Why late pregnancy?

02/04/2009| IslamWeb

There are some factors that affect the occurrence of pregnancy. They include the timing of sexual intercourse, the number of times it occurs, and the exact timing of ovulation, in addition to other factors that will be mentioned later in this article.

Some wives believe that mere abstention from taking contraceptive pills necessarily leads to pregnancy. They believe this because they had previous pregnancies in this manner and believe that this would happen again, without delay. However, physicians advise those who wish to be pregnant to approach gynecologists, at least for immunization against German measles and for checking the levels of folic acid. This is effective in preventing deformities during pregnancy and in discovering any disease that may cause harm to the fetus.

After this is the state of waiting for pregnancy to occur. There are some factors that usually have a positive effect on pregnancy, by the will of Allah The Almighty.

 

One of those factors is observing the woman's period of fertility when she is likely to fall pregnant. Modern medical studies have proven that this period continues for six days from the beginning of ovulation, which is estimated to occur in the middle of the interval between two menstrual cycles. Medical studies also mention that there is a 36% chance of conceiving if sexual intercourse happens before ovulation or on the same day it begins. However, chances decrease to only 10% if sexual intercourse takes place four or six days before ovulation starts. That is because sperm may survive for five days inside a woman's body, but this is usually unlikely.

 

Dr. Suzanne Board says that ovulation usually occurs from the tenth to the eighteenth day of the menstrual cycle. Ovulation is indicated by sticky vaginal discharges that come from the cervix to the vagina. At the beginning of the menstrual cycle, there are quite a lot of these discharges that are of a light and sticky texture. They become more sticky and plentiful at the beginning of ovulation, as they resemble the white of a raw egg.

 

On the other hand, there are various medical means to detect the beginning of ovulation. Some of them depend on urine tests, and others depend on measuring body temperature which increases considerably on the day of ovulation. However, some physicians do not recommend this and prefer that sexual intercourse takes place before or during ovulation. If sexual intercourse occurs daily from that time on, conception may well occur, by the will of Allah The Almighty. Still, women are advised not to yearn for pregnancy in the first months of marriage. Some believe that extreme desire may delay conception. If there are relevant concerns, physicians can be consulted to help.

 

Special Marital Relations

 

It was believed that the husband's abstention from having sexual intercourse with his wife for a period of time before her ovulation may help her to get pregnant since his sperm would increase in number by the time ovulation begins. This is correct, but it is not practical, for sperm usually fertilizes the egg. Sexual intercourse, however, is necessary when ovulation is about to start or has already begun, but not necessarily every day. If there is sexual intercourse every couple of days, the chances of conception are 22%. However, when sexual intercourse occurs on a daily basis, the chances of conception are then no more than 25%. If the couple have sexual intercourse weekly, the chances of pregnancy decrease to 10%, for the period of fertilization or most of it would be lost when a whole week elapses.

 

How Does a Woman Know She is Pregnant?

 

Pregnancy is commonly recognized when the menstrual cycle stops. A woman, nevertheless, can know even before that. Some women mention relevant signs, such as headache, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, swelling in the belly, tenderness of the breasts, light cramps in the muscles, sudden appearance of acne, extreme sensitivity to odors, and repeated desire to urinate. Most of these signs are the result of hormonal changes. Modern blood tests can detect pregnancy a week after fertilization. The ideal method, however, to accurately detect pregnancy is to do a blood test after the cessation of the menstrual cycle. Pregnancy tests can also be done at home. In both cases, 28 days from the beginning of the menstrual cycle must pass so that early tests or examination do not lead to a negative result.

 

What Happens if Menstruation is Late?

 

A woman should know that menstruation may be late for natural reasons that should not cause any concern. When a woman stops taking contraceptive pills, her menstrual cycle does not return to normal for three months. If she used to take contraceptive injections every three months, her ovulation may take six months to start occurring again.

 

Smoking Delays Pregnancy

 

In Britain, a study carried out on 17,000 women of ages ranging between 25 and 39 years proved that the pregnancy rate among smokers is less by 22% than that of non-smokers. Other studies established that female smokers are more liable to abort pregnancies, compared to non-smokers.

 

Is Medical Consultation Necessary Immediately After Pregnancy?

