Conception Misconceptions

Conception misconceptions

University Reproductive Associates’ Dr. Kavitha Persaud dispels four of the most common mistaken beliefs about becoming pregnant.

Getting pregnant may seem simple, especially with several million women in America becoming pregnant and giving birth every year, but that isn’t always the case, according to Kavitha Persaud, MD, fertility specialist at Hasbrouck Heights-based University Reproductive Associates (URA).

“While it’s not done on purpose, society does a good job of drilling into teens and young adults that they should be extremely cautious because a girl can get pregnant anytime in her cycle, but in reality, it’s a lot more complicated than that,” she said.

Dr. Persaud said there are four common misconceptions regarding conception.

• Timing Is Everything — A woman can’t get pregnant at any time, contrary to popular belief. In fact, the timing of intercourse is the most important factor when it comes to conceiving. “Once an egg is released from the ovary after ovulation, it has a 12-to-24-hour window in which to meet a sperm before the egg dies off, so sperm need to be in the vicinity of an egg when the egg is released for optimal fertilization. As a result, sexual intercourse needs to happen within three days of ovulation.” The challenge is that many women don’t know when they ovulate. Some women ovulate in the middle of a one-month cycle, while others may ovulate late or early in the cycle, she said.
• Infertility Is Equal Opportunity — “A lot of people think that a woman’s failure to get pregnant is all on her, but that’s not true — 40% of infertility cases are indeed female-derived, but an equal 40% of cases are driven by the male,” she said. The remaining 20% of infertility cases may be due to male- and female-driven issues or from circumstances that can’t yet be explained.
• IVF Isn’t Always the ‘End-All Be-All’ —Due to age, in vitro fertilization — the stimulation of ovaries to produce as many eggs as possible — isn’t always the answer. Following the stimulation, the eggs are retrieved, embryos are created outside the body, and one or two are placed back into the woman, according to Dr. Persaud. “The fact is the quality of a woman’s eggs begins to decline after age 35 and the quality of a man’s sperm begins to decline after age 45. So, while IVF can address many infertility challenges, at the end of the day, IVF can’t reverse time,” she said.
• Infertility Isn’t Uncommon — “According to the National Institutes of Health, one out of eight couples experience infertility and one out of four pregnancies end in miscarriage, so infertility and miscarriage are more common than most people think,” Dr. Persaud said. “Because a lot of miscarriages occur early, many women may just think they got their period a few days late and not even be aware that they were pregnant and had a miscarriage.”

A Partner in Fertility

Specialists at University Reproductive Associates are dedicated to working with women and couples to achieve their dream of creating a family. The process usually begins with a full diagnostic test on the male and female partners, followed by a discussion of options that will maximize a woman’s chances of becoming pregnant.

Options such as timing intercourse more precisely with or without medication, intrauterine insemination (when medication is used to boost a woman’s natural system to produce a second or third egg, which will then be connected with a strong-swimming sperm), IVF and more are all laid out.

“We take great pride in not pushing one treatment over another on couples,” she said. “We’ll pursue whatever they’re comfortable with and provide an honest assessment of their chances of success.”

Dr. Persaud said that knowledge is power, and those who are having difficulty conceiving should see a specialist sooner rather than later. “We’re here to help every couple achieve their ultimate goal and sometimes in just talking to one of our physicians, it turns out that there’s an easy fix for the challenges a couple faces.”

Dr. Persaud said that openness also is beneficial. Infertility may be difficult to discuss and even stigmatizing for many women, but the more it is talked about,  the more willing individuals will be when it comes time to share their experience. It’s also an important way for individuals to not feel like they’re not alone in the process of conceiving.

“There are many options available, whether it involves understanding your own body’s cycle in greater depth or pursuing support from medication or a specialized procedure,” she said. “Expanding your family can be done through many different avenues, and there are more options than people know.”

For More Information

With locations in Hasbrouck Heights, Hoboken and Wayne, University Reproductive Associates has been helping patients complete their journey to a joyful pregnancy for more than three decades. For more information, call 201-288-6330 or visit uranj.com.

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University Reproductive Associates