In-laws, particularly mother in-laws, in Nigeria setting, are not particularly nice to their daughters-in-law facing conception challenges. Give me a grandchild; I am not growing younger; I want to see my grandchild. Useless woman: The only thing you do well is to spend my son’s money lavishly: Your mates that married the same time you did have giving birth to two or more children: You cannot charm me the way you charmed your husband: Three months, only three months of grace you are given to conceive, after which you pack out of my son’s house or we forcefully send you packing; Useless ‘male dog’! These, and others, are common abusive lines from mothers, to daughters-in-law, waiting on the lord for the fruit of the womb. Yet, it wasn’t the wife who refused to be pregnant.
Trouble conceiving can come from the man, the woman or both. Infertility fears come after difficulty to get pregnant after a year of trying without birth control or any form of protection, or six months in case of older than 35yrs of age woman. Trouble conceiving can bring blame, self-doubt and frustration to an otherwise loving relationship.
Babies are bits of star-dust blown from the hand of God. Lucky is the woman who knows the pangs of birth for she has held a star.” – Larry Barretto. No wonder couples especially wives attached so much importance to getting pregnant.
Infertility is one of the major issues that breaks marriages and the players down.
Infertility affects millions of people of reproductive age worldwide – and has an impact on their families and communities. Estimates suggest that between 48 million couples and 186 million individuals live with infertility globally.
But medical reports state that in as much as neither of the couple has been confirmed medically infertile, the problem is surmountable.
Causes
For women, most conception challenges stem from ovulation disorder such as Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) that causes infrequent or prolonged menstrual periods. This problem, according to experts can be taken care of by given the woman hormones that stimulate egg production
Other women infertility issues according to experts include Pelvic inflammatory disease, Endometriosis, Uterine scarring and Uterine fibroids. Experts say they are treatable, with hormone therapy or surgery.
The primary causes of infertility, as far as men are concerned, according to experts, are issues with sperm. Is the sperm healthy? Do the testicles produce enough (low sperm count) does the sperm make enough progress to fertilize the eggs (ability to move)? Sperm issues are caused mostly by lifestyles, obesity and environmental factors- smoking tobacco or marijuana, alcohol abuse, toxins. Medical conditions like mumps or kidney disease can also make the sperm unhealthy. Infertility specialist doctors can help with these issues, but improved sperm quality often comes from living a healthy lifestyle including eating a nutritious diet and exercising.
Maternal age is also an important factor affecting fertility. Doctors say it’s still possible to have a successful pregnancy, but after age 35, the challenges increase. As women get older, fertility declines due to normal age-related changes that occur in the ovaries. Unlike men, who continue to produce sperm throughout their lives, experts say women are born with all the eggs they will ever have in their ovaries. Women use this pool of eggs from birth until menopause. So, in addition to the decreased number of eggs, the quality of eggs deteriorates with age
The good news is that fertility science has seen vast improvements in the last 3 decades. And, couples have access to more information and support than ever before. According to experts, couples (under age 35) with conception challenges, who seek fertility treatments have an 80% or more chance of conceiving.
Infertility Stress
There is a tremendous amount of stress when patients are struggling with fertility concerns. Infertility can be challenging, but by taking the right steps, it doesn’t have to be permanent for many couples. Coping with infertility is a process that mustn’t be rushed, it must be followed steadily. Rushing to get pregnant may set the couple backwards. Anxiety is never a good virtue for getting pregnant.
Just as infertility causes emotional stress to the couple, it also impacts relationships—most especially, romantic relationship. Trying to conceive can create conflict and tension, but it can also bring couples closer together. It can do both at once
Your sex life may be the very first victim of trying to conceive stress. At first, after the consummation of the relationship, the desire to make babies was a very big motivation for sex but after months of trying, the couple desire for sex weaned.
According to experts, stress in the sexual relationship is even more common for couples trying to time intercourse for their most fertile time. Research has found an increase in sexual dysfunction—both for men and women—when timed intercourse is used to try to get pregnant.1
Because sex is also a way to feel closer to your partner, stress in your intimate life can lead to tension in your overall relationship.
“Unlike men, who continue to produce sperm throughout their lives, experts say women are born with all the eggs they will ever have in their ovaries. Women use this pool of eggs from birth until menopause. So, in addition to the decreased number of eggs, the quality of eggs deteriorates with age”
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