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While fertility issues aren’t always easy to detect, in some cases, they can be picked up on through irregular menstrual patterns. Menstruation and fertility tend to go hand in hand, and abnormal bleeding could indicate conditions that cause or contribute to infertility. If you’re exploring infertility treatments after trying to get pregnant for some time, discover how your period could be playing a role in your challenges below.

How Is Menstruation Linked to Pregnancy?

During a woman’s childbearing years, her menstrual cycle prepares the body for a potential pregnancy. The cycle starts with the first day of the period and typically lasts 28 days. In a normal cycle, hormones release when an egg becomes mature and when ovulation is about to happen. Typically, ovulation occurs around mid-cycle. This is the key window in time when a woman is most likely to become pregnant. When periods are irregular, this window changes and can make it difficult for women to conceive naturally.

What Do Irregular Periods Indicate in Terms of Fertility?

While not always the case, irregular periods could be the result of an underlying condition related to infertility. For this reason, doctors will often discuss menstrual patterns with patients before initiating infertility treatments.

infertility treatmentsSome common conditions include the absence of a period, infrequent periods, and heavy or prolonged periods. Amenorrhea, or absence of a period, can be caused by polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), androgen insensitivity, and being underweight. Infrequent periods or long cycles, called oligomenorrhea, can also suggest PCOS, but it may also be a result of thyroid issues, high levels of physical activity, and diabetes. Menorrhagia, or heavy, prolonged bleeding, can result from uterine fibroids, bleeding disorders, and polyps in the uterine lining. There are other potential causes behind these conditions, which infertility specialists can explore thoroughly.

While many of these conditions can be addressed effectively with infertility treatments, left alone, they could make it difficult to become pregnant. In addition to disrupting the normal ovulation window, hormonal imbalances may impede conception. Any woman with a history of irregular menstrual cycles who is trying to conceive should consult a fertility doctor.

 

Whether or not you’ve had abnormal periods, if you’ve been having difficulty getting pregnant, the team from Pacific In Vitro Fertilization Institute is here to help. Located in Honolulu, this center opened as Hawaii’s first IVF program in 1985 and has helped more than 6,500 couples conceive since. Learn more about their infertility treatments on their website, or call (808) 946-2226 to schedule an appointment.

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