Hesperian Health Guides
What to Do for Infertility
HealthWiki > Where Women Have No Doctor > Chapter 14: Infertility (When You Are Not Able to Have a Baby) > What to Do for Infertility
- Try to have sex during your fertile time. A person who can become pregnant usually releases only one egg each menstrual cycle. The time around this release is your fertile time—the only time during your cycle when you can get pregnant. This fertile time starts 5 days before an egg is released and lasts about 6 days. It is difficult to know exactly when the egg has been released, so if you have sex 2 or 3 times each week after your period ends, you will likely have sex during your fertile time. Your body has several signs that tell you when you are in your fertile time. The easiest signs to check are changes in the mucus in your vagina.
Checking your mucus
| During your fertile time, the mucus in your cervix is more slippery, which makes it easier for sperm to get into the womb. This mucus looks clear and wet, like raw egg white, and can be stretched between your fingers. Later in your menstrual cycle, you may have sticky or dry mucus. This kind of mucus stops the sperm from getting into the womb. Learn how to check your mucus. Write down the changes every day on a chart. During the week that you see wet, shiny, clear mucus, try to have sex every 1 or 2 days. |  P = menstrual
period W = wet days (fertile)
D = dry days (not fertile) |
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STIsTry not to worry if you do not get pregnant right away. Many couples get pregnant within a year if they continue to have sex regularly, especially during the fertile time.
- Avoid things that might make it harder for the sperm to get to the egg.
- Do not douche or wash inside your vagina, which may wash out helpful mucus. Douching also creates a higher risk for infections that can damage your reproductive parts and make it difficult to become pregnant.
- Because heat on the testicles prevents sperm production, partners who want to cause pregnancy should avoid taking hot baths.
- Some lubricants may stop sperm from reaching the egg. If you use a lubricant during sex, use mineral oil, canola oil, or a lubricant whose label says it does not prevent sperm movement.
- Treat any health problems. Both you and your partner should have medical exams and be checked and treated for STIs and other illnesses. If either of you has an STI, both of you must be treated. Be sure to finish all the medicines you are given.
- Practice good health habits.
- Eat nutritious food.
- Avoid smoking or chewing tobacco, using drugs, and drinking alcohol.
- Avoid drinks with caffeine like coffee, black tea, and colas.
- Get plenty of rest and regular physical activity.
- See a health worker if you are not pregnant after one year. Some simple, low-cost tests may be able to tell you what the problem is. For example, the health worker may look at your partner’s sperm under a microscope to see how many there are, how they move, and their shape. The health worker may do a pelvic exam to check your vagina, womb, and tubes for infection or growths, or may teach you how to tell when an egg is released by taking your temperature every morning.
Remember, these tests can only tell you what the problem is—they will not solve it. Even expensive medicines and operations often cannot cure infertility.
This page was updated:13 Nov 2023