If you’re having trouble getting pregnant, these four fertility checklists may help you narrow down the problem. These fertility checklists might also help you decide if you should see an infertility specialist, and what you should focus on.
“Couples who have sought specialist help and have been diagnosed with ‘unexplained fertility’ may find that making certain lifestyle changes can assist in conception,” writes Michael Dooley in Fit for Fertility: Overcoming Infertility and Preparing for Pregnancy. “These fertility checklists might be useful.”
For more info on overcoming fertility, click on Fit for Fertility. And, read on for Dooley’s four “fit for fertility” checklists.
Why Can’t I Get Pregnant? 4 Fertility Checklists
The Fit for Fertility Checklist is made up of four individual checklists, for the egg, the sperm, conception, and general male and female fertility levels.
Fertility Checklist #1: The Egg (Female)
Answer yes or no to the following questions:
- Are you having irregular, short (less than 21 days) or long (greater than 34 days) periods?
- Do you bleed between your periods?
- Are you overweight (with a body mass index greater than 25)?
- Are you underweight (with a body mass index under 18.5)?
- Do you exercise excessively?
- Have you had treatment for cancer?
- Are you being treated for depression?
- Do you have diabetes?
- Have you ever had thyroid problems?
- Have you stopped having periods?
For more info about female fertility and getting pregnant, read 7 Tips for Improving Female Fertility.
Fertility Checklist #2: The Sperm (Male)
Answer yes or no to the following questions:
- Have you had an operation on your testicles?
- Have you had a hernia repair?
- Is there blood in your ejaculate?
- Have you had mumps?
- Have you had an injury to your testicles?
- Do you have any family members with cystic fibrosis?
- Have you had a vasectomy?
- Are you overweight (with a body mass index greater than 25)?
- Are you taking medication for a peptic ulcer?
- Do you have diabetes?
For more info on male fertility and getting pregnant, read 5 Foods That Increase Sperm Count, Motility, and Production.
Fertility Checklist #3: Conceiving a Baby
Answer yes or no to the following questions:
- Do you have intercourse less than twice a week?
- Do you have a problem with intercourse?
- Do you have pain with intercourse?
- Does your partner have problems with erection?
- Does your partner have premature ejaculation?
- Have you had pelvic inflammatory disease?
- Have you had an operation on your abdomen (eg, a burst appendix)?
- Do you have discharge?
- Have you had an ectopic pregnancy?
For more info for couples coping with infertility, read Tips for Keeping Your Marriage Strong in Infertility.
Fertility Checklist #4: General Male and Female Fertility Levels
Answer yes or no to the following questions:
- Do you have a good, healthy diet?
- Do you smoke or drink excessive amounts of alcohol?
- Have you been exposed to environmental hazards?
- Have you tried to conceive before without success?
- Are you under significant stress?
- Do you spend a lot of time apart?
- Do you drink excessive amounts of caffeine?
- Do you take regular medications?
- Do you use recreational drugs?
- Do you have a history of a genetic problem?
For more info on getting pregnant, read Tips for Couples Coping With Infertility.
If you answered “yes” to one or more of these questions, it’s possible that those factors may affect your chances of getting pregnant. Make an appointment with your doctor or fertility specialist to talk about solving specific problems that could affect fertility.
If you have any questions or thoughts on these fertility fitness checklists, please comment below!
~ Resources for Getting Pregnant & Fertility ~
If you're trying to conceive a baby, learn about getting pregnant easily and naturally.
Are you or your partner coping with low fertility levels? Try FertilAid for Women or FertilAid for Men.
And don't forget about vitamins and minerals, which are essential to a healthy pregnancy! Make sure you're taking the right Pregnancy Plus Prenatal Vitamins.
I came across this fantastic website and within a month i was pregnant… click my name to see if it can help you.
Jess x
My husband and I have been together for five years. We have been married for two years out of the five. i have ovarian cyst and i have have a period for like a month at a time and i am over weight. although i have all these problems my husband and i have been wanting a child. i dont know what to do. please help!
Hi Kelli,
My best advice is for you to talk to your doctor as soon as possible. My fertility doctor told me to get rid of the ovarian cyst before trying to get pregnant. Also, being overweight definitely affects your chances of conceiving a baby (extra weight doesn’t make it impossible to get pregnant, just less likely).
