How to treat infertility. Treatment of infertility with folk remedies. Traditional medicine recipes

Female infertility– manifested by the absence of pregnancy for 1.5 - 2 years or more in a woman living a regular sexual life, without using contraception. Absolute infertility associated with irreversible pathological conditions, excluding conception (anomalies in the development of the female reproductive system), and relative infertility that can be corrected. They also distinguish between primary (if the woman has not had a single pregnancy) and secondary infertility (if there was a history of pregnancy). Female infertility is a severe psychological trauma for both men and women.

General information

Diagnosis infertility“is given to a woman on the basis that she does not become pregnant during 1 year or more of regular sexual intercourse without the use of contraception. Absolute infertility is spoken of if the patient has irreversible anatomical changes that make conception impossible (absence of ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, serious anomalies in the development of the genital organs). In case of relative infertility, the reasons that caused it can be subjected to medical correction.

Infertility caused by endometriosis is diagnosed in approximately 30% of women suffering from this disease. The mechanism of the effect of endometriosis on infertility is not completely clear, but it can be stated that areas of endometriosis in the tubes and ovaries prevent normal ovulation and the movement of the egg.

The occurrence of an immune form of infertility is associated with the presence of antisperm antibodies in a woman, that is, specific immunity developed against sperm or an embryo. In more than half of the cases, infertility is caused not by a single factor, but by a combination of 2-5 or more reasons. In some cases, the reasons that caused infertility remain unidentified, even after full examination the patient and her partner. Infertility of unknown origin occurs in 15% of examined couples.

Diagnosis of infertility

Questioning method in diagnosing infertility

To diagnose and identify the causes of infertility, a woman needs to consult a gynecologist. It is important to collect and evaluate information about the general and gynecological health of the patient. This reveals:

Complaints (well-being, duration of absence of pregnancy, pain syndrome, its localization and connection with menstruation, changes in body weight, the presence of discharge from the mammary glands and genital tract, the psychological climate in the family).
Family and hereditary factors (infectious and gynecological diseases in the mother and immediate relatives, the age of the mother and father at the patient’s birth, their state of health, the presence bad habits, the number of pregnancies and births in the mother and their course, the health and age of the husband).
Diseases of the patient (previous infections, including genital infections, surgeries, injuries, gynecological and concomitant pathologies).
Character menstrual function(age of first menstruation, assessment of regularity, duration, pain of menstruation, amount of blood lost during menstruation, duration of existing disorders).
Assessment of sexual function (age of onset of sexual activity, number of sexual partners and marriages, nature of sexual relations in marriage - libido, regularity, orgasm, discomfort during sexual intercourse, previously used methods of contraception).
Fertility (presence and number of pregnancies, features of their course, outcome, course of labor, presence of complications during and after childbirth).
Methods of examination and treatment, if they were carried out previously, and their results (laboratory, endoscopic, radiological, functional examination methods; medications, surgical, physiotherapeutic and other types of treatment and their tolerability).

Methods of objective examination in the diagnosis of infertility

Objective examination methods are divided into general and special:

Methods of general examination in the diagnosis of infertility make it possible to assess general state patients. They include examination (determining body type, assessing the condition of the skin and mucous membranes, the nature of hair growth, the condition and degree of development of the mammary glands), palpation examination thyroid gland, abdomen, measuring body temperature, blood pressure.

Methods for special gynecological examination of patients with infertility are numerous and include laboratory, functional, instrumental and other tests. During a gynecological examination, hair growth, structural features and development of the external and internal genital organs, ligamentous apparatus, and discharge from the genital tract are assessed. Of the functional tests, the most common ones in the diagnosis of infertility are the following:

construction and analysis of a temperature curve (based on measurement data basal temperature) - allow you to assess the hormonal activity of the ovaries and the occurrence of ovulation;
determination of the cervical index - determination of the quality of cervical mucus in points, reflecting the degree of saturation of the body with estrogen;
postcoitus (postcoital) test - is carried out to study the activity of sperm in the secretion of the cervix and determine the presence of antisperm bodies.

