Fertility planning (Women & Men)
How To Know When You Are Fertile
There are only a few days each cycle when conception is possible. Generally, the egg is fertilisable for around 12 hours though, potentially, this can extend to 24. A second ovulation is also possible within 24 hours, so the ultimate potential for the egg to survive can be up to 48 hours. Sperm tends to live inside a woman's body for around 48 hours (this can also extend further, up to a maximum of a week). The difficulty is that ovulation is a hidden event in women. Although some women are convinced that they know when they are ovulating, such as by a pain in the abdomen, symptoms cannot detect ovulation precisely, though they can help to identify the fertile time.
Fertility Days Often Vary
Ideally couples would have sex about every other day throughout the cycle to maximise chances of pregnancy, but for many couples and for lots of different reasons this is simply not practical. Which means it can be very easy to miss the fertile time. To complicate matters further, the fertile days can vary from one woman to another and sometimes from one cycle to the next.
Personalised Planning Can Make All The Difference
Kits such as ovulation predictor tests only identify a limited window. The real goal is to identify the full width of the fertile window by observing the body's day to day changes. This is known as "fertility awareness." Indicators such as changes in cervical secretions are the most useful, but for different reasons (such as age, weight, stress, contraceptive pill, hormonal imbalance) these signs may be confusing. As every woman's cycle is different, and the fertile time is potentially a moving target, personalised help can make all the difference.
Male Fertility
Male fertility health is highly relevant, but often forgotten, when it comes to planning for conception. It’s not just the quantity of sperm that’s significant; the quality of it is equally important too.
Adverse factors such as age, poor nutrition, stress, smoking or heavy use of alcohol, as well as certain medical conditions, may mean it is sensible for you to have your sperm tested, if only for reassurance. Problems, if there are any, are best detected early, if you don’t want to waste time trying to conceive unsuccessfully.
If we think it is advisable for you to have your sperm checked, we can refer you for the latest tests (which are much more reliable than the standard tests available through the NHS), under the supervision of our consultant embryologist and male fertility specialist.
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