The length of time trying to conceive
Secondly, once you’ve decided to make a baby, it’s easy to become concerned if you don’t conceive in the first month you try. But the fact is, the chances that a normal, healthy woman (below 30) regularly having intercourse, will only have a 20 to 40 percent chance of falling during any given cycle.

So, what has gone “wrong” with the other 60 to 80 percent of women who failed? Most of the time, there is no medical reason, and the cause is usually because the quality of the egg or sperm is too poor to achieve fertilization, or that fertilization occurs but the embryo doesn’t survive beyond a few days.

In fact, the odds that you’ll conceive are actually quite good once you look at them over the span of a year of unprotected intercourse, according to data from the National Center for Health Statistics in USA (Figure 2).

Your Age Your chance of conceiving after 1 year Under 25 96% 25 – 34 86% 35 – 44 78% Figure 2

Medical Problems
Do not delay medical help as age is of crucial importance in determining fertility. The following points well help you to decide when you should seek medical advice urgently.

￭	age more than 35 years
￭	infertility for more than 2 years
￭	irregular periods
￭	sexual problems
￭	previous abdominal operations
￭	more than 6 cycles of Clomiphene
￭	more than 4 cycles of SO-AI (Super Ovulation-Artifical Insemination)

In the absence of any medical problems, women below the age of 30 should see a gynaecologist after 1 to 2 years of unprotected intercourse. However, those between 30 to 35 should seek attention after six to nine months. The urgency increases in women between 35 and 40 if they are not pregnant after six months; while women over 40 should seek attention after three months of unsuccessful trying.

In most instances, your gynecologist should be able to perform a preliminary fertility work-up and treat most of the problems. If you haven’t conceived under your doctor’s care within six to twelve months, see a fertility specialist [also called an RE (Reproductive Endocrine) specialist, who is a gynaecologist with additional experience in fertility management], who can guide you through the plethora of treatments.

It is important to understand the thinking process of your doctors so that the correct decision can be made. This decision will be based not only on scientific fact and clinical experience, but must also take into consideration your views and needs. This means that YOU actively participate in your treatment and assist your RE Specialist in formulating a logical plan to achieve a pregnancy.