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-   -   Is there such thing as a limited time to conceive? (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/showthread.php?t=34550)

  • Sep 19, 2006, 06:23 AM
    ItalianMami82
    Is there such thing as a limited time to conceive?
    Hi yes I was just wondering some reasons besides infertility that you might have a certain time frame you'd have to conceive in. I'm going into the doctor to see what's going on with me since I am 28 years old and it seems like I just can't conceive. One of my friends was told by there doctor that they had a limited time to conceive and if they didtn accomplish it in that time frame then they might not be able to conceive or at least in the manner of intercourse. Is that true and what can cause that. Just a list and maybe some explanations would be great. I just want to know something more about that more so because she told me. I'm not going in with any negative thoughts, I just want to know what's wrong with me. So are there things that limit your timing to conceive and what are they. Can birth control throw it off if you had a bad experience on one type of pill? I was on a birth control and it made me really sick like so bad that I had to call the doctor and get off it.. it got me really sick could that have internally effected me in any manner please help!

    Erika

    (im using my cousins name so ill be checking this specific post every once in a while hoping for answers)
  • Sep 19, 2006, 06:35 AM
    ScottGem
    There are a number of reasons for infertility on both genders. It took 6 years including surgery for me and numerous other things for my wife and I before we finally conceived. And that happened during a period when we decided to switch doctors (because of location not mistrust). So we didn't expect anything to happen until we started working with the new doctor.

    I'm assuming that you know that a woman only has a limited fertile period each month. And also that a woman stops producing eggs at some point. Those are well known facts and could be the "limited time" that was referred to.

    Its possible that your reaction to birth control might have caused some damage, but no way for us to tell. A good OB/GYN should be able to give you a thorough going over and give you advice. Also, don't put the blame entirely on yourself. Your husband needs to be tested as well. It could be totally his problerm and not yours.

    But you shouldn't panic. You don't say how long you have been trying, but at 28 you should have more than a decade of fertility left.
  • Sep 19, 2006, 07:49 AM
    kp2171
    There are probably two issues here. One is the declining rate of conception and viability as a woman ages, and the other is menopause.

    Research shows that the younger the egg, the greater the ability to conceive. A woman is born with all the eggs she will have to use in her lifetime, and over time there are "aging" changes that can impair the ability of the egg to result in a healthy pregnancy. In contrast, a man makes new sperm throughout his life. So if you are both 30 years old and trying to conceive, its basically 3 month old sperm and a 30 year old egg. The older the egg, the more chromosomal abnormalities in general. This means its harder to conceive and there are also issues with miscarriage and some birth defects as you get older. Studies have also indicated that while the man produces new sperm throughout his life, there are some potential issues with aging in his ability to cause pregnancy, though more subtle. Still, there are potential chromosomal issues in older men as well. So the issue here is the aging of the eggs. And not all women follow the same pattern of egg aging. But the trend that you can generally get pregnant much easier when younger is supported by solid research. Obviously, some women have no problem getting pregnant later in life. Some couples need the help of fertility specialists even when younger.

    Menopause is another time barrier, as your body begins to transition to a place where you no longer have periods, and since the cycles are what prepare your uterus for implantation, cesation of menses signifies the body moving away from the reproductive stages of life. This is a gradual process that occurs over time, and the average age experiencing menopause has gone up over time. I don't know the numbers off the top of my head. I think the ave is around 50 now and used to be around 40 a generation or two ago. Some women experience this earlier, and there are risk factors like smoking that can bring it on earlier.

    It can take time for the birth control to "be out of your system" and for your body to be regular again. Also, a general time frame (last I heard, I don't work in this field) is after a year of trying to get pregnant without success, that is the time when docs might start to look into fertility issues. Between now and then if you are trying to conceive make sure you know the things to do to improve your chances (good diet, know your cycle, know when you ovulate, good health)... or if you are not sure about these things seek the info you need to help yourself increase your chances.

    Hope this helps.
  • Sep 19, 2006, 08:22 AM
    ItalianMami82
    My friend was 22 and they told her she had a limited time and this was cause she was on the birth control. She as well as I got really sick and eventually had to get off that type of pill. Can the pill do any damage really? I mean some people say no but some say yes.. any ideas? She luckily conceived but even though no ones a doctor here are there really chances for the pill to make it semi difficult to conceive. When you stop taking the pill within 24 hours the pill is out of your system I know this. But I'm saying long term effects could and would it change your conceiving?
  • Sep 19, 2006, 08:44 AM
    ScottGem
    One of the worse things you can do is diagnose yourself based on what a friend says she was told. You have no idea how closely her circumstances match yours, you have no idea EXACTLY what the doctor told her that she may have misunderstood or is paraphrasing.

    As far as I know, there is a possibility that misuse of birth control pills may affect your ability to conceive. So we can't tell you absolutely that it won't. But its rare. You really should be consulting your OB/GYN and not getting in a panic.
  • Sep 19, 2006, 09:03 AM
    kp2171
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by ItalianMami82

    when you stop taking the pill within 24 hours the pill is out of your system i know this.


    While some women can get pregnant immediately off the pill or from poor use of the pill (or even on the pill with perfect use), it can take up to 6-8 months in some cases for your body to reset. You've been playing a game with hormones, and it can take time for the body to readjust. This isn't a safe period to have unprotected sex and not worry about pregnancy, but when I said "out of your sytem", that means the time it takes for your body to find its natural rhythm again. It is most certainly not the next day in many cases.