From diagnostic laboratory methods highest value in case of infertility, they have studies of hormone levels in the blood and urine. Hormonal tests should not be performed after gynecological and mammological examinations, sexual intercourse, or immediately after waking up in the morning, since the level of some hormones, especially prolactin, may change. It is better to carry out hormonal tests several times to obtain a more reliable result. In case of infertility, informative the following types hormonal studies:

study of the level of DHEA-S (dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate) and 17-ketosteroids in the urine - allows you to assess the function of the adrenal cortex;
study of the level of prolactin, testosterone, cortisol, thyroid hormones (T3, T4, TSH) in blood plasma on days 5-7 menstrual cycle- to assess their influence on the follicular phase;
study of the level of progesterone in blood plasma on days 20-22 of the menstrual cycle - to assess ovulation and the functioning of the corpus luteum;
study of the level of follicle-stimulating, luteinizing hormones, prolactin, estradiol, etc. in case of menstrual dysfunction (oligomenorrhea and amenorrhea).

In the diagnosis of infertility, hormonal tests are widely used, which make it possible to more accurately determine the state of individual parts of the reproductive apparatus and their reaction to taking a particular hormone. The most common procedures for infertility are:

progesterone test (with norkolut) - in order to determine the level of saturation of the body with estrogen during amenorrhea and the reaction of the endometrium to the administration of progesterone;
a cyclic or estrogen-gestagen test with one of the hormonal drugs: gravistat, non-ovlon, marvelon, ovidon, femoden, silest, demoulen, triziston, triquilar - to determine the endometrium’s reception of steroid hormones;
clomiphene test (with clomiphene) - to assess the interaction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian system;
test with metoclopramide - to determine the prolactin secretory ability of the pituitary gland;
test with dexamethasone - in patients with elevated levels of male sex hormones to identify the source of their production (adrenal glands or ovaries).

To diagnose immune forms of infertility, the content of antisperm antibodies (specific antibodies to sperm - SAT) in the patient's blood plasma and cervical mucus is determined. Special meaning in case of infertility, has an examination for sexually transmitted infections (chlamydia, gonorrhea, mycoplasmosis, trichomoniasis, herpes, cytomegalovirus, etc.) that affect a woman’s reproductive function. Informative methods diagnostic tests for infertility include radiography and colposcopy.

Patients with infertility caused by intrauterine adhesions or adhesive obstruction of the tubes are advised to undergo examination for tuberculosis (lung x-ray, tuberculin tests, hysterosalpingoscopy, endometrial examination). To exclude neuroendocrine pathology (pituitary lesions), patients with disrupted menstrual rhythm undergo radiography of the skull and sella turcica. To the complex diagnostic measures in case of infertility, colposcopy is required to identify signs of erosion, endocervicitis and cervicitis, which are a manifestation of a chronic infectious process.

Using hysterosalpingography (x-rays of the uterus and fallopian tubes), anomalies and tumors of the uterus, intrauterine adhesions, endometriosis, obstruction of the fallopian tubes, and adhesions are detected, which are often the causes of infertility. Ultrasound allows you to examine the patency of the fallopian tubes. To clarify the condition of the endometrium, diagnostic curettage of the uterine cavity is performed. The resulting material is subjected to histological examination and assessing the correspondence of changes in the endometrium to the day of the menstrual cycle.

Surgical methods for diagnosing infertility

Surgical methods for diagnosing infertility include hysteroscopy and laparoscopy. Hysteroscopy is an endoscopic examination of the uterine cavity using an optical hysteroscope inserted through the external uterine os. In accordance with WHO recommendations - World Organization healthcare, modern gynecology has introduced hysteroscopy into the mandatory diagnostic standard for patients with uterine infertility.

Indications for hysteroscopy are:

primary and secondary infertility, habitual miscarriages;
suspicions of hyperplasia, endometrial polyps, intrauterine adhesions, abnormalities of the uterus, adenomyosis, etc.;
menstrual irregularity, heavy menstruation, acyclic bleeding from the uterine cavity;
fibroids growing into the uterine cavity;
unsuccessful IVF attempts, etc.

