When you know your average menstrual cycle length, you can work out when you ovulate. Ovulation happens about 14 days before your period starts. If your average menstrual cycle is 28 days, you ovulate around day 14, and your most fertile days are days 12, 13 and 14.
Your doctor will give you a pelvic exam. They may also use an ultrasound to look at your ovaries and uterus, and give you a blood test to check your hormones. Sometimes you'll need to start tracking your ovulation patterns by checking your cervical mucus, taking your temperature, or using home ovulation tests.
The most common causes of female infertility include problems with ovulation, damage to fallopian tubes or uterus, or problems with the cervix. Age can contribute to infertility because as a woman ages, her fertility naturally tends to decrease.
A woman's peak reproductive years are between the late teens and late 20s. By age 30, fertility (the ability to get pregnant) starts to decline. This decline becomes more rapid once you reach your mid-30s. By 45, fertility has declined so much that getting pregnant naturally is unlikely for most women.
You might not be ovulating. Your male partner may be experiencing infertility. You may be experiencing age-related infertility. You may have blocked fallopian tubes.
Infertility is commonly caused by problems with ovulation (the monthly release of an egg from the ovaries). Some problems stop an egg being released at all, while others prevent an egg being released during some cycles but not others. Ovulation problems can be a result of: polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
However, you can still bleed — experience a “period” — without ovulating. This is known as abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB), or anovulatory bleeding.
Being overweight or underweight. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) Health problems that cause hormonal changes, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome and primary ovarian insufficiency.