Female fertility refers to being able to conceive and carry a pregnancy to full term. Your fertility depends heavily on the number and quality of eggs available for fertilisation. It also requires regular ovulation and a healthy reproductive system.
Many factors can impact your fertility. Some of these can be addressed through simple lifestyle modifications, while others may need specialist treatment through medication or surgery to enable you to conceive naturally. In some situations, the best way forward is through fertility treatments such as in vitro fertilisation (IVF).
Dr Parmar takes a holistic view of your health, lifestyle, personal goals, and circumstances, together with female fertility tests, to provide a personalised approach that helps you understand if fertility treatments may suit you and which may work best.
Backed by Genea’s innovative and pioneering scientific methods, she offers advanced clinical testing so that you know you are getting accurate answers to help you make informed decisions for your next steps.
Common causes of female infertility can include:
From age 36, the chances of falling pregnant decrease, as the number of eggs available and the quality of these eggs decline. Assisted reproductive technologies such as IVF, as well as using donor eggs, are often used to overcome these age-related challenges of conceiving.
Medical conditions not directly related to reproductive health can still affect your fertility. This may include autoimmune conditions, thyroid disorders, and diabetes. Some medications or medical treatments can also have an impact on your ability to conceive or sustain a pregnancy, such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy, or surgery involving your reproductive organs.
Certain behaviours are associated with female infertility due to their effects on egg quality, ovulation, and a conducive pregnancy environment. Dr Parmar can provide personalised advice regarding smoking, alcohol consumption, maintaining a healthy weight, regular exercise, and a healthy diet, which may help improve your chances of falling pregnant.
Uterine conditions (e.g. fibroids), tubal factors (i.e. a blockage or distortion of your fallopian tubes), hormonal disorders (e.g. polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome), and other gynaecological conditions such as endometriosis have the potential to negatively impact your ability to conceive.
Preconception health is one of the first and most important steps to preparing your body for conception and a healthy pregnancy. You may be able to improve your natural fertility through:
Having a good understanding your ovulation cycles can also impact your chances of conceiving each month. For an estimate of your fertility window, use the ovulation calculator.
A pre-pregnancy screening with your GP can help you to understand your current health and how it may be affecting your fertility. If these results are included in your referral, this will give Dr Parmar a more complete picture of your overall health and fertility. If you aren’t able to get these pre-pregnancy screening tests done with your GP, Dr Parmar can also help you to organise these at your first appointment.
Pre-pregnancy screening tests include:
The preconception stage is also a good time to review your medical history, including any family history of genetic and inherited conditions. If these are identified, Dr Parmar will discuss the options available to reduce the risk of passing down these genetic disorders to your baby.
All women planning to carry a pregnancy are advised to start a folic acid supplement at least three months prior to trying to conceive. Although folic acid does not help you to fall pregnant, it is vital for preventing neural tube defects in a developing baby.
“The ideal way I would see a pre-pregnancy [stage] is to use that time to get into an optimal healthy state, because a healthy body can increase the chances of a healthy pregnancy.”
– Dr Chandrika Parmar
Fertility testing with Dr Parmar is available for women still in the preconception stage who would like to better understand their fertility before trying, and also for women who have been trying unsuccessfully to conceive for some time. If you have been trying to fall pregnant for 12 months or more without success, or for six months or more if you are 35 or over, specialist care can help you along the journey toward parenthood.
As a couple, your fertility is a complex interaction of female and male factors, so it’s a good idea for both partners to come for a consultation. When it comes time to investigate the causes of infertility, both of you will need to have tests done.
Sometimes testing won’t reveal any issues, but unexplained infertility does not necessarily mean you won’t be able to fall pregnant, as fertility treatment may still be successful in these situations.
Female fertility testing may include:
Tests for ovulation are designed to determine whether you are releasing an egg each month for fertilisation. These tests may consist of blood tests, ultrasound scans, or urinary ovulation detection kits.
A pelvic ultrasound can be helpful to assess your uterus, ovaries, and surrounding anatomy to detect abnormalities such as polyps, fibroids, or endometriosis.
A hormone assay via a blood test can identify any imbalance in the hormones involved in fertility and pregnancy, such as oestrogen, anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), follicle-stimulating hormone, and luteinising hormone. Blood tests may also be used to assess for thyroid issues or other endocrine disorders that can be impacting your ability to conceive.
These advanced procedures can provide more detail about the condition of your uterus and fallopian tubes. An HSG is a specialised X-ray with contrast, allowing Dr Parmar to visualise any obstructions that may be interfering with your fertility.
Laparoscopy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that can be used for both diagnosis and treatment. Along with other surgical tools, a long thin tube with a light and camera (laparoscope) is inserted into keyhole incisions made in your abdomen. This gives Dr Parmar a direct view of problems inside your pelvis and abdomen, such as endometriosis or areas of scarring and adhesion.
Dr Parmar’s clinic offers a comprehensive range of evidence-based treatments to accommodate the varying needs of individual bodies. The treatments she recommends will depend on the results from your fertility tests, considered together with your personal preferences and priorities when building your intended family.
The options include:
Before proceeding, Dr Parmar will clearly discuss her recommendations in detail, including the risks, advantages and disadvantages, what to expect, step-by-step how it will work, how the treatments align with your goals, and answer any questions you may have.