Hysteroscopy allows you to consistently examine the inside of the cervical canal, the uterine cavity, its anterior, posterior and lateral surfaces, the right and left mouths of the fallopian tubes, assess the condition of the endometrium and identify pathological formations. Hysteroscopic examination is usually performed in a hospital under general anesthesia. During hysteroscopy, the doctor can not only examine the inner surface of the uterus, but also remove some tumors or take a piece of endometrial tissue for histological analysis. After hysteroscopy, discharge is made in the shortest possible time (from 1 to 3 days).

Laparoscopy is an endoscopic method for examining organs and the pelvic cavity using optical equipment introduced through a micro-incision in the anterior abdominal wall. The accuracy of laparoscopic diagnosis is close to 100%. Like hysteroscopy, it can be performed for infertility with diagnostic or therapeutic purpose. Laparoscopy is performed under general anesthesia in a hospital setting.

The main indications for laparoscopy in gynecology are:

primary and secondary infertility;
ectopic pregnancy, ovarian apoplexy, uterine perforation and other medical emergencies;
obstruction of the fallopian tubes;
endometriosis;
uterine fibroids;
cystic changes in the ovaries;
adhesions in the pelvis, etc.

The undeniable advantages of laparoscopy are the bloodlessness of the operation, the absence of severe pain and rough sutures in postoperative period, minimal risk of developing adhesive postoperative process. Typically, 2-3 days after laparoscopy, the patient is discharged from the hospital. Surgical endoscopic methods are low-traumatic, but highly effective both in diagnosing infertility and in its treatment, and therefore are widely used for examining women of reproductive age.

Treatment of female infertility

The decision on the treatment of infertility is made after receiving and evaluating the results of all examinations performed and establishing the reasons that caused it. Treatment usually begins with eliminating the underlying cause of infertility. Therapeutic techniques used for female infertility are aimed at: restoring the patient’s reproductive function with conservative or surgical methods; the use of assisted reproductive technologies in cases where natural conception is impossible.

For endocrine infertility, correction of hormonal disorders and stimulation of the ovaries is carried out. Non-drug types of correction include normalizing weight (for obesity) through diet therapy and increasing physical activity, physiotherapy. The main type of drug treatment for endocrine infertility is hormone therapy. The process of follicle maturation is controlled using ultrasound monitoring and the dynamics of hormone levels in the blood. With proper selection and compliance with hormonal treatment, pregnancy occurs in 70-80% of patients with this form of infertility.

For tubo-peritoneal infertility, the goal of treatment is to restore the patency of the fallopian tubes using laparoscopy. The effectiveness of this method in the treatment of tubo-peritoneal infertility is 30-40%. If there is long-term adhesive obstruction of the tubes or if a previously performed operation is ineffective, artificial insemination is recommended. At the embryological stage, cryopreservation of embryos for their possible use if necessary, repeat IVF.

In cases of uterine infertility - anatomical defects in its development - reconstructive plastic surgery is performed. The probability of pregnancy in these cases is 15-20%. If it is impossible to surgically correct uterine infertility (absence of the uterus, severe malformations of its development) and a woman cannot carry a pregnancy to term on her own, they resort to surrogacy services, when embryos are transferred into the uterus of a specially selected surrogate mother.

Infertility caused by endometriosis is treated using laparoscopic endocoagulation, during which pathological lesions are removed. The result of laparoscopy is confirmed by a course of drug therapy. The pregnancy rate is 30-40%.

For immunological infertility, artificial insemination is usually used by artificial insemination with the husband's sperm. This method allows you to bypass the immune barrier of the cervical canal and promotes pregnancy in 40% of cases of immune infertility. Treatment of undiagnosed forms of infertility is the most difficult problem. Most often in these cases they resort to the use of assisted reproductive technologies. In addition, indications for artificial insemination are:

;

The effectiveness of infertility treatment is affected by the age of both spouses, especially the woman (the likelihood of pregnancy decreases sharply after 37 years). Therefore, infertility treatment should be started as early as possible. And you should never despair and lose hope. Many forms of infertility can be corrected using traditional or alternative treatment methods.

Even in ancient times, healers treated infertility in Rus'. They had their own secrets for preparing herbal decoctions and infusions, which were used by their wives, according to various reasons unable to give their husband an heir. Recipes for such healing have reached us. They are used by those women who cannot afford expensive drug treatment or do not accept IVF.

