How long should we try for a baby before we see a doctor about fertility?

barasa velma

November 8, 2017 6:31 PM

For some women, it can take almost a year and a half to get back to a normal menstrual cycle after pills.

Hi,

My husband and I have been married for the past three years. We have recently been trying to have a child but it’s just not happening!

I stopped taking my oral contraceptives a few months ago and we started the baby making process on a daily. My periods are yet to start and my biggest fear is that I am barren because I am not getting pregnant. My husband has refused to go with me to the doctor to find out what is the problem. He believes that we should try for a while longer before we can actually see a doctor concerning fertility.

I don’t want him to leave me. He is not a cheater and he is very loving but I don’t want him to see me as a liability in the long run. Am I worrying about nothing or should I just take myself to the hospital and get a fertility check?

Susana.

Hey Susana,

First of all, I would like to correct you on one thing: Being barren doesn’t make one a liability. Secondly, it’s too early to start worrying. According to reproductive endocrinologists Dr. Lucile Karanja, women who have been on contraceptive pills may take even a year just to get back to normal menstrual cycle after discontinuing the pills.

90 percent of women get pregnant naturally within a year or two of trying.

She says, "I would recommend that you get a fertility check but after at least 18 months of trying and not just for you but your husband too. It could be that his swimmers are not as healthy as you would like to believe.

Still, you should make that trip as soon as possible if you have already identified a fertility problem, maybe from a previous check-up, that cannot be overcome naturally. "

My take: You can’t put a price on having a piece of mind and if seeing a doctor will help you relax and find bearing in this trying time then go ahead and do it.