Trying to get pregnant: Myths vs. facts
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?My mum had me at 39, so I have plenty of time.?
MYTH
?The most dangerous myth is that women think they have until 40,? says Paul Claman, an OB/GYN in Ottawa. ?In fact, your fertility starts to fall precipitously at 27 or 28, and by 35 it?s iffy.? According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, by age 40, a woman?s chances of getting pregnant are less than five percent per cycle. There are many factors?including alcohol, caffeine and nicotine consumption, as well as conditions such as endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome?that affect your fertility, so don?t make any decisions on your life map based on when your sisters conceived. If you want to see how your fertility is faring, talk to your doctor, not your mom. ?My period is pretty regular. I?ll be fine!?
MYTH
A regular cycle is 28 days long (give or take a day or two on either side). If it?s wildly different each month, it might mean that you?ll have a tricky time getting pregnant. The state of your periods can indicate what?s going on, too. ?If they?re very light, you might be lacking in estrogen,? says Pamela Frank, a naturopathic doctor based in Toronto. ?If they?re very heavy, there might not be enough progesterone to balance out the estrogen.? And very painful periods might be a sign of endometriosis, which can make conception more difficult. If your periods aren?t running like clockwork, talk to your doctor before trying to conceive to help track your cycle.
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