Who is indicated for therapy with folk remedies?

Nowadays, when diagnostics of infertility makes it possible to make accurate diagnoses, it is worth knowing that not all types of infertility can be treated with herbs. Secondary infertility, like primary infertility, can be treated with prescriptions traditional medicine. If a woman is diagnosed with “absolute infertility” (in the absence of a uterus, fallopian tubes, or ovaries), then in such cases it is useless to apply any treatment and it is worth thinking about IVF, surrogacy, or adoption of a baby.

Herbs are good for healing chronic adnexitis, endocrine disorders, hormonal imbalances, adhesions as the root causes of infertility.

Traditional medicine recipes

Infertility therapy is based mainly on the use of herbal decoctions, infusions and tinctures. Vegetable and fruit juices and rejuvenating procedures are also used. We offer several effective treatment options:

Ramishia decoction is one-sided. Take three tablespoons of dry herb and brew half a liter of boiling water in a thermos overnight. In the morning, the healing liquid is strained. You need to drink 200 grams three times a day immediately after meals. The medicinal plant heals well inflammatory diseases.
Quince juice. An ancient belief says that it should be consumed during the waxing month. This is the time from the new moon to two thirds of it. You should take 50 grams of juice every evening for three lunar cycles.
. The name of this herb alone suggests that its purpose is treatment. women's problems. The herb effectively heals inflammatory processes, helps normalize the menstrual cycle. Drink an infusion of boron uterus 20-30 minutes before each meal for 35-40 days.
Herbal collection. For chronic inflammatory processes, use a mixture of coltsfoot leaves and flowers pharmaceutical chamomile and calendula, sweet clover and centaury herbs, taken in equal proportions. Brew two tablespoons of this collection with half a liter of boiling water, leave for 40 minutes, filter, consume one hundred grams before each meal for two months.
Sage. Hippocrates also called this herb sacred. She served the best remedy therapy for female infertility. Its name comes from the ancient Greek words “sun” and “health”. Sage cleanses blood vessels, is a source of phytohormones. To treat infertility, especially after the age of 30, it is recommended to drink a glass of sage infusion for a month. The product rejuvenates the body, cleanses it, and promotes conception. You can add lemon and honey to the infusion. Infusion of the seeds of this medicinal plant increases the chances of the embryo implanting in the uterus. By the way, after the devastating wars in Egypt, women were simply forced to season food with sage or drink its infusions to restore the population. Today, doctors also advise drinking a tablespoon of fresh juice in the morning for infertility. The course of such therapy is 3 months. Then, if there is no result, you need to take a break for two months and drink sage juice again.
Adonis decoction. You need to brew a tablespoon of dry raw materials with a glass of boiling water. After infusion for forty minutes, the healing potion is filtered and consumed 100 grams three times a day after meals.
Decoction of plantain seeds. A teaspoon of dry raw materials is boiled in a glass of water for 3-4 minutes. After cooling, strain. A woman needs to drink the decoction every day for two months, 30 minutes before meals, ½ cup.
St. John's wort. It is recommended for women to use it as a fumigation for the room where she sleeps. This is an additional remedy for internal treatment herbs. It is also beneficial to inhale the smoke of burnt kirkazona seeds.
Ficus. Healers in Rus' recommended that infertile women grow a ficus tree in the house, caring for it like a small child. Next, on Christmas day, you need to put a candle near him, light it and ask the Virgin Mary for the happiness of motherhood.

Especially for

Almost all women at some point in their lives begin to think about children. But the path from deciding to become a mother to realizing this dream can be long and difficult. Approximately 10-15% of couples face difficulties conceiving, and every year tens of thousands of women are diagnosed with infertility. However, infertility in women is not a death sentence.

In most cases, infertility can be successfully treated. And modern reproductive technologies make it possible to “deceive” nature and, despite everything, achieve conception and successful pregnancy.

Signs of female infertility

In women, infertility can be suspected if pregnancy does not occur within 12 months of regular sexual activity without the use of contraception. For women over 35 years of age, this period is reduced to 6 months.

There are no obvious signs of infertility other than the inability to conceive, but there are some factors that increase the risk - these include being too high or too low index body weight, history of severe inflammatory and infectious diseases of the reproductive system, irregular menstrual cycle or amenorrhea - complete absence menses.

