Understanding infertility and its causes

Spread the love

Infertility refers to the failure to conceive or achieve pregnancy. In general terms, it means the inability to conceive a child even after a year of regular sexual intercourse without any protection. Women who are able to conceive but not carry a pregnancy may also be diagnosed with infertility. Infertility is not just a problem faced by women; men can be detected with infertility too.

Usually there are two types of infertility

Primary Infertility: It refers to couples who are unable to conceive after at least 1 year of trying for a child.

Secondary Infertility: It refers to those couples who have been successful to get pregnant at least once, but are unable now.

Infertility is a common problem faced by couples worldwide. According to a research conducted by a Bangalore based company, Inito, around 27.5 million couples were facing infertility only in India in 2018. The research revealed that around 10-15% of married couples in India face infertility.

Causes of infertility in Men

Low Sperm count: When the semen which a man ejaculates has low levels of sperm it causes problems in conceiving. A sperm count fewer than 15 million is considered low.

Low Sperm Mobility: The sperm fails to ‘swim’ well as to reach the egg to fertilise it.

Abnormal Sperm: The sperm may have an abnormal shape which makes it harder for it to move and fertilise an egg.

Medical conditions: Conditions like cancer, testicular infection etc. may cause infertility.

Ejaculation disorders: If ejaculatory ducts are blocked, sperms may be ejaculated into the bladder.

Genetic: A man should have an X and Y chromosome. If he has two X and a Y chromosome the testicles will develop abnormally which would result in a low sperm count.

Causes of Infertility in Women

Ovulation Disorders: It is the most common cause of infertility among women. Ovulation is the monthly release of an egg. Eggs may never be released or released only in cycles.

Cholesterol: High cholesterol level may cause infertility problems in women, according to some studies.

Weight: Obesity and weight loss can lead to infertility among both men and women.

Sexually Transmitted Infections: Sexually transmitted diseases like Chlamydia and HIV can cause infertility in women.

Age: The ability to conceive among women starts to fall around the age of 32 years. This may lead to infertility.

Smoking and Alcohol: Any level of smoking or alcohol consumption may lead to infertility. Smoking during pregnancy can lead to pregnancy loss. Even passive smoking has been linked with low fertility levels.

Highlights

A pregnancy belly will probably start to show around 20 weeks but may show sooner or later, and that’s okay.

Every pregnant woman always feels like they look bigger or smaller than their friend, sister, or neighbor.

What’s normal for one might not be normal for another woman as there are some factors that may determine that.

Spread the love

We see how some pregnant women have bigger baby bumps and some other women have smaller baby bumps which don’t show that obviously unless they are in their last trimester. In this Pregnancy Care Blog by Infano, let us see what can influence the size of the belly of pregnant women.

A pregnancy belly will probably start to show around 20 weeks but may show sooner or later, and that’s okay. Every pregnant woman always feels like they look bigger or smaller than their friend, sister, or neighbor. What’s normal for one might not be normal for another woman. If you happen to be pregnant for the first time, for example, it may take a while longer to show.

For first-time pregnant women, it may take longer for the uterus to move up and out of the pelvis. In the next pregnancies, the abdominal wall becomes looser, which means that pregnant women will show a baby bump sooner. However, try your best to resist comparing yourself to other pregnant women.

The height and fitness of expectant mothers

According to a pediatrician, the taller the mother the smaller is the baby bump, and vice-versa. If the mother is tall, there is more space available between the lowest rib and hip in the uterus to push upwards. In the case of women with a short height, the uterus starts pushing outwards instead of upward because of the cramped space which makes the baby bump bigger. Some others are of the opinion that a woman’s level of fitness and general abdominal strength may also play a role in the shape of her belly but her body size does not influence the size of her bump.

Position of the baby in the womb

The position inside the womb determines the size of the bump to a large extent. The baby changes its position frequently during the last trimester, which can affect the bump size significantly. For example, when a baby moves from one side to another the bump will enlarge accordingly.

Possibility of multiple pregnancies

The size of a pregnant stomach can be different in the case of multiple pregnancies. While mothers with twins or triplets have a larger bump, mothers carrying a single baby might have a smaller one. This is because pregnant muscle needs to stretch more in order to house the multiple fetuses inside the womb.

Amount of amniotic fluid

Pregnant women who have been carrying excess amounts of amniotic fluid may develop a large baby bump during pregnancy. Where postpartum should be put on a continuum that includes medical reasons and cultural and religious beliefs

Genetics, size of baby

Genetics is also responsible for the size of the mother and baby and this may be carried down in the family. Also, if the baby’s size is big the bump will be big. Some babies are chubbier or bigger than the average size and weight and mothers carrying bigger babies will naturally have a bigger-sized bump.

Medical reasons

Also, there are medical reasons which determine the size of the belly, eg., if a mother has a medical condition like gestational diabetes her belly might appear bigger. A condition called diastasis recti may make the size of a woman’s bump seem bigger. Diastasis recti happen when the left and right sides of the rectus abdomens muscles separate. This creates more space in your belly and the uterus typically pushes out more, making the bump appear bigger.

Better body posture

An upright body posture creates the illusion of a smaller stomach. Conversely, short and drooping postures lead to the perception of having bigger baby bumps.

Resisting the pressure to compare yourself, there’s no universal definition of what a “normal” pregnancy looks like. There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to what you should expect during your pregnancy. So, what does that mean? Once again, resist comparison and focus on the unique experience that is your body!

Also read: Pregnancy Care blog and women’s health blog on Infano.