So, get thee to a doctor! Figure out if you need the cyst removed and how much weight you need to lose….removing those two obstacles will help you get pregnant, I believe.
Good luck — let me know how it goes…
Laurie
I want a Baby. My Boyfriend and I have been together now for about 2 years and we have been trying to have a baby. I have seen plenty of doctors. And they keep telling me to keep trying. I have endometrious and ovarian cyst. I have gotten 2 surgerys for it. My doctor said one thing that will help that is actually getting pregnant. But will that ever even happen??
Dear Askhley,
Though I can’t say for sure if you’ll ever get pregnant — and I’m sorry to hear it’s been such a struggle for you — but it’s a good sign that the doctors say to keep trying! At least they haven’t said it’s hopeless, or that you’re infertile.
It sounds like you’ve seen several doctors, which blows my suggestion of getting a second opinion. Have you tried seeing a naturopathic physician? Sometimes they have herbal remedies and nutritional suggestions that make all the difference in the world — and that can actually help you get pregnant. It’s worth a try…after all, what do you have to lose?
Give a naturopath a call, and let me know how it goes….
Baby Blessings,
Laurie
mY HUSBAND WAS IN THE HOSPITAL FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS WITH A CATHETER. dO YOU THINK THAT’S CAUSING ME NOT TO GET PREGNANT.
Dear Patricia,
I don’t think a medical procedure like that can stop you from getting pregnant, but it depends on what else is happening in your husband’s body! To find out, he would need talk to his doctor or a fertility specialist.
But generally speaking, a catheter isn’t a cause of infertility.
Good luck — I hope you get pregnant soon!
Laurie
I have been trying to have a baby for over a year. I have heavy periods for the first few days and ovulate each month. I cannot get pregnant. What are the best positions for us to conceive?
I am also a bit overweight but am dieting and exercising normally. I might have a thyroid problem could that be why?
Dear Bella,
I don’t know anything about the best positions for conceiving a baby, but I do remember reading that it can be helpful to stay on your back after intercourse. I think this allows the sperm time to reach the egg.
Yes, a thyroid problem — and being a bit overweight — can stop you from getting pregnant.
After a year of trying, I think it’s time to see a doctor! I encourage you to make an appointment with your family doctor, just to get a basic health checkup. Your partner might want to take a sperm test — there are at-home versions that are relatively accurate — or he might even take one through the doctor.
Good luck, I hope you get pregnant soon!
Blessings,
Laurie
i have stomach promblems…realli bad pains and the doctors cant seem to figure out whats really wrong…do you think maybe thats why i cant get pregnet we have been trying for a couple years and im 22 and have only one child which i had before i started having these problems…and do you think its best i wait untill they find out whats wrong??
Dear Ashley,
I’m sorry to hear about your stomach problems, and that your doctors can’t seem to diagnose you properly. I don’t know if that’s why you can’t get pregnant, but it’s certainly true that one part of our body affects most other parts! So, it could be that whatever is causing your stomach problems is also affecting your ability to conceive a child. It just depends on what your stomach problems are, of course…
I suggest you try a different doctor. That doesn’t mean there’s something “wrong” with your current doctors, or that they’re not doing their jobs…it’s just that different doctors have different types of experience, education, expertise, and areas of specialty. You might try a specialist — a doctor who focuses on the stomach and intestines (a gastroenterologist).
It might be wise to wait until your stomach problems are remedied before trying to get pregnant. My sister had an appendectomy (her appendix removed) when she was 7 months pregnant, and it was a complicated procedure. It’s a drag to have to treat health issues when you’re pregnant, so it’s always best to be as healthy as possible before you get pregnant!
I hope your doctor make a diagnosis and give you a treatment plan quickly….let me know how it goes.
Blessings,
Laurie
My partner and i were not trying to have a baby, but one day i was looking around and noticing that a lot of people were having babies. I thought to myself it would be nice to have a child. Then as i went back and remembered, there were so many times that i should’ve gotten pregnant. Now that i am trying we cant seem to possible get pregnant. He has two children already so we know he works, so maybe its me.