It should be borne in mind that the reason for the inability to conceive can be both female and male infertility, or even problems in both partners, therefore, if infertility is suspected, both the man and the woman should undergo a detailed examination. In this article, we will focus only on female infertility, its causes, diagnosis and treatment.

Causes of infertility in women extremely varied. Often, inflammatory diseases of the pelvic organs are to blame for the inability to conceive and bear a child, both in acute states and chronic ones, and even those that were suffered many years ago. Very often, inflammation of the reproductive system organs leads to adhesions in the fallopian tubes and their obstruction.

The causes of infertility in women also include congenital or acquired pathologies and deformations of the uterus, often resulting from multiple abortions, endometriosis of the uterine body, intrauterine septum, adhesions, and myomatous nodes.

Infertility in women can also have genetic causes: conception is possible, but the risk of miscarriage is extremely high. Genetic causes include various disorders chromosomal composition.

Less often, infertility is caused by psycho-emotional reasons, but this is also possible - some mental disorders, depression, constant severe stress reduce female fertility.

Advanced endometriosis is often diagnosed in women who consult doctors about their inability to conceive a child. In approximately 35% of cases, the cause of female infertility is problems with the maturation of follicles in the ovaries and ovulation, after which the egg enters the fallopian tube. 45% of patients with infertility have inflammatory processes in the pelvic organs and the pathologies of the fallopian tubes caused by them (adhesions inside or around the fallopian tubes, dysfunction of the fallopian tubes). Often the cause of infertility is not one factor, but several.

Diagnostics

To diagnose infertility, in addition to taking a history and visual gynecological examination, a number of tests and studies are required:

Tests for sexually transmitted infections , both partners must pass.
Blood test for hormones . These studies make it possible to confirm the endocrine nature of infertility. Blood for studying different hormones is taken at different phases of the cycle: analysis for FSH, LH, prolactin, TSH, T3, T4 is taken on the 2-5th day of the cycle, and for progesterone - on the 18-22nd.
Radiography and ultrasonography pelvic organs . Contrast radiography makes it possible to determine whether infertility is caused by deformation or pathology of the uterus, fallopian tubes, or whether there are adhesions or neoplasms. Ultrasound is also widely used to clarify the condition of the fallopian tubes.
Histology . Examination of a tissue sample from the uterine mucosa provides information about the cellular structure of the endometrium.
Hysteroscopy . A visual examination method in which a miniature video camera is inserted into the uterus. Allows you to see polyps, neoplasms, changes in the structure of the mucous membrane, and also take tissue samples. The information content of the method is extremely high, and the accuracy is close to 100%.

Treatment methods for infertility in women

A complete diagnosis of infertility usually takes no more than 2–3 months. After which the doctor makes a diagnosis and chooses treatment tactics. In the vast majority of cases, infertility is curable. Treatment methods for infertility in women largely depend on its causes.

Drug treatment

Are used hormonal drugs, stabilizing hormonal levels and making possible the maturation of the follicle and ovulation (rupture of the follicle with the release of the egg to the fallopian tube), as well as subsequent implantation of the embryo. Drug treatment infertility in women gives a good effect if the inability to conceive is associated with endocrine disorders. Its effectiveness depends on the woman’s age, the duration of infertility and the viability of the ovaries.

Surgery

This type of treatment is indicated if the cause of infertility is a pathology of the uterus or fallopian tubes. With the help of laparoscopy - a minimally invasive operation - you can try to restore the patency of the fallopian tubes by eliminating adhesions, carry out coagulation if the problem is endometriosis, and remove myomatous nodes. Such operations are relatively simple and do not require long rehabilitation period. However, resuming attempts to conceive a child will have to wait: to consolidate the effect after the operation, a course of drug therapy. It should also be mentioned that surgical intervention may not always help with pathology of the uterus or fallopian tubes. Sometimes, if the anatomical defects are too serious, surrogacy is the only option. Efficiency surgical treatment infertility largely depends on the type of pathology and in some cases can reach 90%, and on average it is 30–40%.