 

Physicians advise women to wait a year for the occurrence of pregnancy if they are under 30. If a woman is over 30, she may go for a medical consultation, since it is quite likely that there is a problem. There is a timeline recommended by doctors as follows: women between 30 and 35 years of age should consult a physician if pregnancy is delayed by 6 to 9 months. Women who are between 35 and 40 years of age are advised to have medical consultation 6 months after marriage. Women who are above 40 should go to the doctor 3 months after marriage. If a woman went for a medical consultation with a gynecologist, she has to continue her visits for at least six months. In other words, she should not be hasty in consulting fertility specialists.

 

Fertility Problems

 

A wife should know that the availability of all factors related to pregnancy does not necessarily mean that pregnancy will inevitably occur. This is subject to the power of Allah The Almighty and His Divine decree. Studies confirm that normal women have no more than 20-40 % potential of conceiving in each ovulation cycle. The egg and the sperm may be too weak to fertilize, or, fertilization may occur, but the fetus may remain for no more than a few days, then it leaves the body without the woman noticing. Therefore, it is better for a woman to wait for pregnancy to happen, not within a month or a few months; rather, she ought to wait for a whole year. This is supported by a statistic that was carried out in the United Sates about women's chances of pregnancy within a year in relation to their age. The results show that women who are less than 25 years old have chances to conceive of up to 96%; women who are between 25 and 34 have chances to fall pregnant of up to 86%; and women who are between 35 and 44 have chances to fall pregnant of up to 78%.

 

Scientifically Futile Recommendations

 

There are some mistaken beliefs about fertilization. For example, it is believed that drinking coffee weakens the fertilization process. This is not scientifically proven since more than ten studies have shown that moderate consumption of coffee does not affect fertilization at all. It is also believed that taking Rubitone helps with fertilization. It is thought to have positive effects on the viscous liquid in the cervix helping the sperm to swim up to the uterus. Modern studies say that there is no need to increase this liquid as long as ovulation is natural. Even if it is not natural, there would be no benefit at all from that liquid. A third mistaken belief is that a husband's underpants decrease the chances of fertilization. This depends on the belief that the testicles decrease their production of sperm in a warmer environment. The most recent studies established this to be unfounded.

Even a man who wears tight underpants with a high percentage of polyester in its fabric has sperm rates not less than those of another man who does not wear such underpants.

 

It should be noted, however, that a man's fertility is affected by 20% due to smoking less than a pack of cigarettes a day, compared to a non-smoker. Therefore, what would be the case if the smoking rate is more than this?

 

A fourth mistaken belief is that if a woman exercises regularly it will decrease her fertility. This, however, is not scientifically established. Studies would rather say that if the menstrual cycle is regular, there is no reason to stop exercise. If the exercises are difficult while the woman needs them, she can enhance her fertility by eating more and by reducing activity to resume her ovulation cycle.

 

When to Visit Fertility Specialists?

 

A woman should not be hasty in this regard. It is preferable that she visits a gynecologist regularly so that the doctor can do an initial examination and study the medical record of both the husband and wife. There should be analysis of the husband's sperm and confirmation of the occurrence of ovulation.

 

It is important to test the ability of the uterus to host the fertilized egg exactly seven days after the occurrence of ovulation. It is also necessary to test the viscous liquid in the cervix at its due time, according to medical specifications. For an accurate calculation of time, it is preferable that ovulation is observed practically, not to depend merely on the time of the wife's menstrual cycle.

 

It is also incorrect to depend on the drug Clomid for activating the ovaries. If it does not give the desired results, another more effective drug, such as Pergonal, should be used instead. If there is no progress, there may be problems other than ovulation because fertilization is an intricate process that is beset with many complicated details.

 

Psychological Mood

 

Does the psychological mood affect the pregnancy? Can stress delay a woman's conception? It may be said that a woman who suffers no stress conceives quickly. However, some doctors such as Dr. Mark Sware, from New York, opposes this opinion. In the meantime, Dr. Alice Domar from Harvard University emphasizes that psychological states affect the occurrence of pregnancy. Depression, not just normal anxiety, may cause trouble to a woman's fertility. In a study that was carried out in 1995, it was established that a depressed woman may have fertility problems double those of the woman who does not suffer from depression. The less a woman is depressed, the higher her rates of conception.