Don't Wait

A simple online search will tell you that women in their 20's will have upwards of an 86% chance of conceiving within a year, those ages 30-34 will have a 63% chance and those 35-39 years of age will have a 52% chance of conceiving within a year.....or a 25 to 30% chance of conceiving each cycle if you're under 35.  I bet this is probably a very common internet search for couples just deciding to start their fertility journey. It was for me.

After a number of months have passed with no success, the next search is likely "when do I seek fertility assistance?"  I've seen the old saying a hundred times: women under the age of 35 who have been trying to conceive for one year without any success should speak to a fertility specialist.  

One year?!?  In the "trying to get pregnant' world, one year seems like FOREVER!  I remember at one point in the journey I was torn between two different thoughts:   am I one month closer to actually conceiving or am I one month closer to getting my entry ticket into being eligible to see a specialist? Even when visiting my online discussion boards about fertility and pregnancy, members would post about how you had to wait one year to seek help/answers.

In the past 2.5 years, I've learned that you have to be your own advocate.  Just because the common thought is one way doesn't mean you have to follow it.  If you have any inkling that something isn't right or if you're questioning if you have PCOS, endometriosis, etc., meet with a fertility specialist sooner.  There are plenty of specialists who will see you before you've been trying to conceive for one year. Having that peace of mind of knowing whether something is or isn't right is more than worth it.  I remember going thru the journey and wondering - what if I have slim to no chance of conceiving on my own and I spent ALL of this time, energy, and stress on trying. The investment to see a specialist far outweighed the stress of another month - regardless of what the outcome of the visit would be.

Be your own advocate and seek help sooner!  You deserve it.

Angie