Psychological help

According to statistics, about 30% of cases of infertility are partially due to psychological reasons. Fear of responsibility, inevitable changes in life or childbirth, lack of self-confidence or in a partner, personal dramas and stress at work - any psychological overload can affect reproductive health. Sometimes the inability to get pregnant is caused by an unpreparedness for this step: the woman is not yet ready to give birth, but her family or partner is putting pressure on her. Often the root of the problem, paradoxically, lies in an obsession with motherhood, the concentration of all mental strength on this dream and a complete abandonment of other interests in life. We've probably all heard stories about couples who, after years of infertility, gave up and adopted someone else's child, only to have the woman discover just a few months later that she was expecting her own. In this case, psychotherapy can help, and it is advisable to undergo it together with a partner.

As a woman ages, her fertility decreases – this is a natural process. It is difficult to give exact figures, since the health status of each woman is individual, but on average, the chances of pregnancy begin to decrease from about 35 years old - by approximately 3-5% per year. After 40 years, the likelihood of pregnancy becomes even lower, but the risk of miscarriage and fetal pathologies, on the contrary, increases. At this age, it is safer to resort to IVF, and the sooner the better, since the older the woman is, the less likely it will be to obtain (even with IVF) high-quality eggs and, accordingly, high-quality embryos.

Assisted reproductive technologies

If all of the above methods for treating infertility in women have failed, it makes sense to think about assisted reproductive technologies. These include in vitro fertilization, intrauterine insemination with the sperm of a husband or donor, the use of donor eggs in an IVF program, and surrogacy. They differ both in complexity (intrauterine insemination is simply the introduction of pre-cleaned and concentrated sperm directly into the uterine cavity, and IVF is a complex set of measures to stimulate ovulation, in vitro fertilization of the egg and its implantation), and in efficiency.

Prevention of infertility in women

Since infertility is very often the result of inflammatory and infectious diseases reproductive organs, it is necessary to regularly check their condition and visit a gynecologist at least once a year. Unscheduled examinations are necessary when changing a partner or method of contraception, or when any changes or symptoms appear. In addition to the gynecologist, a woman should also visit an endocrinologist and mammologist.

It is also important to monitor your diet, avoiding vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and maintain weight without going to extremes - both thinness and extra 20–30 kilograms can become an obstacle to motherhood. No matter how trivial it may sound, smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages are also detrimental to women's health and significantly reduce the chances of pregnancy, so you need to give up bad habits even before planning a pregnancy.

Having children is one of life's most important tasks. It should be approached with full awareness and responsibility. Preparing for conception not only allows you to get pregnant quickly, but also makes it possible to avoid many problems during pregnancy, childbirth and recovery after them. This is the key to the health of the child and his mother.

The diagnosis of infertility is terrifying for many women who really want to get pregnant. There are many causes for this condition, and some types of the disease can be successfully treated.

How to determine the disease and what can lead to such a diagnosis, what are the main symptoms and is infertility treated in women? More about this.

Reasons for diagnosis

There are a huge number of causes of infertility, and they are all divided into different groups.

Hormonal

Physiological

Poor patency of the fallopian tubes or its complete absence is the main cause of infertility in women. In this case, sperm cannot reach the egg.
Scarring of the cervix. This phenomenon is the consequences of an illness or surgery. With scarring, the possibility of sperm reaching the egg is sharply reduced.
. This benign neoplasm in the uterus. Myoma leads not only to problems with conception, but also to miscarriages. Find out also how to treat uterine fibroids.
Endometriosis. The uterine mucosa actively grows and extends beyond the organ. This phenomenon leads to gluing of the fallopian tubes or to the formation of adhesions.

Diseases that are sexually transmitted

Chlamydia. This infection causes adhesions to form in the oviducts. In many cases, the disease is asymptomatic. Chlamydia is easily transmitted from mother to child.
Gonorrhea. Symptoms of this infection rarely appear. The disease is transmitted from mother to child during childbirth.

Other

Genetic diseases. Such diseases increase the risk of miscarriage because they cause chromosome changes.
Inability to bear a child. In this case, fertilization occurs, but at some point during pregnancy a miscarriage occurs.

