couple to conceive after one year of regular unprotected intercourse.

When to See a Doctor?

In general, you may consider seeing a fertility doctor if you have been trying for conception for one year without success. However, you should seek help after six months in following scenarios

  • Age of female partner is more than 35 yrs
  • History of irregular menstrual cycles
  • History of endometriosis or gynaec surgery
  • History of chemotherapy/ radiotherapy in any of the partners

Evaluation of Infertility

Once you decide to seek medical help, the doctor will request several exams to assess your fertility as a couple. At Apex IVF Center we offer a vast range of tests for evaluating male and female infertility including Ultrasound, hormonal testing, tubal patency and semen analysis. After a thorough history taking and examination by our specialist, you will be advised only the necessary tests to find out the cause of infertility.

Early Interventions

At Apex the treatment recommended is directed at addressing the cause of infertility. Not all couples with infertility require IVF. For example, some couples may just require medication to stimulate ovulation or medication to support the uterus lining or others may just require an ovulation study. These early interventions include

Timed Intercourse

Timed intercourse is a simple treatment to help couples pinpoint their most fertile window. It’s a completely natural approach, and often the starting point of a couple’s fertility journey.

Follicular Monitoring

Each month female body has a menstrual cycle where an egg is released from the dominant follicle in the ovary – this is called ovulation. Ovulation occurs (on average) 14 days before the start of your period; however, it is completely normal for women to ovulate (release the egg from the ovaries) anywhere from 12-18 days before their period starts. Once it is released from the ovary into the fallopian tube, the egg has a maximum of 24 hours to be fertilised. Sperms can survive in the female reproductive tract for 2-3 days waiting for the egg.

By accurately predicting when ovulation will occur, we can advise the right time to have sex to give the best chance of conception. This can be done by tracing the dominant follicle in the ovary by repeated ultrasound starting from 9th or  10th day of cycle. This when combined with Timed Intercourse is specially helpful in couples who are staying far or who have infrequent intercourse.

Ovulation Induction

Each month, female body has a menstrual cycle where an egg is released from the ovaries. Ovulation is when the egg is released. Ovulation occurs (on average) 14 days before the start of your period. It’s normal for women to ovulate (release the egg from the ovaries) anywhere from 12-18 days before their period starts. However in some women ovulation may not happen or be delayed due to various reasons like hormonal imbalance.

In such cases ovulation might be induced using medicines. Ovulation induction allows an egg to mature and be released by the ovary. The cycle is tracked with blood tests and ultrasound, to confirm the best time to conceive.

Broadly speaking there are two types of medication used to induce ovulation: tablets (oral medication) or daily injections of gonadotropins (FSH or HMG).

Lifestyle changes

A healthy and stress-free lifestyle is crucial for maintaining fertility and this is possible only if you focus on the holistic well-being of your body. It is pertinent to note that maintaining healthy body weight by eating a balanced diet and indulging in moderate exercises can significantly increase the chances of conception and ensure a healthy pregnancy. Exercising helps to enhance Fertility by promoting a feel good factor, increasing the flow of blood to the reproductive organs, and boosting metabolism, all of which lead to healthy egg and sperm production. Taking out time from your busy schedule for exercising might seem to be difficult at first, but it is much easier than you think, especially when you have our experts to assist and guide you.

A healthy and balanced diet is important not only for expecting mothers but also for women who are wishing to start a family. Unhealthy eating habits can trigger problems like obesity and PCOS in females and can adversely affect sperm quality in males.

Healthy Eating Tips for enhancing Fertility:

  • Increase your iron intake. This can be found in beans, lentils, spinach and fortified cereals.
  • Add more greens to your diet. Dark leafy veggies are rich in folate that helps to improve sperm quality in males and reduces the chances of miscarriage
  • Replace trans fats with monounsaturated fats, also known as healthy fats. These include avocado, olive oil and dry fruits.
  • Eat food products rich in flavonoids as it helps to protect the sperm and egg cells against damage. These include blueberries, raspberries, grapes, peaches, plums, cherries, etc.
  • Omega 3 which is found in salmon, canola oil, walnuts and flaxseeds helps to regulate the production of reproductive hormones as well as enhances the flow of blood to the reproductive organs.
  • Zinc and vitamin C rich food products like nuts, pistachios, eggs, fish, seeds, citrus fruits, tomatoes and whole grains help to improve sperm quality.
  • Beverages rich in caffeine can increase the risks of miscarriage, hence it is recommended to limit coffee and tea intake.
  • Abstain from smoking and drinking alcohol completely as even moderate amounts of nicotine and alcohol can lower Fertility and affect the quality of sperm and ovum.

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