    I'm not familiar with studies that show long term infertility after the pill. Ill dig around. I know the short term issue is real, as I mentioned earlier. I seriously doubt there is established, documented research that shows the pill damages a woman's long term ability to conceive. Someone who knows better can correct me.

    But please cite a primary med source, like JAMA, the lancet, the new england journal of medicine... not www.thepillsucks.com (made-up URL)

    And, as was mentioned, talk to your physician. People are so reluctant sometimes to get the real answers from the real experts.

    Also, my wife also had nausea problems with the pill. Didn't stop her from having two children, one later in life.

    You want to know the truth? Open up your pkg that you get the pills in and read the lawyer-ese insert. If there is even a possibility of a chance that the pill is going to damage your bodys ability to conceive don't you think the lawyers would have that in writing? A landslide of lawsuits waiting to happen. Not to mention did your doctor tell you that taking the pill would long term damage your ability to conceive. Again, another lawsuit if its true. I don't buy it. Unless there is infection or an ectopic pregnant that can hurt later fertility issues, I just know too many women who have used the pill and gotten pregnant later... some years later.

    I think you are worrying too much. And who are the "they" your friend heard this from? She might also have misunderstood. Again, I beg someone to show me otherwise.

    Interesting, non primary medical e-article

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2283253.stm
  • Sep 19, 2006, 03:52 PM
    J_9
    Erika, it seems as though you are asking us to diagnose you since this is what the 3rd or 4th thread you have started regarding whether you either are pregnant, or can get pregnant.

    We CANNOT diagnose you over the internet. Neither can your friend. The only one who can give you appropriate advice for your particular body is your doctor. I believe I have mentioned this to you on numerous occasions.

    As Scott said, and I thank you Scott, it may be time to have your husband checked.
  • Sep 20, 2006, 06:19 AM
    ScottGem
    I see from J 9's comments that you had other threads discussing this issue. I glanced at those other threads and noticed that you only came off the pill a few months ago. This is WAY too soon for you to start panicking. And panicking is the worse thing that you can do.

    When my wife and I had trouble conceiving we started going to fertitlity specialists after about a year of trying. We went through several years of different procedures on both of us. At one point we decided to switch doctors because the one we had been going to was just too far a trip. So my wife relaxed figuring nothing was going to happen until after her next period when we started with the new physician. Well she never got that next period. We strongly feel that, having the pressure taken off for the time being, she relaxed enough to conceive. So worrying and panicking is not what you want. Besides its way too early for that.

    The person you NEED to be talking to is your OB/GYN. Thats' the one person who can truly diagnose you and recommend courses of treatment if necessary.
  • Sep 20, 2006, 12:42 PM
    J_9
    Scott, once again thank you. As you saw this discussion has been on going for quite a while now.

    As I told her before, stress will cause these problems too. And it seems that there is SO much stress here.

    Like your situation, sometimes it is best to just sit back, relax, take a back seat (so to speak) and magic will occur.
  • Sep 20, 2006, 05:07 PM
    ItalianMami82
    The other dicussions are not mine as I stated I'm using my cousins name so I don't have to sign up for an account on here. I simply wanted to know if the because causes any effects that prevent you from conceiving. I'm not asking you to diaganose me I just want advice from other people as I am going to see my doctor who will diagnose me. Its intesrting to see if there's others out there that know about this kind of topic. As I read both j9 and scotts comments you need to realize the other threads about just being off birth control are my cousin. This is the ONLY post I made. If you had read my comment earlier you'd see that it says I'm on my cousins name. I've been off birth control myself for a year and a half. And maybe my typing seems like I'm in a "panic" as you say, but I'm not. I just came on for simple advice to see if anyone has heard of such a thing (the pill effecting conceiving) I think you made more of it then it was.
  • Sep 20, 2006, 05:54 PM
    kp2171
    The oversight that this was you and not your cousin was an honest one. I didn't see it the first time I posted.

    And we do have people posting pregnant. Questions over and over at this site... I responded to one of those just earlier today.

    So... off because that long, your body has had time to adjust. If you've been trying to conceive, knowing your cycle and when you ovulate, etc... and its been around a year of deliberate trying, time to see a doctor about how to help you.
  • Sep 20, 2006, 06:09 PM
    J_9
    I understand that there is an oversight here, but read your cousin's posts, they sound identical to yours.

    I have been dealing with this for a couple of months now, and really I see very little difference in your post and her many posts.

    You may get better more concise answers if you start your own name instead of using your cousin's.
  • Sep 20, 2006, 06:37 PM
    ScottGem
    Many of us who answer questions answer several questions a day. It's a bit hard to keep all the details straight.

    As to your using your cousins account, why would you not want to sign up? Your personal info is not made public. And you don't have to worry about your questions getting mixed up with anyone else's. ESPECIALLY when you cousin was asking questions on the same subject.
  • Sep 20, 2006, 06:39 PM
    J_9
    I have to bow down to you once again Scott!! I seriously believe this is the same person.
  • Sep 20, 2006, 06:54 PM
    ScottGem
    I don't know whether it's the same person or not, but I really don't think it matters. My concern is that using the same name makes it harder for us to help

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