Many women of reproductive age have only one fallopian tube, or only one functional fallopian tube. Reasons like an ectopic pregnancy, endometriosis or Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) can be responsible for this, and they all end with worries about how to get pregnant in the future. Are you looking for some tips on how to conceive with one tube?
Having one working fallopian tube does, technically speaking, make around every other menstrual cycle unproductive. That's because ovaries release mature eggs into the fallopian tube that is closest, and if that's the one that's blocked or absent, the egg is out of luck and gets absorbed by the body again.
Women who are otherwise healthy will still have the same chance of getting pregnant as anyone else who is part of a generally fertile couple during the months that they ovulate on the "right side" for them. Statistically speaking, around 50 percent of younger couples gets pregnant within four months, for instance. As a woman with one fallopian tube, you'll have to make that eight. But, this is no reason for pessimism instead, focus on your health and on getting to know other ways to increase your odds of conceiving in general, regardless of how many fallopian tubes you have. Those include:
- Using a method to detect ovulation, like ovulation tests or an ovulation calendar.
- Realize that your "fertile window" starts around five days before ovulation.
- Have sex every two or three days all throughout the month if you don't feel like tracking your fertile days, and even if you do!
- A man's sperm count is the highest first thing in the morning.
- Make sure your partner looks after his health, which will increase his sperm count.
- Eat well, get tested for nutritional deficiencies, and make sure to take folic acid.
- A healthy weight, meaning neither a BMI that's too low nor one that's too high, will increase your chances of conceiving.
Your thoughts on this
Loading...