If you’re trying to conceive, it’s important to know when you should seek testing for infertility. If you have any previously know conditions that might contribute to infertility, it doesn’t hurt to consult a physician for advice right away. Otherwise, the guideline is after a year of trying to conceive for those under 35, and after six months of trying to conceive for those over 35. In today’s post, Danielle reflects on pros and cons for thinking about your fertility before you’re ready to start trying to have a baby. 

When to Start Thinking About Your Fertility

by Danielle Bucco

It can never be too early to think about any potential health concerns. For many health issues, early detection can sometimes be key to a quicker and easier treatment. However, thinking about things too far ahead of time can often lead to more stress and take away from living in the moment. When it comes to infertility, there is never going to be a right or wrong time to start thinking about it, it all depends on each individual and what they are comfortable with. For many, you don’t think about it until you are trying to conceive and are running into complications. For others such as myself, it is a constant thought even if there is no plan on conceiving any time in the near future. So what are some of the pros and cons of thinking about infertility early on?

Pros:

• If there is a problem, you can detect it early and have more time to try and heal. As many people know the earlier an illness or issue is detected, the better the treatment will be and the more likely for a full recovery. There can be many different issues that can affect someone’s fertility. Getting regular checkups and making sure everything is functioning properly is going to be the best way to prepare for any future complications. Of course problems can develop, but getting regular checks should help put the mind at ease until it comes time to start conceiving.

• Live a healthier lifestyle. If someone is worried about any potential health concerns, one of the best ways to try and avoid the concerns is to live a healthier lifestyle. This can mean many different things for different people. For some it could be changing their diet or to exercise more, while for others it could be to quit smoking or cut back on drinking. Whatever it is, if it is going to lead to a healthier body it will also lead to a healthier mind and hopefully help to relieve some of the stress of thinking about infertility.

• Gives time to accept and/or consider other alternatives. For those who have gone through infertility, healing is a constant process that takes time and support. If it is discovered earlier on that there are going to be some complications when trying to conceive, it gives the individual more time to come to understand this fact and begin the healing process. It is never going to get easier but hopefully the time will help the idea of potential treatments that are right for them or alternative forms of becoming a parent.

Cons:

• Worrying about something that might not be true. Someone who has not gone through the more extensive check ups might still be worried about whether or not they will be able to conceive. One of the problems with this is that there could be no issue and someone can spend a lot of time and energy worrying about something that they don’t have to worry about. If anyone worries the way I do, it can sometimes be an all-consuming event that affects sleep, diet, or even social situations. Worrying like this for no reason can really affect a person’s state of living and would be hard to accept if it was all for no reason.

• Creates stress that could stop you from noticing all the happy things in life. Thinking about infertility so far in advance could lead to missing out on all of the positive aspects of your life that should be celebrated. When energy and focus is spent on something stressful and negative, it can sometimes take over the mind and cast a shadow on so many of the great things that life has to offer. Many people tend to miss opportunities because their minds are constantly occupied with stressful thoughts that bring their mood and emotions down. By trying to lessen the stress, you could be opening yourself up to countless experiences and opening the mind to new ideas and thoughts that could help make life even better.

Overall, there are pros and cons to thinking about infertility earlier on in life and that is something that each individual needs to decide for themselves. I am one of the people who worries about infertility way before I plan on having children and I have run into these pros and cons personally but that does not mean that others will experience the same things. With this week being National Infertility Awareness Week, now is the time to consider whether or not it is something you want to start thinking about or think about later when you want to actually have children but being aware that infertility issues exist is half the battle.

If you know you want to have children one day, you may want to consider having a “baby deadline test”. Click here for more info.