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Understanding your fertility

Age, weight, your health, and medical history can affect your fertility. Knowing your chances early can help you get pregnant more easily.

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Helpful tools
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Being informed

Seeking fertility information is one of the best things you can do – and if you need more clarity or are feeling worried for any reason, having an appointment with one of our fertility doctors is the best option.

We recommend the following areas as a good place to start when trying to understand your fertility.

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Age

 

How age affects fertility is the most important factor when having a baby. 

Today, we are seeing more women over 40 wanting to have their first child. It is possible, but you are also more likely to need help. To work out your chances visit the biological clock in our Helpful Tools. 

  • Fertility timeframe: Today we have the Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) fertility test to estimate Ovarian Reserve. This fertility test can help predict how many eggs you are likely to obtain during an IVF cycle and can help identify who may experience early menopause. Like most tests AMH is not perfect, so you’ll need the help of a fertility specialist to interpret the results. More here
  • Fertility Boosting: There are several important changes you can make to boost your fertility. Eating well to maintain a healthy BMI, stopping smoking, and minimising alcohol are just some of these. Below you will find a link to our boosting fertility page with lots of useful tips. Boosting fertility

 

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Timing is everything in fertility

Waiting and continuing to try naturally for a bit longer may be an option for some people where the woman is younger, infertility is unexplained or only mild factors are found, and also when the length of infertility is quite short.

Importantly trying naturally means continuing to have regular intercourse around 12-15 days prior to the next period, which is when ovulation occurs giving you the best opportunity.

Commonly conception occurs when intercourse happens the day before ovulation followed by the day of ovulation. There are various methods to detect ovulation timing such as detecting cervical mucus changes, Apps to track your cycle, LH kits etc.

Our advice is to continue to have regular intercourse. However, if this hasn’t worked after the time frame stated in your biological clock - for your age group, please see a fertility specialist to understand what is going on.

Get to know your cycle so you can get the timing right. If you have a 28-day cycle, the best days to conceive are days 11, 12, and 13 or you could just time sex when you notice slippery clear mucus.

More on Infertility Explained

Other health conditions

If you have other conditions such as polycystic ovaries or endometriosis it is also recommended you seek advice early to understand their potential impact on your chances.

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Looking for second opinions?

You do have options, and the best place to start would be to meet our fertility specialist or book a free Mini Consultation here

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More helpful information

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The Biological Clock

This tool indicates:

  • Natural conception per month if you have no fertility issues
  • IVF success rate at the same age
  • When to seek help after months of unsuccessful attempts

If you are concerned at any stage – we recommend booking a doctor appointment or a free nurse consultation. The sooner you make a plan the better your chances in the long term.

When to seek advice early
  • If you have polycystic ovaries, endometriosis, or have been through a cancer diagnosis; we recommend you get in touch quickly so we can talk you through all your options and give you the greatest possible chance of success.
  • If you’re a single woman considering motherhood in the future; it’s best to approach us early and consider egg freezing as this can be an option for you while you have a higher ovarian reserve and healthier eggs.
Set your age and the months you’ve been trying to conceive
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Your chance of having a baby per month for fertile couples
Your chance of having a baby per IVF cycle (if experiencing infertility)

Body Mass Index calculator

Being overweight or underweight can reduce fertility, so it is important to keep your body weight within the normal healthy range.

Body Mass Index (BMI) is an indication of your body weight and can be calculated by dividing weight by height. You should aim for a BMI of between 20 and 25, as this will optimise your chances of conception.

Woman’s BMI below 19

Even in these modern times, nature knows best. If a woman's BMI falls below 19, the body senses famine and ovulation is switched off to prevent the risk of having a baby with malnutrition. Excessive exercise can reduce body fat and increase muscle mass to a point where periods cease for the same reason. Risk of miscarriage is also increased in women with a low BMI.

Being underweight

If a woman's BMI falls below 19, the body senses famine and ovulation is switched off to prevent the risk of having a baby with malnutrition. Excessive exercise can reduce body fat and increase muscle mass to a point where periods cease for the same reason. Risk of miscarriage is also increased in women with a low BMI.

BMI’s greater than 30

This can reduce fertility by 50%. Pregnancy for women with a 30+ BMI is often associated with problems such as maternal diabetes, high blood pressure, big babies and increased risk of caesarean section.

Add your height and weight to calculate your BMI
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