While official statistics on the number of Nigerians suffering from infertility are unknown, estimates suggest that 25 per cent of Nigerian couples may struggle to conceive and may require assisted reproductive techniques such as IVF.
This is even as fertility expert, Dr. Abayomi Ajayi has listed practical steps couples can take to enable them carry their bundle of joy in 2024.
Ajayi, while speaking with LEADERSHIP, averred that infertility, which is the inability of a couple to have a baby after one year of trying, despites regular and unprotected sexual intercourse, has significant negative social impacts on the lives of infertile couples and particularly women, who frequently experience violence, divorce, social stigma, emotional stress, depression, anxiety and low self-esteem.
He asserted that many infertile couples are unaware of the doable actions that will help them conceive, hence the need to arm them with information they need to fulfill their dream this year.
Ajayi, who is also the managing director, Nordica Fertility Centre, harped on age as one major reason that can mar or increase a woman’s chance of getting pregnant.
According to him, “A woman’s ability to have children depends mostly on her age. Naturally, a woman has about 20 to 25 per cent chance of getting pregnant per cycle when she is less than 30 years. The same woman, has less than five per cent chance of getting pregnant when she becomes 40 years. It is unlikely for a woman to get pregnant after 40 years. However, there is nothing like ‘you can never get pregnant’, but the chances become slim as one ages. So anybody who wants to have a child should bear that in mind that age is very crucial.”
Regular and unprotected sex at least three times a week is also very crucial if a woman wants to conceive, Ajayi averred, adding that regular and unprotected sex will enable sperm to enter into a woman’s vagina, find its way into the fallopian tube that links an ovary to the uterus and then fertilizes an egg; if the fertilized egg successfully travels down the fallopian tube and implants in the uterus, an embryo starts growing.
Another important factor for conception is the knowledge of ovulation, Ajayi stated, adding that, “women should be aware of their ovulation period, which is the period when eggs are released during the menstrual cycle. This is important because that is the fertile period of the woman. If an egg is not released, then the sperm cannot meet the egg and fertilization will not take place.”
Ajayi also harped on the need for couples to lead a healthy lifestyle, adding that, “fertility depends on what we put into our mouth. We know that fertility is depended on our weight and the kind of food we eat. It is crucial that couples exercise always, as it will help them to stay fit and at the same time, stay fertile. Women should avoid trans-fat like butter and refined carbohydrates. They should avoid eating cakes, sugar, caffeine and taking soft drinks. They should also avoid taking recreational drugs like cocaine or smoking marijuana or cigarettes (as smoking can make their ovaries to age quickly). Finally, women should take folic acid, zinc, vitamin C, before getting pregnant.”
On sex positions, Ajayi posited that, there is no particular sex position that encourages spontaneous conception, adding that, “The sperm cells can move. All the man needs to do is to deposit the sperm in the vagina. The sperm will find its way to where the eggs are.”
For women who are over 35 years and have tried these method for six months, without succeeding, the fertility expert however urged such ones to see a fertility doctor. “The doctor should commence investigation to ascertain the main cause of the infertility. Parts of the investigation would include seminal fluid analysis, ultrasound scan, hysterosalpingography and ovulation test. These tests will detect up to about 85 per cent of the causes of infertility,” he added.
After the investigation, the doctor may recommend IVF, to boost one’s chance of getting pregnant, Ajayi stated, adding that, “With IVF, couples can select the gender of their babies. For couples who are AS, they can now select the genotype of their babies and know the chromosomes as well, simply by doing noninvasive prenatal testing to ensure their babies do not carry any abnormal traits like Down syndrome, Edwards syndrome and Patau syndrome.”
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