Baby Formula

You probably never gave much attention to your uterus until you chose to start trying for a baby. You normally need to have a well-functioning uterus to be able to conceive. Unfortunately uterine infertility is not that unusual. There a number of factors that could cause uterine infertility:

· Fibroids – Also called myoma or leimyoma, these are little non-cancerous growths that form on the lining of the uterus. They can block the fallopian tube or cervix openings if there are lots of them or if they are quite big.

· Polyps – Ever notices a skin tag? Well, a uterine or endometrial polyp is like a little skin tag on the inside of the uterus. Most of the time you wouldn’t even realize if you had them, but if you suffer from abnormal bleeding that may be an indicator of polyps. They can obstruct the path of the sperm or the egg, or prevent a zygote from implanting.

· Malformations of the uterus – You may have been born with an oddly formed uterus, which can impact your odds of conceiving and having a baby.

· Scar tissue – on the inner wall of the uterus is also referred to as Asherman’s Syndrome. Like fibroids and polyps this scar tissue could cause infertility or miscarriage. The scar tissue might be a product of infection or because of previous surgery or repeated abortions.

· Endometriosis – This increases your risk of ectopic pregnancy (where the zygote starts growing outside the womb) because cells that are generally only found on the inside of the uterus start forming outside as well. This also causes awful cramping and very heavy bleeding during your period.

· Muscular problems – At the time of ovulation the uterine muscles contracts to suck the sperm up into the fallopian tubes. Irregularities with these contractions might make life quite difficult for the sperm.

· Luteal Phase Defect – When the lining of the uterus doesn’t mature correctly.

· Abnormal endometrial lining – This is when the uterine lining is too thick or too thin, although precise definitions of too thin or too thick are quite relative.

Some tests that are employed to diagnose these conditions:

· Sonohysterogram – Once the uterine cavity has been filled with a salt water solution an ultrasound scan is done to check for any structural irregularities.

· Hysterosalpingogram – A solution that shows up on X-ray is squirted into the uterine cavity and then an X-ray is taken to check if there are any unusual growths or blockages.

· Laparoscopy – The doc gets to have a look for any visible abnormalities through a tiny camera that is inserted through a small cut in the abdomen.

· Hysteroscopy – The camera goes in via the vagina rather than through a cut in the abdomen.

Doctors can also use the tests listed previously as opportunities to take tissue samples for screening.

After undergoing all these tests you might discover that your uterus is just fine – process of elimination here we come! It’s comforting to know that even though the testing process might be somewhat uncomfortable, most of these conditions are easily treated.

Here is more information on Endometriosis and Infertility. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Infertility.