7 Identifying Signs of Infertility That Women Should Never Neglect
“Am I fertile or no?” It’s a common question many women have, especially if they have been having trouble conceiving for over a year. Understanding that the answer may be negative, most women think about in vitro fertilization, although it sounds intimidating. Before labeling yourself “infertile”, review the characteristics of your own cycle. Identifying signs of infertility may be a hard thing, especially if you have an intensive schedule or too many events in your life to notice the tiny changes. Infertility is often silent, but sometimes, your body gives signs you can’t get pregnant, and you should never neglect them. If you notice any of the seven symptoms listed below, give your Ob–Gyn a call. The earlier you seek help — the better. They will diagnose a condition that affects your fertility and tailor the most effective protocol to treat the underlying problem. Or, if a fertility checkup shows no issues — they will tell you the positive things about your fertility and correct your lifestyle and diet to boost your fertility to the next level.
Normal Cycle Timeline
Periods can be long and short, heavy and light — and it’s all considered normal. Moreover, your period in your 20s, 30s, and 40s will be different as menstrual cycles tend to shorten and become more regular in your 20s and 30s and more irregular and lighter after your 40s — and it’s all also considered normal. The timeline of the average cycle is about 28 days. It means that about 28 days pass between the first day of your period and the first day of your next period. But not everyone has a 28–day cycle, so your cycle may occur every 21 to 35 days and last about three to seven days. And about 14 days after the start (the first day) of your period, your ovaries should release an egg — which is called ovulation.
Ovulation may also cause light bleeding or spotting and ovary pain. This spotting can last for one to two days and is typically light bleeding that occurs around the time that you ovulate. It’s possible to have spotting during ovulation, which is normal, although it should be discussed with your Ob–Gyn in case bleeding becomes heavier. The uterine lining is ready for the implantation of a fertilized egg, and there might be spotting if that occurs.
7 Identifying Signs of Infertility That You Should Never Neglect
Missing Periods
Having irregular periods may stress you out as there is no guarantee that your period will start this time, and if it is going to start, you cannot guess when. Even with a high–tech device with the most accurate cycle-tracking app installed, you know that it is impossible to predict your period timeline. So let’s get an insight here — while some women get their periods right on schedule every 21, 24, or 28 days, others are left guessing they will have them this month and on what date. However, if your cycle lasts from 21 to 35 days, it’s still considered normal as long it is regular.
With irregular periods, the length of your menstrual cycle unexpectedly falls outside your normal range, and the cycle is so unpredictable that it’s impossible to know when the next one will come. It is caused by hormonal issues like thyroid hypofunction or hyperfunction, hyperprolactinemia, or polycystic ovarian syndrome (abbr. PCOS) — all of which can lead to infertility if not diagnosed and treated in time.
If you have noticed changes in the pattern of your periods, let your health provider or Ob–Gyn know about that. They will schedule some tests or refer you to a specialized fertility clinic for a fertility assessment. And after getting your fertility testing results, your healthcare provider, Ob–Gyn, or a fertility specialist will enlighten your options and/or tailor a treatment protocol for your specific case.
Not Having a Period
Missing your period one or two times is an alarming but not fatal thing for cases with birth control. If you were taking birth control and stopped it, your body needs a couple of months to regulate your cycle. But if you don’t have a period after three months after you stopped taking birth control, consult a specialist.
Not having your period for three months or more can lead to a chaotic hormonal imbalance that causes your period to come late or stop entirely. Together with stopping the period, your ovaries may stop releasing viable mature oocytes — they are stopping ovulating.
No periods indicate that a woman is not ovulating and has little chance to conceive without assistance — and most likely, you will need to take medication or inject hormones to stimulate ovulation. If this doesn’t help — the next steps are non–invasive intrauterine insemination (IUI) or a more advanced and invasive option — in vitro fertilization (IVF).
If your period hasn’t arrived for more than 40 days, or after two months after you stopped taking birth control — it’s best to schedule an appointment with your Ob–Gyn to see what’s going on.
Having Shorter Cycles
If your periods usually last three or five days and now only last two and have become lighter, it may be because of changes in life, diet, or business hours, intensive workouts, medication, a new birth control, or even stress. But not only. Unusual or irregular periods may be a sign of a more serious health condition. A light period could indicate problems with hormone levels or another medical condition. A shorter cycle could be caused by an underlying condition like Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) which causes cysts to form in your ovaries, Thyroid Disorder which causes your body to produce too much or too little thyroid hormone, Premature Ovarian Failure; uterine scarring, perimenopause, ovarian cyst, implantation of a fertilized egg, pregnancy, miscarriage, or ectopic pregnancy.
If you notice that your cycle is shorter and lighter than usual, consult with your healthcare provider to determine any underlying causes that may be affecting your cycle.
Spotting or Bleeding Between Periods
Generally, you should only bleed when you have your monthly period. Bleeding or Spotting between your regular monthly periods can be alarming and may indicate that something has gone wrong. When this happens, you may see just a spot or two of blood on your underwear for one or two days (light spotting), or you may be bleeding as if you have started your period.
