Is My OB/Gyn Right: I Have All The Time In The World?

It's no longer unusual for women to delay pregnancy until well into their 30's or even early 40's. Many young women want to dive into parts of life that are easier to do without children and then settle down with kids later. But plenty still want to grow their families first. Fertility specialists often hear from women in their 20's who've been told by their gynecologists to "be patient":

"We started trying to have a baby as soon as we got married. And even though it's been a year, my OB/Gyn says I'm just overly worried. He says I'm healthy, I have a period every month, there's no reason for concern. Should I really just kick back, relax, and I'll get pregnant, finally?"

Dr. Sonja Kristiansen, Medical Director of Houston Fertility Center responds:

You're not alone! I often talk to young women who want to get pregnant and feel like they're more frantic about it than everyone else. Sometimes, they've heard and read too many over-simplified stories about infertility. But there are times when they may be "on to something" -- a lot of women understand their bodies intuitively, even if they aren't physiology experts.

The unfortunate truth: there are many conditions that can cause you to be infertile and you never know until you try to get pregnant. If you've ever had abdominal or pelvic surgery of any kind, you could have internal adhesions or scar tissue -- most of which cause no pain -- that can be an obstacle for conception. The same is true of several infections, including sexually-transmitted ones and other, less stigmatized infections.

If you're only in your 20's and you've tried for a year to get pregnant without any luck, I and other fertility experts recommend you have some basic fertility testing done. You might not need the assistance of reproductive technology at all. But if you do, it's best to find out sooner than later.

Women's fertility naturally declines as they get older. So of course, older women's response to fertility treatment is generally not as optimal as that of younger women. If you're ready to have a baby, you've tried for a year already, and you're in your 20's, find out now if there's a real problem in the way. Then you can decide whether or not to proceed with fertility treatment.

~ Dr. Sonja Kristiansen MD