4 Ways to Be Proactive About Your Fertility This NIAW

National Infertility Awareness Week (NIAW) is a time to raise awareness about infertility and empower people with information about their reproductive health. Whether you’re actively trying to conceive, thinking about starting a family in the future, or simply curious about your fertility, there are several steps you can take today to better understand your body and your options.

Being proactive about fertility doesn’t mean you need to start treatment or make major decisions right away. Often, it simply means learning more about your reproductive health so you can make informed choices when the time comes.

Here are four meaningful ways to take a proactive approach to your fertility this National Infertility Awareness Week.

1. Learn Your Baseline Fertility Numbers

One of the most helpful first steps in understanding your fertility is learning your baseline reproductive hormone levels. Simple blood tests can provide valuable insight into your reproductive health and help your healthcare provider give personalized advice for your family building goals.

Some commonly ordered fertility labs include:

• Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH), which provides information about Ovarian Reserve.

• Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and estradiol, often tested early in the menstrual cycle, can also shed light on ovarian reserve and hormone production.

• Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and prolactin can both also affect reproductive health when out of range.

These tests don’t predict whether someone will or won’t be able to get pregnant, but they can help provide a clearer picture of your fertility and identify potential issues early.

If you’re curious about your fertility, consider asking your OB/GYN or primary care provider whether baseline fertility testing might be appropriate for you.

2. Start Tracking Your Menstrual Cycle

Your menstrual cycle contains important clues about your overall reproductive health. Tracking your cycle can help you understand your ovulation patterns, identify irregular cycles, and provide valuable information for your doctor when assessing your fertility and reproductive health.

When tracking your cycle, it can be helpful to note:

• The length of your cycle from month to month

• How heavy your periods are

• Ovulation timing

• Symptoms like cramping, spotting, or significant cycle changes

Using ovulation predictor kits (OPK), is one way to help determine your fertile window. OPKs work by detecting the luteinizing hormone (LH) surge that occurs shortly before ovulation. Detecting your LH surge not only helps you to know when you’re most fertile, but also can help confirm that you are likely ovulating each month. 

Even if you’re not actively trying to conceive, simply tracking your cycle and symptoms can provide valuable information you can share with your healthcare provider if questions about fertility arise later.

3. Talk to Your Doctor About Your Fertility

Many people assume that fertility work-ups are only involved after someone has been trying to conceive for a long time. In reality, meeting with a reproductive endocrinologist (REI) or discussing your fertility with your OB/GYN can be helpful even before you start trying to get pregnant.

During this fertility focused conversation, your doctor can:

• Review your medical and reproductive history

• Discuss your family-building goals and timeline

• Recommend fertility testing or imaging, if necessary

• Answer questions about trying to conceive, fertility treatments, and lifestyle changes to optimize your success

Having this conversation early can help you better understand your reproductive health and create a plan that aligns with your personal goals and timeline. For some people, that might mean deciding to try to conceive sooner, while others may choose to explore fertility preservation or simply gain peace of mind from knowing their fertility test results and their doctor’s recommendations.

4. Consider Fertility Preservation

Just because you’re not ready to start a family right now, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be proactive about your fertility. Talking to your doctor today to learn about your options may open doors for future family building. Fertility preservation options like egg freezing or embryo freezing can allow individuals to preserve eggs or embryos for future use.

Fertility preservation may be considered for a variety of reasons, including:

• Low ovarian reserve, but not ready to start a family soon

• Planning to delay pregnancy for personal or career reasons

• Medical treatments that could affect fertility, such as chemotherapy

While fertility preservation isn’t the right choice for everyone, learning about these options early can help you make informed decisions about your future reproductive plans.

Taking a Proactive Approach to Fertility

Fertility journeys look different for everyone, and there is no single “right” path to building a family. However, taking proactive steps to learn about your reproductive health can help you feel more confident and prepared when the time comes to make decisions about family building.

This National Infertility Awareness Week, consider taking one small step toward understanding your fertility — whether that’s tracking your cycle, scheduling your fertility consultation, or simply starting a conversation about your future goals.

Knowledge and timing are some of the most powerful tools when it comes to reproductive health, and taking the time to learn about your fertility today can help support the choices you make in the future.