When bleeding occurs in between your cycles, it can indicate exhaustion, the stress response, hormone imbalance caused by dysfunctional ovaries, thyroid gland problems, starting or stopping birth control pills, change in medication, endometriosis, infection, ovarian cysts, miscarriage, uterine polyp or fibroid, or a cervical lesion (abnormal cells, sometimes precancerous cells). And if bleeding occurs between your cycles often or regularly, kindly schedule an appointment with your Ob–Gyn to make sure these symptoms don’t indicate something more serious like a precancerous condition or cancer, although this is rarely the case.
Having Very Heavy Periods
A perfectly normal period doesn’t exist, so instead of focusing on whether your period is ‘normal’ or ‘non–normal’, you should learn the characteristics of your own cycle. The length of the cycle and amount of blood flow are unique to each woman. However, most women’s cycles last approximately 28 days, and their periods usually last between 3 to 7 days. Therefore, your cycle should last between 21 and 34 days and be somewhat regular. A cycle that varies a couple of days each month is normal, but anything longer than that may indicate an issue.
On average, women lose ~ 30–50 ml of blood per period. This amount of fluid would fill a solo espresso cup (somewhere between 1 fl.Oz (28 ml) and 30 ml) or a double espresso cup for cases of 50 ml. But some women have naturally heavier periods than others, losing 70–80 ml of blood per period; — this amount of fluid would fill a double espresso cup and a solo espresso cup. And in their cases, it is also considered normal.
Losing over 80 ml of blood per period is considered Heavy Menstrual Bleeding (HMB). If you go through more than one pad or tampon an hour for several hours, wake up during the night to change your pad or tampon, or bleed for more than seven days, especially with significant blood loss, you may be experiencing heavy periods. If left untreated, heavy bleeding may result in iron deficiency anemia. The worst thing is that anemia makes periods even heavier as it causes fatigue, dizziness, pale skin, and shortness of breath. Or, it can be a sign of bleeding disorders, endocrine abnormalities, endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, endometrial hyperplasia, uterine fibroids, or endometrial cancer.
Having Two Periods in One Month
During some months, your cycle may last for more or fewer days than the previous month, or it may start earlier or later than it has been before. Sometimes, you may even have two periods in a single month — at the beginning and end of the month — especially if your cycle lasts between 21 and 24 days. But if you experience bleeding outside your normal cycle and suspect you’re having a second period and not spotting, — it is essential to consult with your Ob–Gyn to understand what is going on, as something may go wrong and may need treatment. The possible causes of having two periods in one month are polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), uterine polyps or fibroids, perimenopause, thyroid issues, sexually transmitted infections, and miscarriage. Or, you may be seriously stressed out — and in such case, there is nothing to worry about, and your health provider will recommend rest.
Experiencing Pelvic Pain
If you are experiencing pain throughout your cycle, or experiencing super intense period cramps, bleeding in between your periods, or having prolonged periods, you could be diagnosed with endometriosis. With endometriosis, the endometrial–like tissue that’s supposed to line the uterine cavity is found outside the uterus in the pelvis. It can be found on the ovaries, in the fallopian tubes, and in tissues lining the pelvis, and rarely, it may be spread beyond the pelvic region. Endometriosis can lead to blocking your fallopian tubes, scarring pelvic structures, reducing fertility, and increasing the risk of ectopic pregnancy as a fertilized egg gets trapped in the fallopian tube and begins to grow there. In addition to blocking fallopian tubes and forming scar tissue that makes it harder to conceive, endometriosis impacts egg quality leading to failed IVF cycle. Still, women diagnosed with endometriosis can conceive, and some of them may have no problem conceiving, but it might take longer or be more difficult.
Having pelvic pain with fever could be a sign of infection, which may also lead to scarring in the fallopian tubes and other pelvic organs. In addition, pelvic infection increases the risk of tubal blockage, causing tubal infertility and increasing the risk of an ectopic pregnancy.
Pain in the pelvis can also be a sign of ovarian cyst rupture or torsion, pelvic inflammatory disease, pelvic organ prolapse, or pelvic congestion syndrome (PCS); that is why it is vital to make a call to your healthcare provider and consult about taking further steps.
Wrapping Things Up
The unedited truth about infertility is that sometimes it is hard to notice the early signs your body is giving you and take action. The most common signs of infertility include changes in your cycle (timeline between the cycles, duration of bleeding, heavier or lighter bleeding, missing periods, having two periods in one month, stopped periods), spotting, bleeding between cycles, pelvic pain with or without fever, exhaustion, hot splashes, hormonal fluctuations, cysts, endometriosis or adhesions. Female infertility has many possible causes, such as irregular ovulation, early ovulation (immature oocytes are released), ovulation failure, ovarian cysts, infections, uterine fibroids, past ectopic (tubal) pregnancy, fallopian tube blockage, PCOS, or endometriosis. Fortunately, there are many treatment options and valuable tips to prepare for conceiving. If you experience any symptoms of infertility, don’t ignore them. Your story isn’t over — keep trying. Schedule an appointment with your Ob–Gyn or fertility specialist, as they can diagnose the problem and offer the most effective treatment, maximizing your chances of conceiving a healthy baby.