What you need to look into if you aren't getting pregnant!

I need to go ahead and preface this article with the fact that I do NOT like the word “infertility.” The only reason I’m using it is that I know you are googling the “causes of infertility” and I want to give you some good info on this topic.

But with that thought out of the way, I know you might be curious as to why you haven’t turned up pregnant yet. You’ve likely been timing everything and charting your cycles and yet, still no positive pregnancy test. Well let’s talk about some possibilities of why this might be happening and then we can talk about things you can do to improve your chances!

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What are the main causes of infertility?

I would say there is no “main” cause of infertility. Each couple is unique and so determining the cause of infertility is different in every situation.

There are a few reasons that do pop up more than others and that is:

Anovulation– meaning that the woman does not ovulate. This can be caused by things like stress, too low body weight, or PCOS.
Physical obstruction– this means maybe we have fibroids, polyps, or a blocked fallopian tube.
Inflammation– this could be inflammation due to endometriosis, stress, or gut health issues. For men this could be varicocele.
Poor Sperm – men are half the equation so we need good sperm counts and quality

So when you are trying to conceive and it’s not working, I suggest the FIRST two things you consider are the first two on the list.

First I would confirm you are actually ovulating. Did you know you can still have a period without ovulating? Pretty crazy, but it does happen. Now there are a few different ways to confirm you are ovulating but I’m going to give you the EASIEST way that saves you time and money.

Get an Inito Monitor! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again- this thing is super cool and gives us SO much information. This monitor works like regular ovulation strips except that it ALSO gives us specific values for LH, FSH, Estradiol, and progesterone or PdG. This is important because when we see the progesterone spike after the LH surge that confirms ovulation.

You could go into your doctor’s office and have your blood drawn and wait for them to call with results or even do some vaginal ultrasounds, but doesn’t the first option sound better? I love getting those numbers and analyzing them with my clients. This confirms ovulation but can also help identify causes of infertility like estrogen dominance or low progesterone.

Seriously such a cool tool. So don’t think about it, just go ahead and grab yours! You can even get 15% off by using this link or the code TORI15.

Next, I would check for physical obstructions.

Likely your OB had you take an HSG ( hysterosalpingogram) test to confirm that all your organs were open and healthy. The procedure consists of having dye injected into your uterine cavity and fallopian tubes to make sure it flows freely. If the dye does flow freely that means all our baby-making pathways are open! If you haven’t done this test yet ask your provider about the procedure and if they think it’s time for you to have one done.

What are some of the causes of infertility in females?

It’s not fair that women get “picked” on so much during the fertility process, but unfortunately, there is a lot more there to explore.

Men should be tested fairly early on to ensure that their sperm counts, motility, and morphology are high enough. We need an egg AND a sperm to make a baby. So if you took the first two steps from above and made sure you have no physical obstructions and you are ovulating, then it’s time for hubby to hop in the hot seat.

That’s usually it for males to explore. They either have working sperm or we need to improve on it.

But women- oh man- we’ve got a bunch of hormones and medical history to explore right?

The majority of the women that I see at my in-person practice are dealing with one or more of these factors that are causes of infertility:

Endometriosis
PCOs
Estrogen dominance

So while these two diagnoses are CERTAINLY NOT a fertility death sentence, they do require a little more work and effort to get pregnant.

What can you do this?

There are so many things you can do to improve your fertility all on your own! That’s really what this whole blog is about- giving you the education and empowerment to change your fertility story.

So here are a few tangible tips you can take to improve your chances of getting pregnant:

Read this blog ( wink wink). But really there are a lot of good articles here that are completely free and available for you at any time. Scan around and find articles that feel beneficial to the questions you have.
Grab an Inito monitor– I know I already said that but the information is POWER. The more information you have about your cycle the sooner you can make positive changes. Track your cycles for 2-3 months and then have your OB asses the numbers with you. You can also schedule a virtual 1-on-1 call with me and I’d be happy to dig into the information with you and help you understand it!
Up your protein intake and eat less processed foods- nutrition and nourishment are important to ALL aspects of health. When you eat more protein ( roughly half your body weight) and get in more whole foods, you are helping balance your hormones which helps improve fertility.
Start living a non-toxic lifestyle- ditch beauty products with harmful chemicals in them that can disrupt your hormones.
Get 7-8 hours of sleep every night. This one is overlooked all the time but so important.
Grab the free 30-Day Fertility Challenge!

And the number one way to improve your fertility? Quit using the word infertile. You are NOT infertile or dealing with infertility. You are simply on your fertility journey and I know you are going to get there friend. I’m here to help you so reach out anytime!

FAQ

What is the most common cause of infertility?

Anovulation or male factor sperm issues

What are 4 causes for female infertility?

The main ones I’ve found with my patients are anovulation, PCOS, endometriosis, and estrogen dominance.

What are 3 main causes of infertility?

anovulation, male factor sperm issues, or physical obstruction

Who usually gets infertility?

It can truly happen to anyone ( but can also be helped with proper support) but a few good examples are women with medical histories like endo or PCOS. It can also be men with sperm quality issues which can happen for a variety of reasons ( mostly lifestyle and dietary).