Now that you are over 35, are you faced with the decisions about trying to get pregnant? My husband and I are at that stage now. It’s a scary time for us. We have only been married for two years so we would like to have waited a little longer before starting a family, but I’m now 36 and we don’t know what our fertility chances are. So in order to become just a little less ignorant about our fertility chances, I started doing some research on the internet.

It’s women that have the most fertility issues and so I’ll start with them first. Here are just two of the factors that can affect a womans fertility. Both of which are issues for me! 1. Weight - I know it’s a tough one to pin point exactly, but studies have shown that women who are either overweight/obese or women who are underweight can have fertility issues. Your body weight can influence your hormones which in turn affect your ability to conceive. Then, if a baby is conceived, some women may not be able to provide sufficient nutrients to support a growing life.

2. The other problem involves issues with the reproductive organs. In the ovaries, women can suffer from conditions such as fibroids, Poly Cystic Ovaries or twisted ovaries. And then also in the uterus we are affected by things like endometriosis. This can cause you to have further issues such as diminished ovarian reserve, low progesterone count and other ovulation disorders. I’m not overly happy with the knowledge that I am both overweight and have suffered from endometriosis for many years.

But don’t forget, it’s not just the women that have the fertility issues. Men can have fertility issues such as: low sperm count and low sperm motility, injury or chronic diseases, sperm blockage or even an STD. And then both of us can have our fertility affected by other factors such as malnutrition, a depressed mental condition and endocrinology factors.

So that’s quite a few factors affecting our fertility. Rather than just trying to deal with one issue after another, my husband and I have decided to take a holistic approach to trying to get pregnant. We will look after our whole body and get it as healthy as we can to give ourselves the best chances of getting pregnant after 35.

For more information about our holistic approach to trying to get pregnant after 35, go to Michelle Rudge’s blog at www.TryingToGetPregnantNow.com