Risk factors

Age. In nulliparous women over 35 years of age, fewer eggs mature, which means the ability to get pregnant is noticeably reduced, and the risk of developing chromosomal changes in the fetus increases.
Underweight or overweight. Excess weight often accompanied by hormonal diseases. With low weight, pregnancy may not occur, since the body is weakened and is in a state of “hunger”, while reproductive function decreases.
Nervous shocks. Constant stress leads to disruption hormonal levels(the hormone prolactin is produced in large quantities).
Bad habits: smoking, abuse of alcoholic beverages and caffeine (more than 6-7 servings of coffee per day).

Signs and symptoms

The first sign of the disease is the absence of pregnancy with regular sexual intercourse without the use of contraceptives for a year.

In this case, the partner is checked. If he does not have any pathologies, female infertility is diagnosed.

The second symptom is absence of menstruation. Normally, they can be absent only in three cases: before puberty, during pregnancy and after menopause.

The menstrual cycle is often disrupted due to the use of contraceptives, but it is restored soon after stopping taking these drugs.

Irregular menstruation– another symptom, since ovulation is disrupted (the egg cannot mature normally, and the sperm cannot fertilize it).

What not to do

In some cases, you should not take ovulation-stimulating drugs: inflammation in the appendages and uterus, pathologies of the genital organs, polycystic disease, male infertility (the woman is healthy), obstruction of the oviducts, neoplasms in the uterus or fallopian tubes, hormonal disorders.

Do not start treatment with drugs or folk remedies, if the cause has not been established, as this may lead to unexpected results.

Prevention measures

Prevention measures are very simple:

maintain genital hygiene;
eat well;
give up all bad habits: smoking, drinking alcoholic beverages, narcotic substances;
avoid severe stress;
do not be promiscuous.

Alternative methods to get pregnant

In addition to traditional methods of treatment, there are also ways to conceive a child. Their main goal is recovery and improvement emotional state women.

If the problem is caused by nervous shock and menstruation disorders, such methods will increase the effectiveness of the main treatment.

Here are the main ones alternative methods that will help you get pregnant:

Homeopathy. This method involves the use of natural extracts and minerals. Some of them are aimed at restoring ovulation, others help relieve stress.
Acupuncture. During the procedure, thin needles are inserted into certain points on the body (energy centers).
Reflexology. The specialist massages special points located on the heels. The procedure improves well-being and improves the function of the reproductive organs.

Infertility is a serious diagnosis that should only be treated under the close attention of specialists.

Be sure to go necessary examinations and find out why conception does not occur.

Finally, watch this video on how to get pregnant after 40:

Alena Strazdina
obstetrician-gynecologist, reproductive specialist medical center"Lode"

Infertility has long been viewed not as a diagnosis, but as a condition. So this is precisely the condition in which, despite regular sexual activity without the use of any contraceptive methods, pregnancy does not occur within 12 months. Of course, the doctor can come to this conclusion much earlier. For example, in the presence of problems such as polycystic ovary syndrome, genetic diseases, indications of serious surgical interventions on the pelvic organs, and so on.

Distinguish primary infertility(when a woman has never become pregnant during her life) and secondary infertility(when I was pregnant at least once).

Sometimes the real reason- a mystery for the doctors themselves

The factors leading to the problem under discussion can be very different. For example, if we talk about endocrine infertility, then this is the impossibility of pregnancy due to lack of ovulation, disruption of the luteal phase of the cycle caused by changes in the normal secretion of hormones in the blood, or impaired sensitivity to the effects of hormones in target organs - the ovaries and uterus.

Tubal-peritoneal factor infertility is characterized by impaired patency or peristalsis (contractile movements) of a woman’s fallopian tubes, as well as the presence adhesive process in the small pelvis.

Today, infertility caused by endometriosis. It leads to a decrease in the quality of oocytes and ovarian reserve, disruption of the fertilization process and peristalsis of the fallopian tubes, and so on.

About immunological factor infertility is said to be the case when a man is diagnosed a large number of sperm loaded with antisperm antibodies. To identify such a situation, a man needs to take a MAP test.

Violation of spermogram indicators indicates the presence of male factor infertility

In 10-15% of cases, the cause of infertility remains unknown. Methods that exist today in clinical practice, do not always give a definite answer. Man is a complex creature. It also happens that no obvious diseases are detected, both the man and the woman are healthy, but for some reason pregnancy does not occur.

