Z Baby Quest

I’m in my 20’s, I’m sure I’m fertile!
I’m not ready to get pregnant, we want to wait for a while before we have kids.
We’d like to start a family, just not now.
Will being on the pill for several years affect my chances of conceiving?

If you’ve heard these phrases and/or said them……I’m talking to you!  I know this, because I said them and so did my husband Dan.  It wasn’t until I was 35 and he was 40 that we started trying to have kids.  We talked about wanting kids, but figured we had plenty of time to get to that point.  We unknowingly delayed our time window because we were unaware that Dan had a condition called varicocele, which is a male factor infertility diagnosis.  A semen analysis earlier in life would have saved us valuable time and energy in our baby making journey.  The same goes for me.  Fertility tests are an essential part of fertility evaluation and treatment. For a woman, a simple blood test can be done  at your annual gyno appointment to test your hormone levels.  This can be done when you are single in your 20’s!  Through testing, your doctor can possibly discover what's preventing you and your partner from achieving pregnancy or if you may have issues further down the road when you’re ready. Your regular gynecologist may do some basic testing, and if it turns out abnormal,  you may be referred to a reproductive endocrinologist (a doctor specializing in fertility) or a urologist (for male infertility) for more thorough fertility testing.  Here is some important information I think everyone should know…..doesn’t matter if you’re in your teens, 20’s, 30’s, etc.!!

žFertility testing involves both partners. While we may think of pregnancy as happening in the woman's body, conception takes two! According to the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, one-third of infertility cases are due to female factor infertility, one-third are due to male factor infertility, and the remaining third are due to problems on both sides or unexplained infertility.

For women, fertility testing may include:

žA basic gynecological exam

žSexually transmitted disease testing (some STDs can cause infertility)

žBlood work

žUltrasound, to look for polycystic ovaries, larger ovarian cysts, fibroids, and, sometimes, to confirm ovulation is taking place.

Male Fertility Tests

žSemen analysis is the main fertility test for men. It involves the man providing a semen sample for a lab to evaluate. Ideally, the test should be performed twice, on separate days, to confirm the results.

Couple Fertility Tests

žSome fertility tests involve both partners. If recurrent miscarriage is a problem, genetic karyotyping may be done to look for genetic disorders that may lead to miscarriage. This is done through a simple blood test.

After Fertility Testing

žOnce fertility testing is complete, you'll meet with your gynecologist or reproductive endocrinologist to discuss what the results mean, what treatment would be appropriate, and decide the next step to take.