Infertility can be heartbreaking. For many it ends the chance of a lifelong dream. It can result in deep emotions and negative thoughts. More often than not it is a surprise to many who only find out after trying for a baby. Unbeknown to the majority of people, infertility is actually more common than you would suspect. There are also a lot of signs to look out for which may point towards infertility issues. If you are having issues conceiving or are generally displaying any of these symptoms it may be worth heading to the doctors to check everything is okay and put your mind at ease. There are numerous reasons and conditions which can point towards infertility and it’s better to know than to be left in the dark. But just what are the top 5 common signs of infertility in women?
1. Painful sex
For some this may be new, for others it may be a whole new sensation. Whenever it happens, pain during sex should be a cause for concern. It not only points to infertility issues but also directly points to some other really concerning conditions such as endometriosis or hormone issues.
2. Generally ‘bad’ periods
Ladies, your periods can tell you a lot of things. One of which is if you have some infertility issues on the horizon. It’s important to listen to your body and the female body has a way of telling you exactly how it’s feeling every month. Often following a missing period you will have the standard pregnancy thoughts rolling around in your head. But often heavy workouts or stress can lead your period to miss a month. However, regularly not having periods is a cause for concern when it comes to infertility. This is something you should get checked. Infact, everything on this list is an indicator to go and get checked to be honest… On top of missing your period being a common sign of infertility, slightly askew periods are also an indicator. This can be a change in the colour of flow, heavier flows than normal or irregular timings in between periods. I told you! Periods dictate all! Observe and understand them and if there’s anything up, get yourself down to the doctors!
3. Underlying health issues
Other conditions within the female body can be indicators or directly related to infertility. This can range from things related to the female organs such as endometriosis or polycystic ovarian syndrome, to hormone fluctuations or general health and wellbeing. Knowing your body and what conditions you have, if any, is important in assessing your infertility and understanding issues that may arise for yourself. After all, everybody and every body is different. Don’t listen to hearsay or rumour, know your stuff – it is yours after all.
4. Obesity
Like with many health issues and conditions throughout medicine, obesity is directly linked to infertility. Not only is obesity a clear sign of an unhealthy life being led, plainly put, it has been found to negatively affect general reproductive health. Obese people have statistically less chance of conceiving and are at higher risks during pregnancy than those without weight issues.
5. Inability to get pregnant
This may seem obvious to many but it is important to include this in our list. Not being able to get pregnant is a clear sign of infertility. After a certain amount of time this is the primary indicator that you may be infertile. It is advised that after a year of trying to conceive and being unable to do so you should head to the docs or find the best infertility clinic about to see what’s up. For women over the age of 35 this time is halved to 6 months.
