5 Infertility Myths it’s Time the World Stopped Believing
If you’ve been told that you have almost no chance of getting pregnant, that you’re too old, that there’s nothing your partner can do to increase your odds of having a baby, or that you just plain simply have “unexplained” infertility, then it’s time to do a little mythbusting.
It’s important for women to know that there is no such thing as unexplained infertility. And while it would be impossible to mythbust every false fertility “fact” out there, here are some of the most popular ones that simply need to be debunked.
Top 5 Fertility Questions Women Ask Based on Infertility Myths
1. ARE WOMEN OVER 35 TOO OLD TO GET PREGNANT?
Most doctors will tell their patients who are over 35 and want to get pregnant with their own eggs that IVF is the best option. It’s extremely common for them to encourage the procedure to take place as soon as possible, and they may even go as far to say it’s the only option.
This is a myth!
The truth is . . . if you’re under 45, it’s not too late for you to get pregnant naturally.
While Western Medicine considers a woman to be of advanced maternal age at 35, Traditional Chinese Medicine shows us that women are fertile well into their forties. For most women, fertility doesn’t actually decline until around 43 years of age. Once a woman reaches 45, getting pregnant can start to become pretty challenging, but it’s still a possibility.
Whether you’re 35 or 45, getting the appropriate support specifically for you and your unique fertility journey will fast track the process exponentially. Book a one-on-one online Fertility Consult here to get to the root cause of your infertility issues so you can get pregnant naturally.
2. DOESN’T IVF WORK FOR EVERYONE?
The way IVF is talked about and marketed can make anyone believe it’s a done deal . . . that just one treatment will get any couple pregnant.
This is a myth!
The truth is . . . it can take several rounds of IVF to successfully get pregnant.
And even then, women over 40 have extremely low pregnancy success rates after multiple treatments.
Here are some of the most current IVF success rates from the “Society of Assisted Reproductive Technology” after one treatment:
Women under 35 have a 51% chance of having a baby with their own eggs
Women ages 35-37 have a 38% success rate of having a baby with their own eggs
At age 38-40, women have a 25% chance of having a baby with their own eggs
From 41-42, women have a significant decrease in a successful birth with their own eggs at 12%
Women older than 42 have a 4% chance of having a baby using their own eggs
Those IVF statistics you see claiming to have a 50%-70% success rate are typically after 8 rounds! Not only does the success of IVF decrease significantly as you age, but one treatment has a staggering cost of $15,000-$30,000. And insurance doesn’t even cover 80% of IVF treatments.
This is by no means saying that IVF is bad or wrong. It’s just simply not all it’s cracked up to be. IVF can be a great option after all natural methods have been exhausted. The added benefit of taking the natural route first is that when IVF is necessary, women tend to get pregnant much faster because their bodies are already healthy and in pristine condition. But what’s truly miraculous is how so many women end up not needing to go the IVF route at all after getting to the root cause of their infertility.
3. CAN YOU GET PREGNANT NATURALLY WITH PCOS?
If you have PCOS, your doctor has probably told you that there’s no cure and it will be nearly impossible to get pregnant without the help of IVF, IUI, or other medical interventions.
This is a myth!
The truth is . . . you can heal your PCOS and get pregnant naturally.
14% of women who struggle with infertility have PCOS. And 70-80% of women with PCOS have been told they’ll likely struggle with their fertility. Unfortunately, most of these women have never been told that their PCOS is 100% reversible.
PCOS and infertility tend to go hand in hand because women with PCOS have hormonal imbalances that interfere with growth and release of eggs from the ovaries (ovulation). And if a woman isn’t ovulating, she can’t get pregnant.
4. HOW DO I KNOW IF AND WHEN I’M OVULATING?
The majority of women were taught that ovulation and periods are a package deal and that ovulation time is baby making time. It’s common to hear that ovulation occurs on the 14th day of a woman’s cycle. That’s when the egg is released from an ovary and either gets fertilized (and becomes a baby) or the woman will get her period 2 weeks later.
This is a myth!
The truth is . . . the fertile window varies from woman to woman.
Most women believe that ovulation starts on day 14 and lasts about 5 days. When in reality, the average fertile window is typically a mere 1-2 days. And in some cases, women have their periods without ever ovulating at all!
There are several different factors that can affect ovulation, but it’s possible to extend a woman’s fertility window by 3 or 4 days by boosting her follicular quality and greatly reducing inflammation. To know exactly what steps to take to make sure you’re ovulating and give your fertility window a boost, book a Fertility Consult. Once you know the truth about what’s really happening with your body and your cycle, your path to pregnancy will feel so much easier.
5. IS THERE ANYTHING THE MAN CAN DO TO HELP US GET PREGNANT FASTER?
If you’ve spent any time at all reading blog posts about how to boost your fertility, you’d think infertility is only a problem for females.
When a couple is trying to get pregnant, there’s a list longer than a CVS receipt of things the woman should be doing to increase her fertility. The advice for men seems to stop at switching to boxers and quitting smoking.
And if a couple asks their doctor what he can do to help increase their chance of having a baby, the answer is usually a quick and simple, “Not much.”
This is a myth!
The truth is . . . infertility is NOT solely a female issue.
The man in your life can do a lot more than buy a few new pairs of underwear.
It’s not their fault that they think loosening up the mood with a few beers after dinner and jumping in the sack is their only job, but it’s simply not true.
Just like with women, men need to put in the work to become the healthiest version of themselves too. It takes two to tango, and his little swimmers have a big job to do.
Several things contribute to male reproductive issues. Exposure to toxins, heavy metals, and EMF’s aren’t making anyone’s baby-making journey any easier. And poor blood sugar regulation, mineral deficiencies, food sensitivities, oxidative stress, and HP axis dysregulation could be impacting your fertility journey more than you think.
The customized support you need to overcome infertility includes helping men clean up their act too. Book a Fertility Consult to get the answers you need to finally have the family you’ve been dreaming of.
You Can Overcome Your Infertility and Have a Baby Naturally
Most traditional doctors haven’t seen what’s truly possible for those struggling with infertility, so their best bet is to encourage you to start IVF immediately. Their intentions are good, but the information Western Medicine has access to is limited to a set number of treatments and procedures.
When you’re able to work with someone who believes in your body’s innate ability to heal itself, that has a huge impact on your fertility success.
The women who come to Magnolia Wellness aren’t limited to what their doctor has told them is possible. And they’re able to have the families they’ve been waiting for, on their terms. In fact, several of them were told there was less than a 5% chance of ever getting pregnant!
I’ve seen hundreds of women who were told they had almost no chance of ever getting pregnant have healthy babies.
This is possible for you too! Book your virtual one-on-one Fertility Consult to get to the root cause of your infertility and finally have the baby you’ve been dreaming of.