Even if there are no ovaries or fallopian tubes, pregnancy is possible

In most cases, infertility treatment begins with conservative (drug) therapy. But there are a number of indications in which it is possible to fulfill your dream only with the help of IVF. These are conditions in which pregnancy cannot occur without the use of assisted reproductive technologies (absolute indications) or when their use will give the most favorable result (relative indications).

An absolute indication is considered, for example, the absence of fallopian tubes (due to surgery). That is, these are, as a rule, very serious reasons that the couple cannot correct.

However, most indications for IVF are still relative. Even if a woman has practically no ovaries or they have stopped functioning due to diseases, but there is a uterus, the possibility of pregnancy remains. In this case, it is possible to carry out a program using donor oocytes (receipt of eggs from a female donor, subsequent fertilization in the laboratory and transplantation into the body of a female recipient). In cases of severe sperm pathology in men, programs are carried out using donor sperm.

In our country, surrogacy programs are allowed for women who do not have a uterus or when, for a number of other reasons, pregnancy is impossible.

The list of contraindications for pregnancy is quite long.

There are situations when pregnancy represents high risk for good health. Resolution of the Ministry of Health No. 54 lists all contraindications to IVF programs. As a rule, these are diseases for which pregnancy is contraindicated. This includes: severe illness connective tissue, tuberculosis, syphilis, thrombosis, severe forms diabetes mellitus, diseases of the central nervous system - the list is quite long.

- If a problem arises with conception, perhaps a woman without a partner first turns to specialists?

Yes, after all, women usually look for the problem within themselves. But from my own experience I can say that in Lately More and more people are coming to appointments in pairs. And, of course, that's right.

About 40% of the total statistics account for male infertility

- But in whom is infertility more common: men or women?

Currently, the most common factor is the combined factor of infertility, when both partners have health problems that prevent conception. If you still have to choose between the sexes, women are diagnosed with this diagnosis more often. But about 40% of the total statistics account for male infertility, and this is a high figure.

- What are the most common causes of male infertility?

Violation of hormonal regulation of spermatogenesis, thyroid function, diseases of the scrotal organs, problems with blood vessels that led to malnutrition of the testicles, severe general diseases.

Therapy for the treatment of malignant diseases can also adversely affect spermatogenesis. Even harmful conditions labor sometimes contribute to the problem. For example, frequent interaction with toxic substances, work in conditions high temperature and so on.

- What role do bad habits play in the overall unfavorable picture?

Big one. By the way, it has been scientifically proven that non-smoking men have much fewer problems with conception than smokers. For women, smoking risks miscarriage. But, like alcohol, nicotine is only an additional aggravating factor, and not the main factor in infertility.

Sometimes some inexplicable forces take over

- Have there been any surprising cases in your practice?

I think every fertility doctor has stories like this. I can give an example of a case where a woman was operated on three times due to endometriosis, an IVF program was carried out, only one embryo was obtained and the patient became pregnant on the first try. Today the couple is raising a wonderful boy.

You should never despair. No matter how competent we doctors may be, today not all mechanisms of reproduction in the human body have been studied. Probably, there really are forces that contribute to the final success or failure. After all, it happens, even if all the IVF procedures were successful and, it would seem, the result is simply bound to please, at the last moment something goes wrong.

By the way, sometimes the problem does not lie in poor health. Psychological barriers are also a serious obstacle. It is known that the regulation of the menstrual cycle in women is closely interconnected with the central nervous system. Stressful situations negatively affect any processes in the body.

As a doctor, I am against the idea of a healthy couple at the very beginning of planning a pregnancy, when they have just begun to have an open intimate life, “obsessing” over this issue: constantly taking ovulation tests, calculating favorable days, or even hours for sexual intercourse and waited with fear for the days of menstruation. People are not machines. Everything has its time. There is no need to rush and worry too much.

In the end, you can contact a psychologist. There are things that are difficult to entrust to both your loved ones and your doctor. But sometimes you just need to get rid of accumulated internal problems and pour out your soul to someone. And then everything will definitely work out.

Photo: Olga Chertkova